Fall Salad with Escarole, Apples and Blue Cheese

When the weather changes and we all want comfort food it's nice to know that we can still have a salad, only one that now incorporates the flavors of Fall. I recently made this salad for a dinner party and I was quite happy with it. 

It's made with Pink Lady apples which are so nice and light and crisp this time of year. And they look great in the salad, all green and pink. Find a blue cheese that you like, any variety will do. I like the Point Reyes but can't always find it so I get what I can.  I like a nice variety of greens, it makes the salad more interesting to get different flavors and textures. 

Ingredients: 
Various greens:  Escarole, curly endive, baby greens 
Pecans, Toasted and chopped 
Celery, sliced very thin 
Pink Lady Apples, sliced very thin 
Point Reyes Blue Cheese

Dressing:
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
1 tbsp shallot, minced 
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar 
1/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil
2 tbsp olive oil 
Salt and Pepper 

To make the dressing:  in a small bowl combine the vinegar, shallot, mustard and sugar. Whisk and allow to sit for 10 miutes.  Whisk in the two oils and salt and pepper to taste. Done. 

Make sure your lettuces are well chilled and crisp. 

Toast the pecans.  Break up the blue cheese into small crumbles. Slice the celery and apple.  

Put greens into a large salad bowl, add the nuts, apple and celery.  Dress and toss.  Plate and then top each with some of the blue cheese.  

Lemony Potato Salad

Those of you who know me know I love lemons and this potato salad fits the bill with the lemon zest and juice soaking into the warm potatoes. Yum!
This recipe does not contain mayonnaise like more potato salad recipes which is another reason I like it.  

This recipe is best made and eaten immediately.  I like eating it while it is still warm when the flavor of the lemon pops. But I've had it leftover and it's just fine. 

A word about the potatoes.  The size of these yukon gold potatoes vary.  I've purchased bags that have the little ones, all about 2 inches, and those are the ones I prefer. They cook in 20 minutes and you only to have to cut them in half when they are done. However, I've also had to buy them when they are much bigger which means you have to increase the cooking time. Additionally  I've discovered that it is not a good idea to cut them in half prior to cooking, they get too soft. So cook them whole and try to find the little ones. 

Ingredients: 
4 slices of bacon 
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced 
3 garlic cloves, minced 
1/3 to 2/3 cup olive oil 
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
Kosher Salt 
3 celery stalks, including leaves 
Salt and Pepper 

Cook the bacon. Drain well and cool then chop into small pieces and set aside. 

In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add a tbsp of kosher salt. Add the cleaned whole potatoes.  Bring to a boil again, then reduce slightly and cook for approximately 20 minutes. Test for doneness with the tip of a sharp knife.  They should be done but not mushy, you want your salad to hold together with firm potatoes. 

While the potatoes are cooking make the dressing.  In a small bowl zest the lemon, then juice the lemon. Measure out 1/4 cup of juice, add that to the bowl. Add the minced garlic and rosemary. Add 1/3 cup of good quality olive oil. Mix to combine and allow to sit while the potatoes cook. 

Chop the celery along with the leaves. 

When the potatoes are done put them into a colander in the sink and allow them to drain and cool. This will take about 20 minutes   Once you can handle them, place them on a cutting board and start cutting each potato in half. Put the potatoes into a large bowl. Add the dressing, some salt and pepper, and mix gently allowing them to sit for a few minutes to absorb and dressing. Then add the celery and the bacon and mix again.  If the potatoes absorb all the olive oil add a little more just to make sure they are not dry.  

This is a perfect dish to serve with BBQ or take on a summer picnic. 

If you want to make this vegetarian leave out the bacon.

Grilled Romaine Salad

I know it might sound strange to grill lettuce, but let me tell you, this is a great way to shake it up a bit. We eat a lot of salad in our house so having something different like a grilled salad keeps things interesting.
Plus anytime I can cook an entire meal on the grill I am happy. It keeps the kitchen clean and there are no pots and pans to wash. 

