My dear friend Nick was about to leave for Italy...
So... of course... I had to make him an Italian dinner to say Buon Viaggio!
We started out with small fresh herb pizzas featuring the garden's burgeoning crop, and topped after baking with gorgeous sage flowers...
We then moved on to another variation on schie con polenta, the Venetian favorite of shrimp in a wine broth steeped with garlic, tarragon, red pepper, and a splash of cream to round everything out.
The meal ended with a salad of arugula, pumpkinseed oil, sherry vinegar, and my home-smoked salt. Yes, OK, fine, I'm obsessed... This vinaigrette leaves all others in the dust... for the time being!
Great night, great food (if I do say so myself), great company, and a chance to remember our own time in Italy and to give Nick a few hints...
What more could one ask from dinner?