Lemon Gelato

Rather than the tart sorbet-style lemon gelato you usually buy from the gelateria, this is a soft, creamy gelato with just enough tanginess to balance it out perfectly. It is super easy to make and well worth the effort. I often make this to use up the denuded lemons I have leftover after using the peel for other recipes, Limoncello, for example. So I usually make it without including any zest, but if you have some, it does improve it.

Ingredients

300g Lemon juice (approximately 6 normal-sized lemons)
Zest of 1 Lemon, finely grated (optional)
400g Caster sugar
400ml Cream
500ml Full cream milk

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until the caster sugar is dissolved.

Chill in the fridge for an hour or so, until cold. If everything was well chilled to start with, you can skip this step.

Pour into an icecream maker and churn until frozen. Store in a plastic container. It will probably need some additional time in the freezer to firm up before serving.

Bellini Slushie

This is the beautiful love child of a Bellini and a Sgroppino. Only to be attempted when white peaches are ripe and in season.

As far as I know, store-bought lemon gelato is always a sorbet style, and since this recipe works better with a creamy gelato, I use homemade.

Serves one

Ingredients

1 ripe white peach, peeled and blitzed to a puree

2 tbsp scoops of lemon gelato

1/4 cup prosecco

Mash the peach puree and gelato together until just combined. Add just enough prosecco to loosen the mixture to a slushie consistency.

Pour into a champagne bowl or cocktail glass. Drink quickly before it melts. 

Scaloppine di Montagne

During midsummer, when you are sick of salad but it's still too hot to really get the stove going, scaloppine are a good compromise. The thin slices of veal take only a few mintues to cook, so the dish is prepared before you even have a chance to raise a sweat.

I've based this fresh, summery scaloppine on a recipe I found in Arturo Lengo's wonderful book on the cuisine of Campania, Cucina Napoletana.

Serves two

Ingredients

2 veal escalopes
Plain flour for dredging
2 slices proscuitto
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 tsp capers
3 large mushrooms, finely sliced
Pinch of dried oregano
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Put a few tablespoons of flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal slices in the flour and shake off any excess.

Heat a lightly oiled frypan and cook the veal. You'll only need a minute or so on each side. Remove the veal to a plate and keep warm.

If needed, add a little more oil to the pan and fry the mushrooms until softened slightly. Add the chopped tomatoes and oregano, then cook until the tomatoes just start to collapse (they don't need to be fully reduced to a sauce). Taste for salt and season if necessary.

Top each slice of veal with proscuitto, then the mushroom and tomato mixture. Finish by scattering over the basil, parsley and capers.

Serve with a simple salad of rocket and tomato dressed with oil, lemon and salt.