A plate of soft scrambled eggs is one of my hands-down favorite easy dinners, and can also be transformed into an easy appetizer by topping crostini (and if you’re feeling decadent, drizzling with truffle oil). Watch my video down below to see how easy it is to make these luscious scrambled eggs.
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Need I say “use the freshest, in-season tomatoes you can possibly find, and don’t even think about making this outside of summer”? I didn’t think so. If you wanted to go beyond this basic bruschetta recipe, you could add chopped olives or capers, or sneak a slice of buffalo mozzarella under each mound. This is a classic summer appetizer.
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This simple sausage and grape recipe, my slightly off-kilter ode to harvest, was adapted from Micol Negrin’s gem of a book, The Italian Grill.
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Gravlax is a wonderfully simple way to showcase the the rich, buttery quality of wild salmon from the Copper River. Gravlax is a Swedish specialty that cures the salmon with a mixture of salt, sugar and spices. It’s a simple, no-cook technique requiring nothing more than a little prep work and time. There many of variations of gravlax. Our version uses a basic combination of granulated and brown sugars, coarse sea salt and black pepper that lets the luscious flavor and texture of the wild salmon really shine. You could customize this in any number of ways – swap black pepper for earthy white pepper, add lemon or orange rind, etc. Serve thinly sliced on multigrain crackers, garnished with chopped fresh dill and grated lemon zest. Or you could go old school and serve it with fresh bagels, cream cheese, capers and thinly sliced red onion.
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I fell in love with these giant — gigantes — beans in Athens, where they’re often served as part of a mezhedes appetizer spread. They’re meaty, soaked through with flavor and thoroughly satisfying. To this day, my favorite way to enjoy them is still with toothpicks and a glass of ouzo.
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The French word socca refers to flour made from chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans). Socca also is the name for the delicious, crepe-like snack that’s a specialty of Nice, where street vendors cook it over a wood fire in giant, shallow cast-iron pans. Using a cast-iron skillet, you can start the socca on the stovetop and finish it under the broiler to achieve similar results at home.
You can find chickpea (garbanzo) flour at Indian markets (where it might be labeled besan or gram flour), health food stores and even in some supermarkets with the gluten-free offerings. Serve it as a summertime appetizer with a garnish of coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper, and a chilled rose. Or dust it with powdered sugar for dessert. As an added perk, socca is gluten free, dairy free and vegan.
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This is based on a Ligurian-style caponata, with tuna as the main ingredient so the a taste of a premium sustainable canned fish like Wild Planet’s Wild Albacore really shines. Think of it as a mayo-free tuna salad. It’s meant to be made ahead to give the flavors time to develop, so mix it up tonight to enjoy for lunch tomorrow. It’s a winner spooned onto crostini or multigrain crackers, or tucked into pita bread.
2 (2-by-4-inch) whole wheat crackers (such as Al-Mok)
1 (5-ounce) can sustainably caught albacore tuna (such as Wild Planet)
1/2 cup chopped green olives
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, or more to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Soak the crackers in water for 15-20 minutes until soft; drain thoroughly.
Drain the tuna. If it’s packed in water, discard the water. If it’s packed in oil, reserve the oil to use in this recipe. Place the tuna in a small bowl, breaking it up with a fork. Add soaked crackers, olives and capers. Gently fold in oil, vinegar and salt to taste. Chill at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Serve sprinkled with parsley, if you like.
Serves 2
Adapted from La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy (Rizzoli).
Kale chips are a hot snack these days. They’re also expensive when you buy that at the store. But they’re so easy to make at home. Oven-roasted kale becomes crispy and satisfies a yen for something crunchy that’s better for you than potato chips. It’s also a tasty way to win over kale naysayers. Serve these kale chips as a snack or use them as a garnish, as we do with our Colcannon Soup. Any variety of kale is fine, but choose organic, since kale is on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of produce most likely to be contaminated with pesticides. You can change the flavor by using a different oil (sesame oil will take in an Asian direction) or adding different spices.
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This appetizer recipe uses seasonal dates and is adapted from Jill Hough’s 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love, a terrific book with simple, straightforward guidance (and super-tasty recipes) on enjoying wine and food … together. This little nibble, to me, is the winter equivalent to one of our favorite summer appetizers with figs and prosciutto and cooked on the grill. I’m grateful I don’t have to wait half a year! Jill suggests pairing this dish with a Cabernet Sauvignon or meaty Syrah.
12 Medjool dates, pitted and halved lengthwise
2 ounces blue cheese
12 thin slices coppa, cut in half lengthwise
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Stuff each date half with a ball of blue cheese a little larger than a hazelnut. Wrap a slice of coppa around the date and set on the baking sheet. Bake until the coppa is slightly crisped and the cheese is bubbly, 5-7 minutes. Serve warm.
Serves 8
Wild-caught sablefish (a k a black cod, Alaska cod, butterfish) from Alaska is a fatty, mild-flavored fish with luscious, buttery texture. It’s an ideal candidate for smoking. If your fillet is long, cut it in half so you can pull the thinner tail end, which will cook more quickly, off the grill when it’s done. If you can’t find sablefish, use wild Alaskan salmon instead. Your choice of wood will influence the taste. For more pronounced smoky flavor, use hickory. For subtle smokiness, use applewood. Serve atop crackers, flaked over a tossed green salad or with bagels and cream cheese (with capers, of course).
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