Summer recipes part two. Here

Summer recipes part two.

Here is a fun grilled appetizer that we have quite often, especially towards the end of summer, when figs are particularly good.

Slice a fig lengthwise halfway through (stop at the middle, don't cut the fig in half. Stuff the incision with good goat cheese (not feta, however). Wrap the fig in pancetta and grill over a smoky fire. Serve with a chilled Bonny Doon Malvasia Bianca.

What to serve after that? How about roasting a pork loin? First, stuff it with pancetta, rosemary, whole or split peeled garlic cloves, and pepper. Then tie it well. Rub the outside with sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and extra virgin olive oil (don't forget the ends), and cook over a smoky fire. When an instant read thermometer gets to 135% from the middle, remove, let sit 10 minutes on a board, covered in foil, and slice thinly. It should still be slightly pink in the middle. Serve this with an ensalata caprese:

Slices of organic, vine ripened, heirloom tomatoes (in the interest of brevity, whenever I say "tomato" I mean, organic, vine ripened, outdoor grown, heirloom, preferably dry farmed tomato), alternating with fresh mozzarella (bufalo if available), then drizzled with high quality extra virgin olive oil, and ribbons of fresh basil. If you serve this salad, you must serve good bread to dip in the juice/oil!

Serve a good Northern Italian red (chianti classico, vino nobile de Montepulciano, etc.) or a good California Zinfandel (Ravenswood is a good choice, as is Black Mountain, on sale at Trader Joe's).

For dessert, homemade peach ice cream? Fresh fruit? Vin santo and cantucci? Take your pick.

Buon appetito!