Cucumber Spaghetti Strawberry Purée And Crushed Olives Recipes

SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVES AND TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. When water comes to a boil, add pasta, stirring constantly for the first minute to help prevent spaghetti from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• In a large saute pan, heat oil. When almost smoking, add olives and red pepper flakes. Saute for 3 minutes over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and carefully pour in tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Drain pasta in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Add pasta to the sauce and toss to coat completely. Add pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce a bit. Plate pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

PASTA SALAD WITH TOMATOES, CUCUMBERS AND GRILLED GREEN ONION-CRUSHED OLIVE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to high.
• Toss the scallions in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the scallions until the bulbs are tender and the greens are well charred, 6 to 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Set aside to cool. When the scallions are cooled, chop them finely.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package instructions.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil. Add the scallions and toss to coat.
• When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and add to the vinaigrette. Add the olives, tomatoes, red onion, provolone, dill, parsley and arugula. Toss to combine.

QUAKING PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Butter 6 1/2 -cup heatproof custard or pudding cups.
• In a small saucepan, combine the milk, cream, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set over low heat until steaming, then remove from heat and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, egg and sugar. Continue to whisk while slowly adding the warm milk mixture. When the mixture is smooth, pour into the custard cups. Cover each cup with aluminum foil.
• Arrange the cups in a deep baking dish large enough to hold them snugly. Carefully add boiling water to come almost all the way up the sides of the cups. Bake until the centers of the puddings reach 190 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes. Run a thin flexible knife along the upper inside edge of each pudding to loosen it. Hold a small plate firmly over a custard cup, invert the cup and plate, then remove the cup. Repeat with the remaining cups. Serve warm, paired with something slightly acidic, like apple slices in simple syrup with lemon juice.

STRAWBERRY PUREE

Steps:

• Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender (such as Vitamix®); blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container or freeze.

CUCUMBER SPAGHETTI, STRAWBERRY PURéE AND CRUSHED OLIVES

Steps:

• Using a mandoline, finely slice the cucumbers lengthwise into spaghettilike strands.
• Combine the strawberries and sugar in a blender. Purée until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a salad bowl, combine the cucumber strands, olive oil, vinegar and basil. Toss gently to mix. Pour equal portions of strawberry purée into each of 4 bowls. Arrange coiled ''spaghetti'' in the center of each bowl and garnish with chopped olives.

PANNA COTTA WITH DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Combine the cream and sugar in a large saucepan, set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Whisk in the vanilla pod and seeds, breaking up the seed clumps. Lower the heat and gently simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Pour the gelatin into a small saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons cold water and let sit for a few minutes. Put the saucepan over the lowest heat possible and warm it until the gelatin has dissolved, making sure it doesn't boil. Transfer the gelatin mixture to the vanilla-infused cream and whisk to combine. Remove the vanilla pod.
• Set out 8 (1/2-cup) glasses. Place 2 tablespoons of dulce de leche in each. (Avoid using a wet spoon: water will discolor the dulce de leche.)
• Divide the warm cream mixture between the glasses. Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. If left for more than a day, the water in the panna cotta will discolor the dulce de leche, so do not prepare too far in advance.

PANADE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.
• Cover the bottom of a heavy, ovenproof 5-quart pot with 2 or more slices of the bread. Arrange the squash slices in an even layer on top of the bread and pour in 2 cups of the hot milk mixture. Top with 2 or 3 slices of bread and then with the kale. Arrange the cauliflower slices over the kale. Press down on the ingredients to compact them if they don't quite fit into the pot.
• Pour the remaining milk mixture over the top. Stop adding the milk when the level is almost to the rim. Season with salt. Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and arrange the cheese over the top. Return to the oven uncovered and bake until the liquid is absorbed and reduced and the cheese has melted and browned, 30 to 40 minutes. (When the panade has cooled, it should appear dry.) Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, cut the panade into wedges and put on individual ovenproof plates. Pour ¼ cup cream over the top of each wedge and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 375.