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FRUIT GAZPACHO
A combination that will dazzle your eyes and your palate.
2 cups tomato puree
3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Grated zest of one orange
Grated zest of one lime
2 cups diced cantaloupe
2 cups diced honeydew melon
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup halved green or red seedless grapes
Fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half (garnish)
1 or 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced (garnish)
1. Combine the tomato puree, orange juice, sugar, orange and lime zests, cantaloupe, honeydew, and mango in a large bowl. Process half of the mixture in a food processor fitted with a steel blade or a blender until smooth. Stir the puree into the remaining fruit mixture.
2. Stir in the apple, blueberries, and grapes. Refrigerate covered for several hours.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with several strawberry halves and a couple of kiwi slices.
8 first-course portions
BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB
1 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup soy sauce
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons slightly bruised fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 butterflied leg of lamb (about 4 to 5 pounds)
1. Combine the wine, soy sauce, garlic, mint, rosemary, and pepper and pour over the lamb in a noncorrodible shallow baking pan. Refrigerate covered 6 hours, turning the lamb frequently.
2. Prepare hot coals for grilling.
3. Drain the meat but reserve the marinade. Grill the lamb 4 inches above the hot coals about 20 minutes on each side, basting frequently with the marinade. Check the lamb for doneness frequently after 30 minutes' grilling. Cut into very thin slices and serve immediately, accompanied by corn on the cob, sliced summer tomatoes, and a green salad.
8 portions
FRESH FIG AND PROSCIUTTO SANDWICH
This bountiful sandwich is equally good cold--just eliminate the baking.
1 baguette, cut lengthwise in half
1/2 cup best-quality olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
8 ounces sweet Gorgonzola or Saga blue cheese, room temperature
3 fresh ripe purple or green figs, cut lengthwise into slices
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Scoop out a bit of bread from the centers of the bread halves.
3. Mix the oil and basil in a small bowl and drizzle evenly over both bread halves. Arrange the prosciutto evenly over the bottom half of the bread. Gently spread the cheese over the prosciutto and top the cheese with sliced figs. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and black pepper.
5. Cover with the top half of the bread and wrap in aluminum foil, leaving the seam on top open slightly.
6. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is heated through, about 15 minutes. Cut into 8 equal pieces and serve immediately.
4 portions
Excerpted from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. Copyright c 1985. Reprinted with permission by Workman Publishing.
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