mediterranean Archives - Page 2 of 2 - domenica dreams of calamari

September 19, 2014November 2, 2014

Marinated Goat Cheese Balls with Artichokes, Olives and Tomatoes

I got this recipe from the Food & Wine website in a French picnic slide-show. I made it for the sangria party night. I was especially interested in it because not only do I love all of the elements but the piment d’Espelette is a specialty of the Basque region near where I spent the first half of the year studying abroad. There I tried everything with the special chilli flavoring, from chocolate to cheeses.

1 1/2 pounds fresh goat cheese, softened
2 tsp chopped rosemary
2 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 tsp piment d’Espelette pepper or hot paprika
salt
1 quart evoo
20 cooked baby artichoke hearts
1 cup red cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
1 cup Niçoise olives
1/2 cup pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
In a standing mixer, using the paddle, blend the goat cheese with the toasted pine nuts, rosemary, thyme and piment d’Espelette. Alternatively, blend the cheese in a bowl using a wooden spoon. Season with salt. Shape rounded tablespoons of the seasoned cheese into balls.
Pour 1 inch of olive oil into a tall 1-gallon glass container. Layer the cheese balls, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes and olives in the container with enough of the remaining olive oil to cover. Let marinate at room temperature for 24 hours. Serve with the toasted baguette.

Original recipe: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/marinated-goat-cheese-olives-artichokes-and-tomatoes

September 19, 2014October 5, 2014

Mediterranean Deviled Eggs

I love deviled eggs but I especially like dressing them up and making my own variations. There’s so much to more to fill with than just the plain ole’ egg yolk, mayo, mustard

This is my most recent rendition.

3 hardboiled eggs
1 tbsp grainy mustard
12 capers
1 tbsp pickled onions
2 sprigs thyme or rosemary or both
black pepper sprinkling
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp goat cheese

peel eggs, halve and scoop out yolks
chop some of your herbs making sure to leave a coupe of sprigs (only the most good-looking) for garnish
add mustard, olive oil and goat cheese and mash
refill egg halves with the mix (baby spoons are great)
top each egg with a sprinkle of pepper, a pickled onion or two, a couple capers and a nice little sprig of herbacious greens of your choice

September 10, 2014November 2, 2014

Fig & Olive Tapenade

I love figs. so. much. We’ve had a big ole fig tree in our front yard for as long as I can remember. I used to take my first-day-of-school photos in front of it every year. Last year when I went back to school in SLO my friend and I realized how many figs were going uneaten on our fellow community members’ bountiful trees. We decided it was not only tragic but a crime against humanity so we started doing nighttime missions to relieve their trees and transport the fat figs to a more happy home, with us. Where they would be thoroughly appreciated*. Although they aren’t the black mission figs I am used to from my tree in San Diego, they are free and we do it for the figs sake, so I’m not going to complain. BUT the late summer months at home when our tree produces, are some of my favorite days of the year. I check the tree daily, sometimes two or three times. I will not let a fig go to waste. I’ve made many a fig recipe this year but this is one of the simplest and tastiest.

Fig & Olive Tapenade

10 ripe figs
2 cups pitted kalamata olives
a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
3 sprigs rosemary and or thyme

Blend ingredients together and get some good crackers or bread. It’s also divine on top of roast chicken or next to herby lamb meatballs.

*we have also been asked to leave our schools’ orchards, for sneaking into the fig tree enclosure