I went to the supermarket yesterday and the canning jars are back! It’s the season for pickling eggplants, peppers and zucchini–one of my favorite side dishes. Also, plums, peaches and figs are in season, so many Italians make preserves. In fact, the other day Michael was cornered by an elderly woman who was leaving fig preserves for a neighbor and she explained the entire process to him.

But, we’re no strangers to fruit preserves. Last year we helped Michael’s family do the  vendemmia (grape harvest) in Pietrelcina, and we reaped the benefits by taking home many bunches of grapes (later on, we also got to try the lovely homemade wine–from red and white grapes). We got too much, actually–if we didn’t make a few pies and some preserves, the grapes would have spoiled. We also made some plum jam in July . . . so, figs are next on the list!