Get all your ingredients ready.  Once the lettuce goes on the grill you have to be ready to assemble in a quick second. 

Ingredients: 
2 heads of romaine 
4 strips of bacon 
2 ounces blue cheese 
2 small tomatoes
2 tbsp bacon drippings
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce  
2 tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground pepper 

Wash, dry and crisp up the lettuce. Cut each head in half, wash very carefully so it does not fall apart. It must remain in tact to put on the grill. Drain it well.  Wrap it in paper towels then put into a plastic bag and place in the refrig for a few hours to crisp up. 

Cook the bacon.  Cut raw bacon into small strips then saute until brown and crisp.  Drain the bacon on a paper towel until ready to use. Retain 2 tbsp of bacon drippings. 

Make the dressing. Whisk together the bacon drippings, balsamic, W sauce, olive oil, and pepper. 

Cut up the blue cheese and dice the tomatoes. 

Put the romaine on the the grill and cook for approximately 2 minutes per side. You want a slight char and some grill marks but you don't want to cook it until it all starts to wilt. It should have some crunch left to it. 

Place romaine on a platter, drizzle with dressing, top with blue cheese and tomatoes. Serve immediately. 

Serves 4.  

Lemony Quinoa Salad with Pine Nuts and Olives

This recipe is so simple that you might think it doesn't have much flavor, but think again. The flavors are somewhat supple but when you taste the combination of flavors you realize it all comes together in a beautiful way. 

Ingredients: 
1 cup vegetable broth 
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed   
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted 
large handful of cilantro, chopped 
2 tbsp green olives, chopped  
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp lemon olive oil 
Sea Salt 

Rinse the quinoa well.  In a small saucepan heat the broth, add the quinoa, bring to a boil, cover with lid slightly askew, then reduce to very low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep cover on and allow to sit for 10 minutes. (This cooks similarly to rice.)  

Put the quinoa into a mixing bowl.  Toast pine nuts in a hot skillet until just slightly toasted.  Add to bowl.  Chop the cilantro and add to the bowl. Cut each olive into 4 pieces, add to the bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the quinoa, catching any seeds.  Add the salt and approximately 2 tbsp of lemon olive oil.  Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.  Allow to come to room temp before eating.  If it gets somewhat dry, add a little more olive oil. 

You can easily double this if you are serving more people or want to add this to a buffet.  I like it for summer picnics.  But then I like everything for summer picnics. 

Spinach Salad with Beets and Green Apple

Spinach. I always have it in the house. I use it in omelets for breakfast and in smoothies. I make salads a lot so sometimes I use half spinach and half other greens.  Gotta get my greens in every day. It contains fiber, protein, lots of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K which is hard to come by, and calcium. Buy it. Wash it. Eat it. 

Ingredient amounts for salad are always tricky for me.  I eye ball it. How much do I need to serve two people?  Four people?  This recipe will serve four so I make approximately half of it for the two of us. You have to be exact. Just through in however much of each ingredient you want. 

If you want this to be vegetarian simply omit the bacon. 

Ingredients:
4 beets 
1 green apple 
8 strips bacon 
4 cups raw spinach 
Walnuts, a handfull 
4 tbsp Goat Cheese

Dressing:
2 tbsp Sherry vinegar 
1 tbsp maple syrup 
5 olive oil 
Sea Salt
Pepper, freshly ground 

Make sure the spinach has been washed, de-stemed, and chilled well.  You do not want the spinach to wilt when you add the dressing. It needs to be cold and crunchy.  

Wash the beets well, dry and place on a baking sheet.  Roast in the oven on 400 degrees for 1 hour.  Allow to cool.  Peel and cut into wedges.

Cook the bacon.  Cool and cut into small pieces. 

Toast the walnuts in a saute pan until slightly brown.  Cool and cut into small pieces   

Make the dressing: combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.  Add enough salt and pepper to season the entire salad. 

When ready to assemble cut the green apple into very thin slices.  

