Ricotta Salata With Roasted Red Peppers And Marinated Baby Artichokes Recipes

ROASTED ARTICHOKES WITH RICOTTA AND PEAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Squeeze one lemon half into a large bowl of cold water. Pluck off all tough leaves from one artichoke, until you reach leaves that are pale and soft. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel stem and trim base of artichoke, then dunk it in lemon water to keep it from browning. Cut off the top 1/3 of artichoke and discard. Slice artichoke lengthwise into quarters; remove any inner purple leaves and scoop out the fuzzy choke if there is one. Put the quarters in the lemon water and leave them there as you cut remaining artichokes.
• Drain the artichokes, shaking them well to remove excess water. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss artichokes with oil and salt. Roast until golden and tender, 25 to 35 minutes, tossing them halfway through.
• Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Slip in peas; cook for 1 to 2 minutes until tender, then drain.
• In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, lemon zest and kosher salt to taste. Spread out on a plate, and top with peas, artichokes, mint, flaky sea salt and lemon juice to taste. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Serve with crostini if desired.

BRUSCHETTA WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND HERBED RICOTTA

Steps:

• Stir together ricotta, salt, oil, and oregano; season with pepper. Spread mixture onto bruschetta slices. Place a roasted pepper strip on each slice, and drizzle with oil.

SAUTEED BABY ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Using a sharp paring knife, trim the outermost layer of leaves from each artichoke. Trim stems, and cut off top half of each artichoke. As you trim them, place them in a medium bowl; add lemon juice, and toss to coat.
• Transfer artichokes to a medium nonreactive saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover artichokes by 1 inch. Using a small heat-proof plate, weigh down the artichokes to keep them submerged. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer artichokes until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain.
• Cut artichokes in half lengthwise. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add artichokes in a single layer, and cook until hot, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

MARINATED BABY ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare an ice-water bath; add juice of 1 lemon. Trim stems of artichokes, leaving 1 inch intact. Remove tough outer leaves, and trim sharp tips of remaining leaves with scissors. Halve baby artichokes lengthwise, or quarter small artichokes; scoop out fuzzy chokes, and discard. Add prepared artichokes to lemon water as you work.
• Arrange artichokes in a nonreactive 12-by-16-inch baking dish. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 4 strips of zest from remaining lemon, and add to baking dish. Add garlic, olives, and 2 rosemary sprigs. Squeeze juice from zested lemon over artichokes. Drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Cover dish with parchment paper, then foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; stir, and cook until tender and browned in places, about 10 minutes. Serve the artichokes as is, or continue to step 3.
• Let artichokes cool completely. Transfer contents of baking dish to a sterilized, dry 1-quart jar; add remaining 2 rosemary sprigs. Add enough oil to cover artichokes. Place a round of waxed paper on surface. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

ROASTED POTATOES WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place potatoes in center ofa 3-foot-long piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bring long sides of foil together and fold edges over, then tightly crimp ends to create a packet. Roast on a baking sheet until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut a small X on top of each with a paring knife and gently squeeze open. Dollop about 1 teaspoon ricotta mixture into each. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over potatoes.

RICOTTA SALATA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND MARINATED BABY ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Combine the chicken stock, 2 tablespoons olive oil, peppercorns, salt, thyme, garlic, and shallots in a medium saucepan. Cut 2 lemons in half, and squeeze the juice through a small strainer directly into the saucepan. Set lemon halves aside.
• Using a paring knife, trim about 1/2 inch from top of each artichoke. Remove and discard outside leaves so all that remains is tender lighter-green leaves. Use paring knife to trim stem end, and peel away tough outer skin. Slice artichokes in half. If center core is very purple, carefully carve out purple center, and discard. Rub each artichoke with lemon halves, and place in saucepan. Cover surface of cooking liquid with rinsed-out cheese-cloth to help keep artichokes submerged during cooking.
• Set the pan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and allow to simmer until the artichokes are just fork tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and allow artichokes to cool in cooking liquid.
• Roast the red pepper on a grill or over a gas flame until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle. Remove the skin by rubbing with a paper towel. Cut pepper in half, remove seeds and stem, and slice into long thin strips. Place the pepper strips in a bowl, and drizzle with olive oil.
• Drain artichoke halves, discarding peppercorns and aromatics. Place in bowl. Squeeze juice of remaining lemon over artichokes, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Using a knife, cut cheese into thin slices. Arrange cheese, peppers, and artichokes on serving plates. Place a quarter of the greens on each plate. Serve.