We eat a lot of Italian foods – it’s Rob’s heritage and decades of living in the Boston area has been an inspiration for me to learn how to make the Italian dishes I’ve tried, loved and come to crave.  Prosciutto and provolone stuffed pickled cherry hot peppers are one of those antipasto treats that I’ve grown to love but don’t always feel like I can afford.  Ready made ones are very expensive, so I set out to grow my own cherry hots and figure it out. Turns out it’s quite simple, and the cherry hot plants are not only beautiful and easy to grow, but are also extremely productive.

With dozens of the little gems per plant at my fingertips we’ve enjoyed these delicious tidbits before dinner for many a night.  The best surprise of all has been how much more I love the fresh vs. the processed.  The crunch of the fresh peppers with the creaminess of the provolone and the tangy saltiness of the provolone is a revelation, a much preferred version of what I already thought of as delectable. The prosciutto and provolone can be pricey, yes, but the small amount used to make the peppers is worth it, and you can ask for just a few slices at the deli for the prosciutto (ask for thin as possible).  An aged provolone will be best, giving a very characteristic taste to the peppers.

Ingredients for Prosciutto and Provolone Stuffed Cherry Hot Peppers recipe:  (makes one dozen stuffed cherry hots)

•  12 fresh cherry hot peppers
• 2 ounces imported prosciutto
• 3 ounces aged provolone cheese, cut into small chunks
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons cider or white vinegar
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions to make  Prosciutto and Provolone Stuffed Cherry Hot Peppers:

• Combine the oil, garlic, vinegars, oregano and salt  in a small sauce pan. Bring just to a simmer, simmer for two minutes and turn off the heat.  This helps all the flavors of the ingredients to incorporate, which makes for a tastier pepper. Set aside to cool while seeding the peppers.

• To prepare the cherry hot peppers:  Using a small paring knife, cut the stem from the washed peppers, as you would cut the top out of a pumpkin for a jack-o-lantern. Remove the seeds -  I find that using a small measuring spoon (1/8 or 1/4 sized) is a great aid in getting the seeds out.
•  The size of your cubed provolone and piece of prosciutto will vary depending on the size of the cherry hot peppers. I like to cut as I go, tailoring each wrapped bit for the individual pepper. Whatever the size, put the provolone cheese on a piece of prosciutto, wrap it up tightly and stuff inside the hollowed out pepper shell.

•  If you are accustomed to the store-bought stuffed cherry hots, you’ll have probably noticed that the provolone always shows on top – if that is more aesthetically pleasing to you, use this alternate method for wrapping the cheese:  Cut a small log of provolone, wrap it with a piece of prosciutto and then cut off chunks to fit in the peppers, cut cheese side up.

• Once all of the cherry hot peppers are stuffed, place into a container that has a secure lid.  I just use a small plastic storage container, but really anything will do, such as a washed pickle jar with a lid.  Just make sure the peppers can all go in and won’t be too difficult to take out. 

• When they are in your container, pour the cooled vinegar/oil mixture on top.  If you do not have enough liquid to cover, use some more olive oil until the peppers are all just submersed.
• Put the cover on your container, mix the ingredients together by gently tipping upside down and back a few times.  The hard part now is to wait….at least 24 hrs……..so the peppers can gently pickle and the tastes all come together. 

Serve whole like a cherry hot pepper popper or halved the next day, or you can even wait several days – the flavor gets better as they are pickled longer!  These are not shelf stable so they will have to stay refrigerated, but will keep well for a couple of weeks …..if they last that long.

Enjoy!

Note:  So which is hotter – the red hot cherry peppers (or predominately red), or the green ones?  Well, I think the red ones are hotter than the green, perhaps because they have grown on the vine longer and have had more of a chance to develop their heat.

My inspiration for this recipe came from a certain desire for a slightly-spicy lobster salad that had lots of fresh vegetables, chilled rice noodles and a light but flavorful dressing. My search for a recipe in my many cookbooks and numerous Google searches yielded nothing that was going to be just what I wanted – and so here is that certain something.  The spice doesn’t overwhelm the taste of the lobster, the lightly dressed crunchy vegetables match perfectly with the soft rice vermicelli noodles and an understated sesame flavor ties it all together to create an umami delight. 

Fresh, flavorful and my latest effort in helping the Maine lobstermen. Eat more Maine lobster – the price is down to $4.99/lb again this year and the hardworking folks on the boats need us to enjoy this crustatean in any way we enjoy – and I hope you enjoy this. Of course you can substitute an Asian or other spiny lobster in the recipe – whatever lobster you have access to.

Ingredients for Asian Lobster Noodle Salad Recipe:  (serves two, multiply as needed)

For Salad:

• 1  pound and a half  lobster, cooked, with meat removed - how to here
• 1/2 pound regular (not angel hair) rice vermicelli noodles
• 10 sno pea pods, cut into diagonal strips
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into julienne diagonal strips
• 1/2 fresh red bell pepper, cut into julienne strips
• 2 green onions (scallions) trimmed and cut into narrow diagonal pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup fresh mung bean sprouts (optional)

For Asian Salad Dressing:

• 6 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. candied ginger, very finely minced
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. soy sauce (if you need a gluten-free dish, check the label!)
• 2 tsp. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. white sugar
• 1 tsp. sriracha chili sauce

For Garnish:

• 1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/2 fresh lime, cut into 4 wedges
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

 Directions for making Lobster Noodle Salad:

• Soak the rice noodles in cold water for 1 hour. Drain.
• In a medium pot of boiling water, cook  the rice noodles for 10 minutes, stirring often, or until the noodles are very tender to the bite.
• Drain the noodles, rinse in cold water and refrigerate to chill.
• Make the sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a small pot, bring to a low simmer and cook for two minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool.
• Prepare the vegetables while bringing a pot of water to the boil.
• Blanch the sno peas for 30 seconds.
• Blanch the carrots for 45 seconds, drain and allow to chill.
• Check the sauce for salty/sour/sweet/hot balance and adjust accordingly.
• Toss half the sauce with the chilled rice noodles, tossing well to coat.
• Add the prepared vegetables to the noodles and toss to combine.
• Divide the noodles and vegetables onto two plates.
• Scatter the fresh minced herbs between the two plates.
• Add the lobster meat to the top of the noodle salad (either chopped or left in large pieces.
• Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the lobster and salad.
• Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds on top and garnish the plate with lime wedges.

Enjoy!

 

Note on Rice Noodles:I seem to have escaped the gluten allergy that plagues my two sisters, but in understanding the celiac sprue I have become quite familiar with rice noodles and just love them. There is some confusion about how to cook rice noodles which I believe stems from understanding the types of ‘vermacelli’ rice noodles out there.  If you have a very, very thin rice noodle (also called angel hair rice vermicelli), soaking it in cold water for 1+ hours and then not cooking is OK, but a thicker vermicelli needs the one hour soak and then  a ten minute boil to cook it to the right texture. Confusing the two will leave you frustrated so just know your noodle. If rice noodles aren’t for you substitute ramen noodles!



How to toast sesame seeds:


Put the sesame seeds in a shallow non-stick skillet and bring to temperature over medium-low heat, shaking the pan often. When the seeds begin to turn a very light brown, turn off the heat, shake the pan on the burner for another minute and they should be a nice all-over light brown color. Turn onto a dish immediately to stop cooking.  If you have extra toasted seeds, store them in the freezer.