Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Thinly slice the pancetta or bacon then toss with the tomatoes, onions, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss into a casserole dish and roast until the tomatoes shrivel and begin to brown a bit, about one hour. The pancetta or bacon will infuse the tomatoes with lots of flavour and the tomatoes will caramelize and become very tasty. You’ll know when it’s done because it will look awesome and smell wonderful!
When you cook the pasta be sure to use lots of well-seasoned water. Taste it. It should be pleasingly briny and remind you of a day at the beach. Remember: as the pasta cooks it will absorb the seasoned water and in turn be properly seasoned. A pinch or two of salt is not enough!
When the pasta is done don’t rinse it. The starches that would rinse away will help the tomatoes stick to the pasta.
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
salt, and freshly cracked black pepper
Grilled Vegetables
olive oil, for brushing
2medium red bell pepper
2medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
1small eggplant, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
Assembly
1large baguette
10small arugula, leaves, washed, spun dry
8slices smoked provolone cheese
8slices mortadella, grilled
parchment paper
string
Directions
Sundried Pesto
In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, basil, and garlic and pulse until finely chopped.
Add the 2 tablespoons of the oil and process until smooth.
Season the pesto with salt and pepper.
Set aside.
Grilled Vegetables
Preheat grill.
Brush the bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill over a medium-high heat or broil for 12 to 15 minutes, turning, until lightly charred all over and very tender.
Transfer the bell peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool.
Peel, core and seed the bell peppers and cut into quarters.
Set aside.
Assembly
Slice open the baguette and discard the center, leaving a scant 1/2-inch of bread all around.
Spread a thin layer of pesto on both sides of the baguette.
Layer each ingredient in this order: half the eggplant, half the zucchini, half the roasted pepper, 4 slices mortadella folded in half, 4 slices provolone cut in half, the arugula.
Top with the remaining ingredients in reverse order, this makes for a good looking sandwich!
Press the other half baguette on top, press down the sandwich firmly and roll it in parchment paper.
Tie with string at four equal intervals to make four equal-sized sandwich sections.
Slice the sandwich between the strings to make four sandwiches.
8x5ouncesalmon fillet portions, skin-on and pin bones removed
salt and pepper
1/2cupfinely diced (brunoise) red bell pepper, for garnish
Directions
Basil Mousseline
For basil mousseline, pulse mayonnaise with basil and green onion in a food processor and scrape into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whip cream to soft peaks and stir in lemon juice. Fold cream gently into mayonnaise and season to taste. Chill until ready to serve. (mousseline can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance).
Poached salmon
For salmon, preheat oven to 275°F. In a flat-bottomed roasting pan and sauteuse (sauté pan with tall sides), bring wine, water, lemons, onions and oregano or dill up to a simmer. Turn off heat and add salmon portions. Cover pan or dish and place in oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, checking temperature/texture at 15 minutes. To check doneness, salmon should be an internal temperature of 145 °F and flesh should feel firm when gently pressed. Remove salmon from liquid gently using a slotted spoon and place onto a plate. Season salmon lightly. Cool to room temperature, then chill completely.
To serve, peel away skin of salmon and place on plate or platter. Top with mousseline and sprinkle with red pepper. Serve cold.
1/2cuptomato sauce (2 tbsp. for each pita) (125 ml)
4slicesof black forest ham, cut in quarters or sliced
1 1/2cupsgrated mozzarella cheese, or to taste (375 ml)
4tablespoonsgrated Parmesan cheese (60 ml)
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Pinch of Greek dried oregano or Italian seasoning, optional
Olive oil, for drizzling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for quick clean up.
Place the pita bread onto pizzas onto a large baking sheet. Spread tomato sauce evenly over the pitas. Top evenly with ham, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Season the pizza with salt and pepper, and the dried Greek oregano if using. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into quarters and serve.
