After making the pickled cherries I started using them in various recipes. These recipes can be turned into a four course meal.
Actually, this was not a four course meal but each recipe was made on a different day but I just realized that I made an appetizer, a salad, a main course and a mezes/dessert okay it’s not actually a dessert but can be turned into a dessert.
For the appetizer I used toasted bread on which I spread some Red Pepper Pesto and Fava Dip (recipe has not been published yet), a marinated anchovy and a pickled cherry, a few Kalamata olives and feta.
The salad was inspired by Lisa’s salad. As you can see from the comment I left at the post, I immediately envisioned this salad with rocket (arugula) and feta. I kept the Insalata Caprese part, the nectarines and prosciutto, adding my own twist. The remaining ingredients came together as I was preparing the salad.
Rocket Caprese Style Salad with Nectarines, Feta, Prosciutto and Pickled Cherries
Serves: 3 – 4
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rocket
- 3 cherry tomatoes
- 1 nectarine
- 2 slices prosciutto
- 1 slice feta (about 50 grams)
- 10 basil leaves
- 15 roasted almonds
- 5 – 6 pickled cherries
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp Greek thyme honey
- Salt and freshly grated black pepper
Directions:
Roast the almonds with the skin, set aside to cool and then and crush with a pestle and mortar.
Arrange all the ingredients on the plate. Cut the prosciutto into smaller pieces and between the slices of the cherry tomatoes add a leaf of basil and a small piece of feta.
In a small bowl add olive oil, vinegar and honey and mix with a spoon to dissolve the honey.
Season with salt and pepper, add the vinaigrette and sprinkle the almonds on top.
Who would imagine that the humble beans, called fassolia in Greek would turn into a gourmet meal. I had some leftover white beans from the previous day so in no time I made this wonderful salad, which is not a salad at all but a main dish. I removed some frozen vegetable pesto from the deep freezer and left it a few minutes to thaw and then tossed it with the beans which were also cold from the refrigerator. I added the remaining ingredients and made a wonderful, refreshing and tasteful dish.
Gourmet Bean Salad with Pesto, Rocket and Pickled Vegetables
Serves: 1 – 2
Ingredients:
- 1 cup leftover white beans
Vinaigrette
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
For the salad
- About 1 cup rocket
- 4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ½ red onion
- 1 slice prosciutto
- 1 – 2 tablespoon mixed vegetable pesto
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pickles
- 5 pickled cherries, stoned and cut
- 5 Kalamata Olives, stoned and cut
- 2 pickled peppers, deseeded and finely chopped
- ½ pickled beetroot, chopped into smaller piece
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 3 – 4 gherkins
Directions:
Place the cooked white beans in a bowl, add the pesto and mix well. Add the pickles, part of the onion and half of the tomatoes, salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
In a mortar, pound the garlic with a pinch of salt and mix with the olive oil and vinegar. (This cannot be done using a food processor as the amount is too little).
To assemble: Mound fresh arugula in the center of a platter. Pour the vinaigrette on top and mix. Top with the beans mixture. Surround with remaining cherry tomatoes, slices of onion and prosciutto. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving.
I made this pesto a week earlier in order to use some leftover vegetables. This pesto can be used in salads and pasta dishes. The recipe is a big vague but I was just adding whatever I had without calculating the amounts. This pesto can be made making your own adjustments with whatever you have at hand.
Vegetable pesto
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 small red onion
- 2 Radishes, partly peeled
- 1 Courgette
- 1 clove garlic
- Parsley
- Rocket
- Mint
- Cilantro
- 1 Spring onion
- A handful of roasted almonds
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Direcions:
Add everything in a food processor and pulse. Store leftover in the deep freezer.
This recipe was made after making lasagna and having some leftover anthotyro I made this mezes. It was intended to be a dessert but since the cherries are sour they are best with a glass of wine. These are best to be eaten within the same day as if you leave them in the refrigerator the almond inside becomes less crunchy, although still tasting good.
Anthotyro bites with Almonds and Pickled Cherries
Makes: 12
Ingredients:
- 120 grams anthotyro
- 2 tablespoons Greek honey
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 24 roasted almonds
- ½ cup roasted sesame seeds
- 12 pickled cherries
Directions:
Roast almonds and sesame seeds in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for ten minutes. Set aside to cool.
Crumble anthotyro with a fork, add honey and cinnamon and mix.
Take a tablespoon of anthotyro mixture and put a roasted almond and cover with the cheese and form a ball. Continue with the remaining.
Put the remaining roasted almonds in a spice grinder and powder. Mix with the sesame seeds.
Take a cheese ball and put a pickled cherry on top. Put the cheese balls in the sesame almond mixture and cover carefully trying not the cover the cherry.
Refrigerate for an hour before serving.
Tip: Store leftover sesame seeds and almond mixture in an air tight container to be used to coat salmon or chicken.
On a last note, I would like to remind you that on the 29th June, there will be a post In Memory of Rosie and hope that your will take part in this event as a last tribute to honour a fellow blogger.
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!!
revnancyj
Saturday 10th of July 2010
The salad was wonderful! Thanks for posting it. The dressing was so simple, yet delicious!
ivyliac
Saturday 10th of July 2010
Glad you enjoyed it.
lisaiscooking
Monday 28th of June 2010
Everything look so great! The fava dip sounds delicious. So do the cherries with anthotyro. Thanks for the mention too! My recent post Brewer’s Blondies
Reeni
Monday 28th of June 2010
The salads look positively delicious Ivy! And those little cherry bites divine! My recent post Herb and Cheese Pasta Salad for a Picnic-
Choosy Beggar Tina
Sunday 27th of June 2010
Pickled cherries! What a great way to use the abundance of the season. Each one of your 4 plates looks delicious, but my personal favorite would probably be the anthotyro bites. Just looking at them gives me a craving for a glass of wine and a little nibble....
Cakelaw
Sunday 27th of June 2010
These dishes all look marvellous Ivy, and I especially like the osnd of the anthotyro bites. Pickled cherries are something I have never seen before.