Directions

Soup Bring the water to boil is a large saucepan, the lower it to a simmer and keep it there. Pour the olive oil into a large stockpot set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, leek, garlic and fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring regularly, for 8-10 minutes, or until the vegetables soften but do not color. Add the tomato paste and fresh tomatoes and continue to cook and stir for 4 more minutes. Toss in the shrimp, herbs, and spices and cook stirring, for 2 minutes or until the shrimps turn pink. Add the simmering water and cook for 2 minutes more, then, with a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp. Set the shrimp aside for about 10 minutes, so that they’ll be cool enough for you to remove the shells. Shell and de-vein the shrimp, reserving the shells, and refrigerate, covered, until needed. Toss the shells back into the pot and let simmer with the soup for another 30-40 minutes, regularly skimming off the foam and any solids that rise to the surface. When the soup has only 5 minutes left to cook, add the chickpeas. Bring the soup back to a boil, and then pull the pot from the heat. Pour the soup into a blender and puree until smooth (you may have to work in batches). Push the soup through a fine meshed strainer, so that it is smooth and creamy enough to live up to its name, velouté—it should be thick enough to coat a spoon. If too thick, stir in a little water. Check the seasoning, add salt and white pepper, if needed, and then cover and chill. Vegetables Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften but not color, about 3 minutes. Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the zucchini, eggplant, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir for 6 to 8 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender. Turn the vegetables into a serving bowl to cool to room temperature. When the vegetables are cool, remove and discard the garlic. Stir in the chives, half the basil, and the chickpeas. (At this point cover and chill the vegetables a few hours, until needed.) To Serve Put the vegetables in a soup tureen, scatter over the shrimp, and sprinkle over the olives. Pour the chilled soup into the tureen and sprinkle the remaining basil over the top. Serve cold.

Directions

Pierce the eggplants with a sharp fork in two or three places (to keep them from exploding) and place them as high as you can on a V-rack roaster. Set over a medium-low gas flame or over hot coals and grill, turning about three times, 15 minutes to a side, or until completely soft and the skin is black and blistery, about 45 minutes total. The longer and slower the grilling, the creamier the eggplant will be. When the eggplants collapse, remove from the grill and let cool slightly. Remove the black parched skin, then squeeze gently to remove any juices. Discard the juices, and crush the pulp to a purée with a fork. Meanwhile, grill the pepper. Remove the pepper when soft, cover with a sheet of plastic and allow to cool. Core, seed and slip off the skin. Chop fine and mix with the eggplant. Mash the garlic to a paste with half the walnuts and the salt in a mortar and pestle or food processor. Add the cheese, oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper, and pulse to combine. In a serving bowl, combine the garlic-walnut mixture with the eggplant-pepper pulp and mix well. Correct the seasoning. Mix the parsley and remaining walnuts and sprinkle on top. Serve with pita toasted until crisp, or toasted rustic bread slices. May be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. Note: When large eggplants are roasted whole, you may notice black juices seeping out of the skin. If this happens, immediately slit the eggplant on one side and drain on a slanted board in the sink

Directions

In a colander, toss the eggplant with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and let drain for 20 minutes. Rinse the eggplant well and squeeze out as much water as possible. Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the eggplant to the pan and let cook over medium high heat until one side browns some. Do not stir. Add the onions lower the heat, stirring occasionally, until they have become soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add half of the zucchini and cook until they too begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Pour the boiling water into the pot and add the drained cannelloni beans, and the pasta. Add the bouquet garni, cover and simmer gently over moderately low heat until the beans are heated through, about 5-8 minutes, long enough to cook the pasta al dente. Season the soup generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining diced zucchini. Turn the heat off and remove the pan from the heat while you prepare the pistou and grilled prawns. Put the almonds, basil, parsley, anchovies and their oil, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse 6 or 8 times until just combined. I prefer a varied texture so there is no need to scrape the sides. But you may if you like. Turn the machine on and add the oil in a slow, steady stream Process until nearly smooth. Transfer the contents to a large bowl. Stir in lemon zest; season with salt and pepper. Set aside 1/4 cup of the pistou for the prawns. Heat a grill to medium-high. Toss the prawns with the reserved 1/4-cup of pistou. Grill, the prawns turning once, until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side; season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, re-heat the pistou pasta and serve the prawns on top with a big dollop of pistou and lemon wedges.