SMASHED BRUSSEL SPROUTS with Infusio Basil Olive Oil & Vanilla Fig Balsamic 1
1 large bag Brussel sprouts
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & cracked black pepper
Infusio Basil Olive Oil
Infusio Vanilla Fig Balsamic
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Trim ends off the bottoms of the Brussel sprouts. Par-boil the Brussel sprouts for about 7 minutes, until tender but still bright green. Drain in a colander. Place Brussel sprouts onto a baking sheet, then smash with a mallet or the bottom of a sturdy drinking glass. The result will be one thin sheet of Brussel sprouts, about ½” thick.. The thinner you smash, the crispier the end result. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Place into oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the edges are browned and crispy. Before serving, drizzle with a small amount of Infusio Basil Olive Oil & Vanilla Fig Balsamic.
SMASHED TUSCAN POTATOES 1
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt & cracked black pepper
Organic grass-fed unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wash and pierce potatoes with a fork. Place onto a baking sheet and bake for an hour or until a fork easily pierces through the skin to the center of the potato. Remove potatoes from oven. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Pound the potatoes with a mallet to create one thin layer of potatoes, about ½” thick. Remove towel. Drizzle the top with olive oil. Place back into the oven and broil for about 10 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn, and let broil until uniformly browned and very crispy. Remove from oven. Add a generous amount of butter, sea salt and pepper.
ARTICHOKES with GRILLED LEMONS 0
by Caroline Somers
Bruce loves artichokes. It’s probably his favorite food! I have never asked what he uses to season the water, but it makes them extra special. While, he’s never measured, it’s a little of this and a little of that. The day I made these, they were so spectacular with the long stems, I left the stems on for dramatic presentation. The stems were a little stringy and not really edible, but they sure looked pretty on the platter!
4 artichokes
10 lemons, halved
2 tablespoons Herb de Provence
1 tablespoon lemongrass
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 tablespoon dill seed
1 tablespoon celery seed
Infusio Meyer Lemon Olive Oil (available at SuzanneSomers.com)
Sea salt
To Prepare Artichokes:
Remove the outer tough leaves of the artichokes. Trim off the tips of the pointy leaves. Trim the stems or leave stems long for presentation. Wash the artichoke, then rub with lemon all over to prevent browning.
Prepare a larger steamer over a pot of boiling water. Add the herbs and spices into the water. Arrange the artichokes in the steamer. Cover with tightly fitted lid. Depending upon size, steam for35-45 minutes or until a leaf pulls off easily and tastes tender.
To Grill Lemons:
Place the halved lemons onto a hot grill. Cook on all sides, turning until browned all over.
To Serve:
Slice the artichokes in half and remove the inner purple leaves and choke, being careful to keep the tender heart in tact. Arrange the halves onto a platter and place a grilled lemon into the cavity of each heart. Place additional lemons around the edge of the platter. Drizzle the artichokes with Infusio Meyer Lemon Oil and a generous sprinkle of sea salt. To eat, squeeze the grilled lemon over the heart and leaves, including the soft pulp. Peel off the leaves, eating the tender edges, and save the beautiful heart for last with a little extra salt and grilled lemon.
ROASTED LIPSTICK PEPPERS with PECORINO 0
30 years ago, long before we had children, Bruce and I used to meet his parents at the Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays in Santa Monica. I have fond memories of visiting the local vendors and exploring new foods while bonding with Suzanne and Alan. Those were the years Suzanne and I were in the kitchen for many days testing recipes for her Somersize books. I remember how excited we would get when the Lipstick Peppers were in season. Suzanne taught me to pair them with pecorino – what a combination! As the years passed, Suzanne and Alan moved to Malibu and Bruce and I moved to Brentwood. This week I went back to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market and the Lipstick Peppers were popping! I surprised Suzanne and Alan with a batch this week. Great nostalgia and still a winning combo with the saltiness of pecorino.
