Watermelon is a natural at summertime get togethers. Here is a savory salad made with grilled watermelon that has something of the eastern Mediterranean about it. Try it over Labor Day Weekend.

Include a variety of vegetables in your crudité. Create a feeling of seasonal abundance with a selection of baby carrots, radishes and tiny Hakurei turnips, all with a bit of the stem left on, to pick them up. Use cherry tomatoes, celery hearts, baby fennel, green beans, blanched or raw cauliflower and broccoli florets and little potatoes steamed in their jackets.

This recipe is Massimo Bottura's ode to Reggio Emilia. Dry-aged beef enriched with gelatin extracted from Cotechino, traditional Modenese sausage, and the region's Lambrusco wine makes up the ingredients for these burgers. They are dressed with a salsa verde and mayonnaise made with a high-quality balsamic.

A favorite appetizer recipe from Galateo & Friends creator, Marco Bonaldo, is suitable for a special dinner or informal gathering. These phyllo wrapped salmon pieces sit on a bed of potato "mayonnaise" that is enhanced by his apple cider vinegar dressing. It's a unique dish but easy to accomplish.

Use Ortiz 'Old Style' Sardines if fresh ones are hard to come by.

Pane Carasatu is a crisp bread known as carta da musica, meaning sheet music, since they are so large and delicate. Thin discs of dough puff up after a minute in a wood fired oven. It is split into two paper-thin discs and baked again until dry and extremely crispy. Historically eaten by the island’s many shepherds because of its keeping quality.

There are so many heirloom and new hybrid varieties of cherry and grape tomatoes on the market these days.  Use a mix of shapes and colors in this salad for visual appeal and flavor .  Same holds true for the wide range of basils.  Experiment with colors and textures. Add the basil just before you serve the salad as the acid in the vinegar and any residual heat will make it discolor.

Condimento Balsamico is stylistically based on Aceto Tradizionale. It is made with the same ingredients according to the
same consorzio rules, but brought to market before the stipulated minimum age of 12 years. It is well suited for sauces and for dressing small plates, patés and other charcuterie.

For the sake of variety, stir in one of these: finely crumbled bacon, a bit of tuna, chopped black olives or capers. You could omit the fleur de sel and garnish each egg with an anchovy fillet or salmon roe.

Gather some friends and celebrate Bastille Day with this cheese board.  An Aperol Spritz would be an appropriate aperitif, even if it is Italian.