Antipasti
Fried Shishito Peppers
1 lb whole shishito peppers (or sweet Italian peppers if you can find them!)
Extra virgin olive oil
Peanut oil
Sea Salt
Mozzarella
Heat a large sauté pan with ¾ peanut and ¼ olive oil, ¼ to ½ inches deep. When the oil is hot, fry the peppers in batches until they are cooked and they soften, tossing and stirring every so often to cook evenly. As they cook, drain well on paper towels and salt. Serve on a platter with small balls of mozzarella (bocconcini or ciliegini) scattered on top.
Note: Trader Joe’s has both shishito peppers and mozzarella. Get the small balls of mozz that are packed in water.
Ceci beans with tomatoes
1 can ceci beans (garbanzo)
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup onion, small chop
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups fresh tomato, chopped
Saute the garlic and onion in the oil, add the tomatoes and salt and allow it to cook on a medium heat until the tomatoes begin to soften. Add ceci beans and a small amount of water and allow it to cook on low heat, about 20 minutes. As the water cooks off, the tomatoes thicken. Taste for salt.
Zucchini with Parmigiano & Balsamic
2 young zucchini, shaved or grated into long thin strips
Parmigiano, shaved with a potato peeler
Balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
The key to this delicious salad is not to put the salt on until just before serving it. Try different gratings of zucchini to see what you like best; the pieces should be thin, not so big you have to cut with a knife and not so small you lose sight of what it is. I use a potato peeler or a mandolin.
Toss the grated zucchini with a small amount of balsamic (we like Kirkland because it has a higher ratio of grape must instead of wine vinegar. If you have the Real Deal from Modena, use it!). Add the shaved parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil and toss again. Right before serving, add a sprinkle of salt and serve. If you add the salt too early, it draws water out of the zucchini and the longer it sits, the more water accumulates on the bottom.
Be careful not to overdress the salad or it will be too soupy. This dish is also great with
celery
, use the pale inner stalks and slice on a mandolin.
Tomato & Basil Salad
Ripe tomatoes, as many as you like
Lots of basil, torn into small pieces
Dried oregano (optional and just a pinch)
Whole garlic clove (optional)
Great extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, preferably from Italy!
Burrata
Cut the tomatoes into chunks and toss with a generous amount of olive oil, basil, a little oregano if you like, whole garlic and salt to taste. The garlic is not meant to be eaten, just to flavor the oil that covers the tomatoes. This was a summer staple in our family, and we all fought with pieces of bread over the juice in the bottom of the bowl!
My current favorite addition is to cut up a burrata and toss it with the tomatoes. The creamy interior melds with the juices and the shreds of chewy mozzarella are a nice foil to the crunch of the tomato and basil!