30 lipstick peppers
Infusio Basil Olive Oil (available at SuzanneSomers.com)
Wedge of Pecorino cheese
French bread, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
To Roast Lipstick Peppers:
Heat a grill on high. Add the lipstick peppers and char on all sides until skin is blistered and begins to blacken. When each pepper is blistered on all sides, place into a pot with tightly fitted lid. This helps to steam the peppers and makes the peeling process easier. To peel the peppers, run under cool water. Remove the stem and peel away the skin. Break the pepper open and remove the seeds. When all the skin is peeled, set aside in a glass container. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Set on serving platter in overlapping layers to form petals along the edge of the platter.
To Grill Bread:
Lightly grill the sliced French bread with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt.
To Serve:
Place a lipstick pepper onto a slice of grilled bread. Drizzle with Infusio Basil Olive Oil. Using a cheese knife, slice a thin piece of pecorino and place on top of the lipstick pepper.
BRILLAT SAVARIN with CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS and TRUFFLE HONEY 1
by Caroline Somers
The first time I tasted this spectacular cheese was at my mother-in-law, Suzanne's house in Palm Springs. Brillat Savarin is the softest, creamiest triple cream brie I have ever experienced. When paired with caramelized shallots and truffle honey, the combination overwhelms in the best way possible! I am extremely lucky to have been introduced to so many wonderful tastes from Suzanne over the past 30 years. Suzanne also introduced me to these gluten-free flat breads, which are a revelation for my girls who are intolerant to gluten. Cooking with Suzanne is one of the great joys of my life. She’s the best cook I know!
1 wheel Brillat Savarin Affine – (a triple cream brie from Normandy)
15 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Truffle honey
French bread, sliced on the diagonal
Gluten-free flat bread (available at VeniceBakery.com)
Fresh sprig rosemary
Rainforest Crackers (salted date and almond)
Bring cheese to room temperature a few hours before serving to make sure it’s very soft.
To Caramelize Shallots:
Place a saute pan on medium high heat. Add olive oil to cover bottom of pan, then the shallots. Saute shallots, stirring frequently, until they release all the moisture and begin to caramelize. Turn down heat to medium low and continue caramelizing until they are uniformly brown and candied. The process will take about 30 minutes. Remove from pan, season with sea salt and set aside.
To Toast French Bread:
Lightly oil sliced bread, then sprinkle with sea salt. Toast for a few minutes until barely golden brown.
To Prepare Gluten-Free Flat Bread:
Lightly oil both sides. Place a saute pan on high heat. Add a light coating of oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add a few leaves of the rosemary, then the flat bread. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until warmed through and a little crisp on the edges. Sprinkle with sea salt, then cut into large triangles.
To Serve:
Place the soft cheese onto a cheese board or serving platter. Add a small dish of the caramelized shallots. Set out the small jar of truffle honey with a tiny spoon. Arrange the two types of bread and crackers. To serve, place a generous smear of the soft cheese onto a slice of bread or cracker. Top with a few of the candied shallots, then a drizzle of truffle honey.
BASIL PARSLEY PESTO 2
Blanching the basil is the key to keeping your pesto from browning! Use this delicious pesto on pasta, chicken, steak, fish, tomatoes, and more – so versatile. I like to make large batches and store in glass jars. I served with beautiful baby tomatoes from the Farmer’s Market!
2 cups organic basil leaves, loosely packed
½ cup organic flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup toasted organic pine nuts
¾ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Set aside a water bath - small bowl filled with waterand a large handful of ice.
Bring small pot of water to boil and add the basil leaves for 30 seconds to soften.
Remove immediately and plunge leaves into the ice water.
After 30 to 60 seconds, remove the leaves from the ice bath, squeeze out excess water, and place into blender or food processor.
Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
Store in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If you plan on freezing the pesto, don’t add the cheese until you thaw and are ready to use. Makes about 2 cups.
