Spicy Chilled BLT Soup

It all started with this guy.

Here's the thing.  I can grow herbs with no problem...LOTS of them.  Basil, tarragon, rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage, mint and mint and more mint.  But that's it...when it comes to vegetables I am a dismal failure.  My mom, on the other hand, can grow tomatoes and green beans and pumpkins and zucchini and a million other things, and when I was leaving her house the other day I embezzled this guy from a giant jalapeno pepper bush that she had going.  (Bush?  Vine?  Plant?  Tree?  I don't know the technical term...I just know I saw him, and he was calling out to me, so I picked him.)

And then I remembered that I had this recipe for a spicy BLT soup that I had been meaning to make, and guess what it called for...yep.  One perfect little jalapeno.  And this is as good a time as any to give you my standard jalapeno advice, which is to wear surgical gloves (which you can get by the box) in your friendly neighborhood drugstore.  All it takes is forgetting to do this and then taking out your contact lenses ONE time to emblazon this on your brain forever and ever.

Anyway.  The soup is basically a quick and easy gazpacho-type number, which is thickened up a little by adding some torn up breads before you puree it.  And then just before you serve it, you garnish it with however much B, L and T you would like.  (I like a lot.  I am all about the garnish in this one.)  You could also float some nice homemade croutons on top if you have any hanging around...I didn't, but I plan to next time.

And to think, it all started with a stolen pepper!

Spicy BLT Soup, adapted from COOKING BY THE MOMENT

• 2 pounds chopped tomatoes


• Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper


• 1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped


• 1-2 jalapenos (depending on how spicy you like things), stemmed, seeded and chopped


• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped


• 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled


• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar


• 1 slice white bread, crust removed and torn into pieces


• 1/4 cup olive oil


• 1/2 teaspoon sugar


• Crumbled cooked bacon, shredded lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes and croutons for garnish

1. Sprinkle tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onion, garlic, vinegar, bread, oil and sugar in blender and puree until smooth, about one minute.  Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
3. Stir, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with as much garnish as you like!

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Black Pepper and Lime Fries

For me, summer cooking is all about the grill wherever possible. Steak, chicken, seafood, corn, grilled pizza (happy happy sigh)...and since the Southern husband is an impresario at the grill, life in the summer is even better. There's nothing like sitting on your back steps, glass of merlot in hand, watching the love of your life do the cooking.

However, it DOES entail coming up with more side dishes than I, lover of one dish cooking, am normally used to, so I am always doubly happy when I come across a really fun one. These lime fries are from the fabulous 101 Cookbooks blog, and they are both super-easy and very yummy. And pretty darn healthy, as they are the variety of fries that cook in the oven with just a drizzling of olive oil. They involve lots and lots of black pepper, and for that extra zing (here's the part that especially caught my eye), a drizzling of lime juice and some fresh grated lime peel.

Some grilled steak/chicken/seafood, some lime fries, a warm summer evening...ah yes.

Black Pepper and Lime Fries, from 101 Cookbooks

1 1/2 pounds small potatoes, cut into wedges
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 lime
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375, oven racks in the middle.

In a medium bowl toss the potato wedges with the olive oil, a few big pinches of sea salt and five or six cranks of the pepper grinder. Arrange the potatoes cut side down on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes, tossing the potatoes with a metal spatula half way through.

While the potatoes are baking, zest the lime and cut it into a few wedges.

When the potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the oven, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add more salt and pepper to taste (don't skimp on the pepper!). Serve in a big shallow bowl, or on a platter, drizzled with lime juice and dusted with the lime zest and Parmesan.

Serves 4 - 6.

Click here for printable recipe

Mascarpone Semifreddo with Strawberries and Black Pepper Honey

The other day I posted a great recipe for crostini with lemony mascarpone and peppers, created and cooked by the wonderful chef Jessica Marotta from Campagnia restaurant, and I promised that I would follow up promptly with Jessica's recipe for Mascarpone Semifreddo with Strawberries and Black Pepper Honey. And here it is!

Jessica is the latest chef that I have been lucky enough to photograph for our local Meet the Chefs series, and she taught us all about mascarpone. She makes her own, and she brought a delicious bowl of it with her.

