Grilled Peppers Stuffed with Tuna

Simply delicious. Ever since visiting a family-run seafood restaurant along the Adriatic we have been recreating this simple dish of roasted peppers and tuna.  Roasting gorgeous orange, yellow and red peppers over the grill and stuffing them with tuna, capers and herbs makes for a healthy flavorful appetizer/antipasti -the perfect way to start your summer dinner (especially if you already have the bbq fired up!)

Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Tuna
 Peperoni alla grilglia ripieni di tonno

Serves 6

4 Peppers (any color)
250 gram of highest quality of tuna you can find (in oil or water), drained
spoonful of capers, chopped
oregano, or any fresh herb of your choice (basil, marjoram, etc.)
salt & pepper (or red chili flakes)
red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
clove of garlic

Start by charring the outside of your peppers - either on the stove or over the grill - until the outside is completely blackened. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic, allow to cool.

When you can handle the peppers, remove the skin (should come right off) and remove the seeds. Slice the peppers into 3 cm strips.

To prepare the tuna filling, combine the tuna, capers, salt & pepper, a few drops of olive oil and vinegar.

At one end of the peppers add a spoonful of the tuna mix and roll the pepper around the tuna. Place in the dish, once the dish is full season with salt & cracked pepper.  Now make the dressing.

Two spoonfuls of red wine vinegar with six spoonfuls of olive oil, 1/2-1 clove of finely chopped garlic and small handful of chopped herbs. Mix it up and pour over the peppers in the dish. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before serving to let the peppers soak up the dressing.

Note: You can add any thing you like to the tuna mix: spring onions, sun dried tomatoes, olives, etc.

Lavender + Orange Cake = Love at First Bite

The perfect balance of orange & lavender makes for an absolutely heavenly cake that it is quick & easy to make!

Each year I add a few more lavender plants around the pool but never really knew what to do with the fragrant flowers. Sure, I dried them & placed them in the guest apartments but to be honest I was afraid to cook with them at risk of making a lovely dessert taste soapy! Well this year I was determined to try - Jason made the first attempt with lavender short bread cookies - they were amazing & eaten in one sitting. I was inspired and my taste buds were salivating for more... The perfect opportunity arose when a we found ourselves with extra yogurt in the fridge and I thought -great, I'll make a lavender yogurt cake. I actually made two - orange & lavender cake and rosemary cake with lavender glaze and they are both to die for! 

The perfect balance of orange & lavender makes for an absolutely heavenly cake that it is quick & easy to make!

Lavender & Orange Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (single-serving container) of plain yogurt
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar 
1/4 cup vegetable oil 
3 eggs
1/2 a tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lavender, chopped finely
1 tablespoon orange zest, chopped finely


Method:
Preheat your oven to 425°F and get a 9" round cake pan or 8"x4" loaf pan ready by generously buttering it.
1. Combine all your ingredients.
2. Mix with a wire whisk until you get a smooth batter (careful not to over mix), then pour into your pan.
3. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Fennel & Citrus Salad (with Blood Oranges)

Fennel - what is it? A big onion? A bulb? Is it even edible? YES and how delicious it is!

The secret is to know how to use it & what to pair it with.

Fennel can be a bit tough & fibrous with an anise flavor. It is also light, crunchy & refreshing when sliced very thin (found in many Mediterranean recipes.) We not only grow our own big bulbs of fennel but another variety of fennel grows wild along our road - the more leafy/flowery type to used as an aromatic.

Here is one of my favorite winter recipes from Jason below. Other ways to use/eat fennel: roasted (love it), braised in white wine (delicious) and the most simplistic - young fennel can be cut into chunks & dipped into olive oil & salt. (oh so Italian!)

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

1 bulb of fennel, cut in 1/2 and remove core
2-3 blood oranges
salt & pepper
2 glugs of extra virgin olive oil

Slice fennel as thin as possible (use a food slicer or mandolin if available).
Peel & supreme the oranges.  squeeze the remaining juice into a bowl.
Gently toss oranges, fennel, salt & pepper with  olive oil.  Add a spoonful of juice if needed.
Let stand for 5  minutes then serve.

Beet Citrus Salad

Brighten your bleak winter days with this colorful healthy salad of beets, citrus and whatever you've got!  Beets can be found from summer thru winter so this salad is versatile!

There are hundreds of variations; if your have beautiful carrots add them in, no green beans - don't worry about, you can even add in some nuts or shaved fennel. Play with the citrus, try grapefruit for more of a tangy flavor or blood oranges for the color & sweetness.

Beet Citrus Salad

3 beets, any color
2 oranges, supremed/sections and juiced
1 red onion, sliced paper thin
handful of green beans, blanched & cut into thirds
olive oil
salt & pepper

Scrub the beets and bring to a boil in plenty of salted water.  You'll know they are done when you can easily slip a knife in & out like potatoes. Cooking time will depend on the size of the beets, make sure to boil them whole. Drain them and let cool. When the beets are able to be handled, rub the beets with a kitchen towel to slough off the skins. Cut them into bit-sized chunks.

In a bowl, combine about 4 tablespoons of the orange juice, salt and pepper. While constantly whisking, drizzle in about 8 tablespoons of olive oil (you are looking for a 2 to 1 ratio).  (Don't throw out the rest of the OJ - drink it!) 

