Peak Summer Aperitivo Hour!

I gave you Spanish tapas, now it's time for Italian summer aperitivo! Three recipes + this month's supper club info!

Last week I hosted an aperitivo hour with a fully stocked DIY spritz bar (thanks to Luxardo)! I love an aperitivo hour any day, any month, any season, but it would be a mistake to not take advantage of peak summer ,and host one right now! Being in a backyard or poolside with stone fruit, tomatoes, herbs, etc., and a spritz in hand is the moment!

An aperitivo hour, in my opinion, should be unfussy, easy, and shouldn’t involve a lot of cooking. It should be pantry items like olives, tin fish, chips, crackers, etc., that can be tossed in a bowl or a platter. In the summer, it should be peak produce that shines even on its own. So— I’m giving you three (3!!) of my favorite, peak summer, aperitivo hour snacks, to hopefully inspire your own.

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What I’d drink with this!

A spritz, of course! Some ideas:

• 3 part prosecco, 2 part red bitter italian liqueur, 1 part soda water, and an orange slice to garnish.

• 3 part prosecco, 2 part bianco bitter, 1 part soda water, splash of olive juice, and an olive to garnish.

• 3 part prosecco, 2 part bitter liqueur (bianco or red), 1 part blood orange italian soda, and a blood orange slice to garnish.

• Dessert bev option, or if it’s a super hot summer day, a classic Sgroppino: 1 scoop lemon sorbet, 3/4 oz limoncello, 2 oz prosecco, and a lemon slice to garnish.

Now to the recipes!

Beans Marinated In Vinegar and Calabrian Chili

Serves about 4, but meant as side/small bite. Easily can be doubled!

Whatcha need!

Tools:

• Serving bowl

• Microplane

• Mixing/serving spoon

Pantry and Fridge:

• 1 can of white or butter beans (cannellini, great northern, gigantica, etc.)

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 small garlic clove

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 lemon

• 1 tbsp calabrian chili paste (can use more or less depending on spice preference)

• Salt and pepper

Substitutions:

• White beans → feel free to use any white bean or butter bean you can find or have on hand. Want it creamy, and buttery to match the vinegar and spice!

• Red wine vinegar → white wine vinegar or The Natural Wine Vinegar, Rosé by Pineapple Collective x Martha Stoumen

Let’s prep!

• Drain and rinse beans.

• Grate the garlic clove.

• Zest half of the lemon.

Let’s get cookin’!

• In a mixing or serving bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, calabrian chili paste, grated garlic, lemon zest, and a good pinch of salt and crack of black pepper. Mix all to combine. Then add the beans, and give all one final mix.

• Beans can be marinated up to 2 weeks ahead, covered, and refrigerated.

Ricotta, Stone Fruit, and Prosciutto

Serves about 4 as side/small bite, can easily be doubled!

Whatcha need!

Tools:

• Serving plate

• Microplane

• Cutting board

• Knife

• Spoon

Pantry and Fridge:

• 2 ripe nectarines

• 2 ripe peaches

• 1 stem of lemon thyme

• Small bunch of basil

• 1 lemon

• 6 oz fresh whole milk ricotta (even better if homemade!)

• 3 oz sliced prosciutto

• Honey

• Olive oil

• Flakey salt

Substitutions:

• Lemon thyme → mint

• Prosciutto → jamón

• Honey → hot honey

Let’s prep!

• Slice the nectarines and peaches into either bite sized pieces, or into larger chunks/8ths for more a presentation.

• Zest half of the lemon.

• Thinly slice the basil into ribbons, or roughly chop.

• Remove lemon thyme leaves from stems.

Let’s get cookin’!

• On a serving plate, spoon the ricotta into an even layer. Season with a pinch of flakey salt. Then top the ricotta with the peaches and nectarines. Followed by the prosciutto, placing it in-between the nooks of the fruit slices, so the fruit and meat is evenly balanced.

• Top everything with the fresh basil, lemon thyme, lemon zest. Finish it off with a drizzle of olive oil, a drizzle of honey, and a pinch of flakey salt.

• Best served and eaten right away.

Sardine Panzanella

Serves about 6 as larger side, can be easily halved.

Whatcha need!

Tools:

• Baking sheet

• Colander

• Large bowl

• Cutting board

• Knife

• Bread knife

• Microplane

• Serving plate or bowl

Pantry and Fridge:

• 2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, I like cherry and sungold!

• 1/2 cup basil leaves

• Half of ciabatta loaf (about 6 cups bread cubes)

• 1 tin of sardines in olive oil

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 small shallot

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tsp Kosher salt

Substitutions:

• Ciabatta → rustic sourdough bread

• Shallot → 1/4 red onion

Let’s prep!

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Cut the ciabatta, or sourdough, into 1 1/2–inch cubes, then place onto baking sheet. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, place into the oven, and toast bread for about 15 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.

• Cut the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Place the colander inside the large bowl. Then put the chopped tomatoes inside the colander with a pinch of salt. This will help “sweat” the tomatoes of their juice to use in the dressing. This takes about 10-15 minutes.

• Roughly chop basil.

• Mince both the shallot and garlic.

Let’s get cookin’!

• Once the tomatoes have released most of their juice, remove the colander from the bowl and set aside. To the bowl with the tomato juice, add mustard, 2 tbsp olive oil, vinegar, minced shallot and garlic, and good pinch of salt and generous crack of pepper. Mix to combine.

• To the large bowl with the dressing, add the chopped tomatoes, bread, and basil. Give all a toss to combine. Give it taste for if it needs more salt, or more vinegar, or maybe it’s too try and needs a bit more olive oil. Ideally, let it sit to soak and flavors to combine at least 30 minutes.

• Transfer panzanella to a serving plate or bowl, then add the sardines, either whole or breaking them up into smaller pieces.

Other easy plates:

• Aperitivo hour neeeeds a bowl of olives.

• Salty anchovies in olive oil with a little lemon juice. Or any other tinned fish!

• Big bowl of potato chips.

• Crackers or bread. I love italian taralli (especially these fennel ones). I also love focaccia or a rustic loaf.

• Any cured, uncured meat, or salami. I dressed up some bresaola (an air-dried, salted, and thinly sliced beef) with fennel oil, fennel seeds, lemon zest, and olive oil.

I wanna see your aperitivo hour! Tag me @diningwithcourt!

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This month’s Supper Club Info!