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The dish: fritters made with either onions, or mushrooms or artichokes are traditional. They can be part of a second course, a side dish or be a starter onion fritters are excellent when made with fresh spring or early summer harvested onions from Tropea.

Ingredients for onion fritters: for 4 pèeople (5 fritters each )

3 red onions, 1 egg, 200g Italian 00 flour, 350 ml water, salt, olive oil.

Method: clean the onions and slice them thinly. Cook in boiling water for 1 minute ( or alternatively fry quickly in olive oil ). Drain and dry the onions. Put the flour in a bowl with the egg, salt and water and whisk until the batter is smooth. Add the onion and stir well. Heat the oil in a tick based frying pan. When it is almost smoking hot pour spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. After a couple of minutes turn the fritters. When they are golden on both sides remove from the oil and drain on absorbent paper. Serve piping hot.

Variations: for artichoke or mushroom fritters replace the onion with the vegetable of your choice.

The recipe: parmigiana is not originally a local dish but it is widely used. In this area the local products give this dish a unique flavour. A mixed parmigiana, using a variety of local products. Is bet in the spring and summer when the vegetables are at their best.

Ingredients for 4 people: 1/2 Kg. potatoes, 1/2 Kg couregettes, 1/2 Kg aubergines (egg plant), salt, olive oil, 50 gr. stale breadcrumbs, 4 slices provola cheese or mozzarella, 4 slice sopressata or salame, 50 gr. grated ewe's cheese, 1/2 litre tomato puree, 2 eggs.

Method: fry the vegetables in this order: first the potatoes, cut into rounds, then the cougettes, cut into rounds followed by the sliced aubergines. Hard boil the eggs and dice them and the cheese and the soppressata. cook the tomato puree with oil, 1 glass of water and some salt for 1/2 hour, pour half the tomato sauce into an oven proof dish. Add somer of the breadcrumbs and a sprinkling of grated cheese. Add the fried vegetables in layers. First the potatoes, then the courgettes and finally the aubergines. Repeat the layers until you have used all the vegetables then place the hard-boiled egg on top with the provola and soppressata. Cover with the remaining ewe's cheese. The breadcrumbs and sauce. Cook in a low oven for 1/2 hour until the top is golden.

The dish: aubergine rissoles are among the area's most famous and celebrated dishes. Certainly they are frequently prepared in local kitchens and the knowledge is handed from generation to generation. Traditionally prepared in spring and summer when the aubergines were available. These croquettes are served as part of a second course but are excellent on their own.

The dish: pasta with onion, be it in red or "white" sauce, is traditional fare. Part of the humble local cuisine this dish is at best in the spring or early summer when the onions are sweetest.

The dish: courgette flowers fritters are traditional in this area both on the coast and in the hill areas. The recipe is handed down from one generation to another and technically the fritters are part of a second course. However, few families resist the temptation to try a few fritters second after they have been cooked when their flavour is at its best. These fritters ara tipically part of our summer menu when the flowers are available.