And so the end of the meal has arrived. This glorious feast that has been the month of April has reached the finale. I bid adieu to the month of lemon and to Lori Longbotham’s Lemon Zest.

Having never made anything from this cookbook, I didn’t know what to expect when I selected it as my Flavour of the Month. To say that I am pleased with my choice would be an understatement. I enjoyed every recipe I tried and only wish that I had the time to try even more. The Lemon Oil I made became the basis for several dishes including Green Olives with Lemon and Fennel, Lemon and Fig Tapenade and Roasted Artichokes with Lemon. Without question my two favourite recipes were the Creamy Lemon Fettuccine and the Lemony Bread-Pudding French Toast.

But it’s time to move on. May is just around the corner and there are new opportunities to discover within the cookbooks that sit on my creaking and groaning Overburdened Bookshelf. As some of you may already have heard, May is the month that has been chosen for the eat local challenge organized by Jen of Life Begins at 30. Sponsored by Locavores, the challenge aims to encourage participants to try a and eat as much locally-grown and produced food as possible. Check out the details of the May Eat Local Challenge and think about taking part. It’s an opportunity to discover some great resources where you live, as well as find out a bit more about the food you eat!

So as I welcome May, and the challenge ahead, I end my  meal for the month of April with a digestivo or digestif. It is very common in Italy to end your meal with a drink to aid in digestion (especially if you’ve had one of those marathon, multi-course Italian Sunday lunches). Longbotham’s book offers a recipe for a sort of lemon vodka/limoncello/lemon syrup that can be used both as a topping for ice cream or a special dessert, as well as an after-dinner liqueur. I was intrigued. Initially I’d thought of trying a recipe for preserved lemons, but decided against it. If you’d like to try a great recipe for preserved lemons, check out Darla’s preserved lemons at Messy Cucina. And by the way, if you want to read some more lovely prose about citrus and this lovely time of year, check out some of Tea’s posts at Tea and Cookies. Her writing makes you want to immerse yourself in a garden of lemon trees!

In Italy, it is common to clink glasses and say "Alla Salute!", which means "to your good health". But we can also clink our glasses and say "Cin Cin!", or "cheers!" So I raise my glass to all of you. April was a wonderful month. I wish you all good health and happy eating in the month to come.

Cin Cin!

Sweet Preserved Lemons

Adapted from Lemon Zest by Lori Longbotham.

• 4 lemons
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1-1/4 cups vodka, or as much as needed to cover the lemons
• 1 cup sugar

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the lemons and return to the boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Remove the lemons and allow to dry and cool down slightly.
2. Cut each lemon lengthwise into quarters from the blossom end to within 1/2 an inch of the stem end, being careful to keep the lemon intact.
3. Place the vanilla bean in the jar. Be sure to use a wide-mouth jar with at least a capacity of 1 quart. Pack the lemons into the jar.
4. Combine the sugar and vodka in a pan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil.
5. Pour the syrup over the lemons. If necessary, add more vodka to cover the lemons.
6. Seal the jar and refrigerate for at least 2 weeks; shaking the jar occasionally.
7. The lemons will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.
8. Enjoy!

Note:  The original recipe also calls for 1 star anise.

Technorati tags:  lemon, vodka , vanilla

I could not possibly have let April go by without sharing this lemony recipe with you. This is one that will become a classic in your repertoire. Trust me. Easy, yet so delicious, this dish is perfect for a small dinner or for a huge gathering. The recipe can be halved or doubled easily (or tripled … believe me I’ve done it).

I’m willing to bet that you have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now. It takes ten minutes to pull together and about an hour in the oven. This dish goes perfectly with meat, poultry and fish, or you can enjoy it on its own (as I have) with some fresh, crusty bread.

What starts off as raw potatoes in a pan full of water ends up as a dish of luscious lemony potatoes lounging in a bath of the most divine lemon sauce you will ever taste. And if that isn’t enough to convince you, then try to imagine the aroma that will fill your home. It starts off with the faint scent of potatoes beginning to roast. Very soon the potato aroma is joined by the unmistakably crisp and bright scent of lemon. And for the finish comes the oregano, which releases its herby scent as it heats up.

Still not sure? Ok … well then just imagine what it looks like when you take it out of the oven. Golden potato spears flecked with oregano and surrounded by the deep yellow of lemon that has intensified in the oven.