And she also told us (phew!) that these recipes would work just fine if we used store-bought mascarpone, so hang in there with me. We are now going to make mascarpone semifreddo. Which means ice cream. Really, really, really good ice cream. First Jessica beat some egg yolks and confectioner's sugar until it was gorgeously fluffy.

Then she whipped up some heavy cream, vanilla and more confectioner's sugar, and mixed that with some of the mascarpone. Then she folded it into the egg yolk mixture.

At this point you are supposed to freeze it for 8 hours until it is all chilled and ice creamish. Luckily for us in the audience, Jessica had made a lot of it ahead of time and was just walking us through the steps so we could immediately go home and make our own. Whew!

Next she cut up some gorgeous looking strawberries...

She had some leftover lemons from the crostini recipe, so she mixed a little lemon juice into the berries.

Yum.

Then it was time for the assembly. A few scoops of the semifreddo. Some strawberries on top...

Then...get ready...she combined some honey and some fresh ground black pepper together to make a sauce that was both sweet and spicy and out of this world. Which she then drizzled on the ice cream. I thought the audience was going to fall out of their folding chairs.

It was sweet and cold and a little bit spicy and 1000% delicious.

Jessica's amazing recipe is below. And if you are in the area, make sure you stop in at Campagnia. They have a whole menu that is as fabulous as this dessert. Thanks, Jessica!

Mascarpone Semifreddo with Strawberries and Black Pepper Honey, by Jessica Marotta

Ingredients

4 cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8 ounces (1 cup) mascarpone

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

10 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1 quart strawberries, cleaned and sliced into quarters

¼ cup wildflower honey, or any unfiltered honey

¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

To make the semifreddo; In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine yolks and 1 cup sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, then turn mixer to high and beat for an additional 5 minutes, or until the yolks are light and fluffy. Transfer the yolk mixture to a large mixing bowl. In a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer, combine heavy cream, vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla extract) and confectioners sugar. Whisk cream mixture on medium-low for 2 minutes, then increase speed to medium and whisk until soft peaks form. Add mascarpone, and whisk on low until incorporated. Gently fold cream mixture into yolk mixture, until there are no streaks. Transfer semifreddo to a frezzer proof container. Freeze at least 8 hours before serving.

To make the black pepper honey; Combine honey and pepper in a bowl and stir thoroughly.

To assemble; Scoop semifreddo into serving dishes, top with strawberries and drizzle with a small amount of black pepper honey. Let semifreddo stand for 3 to 5 minutes to soften before serving.

Click here for printable recipe

Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies

I do love all my food blog friends, and one of my newest ones is Tiffany over at the National Cookie Network. Tiffany is doing the world a great service by finding, testing and posting about rocking great cookie recipes she finds. She posts almost every day (and one day I need to ask her what she does with all those cookies, because I am pretty sure she tests every recipe to make sure it is wonderful before she posts it. I picture her kitchen as one giant cookie paradise.)

I got to know her when she asked if she could post my Pumpkin Bars post on her site, and I have been sending cookie recipes her way ever since...and finding a lot of great ones while visiting her site. Which is how I came across these Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I was pretty sure I had tried every variation on chocolate chip cookie there way to try, so I was delighted to find this new version. In addition to all the good standard chocolate chip cookie stuff that goes into these, you also put in cinnamon and (get ready)...a small spoonful of red pepper.

Before you get all skeptical on me, just hear me out. For those of you who like chai tea, it's kinda the same concept. There is just enough pepper in these to leave you with a slightly spicy sensation in your mouth that you LOVE but just...can't...quite put your finger on. If you didn't know in advance about the pepper you would never guess that was what it was, you would just think you were not eating your garden-variety chocolate-chipper, but something with a fun little kick to it. I love 'em. So all you adventurous cookie-bakers out there, give these a try!

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, from Epicurious via Montcart via the National Cookie Network.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chunks

1. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla.

2. Sift next 6 ingredients over butter mixture; beat just until blended. Mix in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart.

4. Bake cookies until golden brown but still soft to touch, about 10 minutes (for crisper cookies, bake 12 minutes). Let stand on sheets 3 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

Click here for printable recipe