leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Fleur de sel
Note: Oven baking, rather than frying, softens the eggplant, and economizes on the amount of oil used.
Note, too, that eggplant needs salting to remove bitterness if it isn’t freshly harvested. If you find a firm, shiny-skinned, fresh-from-the-farm or -garden eggplant, there’s no need to salt it.
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Brush two baking sheets each with 2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil. Place the saffron in a small dish and cover with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Reserve.
2. Place the eggplant slices on the prepared baking sheets, then brush each slice with olive oil, using about 1 tablespoon altogether. Sprinkle the slices lightly with sea salt and bake until they are golden and slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Turn the slices, season lightly with salt, and continue baking until they are tender through but not dry, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven.
3. While the eggplant are cooking, place 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and the onions in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook until the garlic has softened,4 to 5 minutes. Add the walnuts, the saffron with its lemon juice, and the remaining lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the lemon juice has evaporated and the onions are soft through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Mince the herbs and stir them into the onion and walnut mixture until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
5. Spread 2 tablespoons of the onion and walnut mixture on the wider end of each of the eggplant slices, then fold the narrower end over the stuffing and press the eggplant gently down over the filling, to form a small packet. Arrange the packets on a warmed serving platter. Drizzle the packets with the remaining olive oil, then top with any remaining stuffing. Season with fleur de sel and serve hot or at room temperature.
Brazil Nut Pesto with Pasta
Makes ¾ cup (185 ml)
The crisp crunch of Brazil nuts yields an unexpected pesto. A delicate anise flavor from the basil makes it familiar, yet the herbal zest of flat-leaf parsley adds a new dimension. This pesto can be used like any other—on pasta, under the skin of chicken destined for roasting, as a dip for raw vegetables, slathered on pizza hot from the oven. It fits into a meal in just about any spot but dessert!
½ cup (75 g) Brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
2 cups (20 g) gently packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup (10 g) basil leaves
½ teaspoon nely grated lemon zest
7 tablespoons (105 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce (30 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, nely grated
Fine sea salt
1 pound (500 g) dried penne or fusilli pasta or any fanciful shape that will grab the pesto
Note: Only half of the pesto is used here, so you will have some left over to use as you like.
1. Place the nuts and the garlic in a food processor or in a mortar and pulse or crush until they are coarsely chopped. Add the herbs and lemon zest and process or pound until all are blended into a relatively smooth but still somewhat chunky mixture. With the food processor running, or stirring with a pestle, slowly add the olive oil until it is combined with the herbs and nuts.
2. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano until thoroughly combined. Season with salt if necessary and reserve.
3. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Place the pasta in the salted water and cook just until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water. Transfer the pasta to a large bowland stir in half the pesto. Taste for seasoning and moisture. If you want the pasta with a more intense pesto flavor, add additional pesto. If the pasta is dry, add
Freshly ground black pepper
Fleur de sel
Note: Oven baking, rather than frying, softens the eggplant, and economizes on the amount of oil used.
Note, too, that eggplant needs salting to remove bitterness if it isn’t freshly harvested. If you find a firm, shiny-skinned, fresh-from-the-farm or -garden eggplant, there’s no need to salt it.
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Brush two baking sheets each with 2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil. Place the saffron in a small dish and cover with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Reserve.
2. Place the eggplant slices on the prepared baking sheets, then brush each slice with olive oil, using about 1 tablespoon altogether. Sprinkle the slices lightly with sea salt and bake until they are golden and slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Turn the slices, season lightly with salt, and continue baking until they are tender through but not dry, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven.
3. While the eggplant are cooking, place 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and the onions in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook until the garlic has softened,4 to 5 minutes. Add the walnuts, the saffron with its lemon juice, and the remaining lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the lemon juice has evaporated and the onions are soft through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Mince the herbs and stir them into the onion and walnut mixture until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
5. Spread 2 tablespoons of the onion and walnut mixture on the wider end of each of the eggplant slices, then fold the narrower end over the stuffing and press the eggplant gently down over the filling, to form a small packet. Arrange the packets on a warmed serving platter. Drizzle the packets with the remaining olive oil, then top with any remaining stuffing. Season with fleur de sel and serve hot or at room temperature.
Brazil Nut Pesto with Pasta
Makes ¾ cup (185 ml)
The crisp crunch of Brazil nuts yields an unexpected pesto. A delicate anise flavor from the basil makes it familiar, yet the herbal zest of flat-leaf parsley adds a new dimension. This pesto can be used like any other—on pasta, under the skin of chicken destined for roasting, as a dip for raw vegetables, slathered on pizza hot from the oven. It fits into a meal in just about any spot but dessert!
½ cup (75 g) Brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
2 cups (20 g) gently packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup (10 g) basil leaves
½ teaspoon nely grated lemon zest
7 tablespoons (105 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce (30 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, nely grated
Fine sea salt
1 pound (500 g) dried penne or fusilli pasta or any fanciful shape that will grab the pesto
Note: Only half of the pesto is used here, so you will have some left over to use as you like.
1. Place the nuts and the garlic in a food processor or in a mortar and pulse or crush until they are coarsely chopped. Add the herbs and lemon zest and process or pound until all are blended into a relatively smooth but still somewhat chunky mixture. With the food processor running, or stirring with a pestle, slowly add the olive oil until it is combined with the herbs and nuts.
2. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano until thoroughly combined. Season with salt if necessary and reserve.
3. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Place the pasta in the salted water and cook just until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water. Transfer the pasta to a large bowland stir in half the pesto. Taste for seasoning and moisture. If you want the pasta with a more intense pesto flavor, add additional pesto. If the pasta is dry, add
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