So what are you doing still sitting in front of your computer reading this?! Go make yourself some lemony potatoes!

Ciao!

Lemon Roasted Potatoes

Adapted from Cook This by Amy Rosen.

• 8 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• the juice of 3 lemons (1/2 cup to 2/3 cup)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup water

1. Preheat the oven to 45o degrees F.
2. In a large ovenproof dish, combine all the ingredient, except the water.
3. Once everything is well-combined, pour the water over the potatoes.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes to an hour. Turn the potatoes every once and awhile.
5. The potatoes are done when they’re golden and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside (you should be able to pierce them easily with a fork).
6. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 8, however, it can easily be halved to serve 4. Don’t use small potatoes as they may fall apart.

Technorati tags:  potatoes, lemon

April is flying by and my opportunities to continue to entice you with recipes from Lori Longbotham’s Lemon Zest are quickly coming to an end. If April had 100 days I could easily fill each one with a recipe from Lori’s book. It’s that good. And you know Cream Puff would never lie to you!

Over the weekend, I decided to try a main course dish from the book. Initially I thought of trying one of the many inviting recipes for roast chicken, but let’s face it, I’m sure we all have our favourite roast chicken recipe. Instead I opted for something a bit different … a dish I have never prepared at home before:  crab cakes.

I took advantage of the fact that my baking course is close to Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market, which is blessed with a number of quality fish purveyors. For my crab cakes, I chose Mike’s Fish Market. The people at Mike’s were very friendly and helpful, especially when they pointed out that they sell frozen lump crab meat in half and one-pound boxes. Excellent! I love Mike because he just made my life so much easier. One word of caution … please make sure that you’re buying real crabmeat, which is a beautiful thing.

Do not buy nasty imitation crabmeat. The only nice thing I can say about imitation crabmeat is … well … I don’t have anything nice to say about imitation crabmeat. Buy the good stuff. It will cost you a bit more but it’s worth it. You’re worth it!

I defrosted the crabmeat and once again silently sent blessings the way of Mike and his peeps as the crabmeat was clean without any bits of shell in it. That’s something you need to look out for when buying lump crabmeat.

As with all of Lori’s recipes, this one came together quickly. While the original recipe instructs you to bake the crab cakes, I thought I’d splurge a bit and fry them. I put the crab cakes in the refrigerator to firm up a bit so I could bread them relatively easily. Once breaded, I also let them sit for a bit so that the bread coating could dry out. That helps make the end product even crispier.

While the crab cakes were resting, I quickly threw together the tartar sauce. The original recipe requires tarragon, but I didn’t have any and I wasn’t going to use dried. Instead I just used some fresh parsley and made a mental note to try this recipe again when I can use fresh tarragon from my own garden. In under an hour, from start to finish, I had fried up a plate of beautiful crab cakes that tasted of … crab! But also of lemon and shallot and parsley.

Say it with me, people … fried food is good! Especially when it consists of good-quality crab and beautiful lemons.

Ciao!

Lemony Crab Cakes

Adapted from Lemon Zest by Lori Longbotham.

For the crab cakes:

• 3/4 cup Lemon Mayonnaise (recipe follows) or regular mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons coarse-grain Dijon mustard
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
• 2 pounds lump crabmeat (be sure to inspect the crabmeat and remove any shells or cartilage)
• Lemon-Parsley Tartar Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• vegetable oil for frying

1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, egg, zest, shallot, parsley and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Add the crabmeat and mix gently until just combined.
2. Gently form the crab mixture into eight 1-inch thick crab cakes. Once done, place the crab cakes in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, to firm up.
3. Put the beaten eggs in one plate and the bread crumbs in another. Gently dip each crab cake in the beaten egg and then coat with the bread crumbs. Set aside.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Oil should come about half an inch up the side of the pan. Don’t fry all the crab cakes at once. Depending on the size of your pan, fry 2 or 3 at a time. The crab cakes will take about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Once fried, place the crab cakes on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and a little paprika (if you like).
5. Serve the crab cakes with the Lemon-Parsley Tartar Sauce
6. Enjoy!

