Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup With Minted Crème Fraîche

Makes 4 appetizer servings

Minted Crème Fraîche:

• 1/4 cup crème fraîche
• 1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves, plus pretty sprigs for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

Soup:

• 5 large red bell peppers
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups water
• Finely ground black pepper

 

To make Minted Crème Fraîche: In a small bowl stir together the crème fraîche, sliced mint and sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight to let the mint flavor the cream. Strain out the mint; keep crème cold until ready to use.

To make soup: Roast the red peppers over a hot grill or under a broiler on a foil-lined pan about 5 to 6 inches from the heat source. With either method, turn them often until the skin is charred on all sides. Put the charred peppers in a large bowl, cover fightly with plastic wrap and let sit until cool enough to handle. Pull out the cores and pull off the charred skins; reserve any juices. Pull the peppers into pieces and scrape out the seeds. Do not rinse the peppers or you'll wash away flavorful juices.

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium, add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are very soft and fragrant but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the roasted peppers and the juices, the brown sugar and their white wine and simmer until the wine has cooked down to a glaze, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the 3 cups of water (it should just barely cover the peppers; if not, add a bit more) and simmer until they're completely tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Purée the soup in a blender and pass it through a medium strainer to get out any stray seeds or lumps. Taste and season well with salt and black pepper.

Serve soup warm or chilled. To serve, ladle the soup into shallow bowls, drizzle on some Minted Crème Fraîche and some olive oil. Decorate with a mint sprig.

Panzanella Salad

Makes 6 to 8 servings

• 1 pound stale ciabatta or other light-textured artisan bread, crust cut off, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
• 1 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
• 1/2 cup corn kernels (about 1 small ear)
• 2 pounds ripe, juicy tomatoes (about 5 medium tomatoes), cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
• 1 unpeeled English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scraped out with a spoon, diced
• 1 medium red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 cup roasted, peeled, seeded and julienned red and yellow bell peppers (see note)
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
• 1 teaspoon toasted and ground fennel seeds (optional)
• 1/3 cup red wine or sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups lightly packed small arugula leaves

 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the bread pieces on a baking sheet and toast in the oven just until the surface of the bread has dried and crisped, but don't actually brown the bread. Set aside.

Heat the 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over high heat and quickly sauté the corn kernels until lightly browned around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a large bowl add the corn, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell peppers, garlic, capers, basil, parsley and fennel seed, if using. Add the vinegar, remaining 1 cup olive oil and the lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss well. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours to let the juices and flavors mingle.

About 30 minutes before serving: If the vegetable mixture is very juicy, pour off some of the juices, but do not throw them out. Add the bread to the vegetable mixture, toss again and let stand at room temperature. When ready to serve, gently toss with the arugula, taste and correct seasoning. If the salad seems dry, pour back some of the reserved juice. Pile the finshed salad on plates or into bowls and serve immediately.

Note: To roast peppers, place on broiler pan and broil about 5 to 6 inches from the heat source, turning often, until skin is well-charred on all sides. Place in a bag or covered bowl for about 10 minutes. Scrape off blackened skin but do not rinse.

Crepes With Pesto and Arugula (Crespelle alla Genovese)

Makes 6 servings

Pesto:

• 2 to 3 medium cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (see note)
• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil (about 4 ounces)
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Crepes:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for buttering the pan
• 1 bunch arugula (about 5 ounces)
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing
• Few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

 

To make pesto: Blend the garlic and pine nuts in a food processor for a few seconds. Add the basil leaves and salt and blend for another 5 seconds. With machine running, slowly add the olive oil followed by the cheese. The pesto should be fairly thick, but if it seems dry, add a little more oil.

Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, cover and place in a cool (not cold) place for at least an hour, to let the flavors develop.

To make crepes: Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and lightly whisk. Whisk in the milk. While continuing to whisk, sift in the flour and salt. Add the melted butter and whisk until the batter is snooth. (You can also make the batter by putting the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender and processing until smooth; add melted butter and process for a few seconds more.) Strain the batter through a sieve to remove any lumps. Cover batter and store in a cool place for about an hour. Afterward, stir the batter: It should have the consistency of heavy cream; if it's too thick, add a little milk.

Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over high heat until it's medium hot, then reduce heat to medium. Lightly butter the bottom of the pan. While holding the pan at an angle, pour the crepe batter onto the highest point of the pan with a 2-ounce ladle or a 1/4-cup measuring cup. Tilt the pan so the batter covers the bottom of the pan. If necessary, add a little more batter. Put the pan back over medium heat and cook the crepe until lightly browned and dry on the underside. Loosen the edges of the crepe with a fork or heat-proof spatula and flip it; cook for another 10 seconds. Slide the crepe onto a plate and repeat until you have 6 crepes. You can make the crepes up to 4 hours ahead and keep them covered at room temperature.

To serve, spread the pesto in a generous layer over each crepe using the back of a spoon. In a large bowl sprinkle the arugula with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; toss to dress lightly. Top each crepe with a small handful of greens and srve immediately. Diners should fold the crepes up around the arugula and eat with a knife and fork.

Note: To toast pine nuts, spread on baking sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Check after 3 minutes; they go from browned to burned in a matter of seconds.

Glazed Fresh Figs With Honey-Rum Zabaglione

Makes 6 servings

Figs:

• 12 fresh figs, preferably black mission variety
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as a sauvignon blanc

Honey Zabaglione:

• 1/4 cup clover honey
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine, such as a sauvignon blanc
• 2 tablespoons Myers's Rum Original Dark
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

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To make figs: Remove stems from figs and cut figs in half. Heat overn to 250 degrees.

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the fig halves cut side down and sear for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sugar; stir gently with a wooden spoon until fruit is covered with butter and sugar. Place the figs in a baking dish. Add wine to the skillet and deglaze by gently scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom. Pour wine mixture over the figs and place the baking dish in the oven to keep warm. As soon as the figs are in the oven, start making the zabaglione.

To make zabaglione:

Combine the honey, white wine and rum in a stainless steel bowl and stir until the honey is dissolved; add the egg youlds and sugar.

Select a saucepan that will hold the bowl snugly; add water to the pan, but not enough that it touches the bottom of the bowl. Set the saucepan over medium heat, place bowl on top and beat the zabaglione until it is smooth and thickened and has tripled in volume, 7 to 10 minutes. (It should be similar in consistency to whipped cream.)

Remove the figs from the oven and divide among 6 bowls. Divide the zabaglione over the figs and serve.