Two new side dishes

Summer time is simple cooking.  The produce starts to get better in July and hits a mad crescendo in August.  These are two new dishes I made that were a big hit.  I saw them in Bon Appetit (they are doing such a great job) and added my own touch.

You can make as many or as little as you want in each dish.  We had 9 people so I used 10 red peppers but honestly could have been fine with less.  Although it was still good the next day. Slice the red peppers in half and slather them with chopped basil, olive oil and kosher salt.  Roast in the oven at 350 degrees until they are soft and starting to blacken.  Cool a bit.  Dab some fresh ricotta in each of the halves.  Sprinkle a bunch of cherry tomatoes cut in half over the top.  Take as much basil as you want, chop it up and douse with oil so it is almost a basil oil.  Heavily dribble over the top.  Sprinkle some sea salt over the top and serve.

I used 3 heads of Savoy cabbage and again a hit the following day for leftovers.  Slice the cabbage into 8 pieces leaving on the root so the leaves stay attached.  Douse the quarters with olive oil and salt.  Let this stand for an hour or more.  You could prep in the morning and use in the afternoon so the leaves get super soft.  When ready fire up the grill and grill the cabbage until slightly charred.  Toss the dressing (recipe below) over the top and serve.

2 charred jalapenos seeded and diced

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup mayonaisse

1/3 cup whole Greek yogurt

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp thinly sliced chives (my chives were soggy so I didn’t use them but next time I will)

1 cup chopped feta cheese  (bon appetit used 1/3 cup blue cheese but I went this way)

give this a shot of tabasco to spice it up and a few shots of kosher salt.  Mix, set aside and when ready pour over the cabbage.

Really good with a few steaks and roasted potatoes on the side.