Dress the spinach and plate it.  Then sprinkle on walnuts and bacon, then pile on the beets and green apple.  Top with approximately a tablespoons of goat cheese for each serving.  

Lentil Salad with Spinach and Walnuts

A girlfriend of mine had been raving for months about this lentil salad recipe.  She'd made it over and over and kept telling me I had to try it. I think she gave me the recipe at one time and I put in "the pile".  I don't know if you have one, but those of us who cook a lot have a pile of recipes that we want to try.  The recipe went into the pile and was never seen again. Months later she gave me the recipe again, and I decided not to put it in the pile, but to just make it right then and there. I knew she would not be happy until I made it, so I was able to make her happy and discover that yes, she was right, this is a great tasting salad.  Now I can't imagine not having this in my recipe book.

I made it the week of Christmas, and was so glad I did because we were eating so much rich food, dishes we don't normally eat, and we needed something really healthy to break the cycle of holiday eating.  This dish is really good when you first make it, but I found out that leaving it in the refrigerator for a couple of days makes it so much better. I think I will probably always try and make it ahead of time because the flavor becomes more intense because the vinaigrette absorbs into the lentils.

The combination of ingredients sounds a little strange, but somehow they all go together beautifully.  This original recipe is from Cooks Illustrated but I did my usual thing and changed it up to my liking.  After all, a recipe is only a guide.  Make it your own. 

I like to use a stock to cook the lentils because it adds more flavor to the finished dish, but you can use water if you choose.  

Ingredients: 
1 cup green lentils, rinsed and picked through
1 bay leaf
2 cups vegetable stock, or water
1 tsp salt 
pinch of pepper
2 whole garlic cloves  
1 bunch of spinach 
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan      
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
5 tbsp olive oil 
1 small shallot, finely minced
salt and pepper

In a saucepan, cook the lentils in the stock with the bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper. They should take approximately 22 minutes, but test for doneness.  Don't over cook them or they will get mushy.  Remove the bay leaf and garlic.  

Cook the spinach, drain off any excess moisture, chop small.  If you don't want to go to the trouble of cooking fresh spinach you could always use a package of frozen chopped spinach, just be sure to drain it well.  

Toast the walnuts in a saucepan on top of the stove.  Watch it closely. Toss every minute of so until they just start to turn brown and you can smell them.   Cool.  Chop into small pieces. 

Grate the Parmesan.

Make the vinaigrette by combining the vinegar, olive oil, shallot, salt and pepper.   

Now combine if all in a large bowl, and toss well. 

If you can, allow it to sit so the flavors can marinate.  If you're going to eat right away it can sit at room temp for awhile. You can also make it ahead of time, cover and store it in the refrig.  I like to take the chill off before eating, so I heat it very slightly. Not so much to get it hot, only to make it room temp or very slightly warm. 

Is this a great recipe when you need a nutritionally dense bite.  It contains lots of fiber and good fat so it will fill you up and give you energy.  Smile when you eat it because you are doing something really good for your body! 

Leon Salad

The Leon Salad has been around since the 1960's.  It was first served at La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills.  Through the years it has been altered a bit, adding additional ingredients.  I had one about 15 years ago that was unbelievable, so unbelievable I've been looking for a good recipe ever since.  This one comes close.   It's a good main dish meal, we had it for dinner during the summer when it's too hot to cook. Serve some nice crusty bread with it for a entree salad.  It would be a good dish for a buffet. It's hearty and has so many yummy things in it you just want to keep eating it. 

I made it again recently when we had guests over to watch the football game.  They brought the pizza and I made the salad. Perfect! 

This is a chopped salad so everything needs to be chopped into small dice.  Also make sure everything is very cold, the lettuce needs to be very crisp. 

