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With the late summer upon us, fresh produce is at its peak.
Here are few things to consider for your next dinner or barbecue.
We've taken these recipes from Cuisine et Vins de France.
Appetizer:
Carpaccio de thon au miel/Tuna carpaccio with honey
For 6 people: Prep time: 10 minutes; Freezing time: 30 minutes
Just over 1 lb ahi tuna filet
2 organic lemons
2 tablespoons liquid honey
5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, pink peppercorns to taste
Wrap the tuna in saran wrap and put into the freezer for 30
minutes to harden it. Once removed from the freezer, cut the tuna into very thin
slices (in carpaccio fashion, use a very sharp knife). Put the tuna slices on a
serving plate.
Cut one lemon into thin round slices for placement and juice the second lemon.
Prepare the sauce by mixing the olive oil and honey into a bowl.
Mix well, adding the salt and the lemon juice. Pour the sauce onto the tuna
slices.
Decorate the plate with the lemon slices, and grind the pink peppercorns onto
the tuna. Do not grind the peppercorns finely;
try to get larger chunks by using a looser setting on your pepper mill. Serve
chilled.
A nice wine accompaniment: a Viognier or a white Côtes-de-Provence.
Main course:
Sauté de volaille à la
crème de poivrons/Sautéd
chicken and bell peppers with cream
For 6 people: Prep time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 15 minutes
6 chicken boneless chicken breasts
6 marinated red bell peppers
6 marinated yellow bell peppers
2/3 cup fresh whipped cream
3 garlic cloves
3 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, pepper to taste
Cut the bell peppers and chicken breasts into large chunks.
Peel the garlic and chop it together with the rosemary and the thyme. Mix two
red peppers with the cream. Add salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan and sear the chicken breats and the rest of the bell
peppers. Cook and stir for 5 minutes and
then add the herbs and the garlic. Cook 2 minutes more and then add the cream
mixture. Salt and pepper to taste and
cook over medium heat for five minutes longer. Serve with pasta or rice.
Chef's Hint: you can find marinated peppers at local Italian stores such as
Lina's or the Italian Supermarket.
A nice wine accompaniment: a red Côtes-du-Rhône-villages
or a Syrah/Shiraz
Dessert:
Soupe de pêches au vin doux et aux épices/Peach soup with dessert wine and spices
For 6 people: Prep time: 10 minutes; Cooking time: 15 minutes
6 peaches
7 oz white dessert wine
1/3 cup sugar
1 pinch powdered cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch powdered ginger
Peel the peaches and cut them in quarters. Pour the wine in a
non-metal pot with the spices, the sugar and the peaches.
Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. When cooked, let cool.
Divide the soup into individual glasses and serve cold with almond cookies. You
can also add 1 pinch of fresh ground pepper
at the last minute before serving. Decorate your soup with a cinnamon stick and
fresh mint sprigs.
For a variation, you can use this peach soup base using a light red wine
instead, like one from the Loire region. Use the same spices
but double the amount of sugar in the recipe. For the kids, replace the wine
with a red fruit juice according to your preference.
A nice accompaniment to your Peach Soup: an Icewine from the Okanagan or the
Niagara.
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