Beets for Antipasto

From West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson

Makes 6 appetizer-sized servings

2 lbs beets
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
2 tea kosher salt
1 tea freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Trim the leaves off the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of the stem attached. Do not attempt to peel them before they are cooked. (This keeps more of the juice trapped inside the beet so that it doesn't bleed into the cooking water.) Cook the beets whole in boiling water until they are fork-tender. Depending on the size and freshness of the beets, this will take anywhere from 15-45 minutes.

2. While the beets are cooking, whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl.

3. Trnsfer teh cooked beets to a colander under cold running water until they are cool enough to handle, and peel them; the skins will slip off easily. Cut the cooked, peeled beets into large matchsticks.

4. Toss teh cut and cooled beets in the vinaigrette with teh parsley, and serve at room temperature.

Pacific Ponzu Salmon

From West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson

Makes 6 servings

For the Ponzu Sauce
1 grapefruit
1 orange
1 lime
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c soy sauce or tamari
1/4 c rice vinegar

For the Fish
6 salmon fillets, 7 oz each
1 tea fine sea salt
2 Tb vegetable oil

1. make the ponzu sauce. Use a zester to remove teh colorful outer rind from the grapefruit, orange, adn lime; set the zest aside. Juice the fruits and combine the juices.

2. Put the sugar in a dry pan over medium-high heat and swirl the pan until the sugar has dissolved. It will be carmel colored. Pour in the fruit juice and step back; the mixture will boil and steam rapidly, then settle into a steady boil. Boil for about 2 minutes, swirling the pan now and then to dissolve the carmelized sugar.

3. When the carmelized sugar has dissolved, add the soy sauce and vinegar. Drop in half of the citrus zest and continue boiling the sauce until it is slightly thickened, 1 or 2 minutes. Save the remaining zest for garnish.

4. Pat the salmon fillets dry and sprinkle with sea salt. Put a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and allow the pan to preheat for 1 minute. Put the oil in the pan; it should be almost smoking hot.

5. Put 2 or 3 of the salmon fillets into the pan, skin side up, and allow the salmon to cook, undisturbed, until the crisp brown crust has formed on the fleshy side of the fish, 4-5 minutes. With a fish spatula lift the fillets out of the pan and set them skin side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fillets. The salmon and sauce can be prepared ahead up to this point and finished just before serving.

6. Preheat oven to 400 and bake the seared salmon fillets until the fish is heated through and the fillets slip easily off their skins, about 5 minutes.

7. Make a puddle of ponzu sauce in the center of each of 6 plates and set a fillet on top of each. Garnish with the reserved zest.

Hummus

From West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 c cooked garbanzo beans with their cooking liquid, or ttwo 14.5 oz cans garbanzo beans
1/2 c tahini
1 tea chopped garlic
1/2 c lemon juice
4 Tb olive oil
1 Tb toasted sesame oil
1 tea kosher salt
1/8 tea cayenne
1/8 tea ground cumin

1. Drain the beans and save the liquid.

2. Put the beans in a food processor with the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Pulse until the mixture is roughly pureed. Add 3 Tb of the olive oil and the sesame oil and run the motor until the oils are incorporated into the puree. If the paste seems to thick, add some of the reserved cooking liquid from the beans. Motor in the salt, cayenne and cumin.

3. Transfer to serving dish and drizzle remaining oil over the top.

Caponata

From West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson

Makes about 4 cups

6 small Japanese eggplants (ichiban)
1 Tb kosher salt
1 med onion
2 stalks celery
1/2 c olive oil
2 Tb chopped garlic
1 Tb dried oregano
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c capers
1/2 c sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
1 c canned tomato sauce with porcini or canned tomato puree
1/2 c thinly sliced fresh basil
Ak-Mak crackers or Sesame Crackers

1. Cut the eggplants into 1-inch cubes. In a med saucepan, bring about 2 quarts of water to a rapid boil, add the salt, and cook the eggplant just until tender, about 3 minutes. Lift the eggplant out of the pan with a slotted spoon and spread it out on a baking sheet in a single layer to cool.

2. Peel and chop the onion, and dice the celery. Heat a large skillet over high heat and warm the olive oil. Immediately add the onion and celery, and cook until the onion begins to brown. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute longer.

3. Transfer the sauteed vegetables to a large bowl and add the balsamic vinegar, capers, olives, and tomato sauce. Stir in the sliced basil. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate fro several hours before serving. Serve with crackers.

Sesame Vinegarette from Lucky Platter

Toast until golden: 1/4 C Sesame Seeds

Mix by hand all ingredients together in small bowl:
1 egg
3.175 oz rice vinegar
3 T honey
1/8 t salt
1 oz sesame oil