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them (see [>] ). Cut the top third off each tomato (reserve it) and, using a small spoon or your fingers, pull the pulp and seeds from the tomato, leaving a sturdy wall. Turn the tomatoes over onto a paper towel and drain for about 30 minutes. To serve, fill each tomato with some herb cheese and cap with the reserved tops. I like to drizzle a little Basil Pesto ( [>] ) or Basil Coulis (see Bonne Idée, [>] ) around the tomatoes.

 

Guacamole with Tomatoes and Bell Peppers
    G UACAMOLE HAS BECOME A STANDARD IN FRANCE, particularly in Paris, where, as often as it's served with chips, that's how often it turns up in unexpected roles. At Cuisine de Bar, the chic sandwich restaurant next to the famous Poiláne boulangerie (see [>] ), guacamole is turned into a tartine (see box, [>] ), dotted with small shrimp. At fancier restaurants, I've seen it used as the base of a salmon tartare, or as part of a layered crab salad served in a glass, or spooned into pretty quenelles to become a garnish for gazpacho.
    While the French tend to buy their guacamole rather than prepare it themselves, I like to make my own, even in Paris, where one of the ingredients I consider essential is rarely available: jalapeño peppers. I keep dried jalapeño powder in my cupboard and cans of jalapeño too—both brought from the United States—and usually add whatever hot pepper I can find at the market.
    I make this guacamole two ways: chunky and smooth. For chunky, I mix the ingredients in a bowl with a fork; for smooth, I reach for my mortar and pestle. It's good both ways, so I leave it to you to decide on the method.
1
lime
Leaves from 4–6 cilantro sprigs, plus chopped fresh cilantro to taste
2
slices red onion, chopped
½
jalapeño, or more to taste, finely chopped
Salt
2
ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled
Freshly ground pepper
Hot sauce
About 6 grape tomatoes, quartered
About ¼ red bell pepper, finely chopped
    TO MAKE A SMOOTH GUACAMOLE: Grate the lime zest into a mortar. Toss in the cilantro leaves, onion, jalapeño, and a good pinch of salt and go to work with the pestle, pressing on the ingredients and moving the pestle around in a circular motion. You'll crush the cilantro but only just bruise the onion and jalapeño, and that's fine. Add the avocado, squeeze in all the juice from the lime, and use the pestle to break up the avocado and blend it with the other ingredients. Taste for salt, add pepper and hot sauce as you like, and then stir in the tomatoes, bell pepper, and chopped cilantro.
    TO MAKE A CHUNKIER GUACAMOLE: Grate the lime zest into a bowl. Finely chop the cilantro leaves and add them, along with the onion, jalapeño, and a good pinch of salt, and toss with a fork. Chop the avocado and put the pieces in the bowl, along with the tomatoes and bell pepper. Squeeze all the juice from the lime over the ingredients and stir everything together gently. Taste for salt, add pepper and hot sauce as you like, and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.
     
    MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS OR 4 SERVINGS
     
    SERVING
If you've made the guacamole in a mortar, use it as your serving bowl. No matter how you've made it, serve it with your favorite chips.
     
    STORING
The guacamole is at its best freshly made, but if you have to hold it for a little while, press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface to create an airtight seal and keep it in the refrigerator.

Eggplant Caviar
    D ESPITE ITS FANCY NAME, EGGPLANT CAVIAR IS a humble dish, one you find as a starter in student restaurants, a take-out item in just about any specialty shop, and a staple in the ready-mades section of most supermarkets. But, made with care and seasoned with generosity, the dish—half dip, half spread, and closely related to Middle Eastern baba ghanoush—can live up to its moniker. In my version, there's lemon juice for brightness, onion for sharpness, tomato for sweetness, and fresh herbs for complexity, all of which give the classic new life.
    I like to serve