The recipe:

Make the dressing.  In a medium size bowl combine:
4 tbsp red wine vinegar 
8 tbsp olive oil 
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dry mustard 
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
1 clove of garlic, minced 

Whisk it blend.  Next add in the following to the bowl:

1  15 oz can chickpeas, drained
4 oz provolone, diced
4 oz salami, diced
1/4 cup red onion, very thinly sliced

Mix it all, cover and chill.  Allow to marinate for a least one hour. 

Prepare the greens in a large bowl:
1 head of romaine, chopped 
8 to 10 large basil leaves, chopped 
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Add the salami mixture to the greens. Then add in:
1 large tomato, chopped 
1/4 cup pepperincini, sliced thin
1 small can sliced black olives
Add salt and Pepper, toss it all together, and enjoy!  

Panzanella

Panzanella.  Ever heard of it? I know the name is a bit odd but if you've ever been fortunate enough to enjoy this dish you know that you will never forget it.  It's kind of a tomato and veggie and bread salad. It's made during the summer months when its too hot to cook and when the tastiest tomatoes are available. I made this the other night for a concert on the lake and everyone enjoyed it.


Ingredients for salad: 
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small french bread loaf
1 tsp sea salt
2 large ripe tomatoes, preferably heirlooms
1 hothouse cucumber
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper 
1/2 red onion
20 large basil leaves 
4 tbsp capers

Ingredients for vinaigrette: 
1 tsp finely minced garlic 
1 tsp dijon mustand
3 tbsp tarragon vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes.  Heat the 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and toast the bread with the salt tossing until they are nicely browned.  Add more oil as needed. Set aside.

Cut the tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces and put in a large bowl.

Cut the cucumber length wise down the middle and using a spoon,  scoop out the seeds. Then slice into thin slices and add to bowl with the tomatoes.

Cut the peppers into 1/2 inch pieces and add to the bowl.

Slice the red onion in very thin slices, add to the bowl.

Drain the capers and add to the bowl.  Chiffonade the basil and add to the bowl.

Make the vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and, using a whisk, blend it to emulsify, and it is thick and creamy looking.  Pour the dressing over the vegetables in the bowl.  Toss well.

Add the bread to the bowl and toss well again. Allow to sit for 30 to 60 minutes to allow the bread to absorb some of the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve at room temperature. 

This recipe makes a large bowl full and easily serves a group. There were 5 of us and I had lots left over.  I also want you to know that it is not so good the next day so eat it all up or consider halving the recipe.

Eggplant Tower

This is what I call my Eggplant Tower.  It's tasty but it's also beautiful to look at. It's a nice summer item for your menu.   As you can see in this picture, I served it with some arugula salad, corn on the cob, and some homemade ciabatta grilled toasts. 

Slice an eggplant about 1/2 inch thick.  Lay it out on a platter and brush it with olive oil, both sides.  Sprinkle on some salt and pepper and some hot chili flakes, and some dried oregano. Grill it for a few minutes per side until it is cooked through and has nice charred grill marks. 

Slice some heirloom tomatoes and salt and pepper. 

Slice some fresh mozzarella cheese. 

Pick some basil leaves. 

Build the tower by alternating each ingredient.  You can make as many layers as you like or as you have ingredients. I would recommend 2 but you can go bigger. Pour some olive oil over the tomato layer. Place some basil leaves in between layers, as many or as few as you want. 

I top the whole thing off with some reduced balsamic.  You can use regular balsamic as well but it won't be a rich.  You can buy reduced balsamic or you can make it yourself.

Ready set.....dig in!

Quinoa Pilaf with leeks and peas

Yes, I'm still at it with the quinoa. I am determined to make it a regular part of my diet and so I continue to try various ways of serving it.  I made this one for a concert in the park picnic and it was pretty good. 

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup peas
2/3 cup quinoa
2 tbsp olive oil, plus some  
1 large leek, or 2 small, cleaned well and chopped 
3 cloves very good garlic, minced 
fresh herbs - any combo of thyme, rosemary, tarragon, basil, sage
salt and pepper

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and cook the peas.  They may take anywhere from 4 minutes if frozen to 10 if fresh. Remove the peas, set aside and reserve the water. 

