Recipe Provided by Chef John Brandt-Lee: Avalon Restaurant
Ingredients:
½ lb Good Quality Leafy Greens (can mixed, baby spinach, baby arugula)
Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper, To taste
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar (at least a 6 year from Italy)
Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper, To taste
Two different Types of Salumi Sliced Thin (Prosciutto, Loma, Fennel)
6 Oven Roasted Plum Tomatoes
¼ cup Kalamata olives
¼ cup Balsamic Cipollini Onions (you can find these at most salad or olive bars at the grocery store)
¼ cup Eggplant Caponata
¼ cup Ricotta Cheese (Impaststa if you can find it)
4 thick Cut Slices Crusty Italian or French Baguette, Toasted
½ Pound block Parmigianino Reggiano
¼ pound Piece Caccio di Roma
Directions:
- In a mixing bowl toss greens, salt, pepper, olive oil & balsamic to taste.
- Place the greens neatly across the middle of a medium-sized wooden cutting board. (They will act as a bed for the remainder of your ingredients).
- Think of the greens and cutting board as your canvas and the remainder of your ingredients as your paint.
- Start placing the ingredients on and around the greens to create a beautiful presentation.
- Spread ricotta cheese on the toasted baguettes and place on board. When finished, sprinkle everything with sea salt and drizzle balsamic glaze over the top.
Tip: The baguettes with ricotta cheese are very tasty with the tomatoes or caponta (a nontraditional bruschetta). This platter can serve as a whole meal, start with a nice Proseco or light white wine. You can add any crudite, cheese or meat to the board that you like. Have fun with the dish. Some other suggestions; Preserved Italian Tuna, White Anchovies, Marinated Mushrooms, Roasted red Peppers.