Here I am, we just returned from a short but wonderful vacation in Gargano, bringing home bread and tomatoes, caciocavallo and canestrato, orecchiette and cicatelli, as well as the indispensable oil.
I immediately honored two of these specialties by preparing a simple appetizer with bread (from Monte Sant’Angelo) and tomatoes (from Ripalta).
We toured all over Gargano. And in Monte Sant’Angelo, we couldn’t resist buying a mountain of bread.
We stayed in the village of Ripalta.
We were lucky enough to stay in a small resort, located in a small village (Ripalta, as mentioned) where we could relax in silence, enjoy excellent cuisine, drink good wine, and enjoy the splendid hospitality of the owners, delightful people, friendly and professional at the same time, who surprised us at our departure by giving us a crate of beautiful tomatoes! Just these ones:
For me, a vacation that does not include the discovery of local food and wine is not a real vacation, and this year I have to say I really enjoyed this vacation!
So, as soon as we returned, I prepared bread and tomatoes as an appetizer, and then orecchiette with cherry tomatoes and caciocavallo (that will be tomorrow’s recipe!).
〰〰〰
👇 Other recipes with tomatoes? 😉👇
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- Apulian bread
- ripe tomatoes
- garlic
- oregano
- mint
- extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Knife bread knife
- Knife multipurpose kitchen knife
Steps
Wash and dice the tomatoes.
Peel and chop a clove of garlic, or as much as you like, and sprinkle it over the tomatoes.
Season with oil, oregano, and mint (in lesser quantity than oregano).
Distribute the diced tomatoes over the bread slices. I also suggest adding some fresh arugula.
Now, if you can’t resist, you can bite into your bread and tomatoes right away. But, if you can hold off, I recommend waiting about ten minutes. The tomatoes will release a bit of juice that will mix with the oil, the bread will get moist, and it will all be even more delicious!
If you’re curious, the resort where I stayed is The Olive Inn.
Tips for No Salt
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually, the palate needs to get used to it slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili pepper, black pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my vegetable granules without salt and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave).
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Treat yourself to a break from the rules sometimes. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want to, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
I also await you:
On my new WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page and Pinterest, in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Exactly what I was looking for! and if you like… subscribe to my Newsletter.
On my new WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page and Pinterest, in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Exactly what I was looking for! and if you like… subscribe to my Newsletter.