For the Lemon Mayonnaise:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons coarse-grain or regular Dijon mustard
• pinch of salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper

1. Mix together the mayonnaise, zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper until well combined. Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

For the Lemon-Parsley Tartar Sauce:

• 1 cup Lemon Mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cornichons, minced
• 9 brine-cured Mediterranean olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped (original recipe calls for tarragon)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• hot red pepper sauce, to taste

1. Whisk all ingredients together. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Tartar sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Note:  The Lemony Crab Cakes serve 4. If you don’t want to fry the crab cakes, then as soon as you’ve formed them (do not coat them in breading), bake them in a preheated oven (400 degrees F) on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake the cakes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Let the crab cakes cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before plating them.

Technorati tags:  crab cakes, lemon

I wasn’t planning on posting this evening, but I had no choice. I am enjoying Lemon Zest so much and I realized that I don’t have many days left in April to post about this cookbook. Having prepared a dish that features one of the vegetable loves of my life, I just had to come and share with all of you.

But before I jump into my ode to artichokes, I just want to take the opportunity to bring to your attention an exciting event that’s happening in May. If you haven’t already heard about it, Life Begins at 30 is challenging everyone to eat locally during the month of May. I first heard about this challenge on Raspberry Sour’s blog The Sour Patch. I very brashly declared that I would take up the challenge and only eat local foods.

Then I remembered that I live in Canada and it’s not uncommon for us to have snow well into April! Luckily spring has already graced us with her presence, but still, it’s not like we’ve got an enormous selection of produce to choose from. So I’ve decided that while I may not be able to eat only local foods in May, I will certainly try my best and I hope that wherever you are, you’ll take up the challenge as well.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming …

I have always been in love with artichokes (in Italian i carciofi). From the time I was a little girl trying desperately to get in the middle of my mother’s daily cooking routine, I have loved artichokes. Why do I love them so? I think it’s a combination of the colour, the shape and the flavour. This is why I was so upset when we couldn’t find baby artichokes for our Easter lunch. Traditionally, we serve fried baby artichokes as an accompaniment to the roast leg of lamb and the fried lamb chops (more on this in another post). But this year it was not to be and I was so very disappointed.

As explained by Alice Waters in her incredible book Chez Panisse Vegetables, artichokes are actually the edible flower of a plant (thistle). Artichokes are widely used in Italy and so Italians have become quite expert at cooking with them. In fact, artichokes were introduced to North America by Italians who settled in California. Waters explains that artichokes have two main growing seasons:  the spring and the fall. So we should all be looking for some fresh artichokes in our markets.

Since I was denied my fried artichokes on Easter Sunday, I’ve been craving them since. And I thought it would be a wonderful idea if I spent the last day of my mini-holiday (back to work tomorrow) enjoying some artichokes. I already knew what recipe I wanted to try. It’s from Lori Longbotham’s Lemon Zest and it’s a recipe for roasted artichokes.

Many people are intimidated by artichokes because of the perceived difficulty in cleaning them. In fact, once you get the hang of it cleaning artichokes isn’t that difficult. It helps if you have the following supplies:  a serrated knife, a paring knife, a good pair of kitchen shears and a big bowl of water with lemon in it.

To clean an artichoke, simply tear off the outside leaves that are usually too hard to eat. With the serrated knife, cut the artichoke down the middle lengthwise. Take the kitchen shears and snip off the ends of the outer artichoke leaves, especially if they’re thorny. With the paring knife or with a spoon, scoop out the fuzzy bit at the centre of the artichoke known as the choke. Use the paring knife to pare away the outer layer of the bottom of the artichoke and the stem (if using large artichokes the outer layer can be tough). Immediately drop the artichoke in the lemon water to prevent it turning brown.

This is the method we use at home and it always works. Of course if you’re lucky enough to have fresh baby artichokes, you’ll find that you don’t need to trim away as many leaves as they will be far more tender.

Having cleaned my artichokes, I used the Lemon Oil that I’d made earlier this month, as well as sliced lemons and garlic. I mixed everything in a baking dish and then baked the artichokes for 45 to 50 minutes in a hot oven. I let the artichokes cool to room temperature and decided to take the opportunity to try out another Lemon Zest recipe:  Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette. I used the vinaigrette as a dressing for the artichokes.

Fantastic! The vinaigrette complimented the artichokes so well and the best part is that I have lots of vinaigrette left for salad. As for the artichokes … not a single one left.

