April 2009 Bon Appetit Recipes: 6-8
Next up on for my Bon Appetit challenge was to make Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Citrus Tapenade Sandwiches, Pasta with Peas, Asparagus, Butter Lettuce and Prosciutto and Halibut on Mashed Fava Beans with Mint. Overall I was pleased that these recipes called for fresh, Springy ingredients. This is definitely what I’m looking for in an April issue of Bon Appetit!
Let’s start with the sandwiches – these were fantastic! Grilled bread layered with citrusy kalamata olive tapenade with salty anchovies, then buffalo mozzarella and thinly sliced proscuitto, and finally a walnut pesto. I found that balsamic vinegar was a good, but not necessary addition – I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a nice balsamic vinegar for these if you don’t have it on hand. These sandwiches have been eaten several times now in my house already (I love leftovers!) and they will continue to be a staple for me.
The pasta was good – not great…just good. Overall, I really liked all the elements and loved the freshness of the peas. When I speared the perfect bite – pasta shell, pea, proscuitto, lettuce and asparagus – it did come together for me but overall, I just felt like it was lacking something that blended the flavors. With the leftovers, I added a tablespoon or so of the walnut pesto from the sandwiches (above)…the missing link!
The halibut was another delicious recipe. Yes, the fava beans were a pain to de-pod, boil, shell and then sautee, but they were amazingly tender and flavorful. Definitely worth the effort! And blended with the subtle mint and pepper…so tasty! The fish was crispy on the outside and moist and tender inside. Next time I make this (and there will be a next time), I’ll serve it with a simple twirl of angle hair tossed in good olive oil a little parsley and red pepper flakes. Yum!
As always – the recipes for this challenge can be found on Epicurious.com.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:27 am
That sandwich looks amazing. I may have to steal that.