Recipes from Tapas & Tempranillo Party

Here is a collection of recipes from the Tapas & Tempranillo party on Saturday, June 4^th – Enjoy!!

Pete’s Crock Pot Piperade

Practically every country has a version of this sauce that features peppers, onions, tomatoes and garlic. The Basque country has a lot of rustic cuisine and features Spanish paprika heavily in this sauce. Here is a version I whipped up to be used liberally in everything I served! I even pureed it into “Basque Ketchup” for the flatbread pizzas…

½ cup Spanish olive oil

2 large onions, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)

1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped (same)

1 pasilla chile, seeded and chopped (about ¾ cup)

½ cup roasted green chiles, chopped

8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (about ¼ cup)

1 cup ripe grape tomatoes, halved

2 – 28 oz cans chopped tomatoes

2 tsp each sweet, bittersweet and smoked paprika

½ tsp white pepper

sea salt, to taste

2 large California bay leaves

In a very large skillet heat the oil over medium-high flame and add the chopped onions. Season with a little salt and toss to coat – sauté for 5 minutes then add the garlic. Toss to coat and sauté for 5 minutes more. Add the red and yellow peppers, pasilla and green chiles and fresh tomatoes and toss – sauté 5 minutes more. Finally, add the canned tomatoes and season with paprika, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and heat completely. Scrape mixture into a 4-quart crock pot and add bay leaves. Cover and set on “HIGH” for 1 to 2 hours. Switch to “LOW” and continue to cook for 2 to 3 hours more. Shut off heat and cool – store in airtight containers in the refer for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. This sauce can be used as a topping for various tapas, a base for tomato sauce when poaching meatballs and pureed to combine with tomato paste when making Basque Ketchup, (see below). Makes approx. 10 cups “piperade”

Basque Ketchup

This is the stuff I spread on the “Flat Bread Pizzas” I served during the party…

2 cups Pete’s Crock Pot Piperade

½ cup tomato paste

2 Tbl Spanish olive oil

1 Tbl bittersweet paprika

½ Tbl dried basil

Place the piperade, tomato paste, olive oil and seasonings into the bowl of a Cuisinart with the metal blade attachment. Process on and off a few times until combined then run for a minute or two to puree. Scrap into an airtight container and store in refer overnight for the flavors to “take”. Makes approx. 3 cups

Flat Bread Pizzas

This has always been a big hit at all of the parties I throw! There is something really cool that happens with the flatbread as it bakes into the best thin crust pizza I have ever tasted. I like to use whole wheat flatbread but white works just as well. You can get the flat bread at a local Middle Eastern market and it comes in long, wide sheets. Get the thicker bread and store the unused bread in the refer.

1 loaf Middle Eastern flat bread, cut into 6” squares

1 ½ cups Basque Ketchup

¾ cup sun dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water for 5 minutes

2 oz Asiago cheese, grated though a big hole box grater

3 oz finely grated Pecorino-Romano Parmesan cheese

2 oz Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced, (I used Pamplona-style)

½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

spray olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 275ºF degrees and move the rack to the upper third-position. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack into the baking sheet. Arrange the 6” square flat bread slices on the wire rack and spray with oil. Remove the sun dried tomatoes from the water and pat dry with paper towels. Slice into ¼” strips. Spread 3 Tablespoons of Basque ketchup onto each piece of flat bread. Top with Asiago and Parmesan cheeses, chorizo slices and sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle each pizza with chopped parsley and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 275ºF or until flat bread is nice and crispy and the cheese is bubbling. Cool for 3 to 5 minutes then place onto a cutting board. Using a pizza wheel slice each pizza into 2” squares for appetizer-sized pieces. Plate and serve immediately.  Makes scads! ENJOY!!