who's in?

shrimp

something

tonight.

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Shrimp Cioppino with Rustic Vegetables & Grilled Ciabatta

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin, cold-pressed, imported)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 shallot chopped
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 8 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, & more if you like a lot of flavor
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, diced finely
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup broccoli
• 2 leaves of chard, chopped finely
• 1 bushel of basil for added flavor & final decoration
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1 loaf of freshly baked rustic ciabatta bread, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup of fresh Van Buren pesto to drizzle on the bread while grilling
• 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Optional: 1 1/2 pounds assorted fish fillets, such as halibut or salmon, cut into 2-inch chunks

Directions:

Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and saute 2 minutes. Stir in the rest of the vegetables and the wine.  Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 20 minutes. In the meantime, grill the ciabatta bread on the barbeque for about 4 minutes, turning often so as to avoid burnt edges. Drizzle pesto on top of bread while grilling. Once the vegetables are done simmering, add the shrimp. Simmer gently until the shrimp are just cooked through. You may add extra seasoning to the soup with more red pepper flakes or sea salt. Before serving, place grilled ciabatta on the bottom of your serving dish and pour the cioppino mixture on top. Add basil to the top of that and you're done!

 Buon Appetito!

I'll cook. You bring the wine. Let's make this happen.