I got my artichoke fix and I am once again a happy girl. Isn’t vegetable love glorious!

Ciao!

Roasted Artichokes with Lemon

Adapted from Lemon Zest by Lori Longbotham.

• 3 large artichokes
• 1/4 cup Lemon Oil (or olive oil)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
• 6-8 lemon slices, seeds removed
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced in half
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Clean and quarter the artichokes. Remember to put them in a blow of water with lemon as you clean them. Rinse the artichokes once you’re done and pat them dry.
3. In a glass baking dish (9 x 13), pour the lemon oil and stir in the salt and pepper. Take each artichoke quarter and roll it in the oil to coat. Arrange the lemon slices in the baking dish and top with a garlic half. Lay the artichokes over the layer of lemons and garlic.
4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 45 minutes, or until you can pierce the artichokes with a knife or fork.
5. Remove from the oven and transfer the artichokes to a plate. Add the lemon juice to the liquid in the baking dish. Mix well and then spoon over the artichokes. If you are going to serve the artichokes with the vinaigrette (recipe follows), you can skip this step.
6. Enjoy!

Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

Adapted from Lemon Zest by Lori Longbotham.

• 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (use white pepper if you have it)
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Lemon Oil or olive oil

1. Whisk together the crème fraîche, shallot, zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly. The vinaigrette should be smooth and well combined. Use with your favourite salad or on vegetables.
3. Enjoy!

Note:  The artichokes serve 6 people and should be eaten warm or at room temperature. The vinaigrette recipe will yield about a cup. Extra vinaigrette should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Technorati tags:  artichokes, lemons, vinaigrette

What is that glorious scent? Something warm and eggy in the air is pulling me out of a deep sleep. It’s calling me, more and more forcefully, urging me to wake up and make my way to the kitchen.

Incredibly I resist wakefulness. I’m so tired. I went to bed at 3:30 a.m. after baking the crust for a lemon meringue tart that we’ll be enjoying after our Easter feast. I’m soooooo tired. I can’t get up! I won’t get up!

But wait … there it is again. That mouth-watering smell now yanking at my senses and literally pulling my eyelids open. My head makes its own way from out under the covers, all the better to get at that olfactory feast in the air. Before I know it, my hands are reaching out and stretching. I can’t take it anymore. Even though I’m still bone-tired, I have to get up and discover what the yumminess is that has awoken me.

Bleary-eyed I make my way gingerly down the stairs. I shuffle into the kitchen and am instantly enveloped in the oven’s warmth. And perched on the stove, like a trophy, is the source of the aroma that is making my mouth water in anticipation. It’s the pan of Lemony Bread-Pudding French Toast that I’d prepared the night before … or wait … was it in the wee hours of this same morning? Hmmm … don’t remember and quite frankly don’t care either!

I rush to the refrigerator and dig madly for the little tub of crème fraîche hiding behind two legs of lamb, bunches of broccoli raab, stuffed olives waiting to be fried, the lemon curd filling for my tart, green beans, two huge bags of salad that I painstakingly washed, a container of artichoke pâté for the antipasto, a hunk of Gorgonzola, more lemons than I can count, a package containing a pound and a half of thinly-sliced Prosciutto di Parma, grape tomatoes and a beautiful bunch of red grapes. Somewhere, behind all that food, my now wide-awake fingers find the precious tub. As I pull my arm out I almost knock over a bottle of Riesling, but at this point I’m too frantic to care.

I serve myself a most generous slice of french toast, pile on the crème fraîche and drown it all in pure maple syrup. I’m not even fully-seated at the kitchen table before I already have a huge piece of french toast in my mouth. I look like Nigella Lawson downing Yorkshire pudding covered in cream and golden syrup. But I don’t care. I’m in heaven.

And then it slowly comes back to me. I remember buying the white sandwich bread at the supermarket (yes … I know … refined white bread is bad for you but what can I say … it’s my weakness). I remember mixing together eggs and milk and deciding to use five eggs even though the recipe called for six. I remember buttering a glass baking dish and stacking twelve slices of bread in four piles of three. I remember pouring the egg and milk mixture on the bread and mushing it down with my fingers. I remember covering the dish and tucking it away in the refrigerator (how did I manage to close the door with all that food in there?) to sit overnight.

