It is so hot in Mercatale di Cortona that all the windows and shutters of all the houses are closed. The system: open the windows in the evening when the sun begins to fade and close them by 8 the next morning, at the latest. I cook in darkness until my group gets home and then throw the doors open and schvitz. we don’t care. we drink Prosecco with peaches and pile candied green tomatoes onto slivers of pecorino, roll out the pasta, caramize fruit for our tart and then high tail it to the village to watch the soccer game on the outdoor tv with all the kids who are too hot to watch it at home. when the game went South by halftime, fuze ball took over. My over 40 year olds played the over ten year olds. tonight I,m grilling sausages and fennel with a first course of pasta with zucchini and fried basil. they won,t get home til late from all the touring, so dinner will be ready and waiting for them out in the garden.