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It has been a while since my last column; the summer is just about upon us, and with that we can finally enjoy all the goods of the local land. With the asparagus and fiddleheads and ramps in full swing, it is time to take advantage of real, fresh flavours.

One thing everyone is always surprised to hear me say is that I cannot eat fruit out of season unless it has a proper flavour. Why eat something that is not right? Why are we so pathetically attached to bad strawberries and raspberries through the whole year?

One of the reasons summer brings so much joy to my palate is that I can finally eat fruit that tastes right.

I can always find an excuse to go for a ride down to the Niagara Peninsula to grab baskets of fruit as they are picked from the trees: peaches, plums, cherries and apricots.

But the real focus during the sunny weather is always on outdoor grilling. Nothing says more to so many people than grilling on an open flame in the backyard.

My first experience of that was in Marina di Carrara on the famous Tuscan coast called Versilia, where I spent a few summers in my mid-teens working in a small, family-owned hotel.

On occasion, we had the pleasure to be invited to our boss's home for a grigliata and some wine.

Call it Tuscan hospitality, but those were memorable meals.

Imagine starting off with some grilled bruschetta, the famous Tuscan bread brushed with garlic and oil, some chopped tomato with basil, fresh salads, grilled peppers and other vegetables in pinzimonio, basically crudités.

Follow that with some plump quails, pork sausages, spring lamb and my favourite: a nice rabbit, cooked very slowly on an open fire, then brushed with a generous handful of rosemary branches dipped in wine and olive oil.

We all know how to grill sausages, steaks and lamb, but it's good to have an alternative. Believe me, you are going to enjoy rabbit grilled this way.

Rabbit is one of the healthiest meats you can eat. In Europe, it is recommended by doctors for its low fat content and digestibility. Rabbits are easy to raise and generally don't need to be injected with steroids or hormones.

This recipe is easy and, with a little practice, you will impress your guests with it. As always with my recipes, play with it and make it yours - it is not the recipe that makes the cook, it is the cooking.

GRILLED TUSCAN-STYLE RABBIT WITH OLIVE, THYME AND TOMATO

What you need

For the brine:

1 cup water

1 cup white wine

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

Some grated lemon rind

2 sprigs of thyme

2 cloves of garlic

For the rabbit:

1 rabbit, 3 to 4 pounds

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 bunch of thyme

1 cup of Gaeta olives, pitted

1 red heirloom tomato, no seeds and finely chopped

1 lemon, grated rind and juice

extra-virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

1 pinch of parsley, whole leaves

What you do

The night before: Make the brine by boiling water and white wine with salt and sugar, then adding one tablespoon of white-wine vinegar, some grated lemon rind, two sprigs of thyme and two garlic cloves. Let it cool before using.

Flatten the rabbit by cutting the rib bones from the inside and pressing lightly. Place rabbit in a plastic food-storage bag and add the brine; seal the bag and place in the refrigerator to rest overnight.

On the day: Prepare your fire - gas or charcoal, it's up to you. The better flavour is on wood coal, the convenience is on gas.

Remove the rabbit from the bag and dry lightly. Place it on the grill bone-side down, first trying to position it in the middle surrounded by slow-burning heat. Do not scorch.

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, then turn it on the other side and cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove the rabbit from the grill, wrap it quickly in foil and set aside in a warm spot.

To prepare the dressing, chop the tomato and put in a bowl, add lemon rind and juice, thyme leaves, Gaeta olives, parsley leaves.

Break the rabbit into small pieces and toss them in the salsa; serve at once drizzled with olive oil.

Serves 4

Massimo Capra is co-owner and chef of Mistura Restaurant and Sopra Upper Lounge in Toronto and guest chef on the show Restaurant Makeover

*****

Beppi's wine matches

Pretty much any Tuscan red will do here, such as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Two reliable and widely available brands: Frescobaldi Chianti Nipozzano (about $22) and Ricasoli Chianti Brolio (about $24). A Côtes du Rhône from France would be splendid, too.

Beppi Crosariol