The rest is a blur. Something to do with a tart crust, washing salad, using the food processor to make an artichoke appetizer and stumbling into bed exhausted. The unbelievably luscious french toast has now revived me enough to figure out that my lovely mamma put the dish in the oven about an hour earlier to bake into a puffed and golden dish of goodness.

And of course, I now remember that this was my contribution to the fourth Weekend Cookbook Challenge hosted by Alicat of Something So Clever and Sara of I Like to Cook.

But most importantly, I remember that it’s Easter morning. The sun is shining. My mother and I are enjoying our brunch dish, feeling our spirits lift and energizing ourselves for the hours to come when we will be preparing lunch for thirteen people.

I remember. And I am so happy.

Ciao!

Lemony Bread-Pudding French Toast

Adapted from Lemon Zest by Lori Longbotham.

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
• 5 large eggs (original recipe uses 6 eggs)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 slices white bread (I used Wonder Bread, but Lori suggests using Pepperidge Farm Original White bread.)
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted  butter, at room temperature
• pure maple syrup

1. Bring the milk just to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest. Allow to steep for 10 minutes and then pour the milk through a sieve to remove the zest. Allow the milk to cool for an additional 15 minutes.
2. Whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract. Add the milk and whisk well.
3. Butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Arrange the bread in the dish in 4 stacks of 3 slices. You may have to squish the sides of the bread together to get it all to fit in.
4. Slowly pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread. You may have to stop every once and a while to allow the liquid to seep in. Once you’ve poured it all in, press down on the bread with your fingers to submerge the bread. Cover the dish and refrigerate it overnight.
5. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. In a small bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar into a paste. Spread over the top of the french toast.
7. Bake the french toast for an hour or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8. Let the french toast cool for 10 minutes and then serve with maple syrup and crème fraîche if you have it!
9. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 4 to 6 people. The only recommendation that I would make that is different from the original recipe is that you put the dish on a baking sheet before putting it into the oven. It rises quite a bit and you may have some liquid fall over the side onto the floor of your oven. The baking sheet will protect your oven from any spills.

Technorati tags:  weekend cookbook challenge, french toast, lemons

This is the recipe for a plate of lemon happiness:

Cream.

Lemon zest.

Butter.

Parmigiano Reggiano.

Fettuccine.

So what are you waiting for?

Ciao!

Creamy Lemon Fettuccine

Adapted from Lemon Zest by Lori Longbotham.

• 1 cup heavy cream (35% cream)
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 pound dried fettuccine
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the cream in a small pot until it’s just about to come to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the cream through a sieve to remove the lemon zest.
2. Put a large pot of water to boil; once it comes to a boil add the fettuccine and cook according to package directions.
3. As the fettuccine cook, melt the butter in a large pan (large enough to accommodate the fettuccine). Add the lemon cream and bring to a boil; add a bit of salt and pepper (taste to make sure that it’s to your liking; add more salt if necessary). Lower the heat and let the cream simmer; it will reduce slightly and thicken.
4. As soon as the fettuccine are cooked add them to the cream mixture. Immediately add the Parmigiano Reggiano and toss gently until all the fettuccine are covered in the sauce. As you toss the pasta, the melting Parmigiano and the starch from the pasta will combine to thicken the sauce further. Serve the pasta immediately with additional Parmigiano.
5. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe will serve 6 to 8 people. You can cut it in half. The original recipe does not include Parmigiano Reggiano, but as I am of the belief that Parmigiano makes everything taste better, I added lots of it!

Technorati tags: lemons, cream, pasta

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterwards."

Spanish Proverb

How I am hoping to truly discover the meaning of this proverb over the course of the next week! After a hectic beginning to 2006, I’m happy to say that I have a few days to myself. So today is a beginning of sorts for me. It’s the beginning of a week of days that I’m hoping to spend in quiet enjoyment of so many of the things that I often miss … that we all often miss … while living our busy lives.

I want to enjoy the spring weather that has finally come to Toronto. I want to enjoy the Easter season and all of the lovely traditions and food the season brings with it. And I especially want to enjoy the moments of stillness, where there are no chores to get to, meetings to run to, and endless errands to get done. There’s just the prospect of the hours that stretch before you, for you to do with them as you please.

