Smoked Mozzarella Salad with Grilled Red Peppers
Adapted from the Dean & DeLuca Cookbook

2 red bell peppers (about 1/4 lb)
1/2 lb smoked mozzarella at room temperature
1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/16th tsp garlic, chopped to a paste
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups of lightly dressed, baby salad greens

Roast the red peppers according to your favorite method until the skin is dark black.  We did it on the BBQ outside. Let cool and remove the skin.  Often placing them in a paper bag for cooling is useful. We had so many we just refrigerated them all overnight. Do not run the peppers under water! This washes away a lot of the great flavor. Remove the stem, seeds and ribs. Cut into little cubes.

Cut the mozzarella into small dice and mix with the red pepper. Add the parsley, the oil, and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the salad greens among 4 plates and top with the smoked mozzarella mixture. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.
 

Baked Pork and Bean Soup with Herbs
Adapted from Good & Garlickly, Thick & Hearty, Soul-Satisfying, More-Than-Minnestrone, Italian Cookbook by Joe Famularo

1 lb. dried Great Northern Beans
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tsps rubbed sage leaves
1 tsp. finely chopped dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 oz. fresh pork fat
2 TB olive oil
1 lb. lean pork shoulder cut into 1/2" pieces
1 large onion cut into 1/2" dice
4 bay leaves
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium rib celery, thinly sliced
7 cups home made chicken broth or low-sodium canned broth
1 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese such as Romano
1/4 cup finely minced chives

Pick over the beans, discarding any stones. Soak overnight in cool water to cover by 2". Drain and set aside.

Combine the garlic, sage, rosemary, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Thinly slice the pork fat to make 4 pieces each about 3 x 2 1/2" in size. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the garlic mixture over the slices of fat, dividing evenly. Roll up each slice and tie with string in 2 places. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F.

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole over medium heat. Add the rolls and sauté until they lose color and become somewhat translucent and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. It is a good idea to use a splatter guard for this. Remove the rolls and set them aside on a plate or paper towels. Add the pork shoulder to the drippings in the casserole, turning the pieces to brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and the remaining garlic mixture. Sauté, stirring, until the onion softens, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the beans, bay leaves, carrots, celery, reserved pork fat and broth to the casserole. Remove from the heat, cover tightly and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour without removing the cover. Reduce the heat to 300 deg. F. and cook until the beans are very tender and the soup is very thick, about 2 hours more. Remove and discard the pork fat and bay leave.

Add 1/2 cup of the grated cheese to the soup and mix. Combine the rest of the grated cheese with the chives in a small bowl. Serve the soup in warmed bowls with equal amounts of the cheese/chive mixture on top of each serving.

Serves 6 to 8.
 

Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

2 cloves gralic, finely chopped
1/4 stp crushed chilies (red pepper flakes)
4 TB extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/4 cups peeled and chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
6 anchovy fillets, lightly crushed with a fork
1 cup pitted and coarsley chopped black olives (French or Italian, NOT California)
2 TB capers
salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 oz. spaghetti

Put the garlic and chilies in a skillet with the oil. Saute over medium heat until the garlic begins to change color (do not burn). Add the tomatoes, capers, and olives and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir the achovy fillets into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the oil and tomato begin to seperate.

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of slated, boiling water until al dente. (When serving a very large crowd we pre-boiled the spaghetti for 6 minutes, tossed with some oil and cooled in batches quickly on large metal trays. We reheated the spaghetti for approx 10 - 30 seconds in boiling water.) Drain and transfer to a heated serving dish. Pour the sauce over the top and toss vigorously. Serve hot.

Serves 4.