Foster's Market Cookbook

GRILLED VEGETABLE ANTIPASTO WITH HERBED CHEVRE AND CROSTINI This dish is particularly delicious in summer, when zucchini, peppers, and summer squash are farm-fresh. You can also pile the grilled vegetables onto crusty French bread that's been slathered in creamy chevre. Or make hors d'oeuvres by topping Crostini (page 104) with slices of grilled vegetable and some crumbled chevre. The vegetables can be grilled up to 1 hour in advance; assemble just before serving. Ingredients: Safflower oil or canola oil, for oiling the grill cup olive oil cup balsamic vinegar 5 fresh basil leaves, cut into very thin strips (chiffonade) 2 zucchini, cut into -inch slices lengthwise 2 yellow squash, cut into -inch slices lengthwise 1 red onion, cut into -inch-thick rounds 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 2-inch strips 7 scallions, trimmed Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste cup sun-dried tomatoes 2 ripe tomatoes cut into -inch slices 1 recipe Herbed Chevre (recipe follows) 1 recipe Herbed Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe follows) Fresh parsley and fresh basil, to garnish, optional Crostini (recipe follows) Serves 6-8 1)Brush the grill grates lightly with the safflower oil. Prepare a hot fire on a gas or charcoal grill. 2)Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and basil in a small bowl until well blended. Brush the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, red bell peppers, and scallions with the olive oil mixture. Place the vegetables on the hot grill and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper. 3)Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in 1 cup hot water, covered, about 5 minutes or until softened. Drain and set aside. (Note: Eliminate this step if you are using sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil.) 4)Arrange the grilled vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, and sliced tomatoes on individual plates or a serving platter. Add a slice of chevre on the side of the vegetables. Drizzle the vegetables with the vinaigrette, and drizzle a little more vinaigrette around the place. Garnish with the parsley and basil. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve with crostini Crostini Crostini are toasted slices of bread usually Italian or French bread used for snacking, dipping, or to float on soups as a crunchy garnish. Crostini are also delicious as an accompaniment to salads or topped with various spreads and cheeses and served as hors d'oeuvres. When making crostini, use the best-quality bread you can find; day-old bread works well, too. 1 long, thin, good-quality baguette cup olive oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Kosher salt or coarse sea salt to taste Makes 25 to 30 crostini 1)Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 2)Slice the bread on a slight angle into -inch-thick slices and place on a baking pan in a single layer. 3)Mix together the olive oil, butter, parsley, dill and pepper in a small bowl. 4)Brush one side of each piece of bread with the butter mixture and sprinkle with the salt. Toast in the oven 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy. 5)Let cool completely, then service of store in an air-tight container up to 1 week. Variations: We use a mixture of butter and olive oil for our crostini, but they're equally good with either one alone. Or try Asian chili oil for added spiciness or lemon- or lime- flavored olive oil for a mild citrus flavor. You also can drizzle or brush a little balsamic vinegar on the crostini before baking for a bit of tartness. Experiment with other herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram. Herbed BalsFoster, Sara is the author of 'Foster's Market Cookbook', published 2002 under ISBN 9780375505461 and ISBN 0375505466.