Heat wave hor d'oeuvres

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/17/heat-wave-central-us-_n_901170.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk2%7C78391

HOLY HOTNESS!!! It was 92 degrees at our house today, with humidity so heavy I feel like I'm drowning when I step outside the front door. The sky was cloudy and there was stormy electricity in the air all day, but it's 11:30 pm and there seems to be no relief in sight. It's difficult to cook OR eat much in this heat, but my mama had the perfect solution: using only the toaster oven and grill, she made us a lovely, light and refreshing dinner.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS

Fresh asparagus
Prosciutto
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Coat the asparagus in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Wrap the slices of prosciutto around them, and grill on low heat for 5 minutes, or until the ends of the asparagus start to wilt.

FRESH BRUSCHETTA

3 parts tomatoes
1 part onions
Fresh basil
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
French bread (you can substitute thick crackers)
Parmesan cheese

Chop and mix well: tomatoes, onions, fresh basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Slice the french bread as thin as possible and toast on both sides. Pile as much of the tomato mixture as possible onto each slice of toasted bread, and sprinkle a bit of cheese on top. Toast again until the cheese melts.

Enjoyed best with a cold beer or iced tea in the shade! Stay cool!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

At an Italian restaurant last November my boyfriend and I had a killer combo of creamy roasted red pepper soup and goat cheese salad. A couple months later, we decided to recreate the red pepper soup. The result was amazing and is a classic for us now.

ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP

7 red peppers
2 onions, chopped
1 carrot, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 liter boullion (chicken or vegetable)
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
150 ml creme fraiche (or heavy cream)


1. Cut the red peppers in half, deseed them and place them on a baking sheet, skin side up. Broil until the skin turns black, about 15 minutes. After they are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off and toss it. Set the peppers aside.
2. Fry the onion and carrot in olive oil over low heat until the carrot is soft (8-10 minutes). Add the garlic and tomatoes and saute for a couple more minutes.
3. Add the boullion, basil and peppers and bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
4. Blend it in the food processor or blender and return to stove over very low heat. Add the creme, mix well and warm the soup without allowing it to boil.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.