We had a fun presentation today at the Friends booth: Chef David Rosales demonstrated how to make three scrumptious summer appetizers using ingredients available at the market. David is the owner of La Capitale, a downtown French bistro, and the newly opened Anadaluz, a Spanish wine and tapas bar next door.
David grew up in Salem before heading to San Francisco for culinary school. During his 14 years in the Bay Area, he cooked at high-profile restaurants such as Lalime’s and Chez Panisse. He returned to Salem in 2008 to open La Capitale.
David’s presentation was part of our free Chef @ the Market series. The next one on Sept. 4 will feature the chef from Prudence Uncorked.
Recipes for David’s dishes are at the end of this post.
Oven-Dried Tomatoes with Marinated Fresh Mozzarella
Early Girl or Roma tomatoes are best for this recipe. Preheat the oven to its highest setting. Cut tomatoes lengthwise into quarters. Place the tomato quarters, flesh side up, onto a baking sheet. Place a sliver of garlic on each slice and sprinkle with chopped herbs such as oregano or thyme. Season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Place the baking sheet in the hot oven and immediately turn it off. Leave the tomatoes in overnight with the oven off. They will become sweet and concentrated in flavor. To marinate the mozzarella, cover with olive oil and stir in a small amount of ground chili powder and similar herbs as used on the tomatoes. Rub toasts with garlic and fresh tomato and serve tomato quarters atop toasts with a slice of the cheese.
Roasted Beets with their Greens, Hazelnut Pesto and Willamette Valley Cheese
Use two bunches of beets for this recipe. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove beet greens from the beets, then cut off the tough stalk attached to the greens and discard. Wash both. Place the loose beets in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them. Add enough water to come about a quarter of the way up the side of the beets. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a splash of vegetable oil. Put the roasting pan on the stove, and bring the water to a boil, then cover and place in the oven. Roast until the beets are tender and can be easily pierced with a small knife — about an hour depending on the size. Let cool. While the beets are cooking, gently saute some diced onion in butter for two minutes or so. Add the beet greens, salt and pepper and a quarter cup of water or flavorful broth. Cook until the greens are tender and the water has evaporated — about 30 minutes. After the beets have cooked, use a kitchen towel to gently rub off the skins. Cut the beets into bite-sized pieces and toss with salt and a few tablespoons of your favorite vinegar. Layer beets, greens and pesto atop toast; Willamette Valley Farmstead Brindisi over to garnish.
Summer Ratatouille with Scrambled Eggs and Parmesan
Dice to 1/2 inch each vegetable: 1 eggplant, 1 red bell pepper, 1 zucchini or yellow squash, 2 tomatoes. Dice finely 1 onion and 1 clove of garlic. Keep all of the vegetables separate. Cook the onions gently in 2 tablespoons olive oil. After the onions have cooked for about five minutes, add the eggplant and the bell pepper. Cover the pan and let simmer for about 15 minutes, add the zucchini, tomatoes and garlic and continue cooking until the tomatoes have melted, about 15 more minutes. If the mixture becomes dry at any point, add a bit more oil. Stir in freshly chopped parsley or basil and let cool. Scramble with eggs and serve atop toasts with Parmesan as garnish.
