If you’re a fan of cooking shows, then you have undoubtedly watched Ciao Italia. First broadcast on PBS in 1989 (with King Arthur Flour as its original sponsor), this beloved journey through Italian regional cuisine and culture has evolved into the longest-running cooking series in television history—31 years and still going strong. That translates to more than 500 episodes and 1,000-plus recipes. Mary Ann Esposito, the show’s creator and host, has worked alongside culinary heroes including Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, Todd English, Sara Moulton, and Martin Yan. She’s also written 14 cookbooks. Her most recent, Ciao Italia: Plant, Harvest, Cook!, celebrates vegetables that she and her husband, Guy, grow in the large, 30-by-60-foot garden at their southern New Hampshire home. Her favorites? Summer squash, eggplant, and tomatoes, of course!
True to its subtitle, Mary Ann offers advice on gardening to guide and inspire those new (and not-so-new) to the practice. She has organized the contents by season, highlighting the essential vegetables accompanied by recipes and intriguing information. A teacher and researcher at heart, Mary Ann shares bits of history as well as practical tips for cooking, planting, and harvesting. Want to keep your cauliflower head snowy white? Tie the outer leaves together over the head when it’s about 3 inches diameter. After a week or so of “blanching,” the firm, white head should be ready to harvest! Have an abundance of green tomatoes that haven’t ripened on the vine by the season’s end? Harvest and store them under a layer of newspaper; this step will trap the fruit’s natural ethylene gas that promotes ripening.
My goal is to maintain the intrinsic value and taste of the vegetable. I keep things as fresh as possible, using light touches, herbs, oils, and vinegars that accentuate its flavor rather than mask it.” –Mary Ann Esposito
Small is key when harvesting crops such as summer squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. “Smaller size means fewer seeds, less water, and more flavor,” Mary Ann explains. But if you missed a few of those little ones and wind up with torpedoes, here’s her pro tip: “Take a box grater, shred the zucchini, lay it out on press-and-seal wrap, and freeze immediately. You can use it later to add moisture to meatballs, meatloaf, soups, or stuffing of any sort.”
Mary Ann relishes the physical, mental, and culinary challenges of gardening. “It keeps me thinking and creating clever ways to put the produce to good, delicious use. I’m in the garden on all fours wondering how the heck am I going to deal with all this beautiful produce. So I concoct recipes and ideas while I harvest. By the time I get back to the kitchen, I have a plan. My goal is to maintain the intrinsic value and taste of the vegetable. I keep things as fresh as possible, using light touches, herbs, oils, and vinegars that accentuate its flavor rather than mask it.”
Her mission is to preserve the traditions surrounding Italian regional food and culture, which she describes as approachable, fun, and not fussy. She loves researching the origins and backstories of recipes. “I’ve created, tested, organized, and explored every single recipe I use on the show and in my books. I don’t do anything unless I’ve researched it! My name is on each one, and that’s why I can verify that they work.”
We invited Mary Ann to be featured in “Edible Reads,” knowing she would provide unique, practical, and delicious high-summer recipes. Her eggplant parmesan, an ethereal trio of eggplant, homemade tomato sauce (definitely try her Neapolitan nonna’s method!), and grated cheese, is unusually light and refreshing, not laden with heavy ricotta. Cherry tomato marmalade tastes sweet and tangy thanks to cinnamon stick, fresh ginger, and balsamic vinegar. The chunky, bright red jam partners beautifully with fresh peaches, soft cheeses, and crusty bread.
Cooks and gardeners will find this book delightful to read, with plenty of inspiring recipes to honor that summer bounty piling up on the counter!
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