My friend Vittorio taught me this wonderful vegetable dish, when I was writing my book ‘ Autumn in Piemonte’.
He had a most fabulous vegetable garden at ‘ Pilone’ outside Torino.
Vittorio, as a purist, told me to pick all the vegetables from the ‘orto’ ( vegetable garden) and put them in an cast iron cooking pot, without cutting them up or washing them.
Scusami Vito, I have dared to make a slight change! That is why i called it ‘Arcinboldo down under’

• here is my ‘orto’ (vegetable garden)

• Leonardo helping me pick the peperoni ( uups half the plant broke off)

• Clementine inspecting the tomatoes and basilico

• beautiful melanzane!

• pick as many different vegetables as you have in your vegetable garden
• also some herbs

• take a cast iron pan, add
• some good olive oil
• 1 onion quartered
• a few anchovies
• sage, a chilli and 3 garlic cloves

• pile the ret of the vegetables on top ( I have cut the melanzana and peperoni in 4 as they were big)
• put he pot on low heat and cook for about 40 minutes
• from time to time, give the pot a good shake

• the vegetables will release all their juices and flavour
• taste and add more salt if necessary plus some pepper
• I like to add some fresh olive oil
• it is delicious eaten with crunchy bread

BUON APPETITO 1