Who would have thought that Tricia’s suggested poetry stretch (a recipe poem) would be so hard?  For me, the challenge was trying to use the right mix of real recipe language while “cooking up” a poem about something as impossible as “Summer(y) Vacation Ravioli.”

Somehow that name just doesn’t do justice to the wonderfully rich taste, joy and celebration that is authentic Italian cooking. Of which, by the way, I know almost nothing.  Here’s my stretch for the week:

Ravioli di Vacanze Estive

There are countless versions of this dish.
It is not difficult to make the real thing.

Here’s how:

Ravioli

1. Divide your summer into unequal pieces.  Roll each into the smallest portions of days.

2. Lay the days onto a lightly floured surface.  Cover and allow to rest.

3. In a large bowl combine: family and alone time, conversation and silence, things to do and things undone.  Mix until thoroughly blended.

4. Season with bright sun, white clouds, and clear blue skies. Sprinkle in cool breezes and summer showers, according to taste.

5.  Stretch each summer portion into a thin sheet. Cut into squares.  Place a generous tablespoon of free time into the center of each.  Fold the corners over to form a neat triangular pillow.  Gently press out any stress.  Seal the edges.  Cook at a low boil until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon or a skimmer and simmer for 1 minute in sauce.

Salsa

1. To make a sauce, combine any remaining free time with only your most favorite ingredients.  Things such as: a lazy day at the beach, a favorite book, or dinner by candlelight. Stir over medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble.

2. Gently place the ravioli into the pan with the sauce and simmer for 1 minute over low heat.

3. Transfer to a warmed serving platter, sprinkle with a dash of gratitude, and serve immediately.

Make a double batch and save half. You’ll be glad to have that little bit of perfection stored away for a winter day.

*** with a nod to Mario Batali’s “Goat Cheese and Scallion Ravioli”
MOLTO ITALIANO, pg. 234

I’ve not planted the life-sized version, or the mini, but one of these days, perhaps I will.  In the meantime, I’ll have to be content with the fruits of someone else’s labors…

Plant a six-foot-wide pizza
In a wheel-sized patch.
Zone off triangled sections:
Zucchini in one, plum tomatoes in
Another.  Add

Peppers, eggplant,
Arugula.  You’ll need spices:
Thyme, basil, oregano.  Even
Calendulas, the color of cheese. Let
Herbs sprout beside onions and chives.  Home grown.  Your own.

PIZZA PATCH

** The pizza garden is a photo from the University of Minnesota’s Children’s Garden.  The pizza is my own homemade/Farmer’s Market version of a recent Bon Appetit recipe. (Asparagus, Fingerling Potato, and Goat Cheese.  YUM!)

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Roots, Shoots, Buckets, & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy.  It’s the perfect resource for people like me, who know barely a thing about gardening!