I recently had a wonderful meal at Victoria's Café Brio that included a dish called contorni. It consisted of four preparations of seasonal vegetables that all came beautifully displayed on a plate, such as a tiny bowl of beguiling chilled tomato soup and beautifully dressed crisp and sweet snap peas. It was a fabulous way to showcase local produce and inspired today's column.
Contorni is an Italian term for a side dish served with the main course. At Café Brio I had it as an appetizer, more like antipasto - little tastes to tease your appetite before the main course is served.
When serving antipasto at home, I've discovered that if you serve enough of those little tastes together, you don't really need a main course.
That was my plan with today's five appetizer-style recipes all featuring in-season local produce, including carrots, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, beets, herbs and garlic.
As you see in the photo, when the recipes are all served together, you create quite a colourful array of items to feast on. Collectively, the recipes will serve about eight. The chilled beet soup, unless you have seconds, will serve more than that, but you won't mind leftovers.
If you have hearty eaters, accompany the recipes with a few other items, such as good bread, a selection of cheese and some slices of cured meats from an artisan shop, such as the Whole Beast or Choux Choux Charcuterie in Victoria.
Instead of trying to create the whole antipasto feast by yourself, offer to host the party and have a potluck summer meal, where each guest brings one of the dishes served. Add some good wine, appropriate music and some good conversion and life will be very good!
Eric Akis is the author of the bestselling Everyone Can Cook series of cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
RECIPES
TREATS COME IN WONDERFUL COLOURS
Cherry Tomato, Zucchini and Goat Cheese Crostini
Toasts of bread tastily topped with tangy cheese and a fresh and colourful tomato and zucchini mixture.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes Makes: 16 crostini
16 thin slices of baguette (see Note)
- extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
12 cherry tomatoes, each cut into
8 pieces
3/4 cup finely diced zucchini (about 1/2 small zucchini)
2 Tbsp pesto
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
125 grams soft goat cheese
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Set the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle bread lightly with olive oil. Bake the bread 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Cool bread to room temperature, and then store in an airtight container until ready to top. Toasted bread can be made several hours before needed.
Combine the tomatoes, zucchini, pesto, 1 tsp olive oil and vinegar in a medium bowl. Spread the crostini with goat cheese and then set on a platter. Divide and top crostini with the tomato/zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
Note: The baguette used for this recipe was about 3 inches wide.
CARROT, GARLIC AND OLIVE DIP
Carrots are a surprisingly good base for a dip because, once cooked and puréed, they have a wonderfully smooth texture. In this dip, the mild taste of carrots is richly enhanced with garlic, olives, vinegar and other good things. Serve it with such things as pita bread, sliced baguette, crackers and raw vegetables.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: About 10 minutes
Makes: About 2 cups
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced (about 4 medium)
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
- pinch chili flakes
8 large pitted green olives, sliced
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp orange juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- a few sliced olives and extravirgin olive oil for garnish
Place the carrots and garlic in a pot and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Boil the carrots and garlic until quite tender. Drain carrots well, ensuring the garlic stays with them. Place the carrots and garlic in a food processor with all remaining ingredients, except garnish. Purée until smooth.
Taste mixture and adjust seasoning as needed, adding a little more oil if you find it too thick.
Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Dip can be made up to a day before needed.) When ready to serve, garnish the top of the dip with a few sliced olives, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.
This sweet-and sour-tasting chilled beet soup is striking to look at and appetizing to sip.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: About 30 minutes
Makes: About 12 to 16 shooters
1 lb beets without tops (about 4 medium beets)
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp apple juice
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
- salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
- small mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
Place the beets in a pot and cover with a generous amount of cold water. Gently boil until very tender, about 30 minutes, depending on size of beets. Cool the beets in cold water and then peel; the skins should just slip off. Cube the beets and place in a food processor or blender. Add remaining ingredients, except garnish, and puree until smooth.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Pour soup into a jug with a spout.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (soup can be made a day before needed).
When ready to serve, pour soup into decorative, ice-cold small glasses with about a 4-oz. capacity. Garnish each soup with a mint sprig, if desired, and serve.
Note: If you have any leftover soup, it will freeze well and can be enjoyed at another time. The leftover soup will taste good served cold, or be heated and served hot.
EGGPLANT, PESTO AND FETA TARTS
Savoury and flaky tarts made with vol-au-vent (patty shells), which is sold in the freezer section of most supermarkets in packages that contain six.
When rolled out a little they make a perfect base for a tart.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About
30 minutes
Makes: 6 tarts
(24 small wedges)
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 18 thin rounds (see Note)
- extra virgin olive oil for the grill and drizzling
1 (300 gram pkg.) Tenderflake vol-au-vent (patty shells), thawed
100 grams feta, crumbled
1/3 to 1/2 cup pesto
- salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
Preheat your indoor grill or barbecue to mediumhigh. Oil the bars of the grill. Grill the eggplant slices 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until nicely coloured and just tender.
Set eggplant on a plate and cool to room temperature.
Set one of the vol-au-vent on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it until about 5 inches round.
Place the vol-au-vent on a very large non-stick or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining vol-au-vents.
Divide and spread the top of the dough with pesto, leaving a 1/4-to 1/2-inch border of clean dough around the outside of edge of each tart. Arrange three eggplant slices on each tart and then divide and top with feta cheese.
Refrigerate tarts at least 15 minutes to firm up the dough. (Tarts can be made to this point several hours in advance; keep refrigerated until ready to bake.)
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F. Drizzle each tart with a little olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake tarts 25 minutes, until puffed and golden. Cool tarts a few minutes to set. Cut each tart into 4 wedges and serve.
Note: My eggplant was about 7 inches long and 3 1/2 inches at its widest point.
ROASTED BELL PEPPERS WITH CAPERS AND OREGANO
Sweet bell peppers roasted, peeled, sliced and tastily topped with good oil, capers and fresh oregano.
Pile the peppers on crusty bread, perhaps with some tangy cheese, and enjoy.
Preparation time:
20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes
Makes: About 12 (1/4 pepper each) servings
1 large red bell pepper
1 large orange bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or to taste
2 Tbsp capers, or taste
- fresh leaves oregano, to taste
- salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 F. Place the bell peppers in a shallow baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once or twice, or until the skins of the peppers are blistered.
Remove the pan from the oven and cover with foil.
Let the peppers sit for 20 minutes. Uncover the peppers and pull off the skins. Cut each pepper in half and remove the seeds.
Cut the pepper halves into thick strips and arrange on a serving plate. (Peppers can be made to this point several hours before needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.)
When ready to serve, drizzle the peppers with the 2 Tbsp olive oil; sprinkle with the capers, oregano, salt and pepper. Let peppers sit at room temperature 15 minutes to allow flavour to meld, then serve.
