Recipe Overview
This refined vegetable appetizer combines zucchini scapece with a slow oil-poached tomato presentation. The tomato becomes tender while the zucchini, mint, Ricotta Salata, peas, basil and red wine reduction create layers of acidity, sweetness, herb aroma and creamy salinity.
Chef Notes
Poach the tomato gently enough to preserve its shape. Air-drying the zucchini before shallow frying improves texture and helps the mint, vinegar and shredded ricotta cling to the slices. Preserve the 120 g dry malt quantity from the source until the chef specification is intentionally revised.
Connected Experience
Published Tuscany Cuisine identities are reused for vine-ripe tomato, olive oil, Zucchini / Zucchina, Ricotta Salata, red wine vinegar, fresh basil and salt/black pepper. Zucchini now uses its dedicated `zucchini.png` icon and Ingredient Library page with the shared code TC-VEG-ZUCCHINI-001. Fresh Mint / Menta uses the dedicated `mint.png` shared identity linked to its Menta ingredient page. Fresh Green Peas / Piselli now use the dedicated `greenpeas.png` shared identity linked to the new peas ingredient page. Red Wine / Vino Rosso now uses the dedicated `vinorosso.png` shared identity linked to the Red Wine knowledge page. Dry Malt / Malt Powder now uses the dedicated `malt.png` shared identity linked to `/academy/ibrary/pantry/flours/drymalt.html`.
Ingredients
-
Large Ripe Tomato
— 200 g — large ripe tomato; published vine-ripe tomato family identity used
vine_ripe_tomato
-
Olive Oil
— 500 g — for tomato poaching; source says olive oil and notes not all is consumed
OIL-0001
-
Zucchini / Zucchina
— 100 g — green zucchini, thin-sliced for scapece
TC-VEG-ZUCCHINI-001
-
Ricotta Salata
— 28 g — shredded; dedicated pressed, salted Ricotta Salata identity
TC-DAIRY-RICOTTA-SALATA-001
-
Fresh Mint / Menta
— 0.5 g — julienned
TC-HERB-MINT-001
-
Red Wine Vinegar
— 15 g — for zucchini scapece
VINEGAR-RED-WINE-0001
-
Fresh Basil
— 1 g — chiffonade
HERB-BASIL-FRESH-001
-
Fresh Green Peas / Piselli
— 57 g — sweated lightly for plating
TC-VEG-GREEN-PEAS-001
-
Red Wine / Vino Rosso
— 150 g — for reduction with dry malt until syrupy
TC-WINE-RED-COOKING-001
-
Dry Malt / Malt Powder
— 120 g — for red wine reduction; source quantity preserved
TC-PANTRY-DRY-MALT-001
-
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
— 1 g — combined amount; source recipe does not specify the salt-to-pepper split
SPICE-SALT-BLACKPEPPER-001
Preparation
- Tomato poach: Submerge the tomato in olive oil in a saucepan, weigh it down gently with a plate, and seal the pan with foil.
- Poach at 150°F for 6 hours. Cool carefully, peel the tomato, and scoop out the seeds to create a clean cavity.
- Zucchini scapece: Slice the zucchini thinly and air-dry overnight if possible.
- Shallow-fry the zucchini lightly, drain well, then toss with mint, shredded Ricotta Salata, and red wine vinegar.
- Fill the poached tomato with the zucchini scapece mixture.
- Peas and reduction: Sweat the peas with a touch of olive oil, salt and pepper. Separately reduce the red wine with dry malt until syrupy.
- Plate: Spoon the peas onto the plate, drizzle with the red wine reduction, set the filled tomato on top, and finish with extra Ricotta Salata and basil.
Service Suggestions
- Serve as a composed vegetarian appetizer or tasting-menu course.
- Keep the tomato intact during peeling and filling for the cleanest presentation.
- Finish with basil and extra Ricotta Salata immediately before service.
Dietary / HACCP Notes
- Vegetarian; contains milk from Ricotta Salata.
- Dry malt is commonly barley-based and therefore contains gluten; verify the exact malt SKU and grain source before making any gluten-free claim.
- Hold cooked tomato, zucchini, peas, and ricotta refrigerated at or below 40°F / 4°C when preparing ahead.
- The 500 g olive oil is a production/poaching requirement; the source states that not all of it is consumed. Actual inventory depletion should follow the kitchen's oil-recovery policy.
- Keep the six-hour 150°F tomato poach under controlled time/temperature production procedures and chill promptly if not serving immediately.
| Calories | 210 |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 20 mg |
| Sodium | 360 mg |