Charred Ahi Tuna With Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade And Farrotto Salad Food

RACHAEL'S TUNA PAN BAGNAT

Steps:

• Crisp baguette in hot oven, then cool to handle. Cut baguette in half lengthwise, on an angle, then split each half lengthwise.
• Put about 1 inch of water, the bay leaf, peppercorns, and juice of 1/2 the lemon into a small skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tuna steak, cover, and simmer until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove tuna from the water and allow to cool. Place tuna in a bowl and separate with a fork. Add capers, red onion, artichokes.
• For olives, if they're pitted, coarsely chop them. If the olives have pits, place an olive or 2 on your cutting board. Turn your knife sideways and place the flat of the blade on top of the olives -- just like peeling garlic -- whack the heal of your hand on knife and the pits of the olives will be exposed. Remove pits and chop.
• Add olives and parsley to tuna mixture. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the bowl. Squeeze lemon halves holding cut side upright, allowing juice to spill over sides. The seeds will stay with the lemon half, rather than falling into your salad. Add black pepper to the bowl and drizzle salad liberally with evoo, extra virgin olive oil. Toss tuna salad and adjust pepper and evoo to your taste. Pack the tuna salad on to baguette halves and set tops in place. Press down to set the bread and salad together. The bread will absorb the evoo and salad juices -- YUMMY! Cut each half baguette in half again, making 4 sandwiches, total.

CHARRED AHI TUNA WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE AND FARROTTO SALAD

Steps:

• In a cast iron skillet, on high heat or over a charcoal grill, cook the tuna steaks on each side for just 2 to 3 minutes, keeping the fish on the rare side of medium rare. Spread 2 tablespoons of artichoke tapenade on the fish after turning them over the first time.
• Serve with lemon wedges and Faro Salad
• In a food processor, puree all the ingredients together. Set aside. (This also makes a great crostini topping.)
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium heat, sweat the onions and garlic in the oil and butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the faro and saute for 1 minute more, so that each grain is coated with oil. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover for 35 to 40 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and faro is cooked. Turn off heat and let the faro rest covered for another 10 minutes. Stir in cheese, tomatoes and parsley. Season, to taste.

ITALIAN RELISH TRAY

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil. sherry vinegar, chili powder and parsley and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Slice fennel into wedges and wash cherry tomatoes. Roll salami slices into batons.
• Drain all jarred ingredients well. Arrange all items as desired on a large platter. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature with bread and/or crackers.

A STUFFED PICNIC: TUNA AND ARTICHOKE STUFFED TOMATOES, RED PEPPER, FETA AND CHICK PEA STUFFED ZUCCHINI, NUT AND BROWN SUGAR STUFFED MACINTOSH APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Trim a thin slice off of the bottom of each apple. Cut the tops off apples and trim way skin of tops of apples, trim should be 1/2-inch wide. Hollow out the apples with a small paring knife, carving out a cavity for the filling. Rub the tops and cavities with wedges of lemon to retard browning.
• Combine butter, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, nuts, flour and oatmeal in a bowl -- mixture should be crumbly -- and then pack into apples. Place apples in a shallow baking dish and add 1/4-inch of water to the dish. Bake apples 17 to 20 minutes, until filling bubbles and apples are tender but not soft. Remove from oven. Serve warm or room temperature.
• For stuffed tomatoes, mix tuna and next 7 ingredients to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each tomato to stabilize it. Seed and hollow out the tomato with a spoon over garbage bowl or into sink with disposal system. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper, then fill with salad, mounding the tuna up. The tomatoes are ready to serve or chill.
• For zucchini, combine chick peas and next 4 ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Hollow out seeds, making room for filling, using a soup spoon. Fill squash with chick pea and red pepper cheese using a rubber spatula. Cut the zucchini into 2 inch pieces.

YELLOW FIN TUNA FARFALLE

Steps:

• Heat saute pan over high heat, add oil. Lightly dredge tuna in lemon pepper. Pan sear quickly, about 1 minute each side. Finish in 375-degree oven to desired doneness, best served rare or medium rare.
• Remove tuna from the pan to a warm plate. Add garlic, basil, and wine to pan, reduce 30 seconds. Add cream and Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, farfalle pasta, cook 2 to 3 minutes until pasta is hot.
• Put faralle on plate or pasta bowl and placed seared tuna on top. Sprinkle with feta and garnish with blanched broccoli florets, and diced tomato.

TUNA AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In a bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, the yogurt, the garlic paste, the basil, the lemon juice to taste, and salt and pepper to taste and stir in the tuna, the olives, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the scallions. Divide the tuna mixture between the bottom halves of the bread, top the sandwiches with the arugula, and cover them with the top halves of the bread, pressing them firmly.

WILD MUSHROOM AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO FARROTTO (FARRO RISOTTO)

Steps:

• Place the farro in a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to par-cook the farro, and then drain and set aside.
• In a heavy-based pot, add the butter and oil. Add the mushrooms, garlic and shallots and saute until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine. Add the drained farro and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock to the pot a little at a time, ensuring at each addition that the liquid has been completely absorbed by the farro. Keep stirring and adding the stock until the mixture is thick and creamy.
• Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and then add the Parmesan, sour cream and parsley.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients in processor gradually adding olive oil until desired consistency. Taste occasionally to get it just right.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cover tomatoes with boiling water.
• Let steep until softened, about 30 minutes.
• Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.
• Finely chop tomatoes and return to the bowl.
• Mash garlic with salt until it forms a paste.
• Add to tomatoes, along with basil, oil and reserved steeping liquid.
• Mix well.

SUNDRIED TOMATO TAPENADE

Steps:

• Stir balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; fold in sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, green olives, and garlic. Season with black pepper. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for flavors to blend, at least 2 hours to overnight.
• Arrange cream cheese halves on 2 serving dishes; spoon tapenade over cream cheese.