Fizz with Fresh Home Grown Produce & a Touch of Nostalgia!

It’s that time of the year where we’re reaping the harvest at home and lots of green in the garden. My mum was talking me through what we had (I’ve paid a little less attention this year) and much of the crop reminded me of mum’s ratatouille when we were kids, before we even knew what ratatouille was. I remembered in particular, the cheesy mash topping and that we needed to make it again.

Serendipitously, I also stumbled upon Ferrari Trento Perlé 2014 at a wine shop I walked into last week and this was the wine of choice with this pairing.

Lightly dusted courgette flowers with ricotta

After years of procrastinating or maybe only eating one or two flowers, we’re a little more focused this year. Sometimes it still seems an impulsive act to rustle up this amuse bouche, but equally well worth it.

Pairing verdict: Absolute delight together and the perfect pre-dinner combo. Lightly fried, the delicateness of the flowers still came through supported by the wine.

My mum’s ratatouille and potato bake

After so many years….over 20…this was still incredible. Only this time it was a team effort. Produce picked same day from our garden included courgettes, naturally, tomatoes and a few basil leaves to finish. Peppers and onions played 2nd fiddle. Although it ran the risk of being overshadowed by the potatoes, each mouthful of veg was its own surprise with each sip of wine.

I’m usually guilty of adding a lot of hot pepper sauce to this sort of dish however this time, mum’s subtle spice additions were just that. Subtle enough to give it its own flavour and complement a wine without the heat.

Pairing verdict: I will happily have this wine again with this sort of dish. Let’s see what the rest of the season holds vegetable wise!

There is something very special about what you can grow at home or indeed pick or buy fresh and cook immediately. Here’s one suggestion for a wine that pairs well with such food on summer days! Check back here for more soon!

Author: Rupa Datta – rupa@portfolio-people.com