A Spanish Dinner...

Gina and I have been wanting to try leeks. We'd just never gotten around to it. I found a Sephardic recipe that appealed to me, so I threw together a menu for it. And it looked like this...

Sephardic Leek-and-Cheese Casserole

(Quajado de Puerro con Queso)

Murcian Salad

(Ensalada Murciana)

Spanish-style Garlic Bread

The casserole was divine! A pile of thinly sliced, sauteed leeks, a pound of cheese, and a mess of eggs, flavored with some freshly grated nutmeg. Super-rich and good. The salad was very tasty (see recipe below), with lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and a piquant dressing. I wanted to make garlic bread, but I wanted something a bit different from my usual Italian-style garlic bread. I found some fresh ciabatta bread at the store, and whipped up a spread that owed more to Spain than Italy (I've had instructions from the Boss to keep the details to myself...lol). Suffice it to say there was butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic, some herbs, and...

Here's the recipe for the salad:

Murcian Salad

1 small head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 small head escarole, curly endive, radicchio, or other bitter green, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 green and/or red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and thinly sliced
½ large sweet onion, thinly sliced

For the dressing:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon capers, well-rinsed
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste

Toss the greens, peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, and onions together in a large bowl.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until the garlic and capers are minced and the olive oil emulsifies.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Serve.

Makes 8-12 servings.

(And on another front...the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies are better the second day...yum!)