Esperanza!

Deborah
How I adore her! The jazz bass player Esperanza Spalding first came to my attention in an article from the New York Times Magazine, a sunday section that I peruse for the photos and a quick glance at the captions, but never fully read because the articles usually irritate me so. But this was different, a profile of this young, beautiful and talented jazz musician- I had to know more. Her eponymous titled CD is heaven to listen to. Esperanza sings too, in a sweet buttery smooth, sexy voice with lots of Brazilian inflections. Her musicality hits me right in the heart. When I saw that she was playing at Summer Stage, the free outdoor concert venue in Central Park, last week as part of a lineup with McCoy Tyner and Ravi Coltrane, I HAD TO GO!

The CareFusion Jazz Festival at Summer Stage in Central Park last Wednesday night.

The show was fantastic  (despite the heat) and the beautiful sunset just added to the summer-in-the-city ambiance. The music was riveting.  Esperanza in person was all I hope for: cute, sassy and bouncy AND the girl has chops!

The hot but happy crowd! Did I mention that the Stanley Clarke Band knocked our socks off when they played the second set?

As the evening wore on the air cooled off a bit and it became a gorgeous night in Central Park.

I decided right then and there that I want to dedicate a recipe to her and I immediately thought of green olive salsa. Esperanza is young and still green, but with tons of depth, lots of piquant spice and pizazz AND she draws on a long history, just like green olives - what could be more appropriate?

Summer Stage is hosting some wonderful food vendors this summer and that evening I was enjoying  delicious pizza from Pizza Moto (they bring their own wood burning oven on site!)  Green olive salsa would be fantastic on a slice of their ricotta and tomato pie.

Green Olive Salsa
1 cup of pitted green olives
1/2 cup fresh tender herbs (parsley, mint, basil, cilantro)
2 garlic cloves
1-2 chilie peppers
zest of one lemon
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse till well chopped, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as you go to make sure the texture is even. Serve as a condiment or directly on crackers.

makes about 1.5 cups

Amanda
Sounds like a fantastic night in Central Park! Not much beats a summer night in NYC. Deb's salsa is so versatile, I can think of so many different ways to enjoy it. Definitely on the pizza as Deb suggests. Spreading a little on some garlic rubbed grilled crostini would be superb as well, or alongside some simple, broiled fish.


Deb's Green Olive Salsa would pair wonderfully with a glass of Cabernet Franc, especially if the salsa were atop pizza. Cabernet Franc is a cousin of Cabernet Sauvignon, but because of its thinner skin it has lower tannin levels. It thrives in cooler climates, and is a very important varietal in the Bordeaux and Loire Valley regions of France. Though it has been grown successfully in warmer climates like Australia, California and South Africa. It produces a fruity wine and is a bit more subdued than Cab Sauvignon. Typically, a glass of Cab Franc will demonstrate flavors of bell pepper, raspberries and perhaps a bit of tobacco. I love the idea of these characteristics paired with the salty, herbal flavors of Deb's salsa. I think it's a match made in heaven!

Some of my favorite Cab Francs are Chinon, from the Loire Valley in France. The area produces mostly red wines, based on this varietal. The wines are fresh, light and subtle. Chinon Rose's are amazing as well. One of my favorite producers in this region is Couly Dutheil. They produce a lovely, bold Cab Franc called La Baronnie Madeleine. I love this wine! The Wine Spectator, in it's review of this wine, makes note of it's "green olive tapenade" flavors. My favorite summertime Rose also comes from Couly Dutheil - Chinon Rose Couly Rose. I like to refer to this wine as "summertime in a glass". Either one of these wines would be a tremendous hit with Deb's Green Olive Salsa!

Call Me Crazy

Deborah
The craving came on strong. I wanted olives and I wanted them bad. Nothing compares to that briny, bitter, sour burst of rich oil-soaked heaven. At least that was the way I was feeling last night. I had just come home from seeing the movie Precious (yes, good, good, go) and needed to fix a quick dinner from the contents of the fridge (a familiar theme, but isn't this always the way?). I knew I would find some olives in there, I buy them in large quantities for the parties I cater. Fairways has my favorite olive bar these days with their huge selection. I found the end of a container way in the back shelf. Relief!

I mixed black and green olives to build up a really strong olive flavor

When I think olives I immedialty think pasta. I decided to make a really garlicky-olivey oil base to dress the spaghetti. The other find from the fridge was a handful of tiny sweet bell peppers that I have been seeing in the markets lately. I think one of them was a red jalapeno pepper which suited me perfectly.

These sweet red and yellow peppers are really cute. I stuff them with cheese and bake as an appetizer. The one jalapeno in the back got mixed in by my happy mistake.

I chopped the peppers up small, along with an onion and plenty of garlic and started to slow cook it all in the olive oil. Ok vegans, turn your heads for a minute, I then added a tin of anchovies (yeah!) and the olives, roughly chopped, and let it all cook down while I cooked the pasta.

I found the jar of capers I pulled out of the fridge after I had finished cooking. I would have put them in to intensify the sour briny flavor.

The finish was a big splash of white wine and a ladleful of pasta water to loosen everything up. I even ran outside to my backyard in the rain, in the dark, to pick a few straggling basil leaves. Mix the drained pasta with the olive sauce to coat completely. Top with grated cheese. So so so good!

Spaghetti with Olives and Garlic

1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper or 6-8 small bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 cup olives, chopped
2 Tbs. capers chopped
1 small tin of anchovies (optional), chopped
1/2 cup white wine
2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped or torn
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 lb. spaghetti, cooked al dente

Heat olive oil, add garlic, onions and peppers and cook on a medium low heat so they simmer, for about 10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften and turn golden. Add the olives, capers and anchovies if you are using them, and continue to cook, allowing all the ingredients to soften and mush up a bit, another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling water for 6-8 minutes. Before draining the pasta scoop out a ladleful of the cooking water and add to the olive mixture. Add the white wine and simmer another minute or two. Add the chopped basil and stir in the drained pasta. Toss in the pan to coat the spaghetti with the sauce. Top with grated cheese and serve.

serves two

Amanda
This actually happens to be one of my favorite pastas to make, and one which I make frequently. I always welcome the addition of the anchovies! I'm in love with the whole anchovy, caper, olive combination. I always like to add something spicy to the mix, as you did in this situation. I love fresh spicy peppers, but if I don't have any on hand, I just add some crushed red pepper. The only other thing I do differently is I add cheese that is shredded or shaved because I like the gooeyness it provides! I've never added mixed olives - can't wait to incorporate that tip! And the chopped onion! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.


I am also thinking of the perfect wine. Look for a Vernaccia di San Gimignano, which is named for and produced almost exclusively from the Tuscan city of San Gimignano in the province of Siena in Italy. Right now, we are selling a lot of Cesani Vernaccia di San Gimignano, which for $9.99 is a great bottle of wine. Typically, Vernaccia produces wines which are elegant, and full of white fruit flavors. Delicate aromas of citrus and almond abound, with the wine offering crisp, fresh flavors. The wine can be powerful and full-bodied with a wonderful richness as well. I think the round fruit flavors are a great match for this pasta dish. The exotic fruitiness will be a great counter-balance to the saltiness of the dish. As my stomach growls, I sit here pondering when I will have the next opportunity to try out this sure-fire combination!