As I contemplate the beginning of my mini-holiday, I’ve also been thinking about Easter lunch on Sunday. While my mother usually handles the meal (you’ll read all about it I assure you), I usually fill in for duty in the antipasti and dessert department. Dessert is covered, but the antipasti are up in the air.

Strangely, I always find the antipasto the most difficult part of the meal to prepare. Antipasto is Italian for "before the meal" and while it can be referred to as appetizer, it’s not quite the same thing.

For Italians, the purpose of the antipasto is to wake the mouth up and prepare the stomach for the meal that is about to come. Antipasti (the plural of antipasto) should always be small and provocative, but never overpowering. They should be memorable, but never the only thing you remember about the meal.

The antipasto, you see, is a delicate art.

The best antipasti are usually the simplest. A slice of paper-thin prosciutto with a perfectly ripe fig  … fragrant mushrooms, sauteed briefly in butter with a shaving of Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar … the perfect late-summer tomato, quartered and touched with a few drops of olive oil alongside the freshest bocconcino. So simple and yet, not as easy as you might think.

You see you can’t cheat with the antipasto; it’s only as good as good as the ingredients you use. A supermarket tomato purchased during the month of April, when tomato season is still a long way off, just won’t cut it. The antipasto is unforgiving.

So as I find myself facing the beginning of my mini-holiday and contemplating the beginning of Easter lunch, I turned to Lori Longbotham’s Lemon Zest, the Flavour of the Month for April 2006, and I knew exactly which recipe to try:  Lemon and Fig Tapenade.

Dolloped onto a piece of bread covered with a slice of mild goat cheese, I had a feeling that this might just be the right antipasto. I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed. The tapenade, which included the unusual addition of dried Black Mission figs, was sweet, salty and briny (thanks to the olives) all at the same time. But underneath those flavours, was the steadying presence of lemon, both in the form of lemon zest and the Lemon Oil that I had at the ready. Paired with a slightly tangy, soft goat cheese, it was a bite to awaken the senses. And as with all really good antipasti, it was simple to make. I do believe I’ve found my antipasto for Easter lunch!

And so now that I have spent some doing nothing but thinking about how to begin enjoying both a few days off and the pleasure of a meal to come, I shall do as the Spanish do and rest.

Ciao!

Lemon and Fig Tapenade

Adapted from Lemon Zest by Lori Longbotham.

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 dried Black Mission figs, stems discarded, quartered
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1 cup brine-cured black olives, pitted (I used Kalamata olives.)
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 3 tablespoons Lemon Oil or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons brandy
• a pinch of freshly-ground pepper

1. Turn on the food processor and add the garlic cloves to the bowl with the motor running. Once the garlic is finely chopped, drop in the figs and anchovies. Continue to process until finely chopped.
2. Add the olives and capers and again process until finely chopped.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl or a container with a lid. Add the Lemon Oil or olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, brandy and pepper. Mix well and taste. Adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes.
4. Either serve the tapenade immediately, or refrigerate in a covered container. Bring the tapenade to room temperature before serving.
5. Enjoy!

Note:  This makes about 1 cup of tapenade. Instead of brandy, you can use Cognac. Lori suggests serving the tapenade with a mild goat cheese (which is what I did). Don’t forget to add lots of crusty bread!

Technorati tags:  olives, figs, lemons, tapenade

Hard day at work? Long day at school? Busy day getting the house in order?

Don’t worry about it. Come in. Take your shoes off. Sit down and make yourself at home. Cream Puff’s house is your house.

Here’s a cool glass of crisp Prosecco. And right here, in front of you, is a lovely dish of Green Olives with Lemon Oil, Fennel and Garlic. Don’t be shy … go ahead and try one … I insist!

After all, you’ve had a hard day at work. A long day at school. A busy day at home.

Go ahead. You deserve it!

Ciao!

Green Olives with Lemon, Fennel and Garlic

Adapted from Lemon Zest by Lori Longbotham.

• 2 cups cracked green Mediterranean olives
• 6 thin lemon slices, seeded
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Oil (click here for the recipe)
• 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Refrigerate (covered or in a container with a lid) for at least 1 day.
3. Serve at room temperature.

Note:  This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The original recipe used coriander seeds but I’m not a huge fan so I used fennel.

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