Measure the quinoa into a strainer and rinse well with cold water. 

Measure out 2 cups of the reserved pea water, bring to a boil, then add the quinoa and reduce to low. cook 15 minutes or until tender.  Fluff with a fork and then allow to sit for 15 minutes. 

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan.  Add the chopped and cleaned leeks and cook for 10 minutes or so until they are very tender and just stating to caramelize.  Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, do not allow to burn. 

In a large bowl combine the quinoa, peas, leek mixture, salt, pepper the herbs and toss.  If dry, add a little more olive oil.  Serve at room temp or chill until ready to use.  Can be made ahead.

Corn Avocado Salad

There is nothing like grilled corn in the summer months.  I buy lots of it.  It's delicious and inexpensive.  I make this salad that takes advantage of the corn and I add avocado and cilantro to it so serve as a side dish.

Ingredients
4 ears of grilled corn on the cob
1 avocado
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
sea salt
olive oil  

The amounts above are approximate. You can very slightly and still have the same outcome.

To grill corn:  soak corn in large bowl filled with water for a least 15 minutes.  Pull out and dry the outside. Put on hot grill and cook for about 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so. Allow to cool slightly, then cut kernels off the corn and put them on a serving platter.

Slice avocado and arrange over top of corn.

Squeeze lime juice over all, then sprinkle salt over all.

Rough chop cilantro and put over top.

Sprinkle with a really good quality olive oil and serve.

Serves 4.

BBQ Chicken Salad

This salad is fast and easy as most everything is from a can.  I like to have some of these recipes on hand for those days when it's too hot to cook, or when I simply feel like I have not been eating enough vegetables.  You can grab all this at your supermarket and get enough so you can make it a couple of times. Once I make it I always want it again a day or two later.

For the chicken you can saute a breast or simply buy a store bought chicken and cut it up.  Same for the corn. Use a can of corn, some frozen and defrosted corn, or use fresh. I've done it with fresh corn when it's in season and really inexpensive and it's a little better tasting than corn from a can, but it also depends on how much time I have.

Ingredients:
Green leaf lettuce, chopped
Corn, one 16 oz can drained
Black beans, one 16 oz can, rinsed and drained
Black olives, 1 small can sliced, drained
Jicima, chopped small 
Chicken, sauteed, cooled, and chopped
Fresh Tomatoes, chopped
Avocado, chopped
Salt and Pepper
Ranch salad dressing
BBQ Sauce

The secret to this salad is to make sure everything is well chilled.  Especially the lettuce.  You want it to be crisp and refreshing.

Dump it all in a large salad bowl and toss well.  Really how much simpler could it be?

To make the dressing pour equal parts of ranch dressing and BBQ sauce into a bowl and mix. Toss over salad. I like to garnish with a little drizzle of BBQ sauce as it presents well and tells people what's coming.

Cape Cod Chopped Salad

I have to admit that every once in a while I am completely taken by Ina Garten. Does that mean I have a girl crush????  I think she just knows how to cook. It seems that everything she makes, I want to make. Do you watch those cooking show on TV?  Sometimes I watch and I think yuck there is no way I would make that!  But then Ina comes on and I want it all.  This is her recipe which I have adapted as my own. I've cut it in half so that it serves 2 instead of 4 for one. That's just enough for me and my husband.  I have also added the baby greens since most people don't like a salad that is all arugula.    

For the salad:
4 slices bacon
2 handfuls of baby greens
1 handful of arugula
1 granny smith apple, cored and diced
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped 
1/4 dried cranberries 
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled 

For the dressing: 
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
1/2 tsp grated orange zest 
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard 
1 tablespoon maple syrup 
Salt and pepper, freshly ground 
1/3 olive oil

To make the dressing put the first 7 ingredients into a bowl and begin whisking, and slowly poor in the olive oil to create and emulsion.   You will have more dressing than you need for two servings so I put it in a container and save it and use it the next day. (I don't like waste in my kitchen!)  The dressing is great on just plain ol' lettuce.

