Cream of Peas, Raisin Bread Gnocchetti, and Fresh Goat Cheese

Preparation Brown the scallion in the butter. Add the potatoes and sauté until they are light golden in color. Add the peas (save a few for garnish), then about a cup of the stock, and let it all simmer for about 15 minutes, until soft. Add more stock if necessary. It should be liquidy. Meanwhile, for the gnocchetti, sweat the leek in butter. Stir in the bread and season with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place the mixture in a small bowl and mix in just enough beaten egg to make it slightly wet. Scoop out small quarter-size balls, place in the palm of your hand, and gently squeeze down till compressed to mold into gnocchetti (baby gnocchi). Make sure the peas and potatoes are soft and pour the mixture through a sieve, pressing the vegetables through with a rubber spatula. The pressing should yield about a cup or a cup and a half. Add a little more stock if the soup is too thick. Strain again if necessary and pour into a small saucepan. Drop in several gnocchetti, cover, and heat through at low heat for a few minutes until piping hot. Pour carefully into a heated soup bowl, to keep those little babies intact. Garnish with the fresh peas, tomato, goat cheese, a drizzle of an excellent extra virgin olive oil, and chopped chervil. *Beautiful with the wonderfully crafted Vieris Isonzo Sauvignon from Gianfranco Gallo's Vie di Romans property. From The Pleasure is All Mine by Suzanne Pirret, (C) 2009, William Morrow/An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Preparation Brown the scallion in the butter. Add the potatoes and sauté until they are light golden in color. Add the peas (save a few for garnish), then about a cup of the stock, and let it all simmer for about 15 minutes, until soft. Add more stock if necessary. It should be liquidy. Meanwhile, for the gnocchetti, sweat the leek in butter. Stir in the bread and season with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place the mixture in a small bowl and mix in just enough beaten egg to make it slightly wet. Scoop out small quarter-size balls, place in the palm of your hand, and gently squeeze down till compressed to mold into gnocchetti (baby gnocchi). Make sure the peas and potatoes are soft and pour the mixture through a sieve, pressing the vegetables through with a rubber spatula. The pressing should yield about a cup or a cup and a half. Add a little more stock if the soup is too thick. Strain again if necessary and pour into a small saucepan. Drop in several gnocchetti, cover, and heat through at low heat for a few minutes until piping hot. Pour carefully into a heated soup bowl, to keep those little babies intact. Garnish with the fresh peas, tomato, goat cheese, a drizzle of an excellent extra virgin olive oil, and chopped chervil. *Beautiful with the wonderfully crafted Vieris Isonzo Sauvignon from Gianfranco Gallo's Vie di Romans property. From The Pleasure is All Mine by Suzanne Pirret, (C) 2009, William Morrow/An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers