Cascading Kitchen Notes
When you have Romesco in the Freezer...
Give your ice cube trays a new job (they'll love you for it),
After you make the sauce, freeze it in ice cube trays. When the sauce is frozen, pop them out and into a ziploc bag. It makes a really easy way to thaw out just the right amount.
Let it defrost at room temperature. Added heat will ruin the fresh flavor of summer you worked so hard to preserve.
Some serving suggestions
Serve over:
- grilled or roasted fish,
- in pasta
- drizzled over hummus,
- as a sandwich spread,
- on top of pork chops or other cuts of meat and
- over roasted veggies.
Use your imagination and say goodbye to overly salty, over priced condiments from the grocery store. Add flavor and nutrition to your meals, not empty calories.
Romesco Sauce
We make this in the summer when peppers and tomatoes are in season. It freezes perfectly.
On the grill or in a 350° oven, roast:
- 4 large, whole tomatoes
- 1 thick sliced onion, roasted or grilled
- 1 head garlic-cut in half, face down. Don’t remove the skin. Remove skin after it has cooked & softened in the oven.
- 6 sweet, roasted peppers-on the grill or in the oven, Roast skin up for 4 minutes and turn over for 3 more minutes. Place in a bowl with a lid and allow the peppers to sweat for 15 minutes. Remove the paper skin and seeds.
Additional ingredients:
- Optionally: Toast 1 cup of nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts…) A mixture or your favorite variety.
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tb. of sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- One slice of good quality bread, cubed
Put everything into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add 1/2 cup good quality olive oil and give it a quick whirl. Never blend oils for too long; you can burn them and make them bitter.
If you like more heat add 1 roasted, seeded Anaheim pepper to the mix.