Cook the bacon however you choose. Ina's method is to put a rack on a baking sheet and put the bacon on the rack and cook it in the oven .  If you select this method she recommends a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. I find that method a little to labor intensive because I don't like to wash the pans so I don't use it.  Most people use a skillet and fry the bacon, which is fine too.  I put it on a paper towel, on top of a plate, and cook it in the microwave.  I cook it a minute at a time, checking it each time, until I get it to the crunchy point that I want it.
Allow to cool then chop up into pieces.

In a large bowl toss together the greens, apple, walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese, and bacon.   Toss the salad with just enough dressing to coat, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mound on plates and serve immediately.

Kale Waldorf Salad

I have grown to appreciate kale.  Over the past several years I've tried all the greens I can find and tried to figure out how to get them into my diet on a regular basis.  The thing with kale is that can be tough so I usually saute it or use it raw with other greens. Adding a little bit to a salad is fine but I have never used all kale for a salad. No time like the present right? Now that I am a health coach I want to try all kinds of healthy recipes to make them available to my clients.

This recipe serves 4 to 6.  I made a large bowl of it and I was only able to eat a small bowl full.  But my husband loved it and eat the other large bowl full. So I would say it would appeal to some and not others. I would serve this are part of a buffet with other dishes because each person would take a small serving.


Ingredients
4 cups packed firmly finely chopped kale
1 large apple, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp raisins or cranberry's
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 tbsp dijon mustand
2 tbsp water, more if needed
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp salt

Place kale in large bowl.  Add half the apple to the kale along with the celery, 1/4 cup walnuts, and 1/4 cup raisins. 

Put remaining apple in blender along with remaining 1/4 walnuts, 2 tbsp raisins, the mustard, vinegar, water and salt. Blend well until smooth. Add more water if it is too thick. Pour over salad in bowl and toss well.

Allow to sit in the refrig for a least 15 minutes so the kale absorbs some of the dressing.

Fall Salad of Apple and Walnuts

No matter what time of year it is we need to eat salads with regularity.  Most people enjoy salad during the hot summer months only but if you think about what is in season, and taylor your salad around those ingredients, you can create a seasonal salad. 

This one has green apples, walnuts, and cheddar cheese in it. The apples are a nod to Fall.  Using reduced apple juice and apple cider vinegar in the dressing also speak of fall.  The minute you taste it you realize it even says Fall.

Ingredients:
1 cup apple juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup Walnuts
4 to 5 cups baby salad greens
1 green apple
1 oz chuck of cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes 

Place apple juice in small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons.  Allow to cool.

Toast walnuts in a skillet over medium high heat. Move them around in the pan every few seconds to prevent burning.  Toast until you smell them and they start to turn slightly brown.  Cool. Chop coarsely.

Make the dressing by combining the reduced apple juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk all in small bowl.

Core the apple then lay on side and slice thinly.

Assemble the salad by placing greens in a large bowl, add the walnuts and apple, and toss with dressing.  (You may not need all the dressing.)  Plate, then place cheese over top.
  
Serves 2

Pesto Pasta Salad

Pesto Pasta Salad. Who does not love pesto?

The great thing about making pesto is that you can use different herbs, cheese and nuts to achieve a totally different taste. This recipe is different because it uses mayonnaise which adds a creaminess to the pesto you will never get otherwise. It may sound strange but every person who has ever tasted this salad thinks it is better than other pesto's they have had. Honest.

This recipe is for my sister Terri. I won't go into the details but suffice it to say that I fell short when asked for a pasta salad recipe.

This recipe is made with spinach and basil both of which I love. The spinach helps give it that bright green color and makes it healthy and the basil is traditional in pesto and gives it that familiar flavor. Be sure to always toast your nuts, it brings out the flavor and adds to the finished dish.

