Serves 6
Mélanie Masarin, author of the new book, “Riviera: Recipes from the Coast of France and Italy,” writes that the region’s minestrone, called Soupe au Pistou, “somehow manages to be both light and satisfying.” Pistou, like pesto, is made with basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil. Whir it in a food processor and when the soup is ladled into bowls, swirl a spoonful into the hot broth. “Watch it create bright green rivulets through the golden broth,” writes Masarin, who was raised in the south of France and lives in New York City and Paris. “Riviera” is a tribute to the author’s grandmother, Mymo, who kept all her handwritten recipes in a notebook that Masarin inherited. She emphasizes that she’s not a trained chef and prefers simple dishes for her guests. She writes, “This is a book about hospitality and thoughtfulness and an ode to summer.” You’ll find socca (the famous chickpea flour flatbread from Nice), linguine with clams, her grandmother’s pasta gratin, a popular dish of chicken roasted with 40 cloves of garlic, and Le Grand Aioli, a platter of vegetables and seafood accompanied by garlicky mayonnaise. As Masarin explains them, these appealing dishes seem particularly approachable.
PISTOU
1
large clove garlic
¼
cup pine nuts
Pinch of salt, or more to taste
2
cups fresh basil leaves
¼
cup top-quality olive oil, or more if needed
1
cup grated Parmesan
Extra olive oil (for sprinkling)
1. In a food processor, pulse the garlic, pine nuts, salt, and basil until finely chopped.
2. With the motor running, drizzle the oil through the feed tube into the work bowl. Add the Parmesan and pulse to blend it in. The mixture should be loose. Add more olive oil through the feed tube with the motor running, if necessary.
3. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt, if you like. If not using right away, transfer to a container and cover the surface with olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for up to several days.
SOUP
3
tablespoons olive oil
2
cloves garlic, chopped
2
medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2
medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2
medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1
can (15 ounces) small white beans (such as Navy beans), drained
1
can (15 ounces) small red beans, drained
2
quarts water
2
small golden potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1
cup cherry tomatoes, each pierced with the tip of a knife
½
cup elbow pasta
¼
pound haricots verts or slender green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise and lengthwise
1½
cups grated Parmesan (for serving)
1. In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onions, carrots, zucchini, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes or until they start to soften.
2. Add the white and red beans and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Return the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, recover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until they are almost tender.
4. Add the pasta and green beans. Return the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, recover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still has some bite. (Total simmering time is 38 minutes.)
5. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spoon pistou into the bowls and swirl it into the hot soup. Serve with the remaining Parmesan and pistou.
Sheryl Julian. Adapted from ‘‘Riviera’’
Serves 6
Mélanie Masarin, author of the new book, “Riviera: Recipes from the Coast of France and Italy,” writes that the region’s minestrone, called Soupe au Pistou, “somehow manages to be both light and satisfying.” Pistou, like pesto, is made with basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil. Whir it in a food processor and when the soup is ladled into bowls, swirl a spoonful into the hot broth. “Watch it create bright green rivulets through the golden broth,” writes Masarin, who was raised in the south of France and lives in New York City and Paris. “Riviera” is a tribute to the author’s grandmother, Mymo, who kept all her handwritten recipes in a notebook that Masarin inherited. She emphasizes that she’s not a trained chef and prefers simple dishes for her guests. She writes, “This is a book about hospitality and thoughtfulness and an ode to summer.” You’ll find socca (the famous chickpea flour flatbread from Nice), linguine with clams, her grandmother’s pasta gratin, a popular dish of chicken roasted with 40 cloves of garlic, and Le Grand Aioli, a platter of vegetables and seafood accompanied by garlicky mayonnaise. As Masarin explains them, these appealing dishes seem particularly approachable.
PISTOU
1large clove garlic¼cup pine nuts Pinch of salt, or more to taste2cups fresh basil leaves¼cup top-quality olive oil, or more if needed1cup grated Parmesan Extra olive oil (for sprinkling)
1. In a food processor, pulse the garlic, pine nuts, salt, and basil until finely chopped.
2. With the motor running, drizzle the oil through the feed tube into the work bowl. Add the Parmesan and pulse to blend it in. The mixture should be loose. Add more olive oil through the feed tube with the motor running, if necessary.
3. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt, if you like. If not using right away, transfer to a container and cover the surface with olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for up to several days.
SOUP
3tablespoons olive oil2cloves garlic, chopped2medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice2medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice2medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice Salt and pepper, to taste1can (15 ounces) small white beans (such as Navy beans), drained1can (15 ounces) small red beans, drained2quarts water2small golden potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice1cup cherry tomatoes, each pierced with the tip of a knife½cup elbow pasta¼pound haricots verts or slender green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise and lengthwise1½cups grated Parmesan (for serving)
1. In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onions, carrots, zucchini, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes or until they start to soften.
2. Add the white and red beans and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Return the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, recover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until they are almost tender.
4. Add the pasta and green beans. Return the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, recover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still has some bite. (Total simmering time is 38 minutes.)
5. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spoon pistou into the bowls and swirl it into the hot soup. Serve with the remaining Parmesan and pistou.Sheryl Julian. Adapted from ‘‘Riviera’’
Dining and Cooking