Toss the onions, beets and green beans with the dressing.  Check your seasoning and allow to sit for about 15 minutes, until the onions start to wilt a bit. Give the salad one more toss & taste, garnish with the orange supremes.

our homegrown beets

Arancello - Sicilian Blood Orange Liquor

  A new spin on the classic limoncello is arancello, use Sicilian blood oranges instead of lemons from Positano for a lovely liquor with a bold bright flavor. A no-fail recipe (orange rinds, grain alcohol, sugar & water) means it's a perfect introduction to making homemade liqueurs! I can't cook to save my life, but I have become a pro at infusing liquors from limoncello to nocino (walnut & vanilla),  visciolino (wild cherry), prugnolino (wild plum/sloe) & now arancello.

Bottle, freeze & serve for a refreshing digestivo (after dinner drink) any time of year.

Arancello (Orange Liquor)

1/2 liter of pure grain alcohol (you can also use grappa, vodka or everclear)
the skin of 5 organic Sicilian blood oranges (careful not to skin the orange too deep - you don't want the white pith)
1/2 kilo of sugar
1 liter of water

In a large jar with a lid, soak the orange-rind peels in the alcohol and leave in a cool dark place for about 14 days.
After it has sat for 14 days or so, filter the rinds from the alcohol. Boil the water & sugar, making a simple syrup, stirring to dissolve all the sugar in the water. Then add the orange flavored alcohol. Bottle.
I make about 10 liters of this liquor so I place 1 bottle in the freezer ready to serve and the rest in a cool dark place. Arancello, like limoncello will last a year or more in proper storage.
If the alochol is too strong of a flavor, it is also nice to serve it with a drop of heavy cream or dollop of whipped cream atop - then it is referred to as Crema di Arancello.

Preparing homemade Arancello - orange liquor

Sauteed Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

Green beans, runner beans, french beans or fagiolini - whatever you call them they are in-season on our farm! If you read our last post you know we are eating them damn'near daily! Here we pick them while they are still young & tender - not the huge knobby tough beans I was used to before. And don't even get me started on the difference between fresh picked beans and the soggy, salty ones I was force-fed to eat as a kid...from a can!! (No wonder so many kids grow up hating vegetables). Now I eat them right off the vine!

This is a delicious, fast, simple and healthy way to devour these fantastic green veggies. The crunchy, toasty almonds pair so nicely with the al'dente green beans, just begging you to go back for seconds - guilt free!

Sauteed Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

serves 4

4 handfuls of green beans, trimmed and cut in half
2 cloves of garlic
pinch of chili flakes
100 gram toasted almonds, chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper
Blanch your beans in boiling salted water for 3-8 minutes depending on the size and thickness of beans or until half cooked.

Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a frying pan slowly heat 3-4 glugs of olive oil along with the garlic and chili flakes.

When the garlic is nicely browned turn the heat up and add in the green beans and saute for a minute or two.
Add quarter cup of water. Allow the water to evaporate fully cooking the beans for about 3 minutes.

Season with salt & pepper.

Toss in toasted almonds.
(If you like you can add in a squeeze of lemon.)

Serve.
(Leftovers: also delicious served cold.)

Green Bean Lover? Here's another great recipe:

Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes & Balsamic

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

Fennel - what is it? A big onion? A bulb? Is it even edible? YES and how delicious it is!

The secret is to know how to use it & what to pair it with.
Fennel can be a bit tough & fibrous with an anise flavor. It is also light, crunchy & refreshing found in many Mediterranean recipes. We not only grow our own big bulbs of fennel but another variety of fennel grows wild along our road - the more leafy/flowery type to used as an aromatic.

Here is one of my favorite winter/early spring recipes from Jason below. Other ways to use/eat fennel: roasted, braised in white wine and the most simplistic - young fennel can be cut into chunks & dipped into olive oil & salt.

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

1 bulb of fennel, cut in 1/2 and remove core
2-3 blood oranges
salt & pepper
3 glugs of extra virgin olive oil

Slice fennel as this as possible (use a food slicer or mandolin if available).
Peel & supreme the oranges. Save the extra pulp & squeeze the remaining juice into the bowl.
Mix sliced fennel, juice from the pulp & oranges - season with salt & pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil & toss.
Let stand for 10 minutes then serve.

Fried Anchovies with Sage

If you have not tried anchovies before - you must try them now! Get over any weird apprehensions or that its just bait or a punchline for a joke about pizza ("extra anchovies")! These little suckers are delicious & actually good for you! Baked, fried & grilled - they are ohh so good and worth a try. If your not up to it, then pass me your plate because I love'em!
Here is my favorite - Fried Anchovies - the recipe below adds a sage leave to each piece of fish as well for an extra burst of flavor & color.

Fried Anchovies with Sage
Acciughe fritte con Salvia

1lb of anchovies cleaned, spine removed
sage leaves (optional - if you are not a fan of sage just omit)

batter
1 cup of flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
seltzer water

vegetable oil for frying

In a bowl combine flour, eggs, salt & baking powder. Slowly add in seltzer water & mix until forms a thin batter. Cover with plastic & set in the fridge for at least an hour.

Heat oil in a pot to 350 degree.

Remove batter from fridge and mix once or twice (batter will have separated).

Take a sage leaf & anchovy put them together & dip into the batter - allowing access batter to drip off.

Fry 20 seconds a side until golden brown.

Remove from oil & drain on a paper towel.

Sprinkle with salt & serve immediately.

Pairs great with prosecco or white wine.