arts & entertainment On The W >> food sponsored by Menu e're right in the thick of the winter holiday season. This time of year I'm either host- ing or attending parties, big and small. Sometimes it's just a few of us around the kitchen table with wine and some nibbles. Other times, it's a fete, with dozens coming and going, nibbling and sipping all night long. Either way, whenever I ask (and I always do) about what I can bring, I'm often requested to provide a little some- thing savory to share with the group. On this week's menu are some of my favorites — fallbacks that always please, some a little more complicated, others taking min- utes to prepare. COUNTRY TOMATO- CHEVRE TARTE 1 package (17 oz.) frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed '/2 cup thinly sliced mild onion 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut vertically into very thin slices 8 plum tomatoes, sliced into Y8-inch- thick rounds kosher salt and pepper to taste 16 fresh sage leaves 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 10 oz. Chevre (or other soft goat cheese), crumbled 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese POTATO LEEK SOUP Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the sheets of puff pastry on a bak- ing sheet with sides, and press together and up the sides of the pan to create one large sheet of pastry. Arrange the onion, garlic, bell pep- per and tomato slices over the pastry. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, and arrange the sage leaves over all. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle the Chevre and Parmesan cheeses over the tarte. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Remove from oven, cut into squares and serve. Number of serv- ings varies depending on how big you cut the squares. Serve in small mugs or as soup "shots." Most potato soups contain butter and heavy whipping cream or half-and- half. This one uses milk — a big sav- ings in fat and calo- ries. To turn this into a more luxurious soup, try stirring in some shredded cheese just before serving. 1 lb. leeks 1 cup chopped celery 1 /2 tsp. minced garlic 1 lb. peeled small white potatoes, cut into'/2-inch pieces 6 cups water 2 cups milk salt to taste white pepper to taste 'A cup fresh minced chives or scallions Slice the whites and very pale green parts of the leeks into thin rounds, or chop into small pieces. Place the leeks in a colander, and rinse them very well, separating the rings (do not use the dark green parts). Place the leeks, celery and garlic in a large pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-high and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Add the potatoes, and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-high and simmer for 30 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, and cool for 20 minutes or more. Transfer the mixture to a food pro- cessor or blender, and process or puree until smooth (you will need to do this in batches). Pour the soup back into the pot, and stir in the milk, salt and white pep- per. Heat the soup to boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes more. Adjust salt and pepper, and serve hot, with minced chives or scallions sprinkled on top. Makes 24 appetizer servings. 52 December 20 • 2012 JN SAVORY ROASTED LAMB CHOPS 3 baby lamb racks, cut into chops Marinade: 1 cup soy sauce V4 cup red wine vinegar V4 cup olive oil 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves 2 tsp. fresh minced garlic Ph tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. sugar Marinate the lamb chops: Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, and whisk well. Add the chops, and, using your hands, toss the chops in the mari- nade to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 2 to 12 hours. Position your oven rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven. Arrange chops on a broiler pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil the chops about 3-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Let stand for 1 minute before serving with pan juices. Makes about 24 chops. BUSCH) Tiesk rootalavkier An appetite for appetizers. ARTICHOKE-JALAPENO CROSTINI olive oil 1 French baguette, cut into thin slices (about 25-30) Topping: 1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts (canned is fine) V4 cup mayonnaise V4 cup fmely chopped scallions or chives 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes 1-2 tsp. fmely minced jalapeno pep- pers (to your taste) kosher salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush baguette slices with olive oil, and arrange the slices on a baking sheet. Bake until the edges of the bread are golden and remove from oven. Meanwhile, combine topping ingredients. Spoon the topping on top of the browned toasts. Season the toasts lightly with salt and pepper. Return toasts to the oven, and bake until the cheese is melted and the top- ping is hot. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 24-30 crostini. ZUCCHINI FRITTERS 1 lb. zucchini 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 /2 cup flour (more if needed) canola oil for frying salt and pepper to taste Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towel. Set aside. Wash zucchini, and cut off the ends but do not peel. Grate zucchini into a bowl. Combine zucchini, salt (up to 1 tsp.), eggs and flour, and stir well. Heat Ys-inch of oil to very hot in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Make a test fritter by dropping a Tbsp. of the mixture into the pan and cooking until browned on both sides. Drain well on the prepared baking sheet. Taste for seasoning (add more salt and pepper to mixture to taste). If the frit- ter is perfect, continue with the recipe. If the fritter is too loose and doesn't hold together, add more flour. Prepare the remaining fritters as above. Do not cover with foil; chill uncovered until ready to serve, and reheat at 325 degrees until hot. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with sour cream if desired. Makes about 12-20 fritters, depending on size. APPLE AND DRIED- FRUIT SALSA 1 medium apple (your favorite vari- ety), unpeeled, seeds removed and cut into 2-inch chunks '/2 cup dried cranberries '/2 cup chopped dried apricots '/2 cup apricot jam 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces Y2 cup cilantro leaves 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. lime zest Y2 tsp. (or more to taste) hot red pep- per sauce (like Tabasco) salt to taste Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to chop. Adjust salt to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with tortilla chips, as a topping for brie or as a side for the zucchini fritters or chicken skewers in this column. Makes about 3 cups of salsa. GINGER-CILANTRO CHICKEN SKEWERS 2 lbs. bone- less and skinless chicken breasts Y2 cup fresh chopped cilantro Marinade: 1 /4 cup fresh lime juice 2 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. canola or other vegetable oil 1 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari 1 Tbsp. minced garlic 2 tsp. minced gingerroot 1 tsp. kosher salt Y2 tsp. cayenne pepper freshly ground black pepper to taste Soak 24 6-inch or longer bamboo skew- ers in water for 1 hour up to overnight. Set aside. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes, and transfer to a medium bowl. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl, and whisk well. Add the chicken to the bowl, and toss well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, chill and allow the cubes to marinate for 2 to 8 hours. Thread 3 chicken cubes on each skewer, and arrange the satays on a baking sheet with sides. Place the top rack of the oven about 6 inches from the heating element. Preheat oven to broil, and broil the satays for about 5 minutes (do not overcook). Serve the satays warm or at room tem- perature. Makes 24 skewers. ❑ All recipes © Annabel Cohen 2012; annabelonthemenu@gmail.com.