Summer menu from Sonia:
STUFFED COURGETTE FLOWERS
Those beautiful huge flowers attached to tiny courgettes in early summer make a very
tasty and refreshing starter:
For 4 people:
8 flowers, 2 courgettes cubed and parboiled al dente, 100 gr. of risotto rice cooked,
one ball of mozzarella cheese, one chopped shallot, a few chopped tarragon leaves,
one egg.
For the sauce:
8 medium size tomatoes, peeled (by dipping very quickly in boiling water), 1 dl.
of sweetish wine, a pinch of cumin, (not essential), a small clove of garlic a few
tarragon leaves, a dash of olive oil,
The flowers only last a few hours, and must be cooked straight away. Once cooked
they will last a couple of days.
So cut the flowers from the courgettes, chop two of the courgettes, and boil al dente.
Mix with the chopped shallots, the cooked rice, the chopped mozzarella, chopped tarragon
and the egg. Season to taste. Stuff the flowers by opening the petals very delicately
and enclosing the stuffing with the petals.
Cook in a heavy bottom saucepan or frying pan with a good lid, big enough to cover
them, having added a little olive oil and white wine (enough to cover the bottom
of the pan), for about 15 minutes or until cooked, with the lid on, on a very low
heat, turning them over once or twice. Keep warm.
Peel the tomatoes and cook with the chopped garlic in 1 dl. of sweetish wine. Liquidize,
adding a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper, and a pinch of cumin. Once done, add
a few leaves of chopped tarragon. Serve two flowers per person, with a garnish of
sauce
Can be served hot or cold. The rest of the courgettes can be used, cooked as a garnish
or a vegetable.
FISH POACHED ON A BED OF MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLES.
Before cooking the veg, marinate the fish in a little olive oil mixed with half balsamic
vinegar, salt and pepper.
For the vegetables:
Take one large aubergine and peel; one large fennel and peel the exterior leaves
if they are fine, the heart does not need peeling. One large red pepper, a medium
onion, two clove of garlic, salt and pepper, a pinch of fennel seeds (if available),
a pinch of coriander and a pinch of cumin.
Chop the onion finely and the rest of the vegetables into thin strips widthways.
Cover the bottom of a heavy saucepan with some olive oil, and heat up and cook first
the spices for a few seconds then add all the vegetables; lower heat to a minimum.
Add a little water or white wine, and cook on very gentle heat covered with a good
lid, and stir from time to time (15 to 20 minutes).
When almost cooked, put four fillets of fish (or one large fillet to be cut in four
weighing in all 500g.) on the vegetables, put the lid back on and cook on a very
gentle heat (the fish will cook beautifully with the steam of the vegetables) for
may be five to seven minutes (but check as it depends on the thickness of the fillet)
When almost cooked, turn he heat off, leave the lid on for another 5 minutes or until
ready and serve.
POMEGRANATE AND CHERRY SOUP WITH A VERY LIGHT PANNACOTTA
Best prepared a day ahead.
750 g. of pipped cherries, 4 dl. of pomegranate juice, 1 dl. orange juice, 125 g.
sugar, 2 cloves, 4 dl. whipping or double cream, 2 leaves gelatine, sugar to taste
to sweeten the cream.
Bring to the boil the juices with the sugar and cloves, boil for 5 minutes add the
pipped fruit, bring to the boil again and skim off the top of the the juices. Carry
on cooking the cherries on a medium heat, skimming the juices again from time to
time. When almost cooked, turn off and let the fruit cool in its juices and refrigerate.
Meanwhile, soften the leaf gelatine in cold water, Heat the cream to body temperature,
and stir the very soft gelatine until totally dissolved, beat it up lightly with
a hand whisk, cool and refrigerate.
Next day beat the cream to light soft peaks, dish the fruit and juice in bowls with
a ladle, Pipe or spoon the cream on it and serve.
