What’s ferragosto? Think of a new year’s eve like party in the middle of the summer. The 15th of August is a big day for Italians. It means mid-summer feast.
I love ferragosto. I love the big party in the garden, with lots of lovely summery foods, the smell of the barbecue which seems to deliver never ending juicy meat and all the lovely seasonal fruits and smells that only summer can give you. What a great way to celebrate. But the best of all is the family that’s all around you. That powerful feeling of belonging gives you a joy that nothing else in life could ever replace.
So good food, good wine and good company..and let’s celebrate! It’s ferragosto! 🙂
First, we start with a must-have vibrant aperitive with prosecco (original from Valdobbiadene please!) to have with my homemade olive and tomato focaccia.
And some chunky grissini with mortadella!
I could never get bored with the classic melon wrapped with gorgeous Parma ham..
A cold rice salad is perfect for hot summer days and if you make a good batch of it it can last well for a few days in the fridge
And of course some tasty meat to cook on a barbecue should never miss! To marinade the meat we picked some fresh herbs from the garden. Rosemary, thyme and sage are just what we need.
We marinade the meat for a couple of hours with the herbs, garlic, white wine and olive oil
And we love chunky Italian sausages too!
You can imaging the delicious cooking smells..
We had two fab cooks! Thank you both!
A decadent fresh and light sponge cake filled with silky creme patissiere and plenty of fresh fruit is what we want to end a meal on a hot summer day
And of course plenty of seasonal fruit can never miss on an Italian table.
So much tasty food! I enjoyed my ferragosto! Happy mid-summer! And you, are you having a mid-summer al fresco party?
I love this post Alida!
Many italians say me happy ferroagosto! I thunk was something with summer! Is a beautiful fest
Thanks by sharing and Happy ferroagosto Alida!
xo
Thank you Gloria. This year has been really special for me!
Beautiful pictures and lovely cooks:)
Dear Alida,
Happy Ferragosto to you and your family! AWESOME! is what I have to say to you…Oh my I wish we had smell a vision, then I can really smell the aroma of all your delicious foods and spices. Your photos are exquisite and show the true beauty of the day. It shows that family and friends put so much love in the foods that you displayed. It reminds me of a holiday that my family would enjoy. I hope that someday you post the recipe for the cold rice salad and your fabulous fruit sponge cake. Yummy! I once did a blog post on Ferragosto a few years ago. I had a feeling you would do a post on this wonderful holiday…Enjoy and have a fun time…
Dottie 🙂
Thank you Dottie. This year has been special with my family and we really enjoyed all the food, in fact I think I ate far too much this year.. never mind there is always time for diets!
What a wonderful celebration! And a wonderful spread of food….. so perfectly Italian!
Indeed a FEAST!
Cheers!
Hi Alida! I was on vacation and had the computer turned off….just getting caught up on all your posts! Happy belated ferragosto! This feast looks so fresh and fun! What a great party!
Grazie cara. Hope all is well with you and you had a good holiday. Baci!