Earlier than the Italians modified their foreign money to euros, I had a pockets filled with hefty lira notes and it was all for a small greengrocer on the backside of a small beautiful mountain village someplace by the seashore in Liguria, northern Italy. Its partitions had been unplastered, the inexperienced glass door would hit a chime and one naked gentle bulb hung from its ceiling over a wonderful show of the sweetest furry summer time peaches, shapely nectarines, furrowed lemons, plump crimson cherries, and an array of yellow, pale and inexperienced courgettes (zucchini), some flowering, wonky and spiky. The fragrance of the freshest fruit picked solely the day earlier than was beautiful.

Select your melon and mango by their aroma: the stronger the scent, the sweeter the fruit. Stability this sweetness within the dressing that you just make; use much less honey if the fruits are candy however extra if they’re bitter. And for extra recipes like this, take a look at my cookbook, Vietnamese Vegetarian.