Dayrecipe Food Community

Makes 4 appetizer servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1medium hothouse cucumber
• 2medium pickling cucumbers
• 3tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 1/2tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1tablespoon honey1avocado, halved, pitted, peeled
• 2teaspoons fresh lemon juice6ounces smoked trout fillets, broken into bite-size pieces
• fresh dill sprigs

DIRECTIONS Peel and halve all cucumbers lengthwise, then remove seeds, reserving 1 cup peel and 1/4 cup seeds. Cut cucumbers into 1 1/2×1/4-inch strips. Place in medium bowl. Finely chop reserved cucumber peel and seeds in processor. Add 1/4 cup of chopped peel mixture to bowl with cucumber strips. Whisk vinegar, dill, and honey in small bowl to blend. Add to cucumber strips and toss to coat.

Using fork, mash avocado in another small bowl; mix in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Add avocado to cucumber mixture and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide cucumber salad among 4 plates. Arrange smoked trout alongside. Garnish with dill sprigs.

Donovan Clark of London, England, writes: “I met chef Jean-Yves Bath a couple years ago while I was dining at his elegant Michelin one-star restaurant, Bath’s, in Paris. He had renovated an old Chinese eatery near the Champs-Élysées, and it was the perfect setting to showcase the food of his native Auvergne region. The simple cheese ravioli dish I had that night was unforgettable.”

For a vegetarian version of this recipe, mushroom or vegetable broth could be used in place of the beef broth.

Makes 12 first-course or 6 main-course servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 3/4cups coarsely grated cantal or sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4cups finely grated pecorino romano cheese
• 1/3cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 4tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 3tablespoons chopped fresh italian parsley
• 2teaspoons finely grated lemon peel50wonton wrappers
• 1large egg white, beaten just to loosen1cup low-salt beef broth
• 4tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS Toss Cantal and Romano cheeses in medium bowl to blend. Stir in crème fraîche, 3 tablespoons chives, 2 tablespoons parsley, and lemon peel. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper.

Line large baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place 1 wonton wrapper on work surface. Place 1 heaping teaspoon cheese mixture in center of wrapper. Brush edges with egg white, fold over to enclose cheese filling, and press edges to seal. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling. (Can be made ahead. Cover with layer of plastic, then layer of foil; refrigerate up to 6 hours or freeze up to 1 week.)

Boil broth and butter in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon chives and 1 tablespoon parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

Working in batches, cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to serving bowl. Ladle warm broth mixture over ravioli and serve immediately.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 45 min

Makes about 20 toasts.

INGREDIENTS

• 1(12-inch) piece day-old baguette, cut on a long diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/4cup olive oil
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 3oz parmigiano-reggiano, coarsely grated (1 cup)
• 1/8teaspoon cayenne

DIRECTIONS Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Arrange baguette slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet. Brush 1 side of each slice with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake 10 minutes. Toss cheese with cayenne and sprinkle over each slice. Bake until cheese is melted and toasts are golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes more. Cool completely.

Fresh mint makes this starter all the
more cooling. Use Haas avocados for
the creamiest texture. What to drink: Throughout the meal, go with the classics — beer and Margaritas.

Makes 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 4cups diced peeled avocados (about 4 medium)
• 3 1/4cups chilled buttermilk
• 5tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4cup chopped green onions
• 1/4cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1teaspoon minced seeded serrano chile
• 1teaspoon chili powder
• 6tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves, divided
• 3cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth1cup diced seeded tomatoes

DIRECTIONS Combine first 7 ingredients in processor. Add 4 tablespoons mint; blend until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Gradually whisk in 3 cups broth. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Cover; chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled. Thin with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if desired. Rewhisk before serving.)

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with diced tomatoes and remaining 2 tablespoons mint.

Jason Corrigan, of A Touch of Garlic in Springfield, Massachusetts, writes: “As the chef at a small Italian restaurant, I have only two nights per week off. That’s when I like to come up with simple dishes that my four-year-old daughter and I can make together at home. Well, mostly she just does a lot of pouring and stirring, but she loves to help. I hope one day her younger sister will, too.”

Make and chill these a day ahead for a treat that doesn’t require much last-minute effort.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2cups whipping cream
• 3/4cup sugar
• 5tablespoons sweet marsala
• 1teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 3large eggs
• 2large egg yolks
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract1cup purchased caramel sauce

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins in 13×9x2-inch baking pan. Combine cream, sugar, 2 tablespoons Marsala, and lemon peel in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat just until sugar dissolves (cream will be only lukewarm). Remove from heat. Whisk eggs and yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Whisk in cream mixture, then vanilla. Pour custard into cups, dividing equally. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of custard cups.

Bake flans until softly set in center, about 35 minutes. Remove flans from water bath and refrigerate uncovered until very cold and firm, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Using knife, cut around flans in cups to loosen. Invert onto plates, shaking to dislodge if necessary. Stir caramel sauce in small saucepan over medium heat until warm, about 2 minutes. Whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons Marsala. Serve flans with caramel sauce.