The recipe:

• 3/4 pine nuts, toasted
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves, about 4 ounces
• 1 cup basil, about 1 ounce
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 pound Farfalle (bow tie pasta)

Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat tossing every few seconds to prevent burning. This only takes a couple of minutes. Pine nuts burn easily so as soon as they get some brown on them turn the heat off. Set aside to cool.

To make the pesto put everything in the food processor: the garlic, spinach, basil, pepper, lemon, olive oil and 1/2 cup of the pine nuts and process just until smooth. Add the cheese and mayonnaise and pulse until just blended.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling well salted water according to package directions. Allow to cool slightly.

To make the salad put the remainder of the pine nuts into a large bowl, add the pesto, the pasta, the tomatoes and toss well. Chill.

Warning. This recipe makes more pesto than you will probably need. I recommend you start off using about 2/3 of the pesto in your salad. I find that is enough. I take the remaining and keep it for another use.

I made this last weekend for a family reunion. The funny thing is that we had tables and tables full of food and three of my sister-in-laws knew immediately that I had made this salad.

Want to know a secret? If you really want to keep the green color fresh add a pinch of citric acid. It works beautifully. It will keep the leftover pesto bright green for days in your refrigerator. I know most people don't have citric acid but I now have it in my house because it is used for making cheese, and you all know about my obsession with cheese making right?

So Terri I hope you make this and everyone loves it!

Green Bean Salad

Fresh green bean salad.

Green beans. I love them. They are probably one of my favorite vegetables.

During the summer I am always making things like cold salads to minimize turning on the stove and heating up the kitchen. This recipe requires a quick blanch in boiling water but it is quick.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Green beans, ends removed and cut into bite size pieces
• Shallots, minced
• Dijon Mustard
• Mirin
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Fresh Tarragon

This recipe involves the traditional blanching and shocking method. It means that you cook the veggie in bowling water just to blanch it. The veggie should be slightly cooked, but still retain some crunch, they should not be mushy. Once they are blanched you put them into an ice bath with stops the cooking process and also helps to retain that beautiful color.

Get a big pot of water on to boil, add some salt. Clean the green beans, take off the stem end, then cut them into even bite size pieces. Get a bowl ready with cold water and some ice cubes thrown in to get it really cold for shocking. Blanch the beans in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove quickly and shock in a bowl of cold water. This will only take a minute. Remove from the water and pat dry.

Make a vinaigrette by putting everything into a bowl and then whisking together. Add the beans and toss. Put it into a container and store in the refrig.

I love the flavor of fresh tarragon so use it when you can. It is not always available so use dried it need be. When using fresh herbs I always use more than I would if I use dried.

This is a good dish for a picnic.

Arugula, goat cheese salad with fig dressing

To accompany the sweet potato ravioli I made, see previous blog post, I made this salad of arugula, goat cheese and prosciutto with a fig balsamic dressing.

I make, and sell, a fig jam. For some time now I have been racking my brain trying to think of other ways to use it besides eating it with manchego cheese and crackers. A salad dressing kept coming to mind. I kept thinking about trying to make a dressing with the fig jam but couldn't quite figure out what I wanted to do until it dawned on me that I need to create the same flavors for it to be successful. The thing that makes the jam so good with the manchego cheese and salty crackers could also be done with those flavors in a salad. The saltiness of the prosciutto, the creaminess of the goat cheese, the fig, brings it all together. I finally gave it a try and I think it turned out pretty darn good.

The dressing:

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons walnut oil
• 2 tablespoons fig jam
• Salt and Pepper, freshly cracked

In a small add balsamic vinegar then the walnut oil and whisk to blend. Then add the jam, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

The salad:

• Arugula
• Mixture of other greens, any type you like
• Goat cheese
• Prosciutto
• Honey

To assemble: Chill the greens in a bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes until they are really cold and crisp. Toss the greens with the dressing and plate. Take one tablespoon of goat cheese and place it in the middle of the greens and a slice of prosciutto on each side. Drizzle the goat cheese with a little honey.