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Explore Recipes Sides & Salads Page 34

Cauliflower Caponata

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

As you know by now, I love all foods Mediterranean, and caponata is a wonderful dish that melds many flavors of the region. Traditionally the main ingredient is eggplant, but I’m super excited to share a wonderful variation with you that capitalizes on the wild popularity of cauliflower. As a cruciferous veg, cauliflower gets high marks for its nutrients, and its mild taste really lets the sweet and savory ingredients in this recipe come through. Caponata is often served as an appetizer, but it’s also a wonderful main dish when you want something light. I love to mound it on grilled bread slices for a fast bruschetta or serve it in a bowl surrounded by bell pepper sections to use as dippers—easy-peasy when company’s coming over. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup diced celery hearts or inner stalks of a full head
  • 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 4 to 6 peperoncini, stemmed and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons brined capers, drained
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan or in the microwave and pour on top of the raisins. Soak for 30 minutes to plump them and infuse flavor. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to boil and blanch the cauliflower for 90 seconds, strain, and cool to room temperature in a large bowl.

Step 2

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of olive oil, the garlic, bell pepper, red onion, celery, and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for several minutes, stirring frequently, until the bell pepper is tender-crisp and the onion and celery are translucent. Remove from the heat and pour over the cauliflower. Add the raisins and vinegar to the cauliflower mixture along with the peperoncini, pine nuts, capers, remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, parsley, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix the ingredients. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. It keeps for 5-7 days in the fridge.

Yields 6 appetizer servings

Apricot Salad with Prosciutto and Burrata

Posted on by Oceana Garceau

In the US, I love to shop farmers markets for the freshest produce, usually picked when ripe, so much tastier than fruit (and veggies) trucked across the country. Look for apricots in the next few weeks—May is the official start of the season in the northern hemisphere. As spring turns to summer, ripe peaches or nectarines are delicious replacements for the apricots in this visually stunning salad. Feel free to change the fruit to whatever favorites of yours are available seasonally where you live.

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white-wine or sherry vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • Fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

  • 6 ounces baby arugula
  • 4 ripe apricots, preferably freestone
  • 8 ounces burrata or fresh buffalo mozzarella
  • 16 very thin slices prosciutto
  • Small fresh basil leaves
  • Coarsely ground pink peppercorns

Directions

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To compose the salad, arrange a bed of arugula on a platter, or divide among four plates. Pit the apricots and slice into wedges, leaving the skin on for extra fiber. Drain the cheese and tear into bite-size chunks. If using burrata, tear directly over the platter or plates to catch any cream. Arrange the fruit, cheese, and prosciutto on the arugula. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, sprinkle with the basil and crushed peppercorns, and serve immediately.

Yields 4 servings.

Tapa of Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce (Champinones al Ajillo)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Common in tapas bars throughout Spain, this mushroom appetizer can be served on its own as a tapa or as a side dish with beefsteak. It can be made up to a day in advance: cover, refrigerate, and reheat. Add the lemon juice and parsley just before serving.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
  • 1 small dried red chile, crumbled, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 pounds mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed, cut in half
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or fino sherry
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the garlic and chile or red pepper flakes. When the garlic begins to sizzle (about 30 seconds), add the mushrooms and turn the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring, until they sear and begin to sweat, then sprinkle them with salt and add the white wine or sherry. Turn the heat down to medium, and continue to cook, stirring or tossing in the pan from time to time, until the mushrooms are tender, five to 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, taste and adjust seasonings, and remove from the heat. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve hot or warm in small ceramic dishes, or serve on a platter with toothpicks stuck into the mushrooms.

Serves 8 as part of a tapas spread or 4 as a side dish — Recipe adapted from cooking.nytimes.com

Samfaina

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Similar to French ratatouille, Samfaina is a Catalonian vegetable relish that is long-cooked to a marmalade-like consistency. It is wonderful on fish, eggs, potatoes, or even toast. The key to its success is to dice the vegetables into small pieces. It will keep, covered, for several days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced very small
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and very finely diced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 2 red bell peppers (or one red and one green), peeled, seeded and sliced in thin strips or diced very small
  • 1 medium zucchini, peeled and very finely diced
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or a 14-ounce can, drained

Directions

Step 1

Lay the eggplant pieces on two layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. After 30 minutes, squeeze out the liquid and pat dry.

Step 2

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in an earthenware casserole over a flame tamer or in a Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they soften, about 8 minutes.

Step 3

Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining olive oil along with the eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, and black pepper. Turn the heat to low, stir, then cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Step 4

Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt, cover again, and cook over low heat until the mixture has reduced to a thick relish, 2 to 3 more hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings. Before serving, allow the relish to sit for at least 1 hour, or better yet, refrigerate overnight.

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from the New York Times, October 10, 2010