When I moved to Italy as a 22-year-old American, I was naïve, but even I knew that Italian menus are planned with respect to seasonal rhythms. The farm-to-table concept that we strive for in America comes naturally in Italy.

The dining table is an extension of the garden, farm, and field. Spiky artichokes and tiny sweet peas in spring, glossy purple eggplant and juicy watermelon in summer, and the more austere yet still delicious cardoons, fennel, and cauliflower in late fall and winter.