Featured Recipes, Recipes

Makes about 1 cup; enough for pasta for 4 or condiment sauce for 6 to 8

This robust “pesto” is really a bit more like the French style pistou which is served as a robust condiment for soup and grilled entrees. It is a wonderful and refreshing departure from traditional basil pesto. It’s lightly and brighter in flavor and requires no cheese at all. Serve tossed into hot angel hair pasta as an entrée dish or use it as a condiment drizzled over grilled fish, poultry or vegetables.

1/3 cup whole fresh hazelnuts (or filberts) with skins

1 lightly packed cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

¾ cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

¾ cup olive oil

½ tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the hazelnuts into a small baking pan and place in the hot oven to toast until fragrant and lightly colored, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the hot toasted nuts from the oven and wrap them up inside a clean dish towel and set aside to cool for a few minutes. The steam captured inside the towel will help ‘pop’ the skins off the nuts. Roll the dish towel back and forth on the counter allowing the nuts to rub against one another to help flake away skins. (not all the skin needs to be removed, just majority).

Place the toasted hazelnuts, parsley, basil, garlic, lemon juice and half of the olive oil in a blender or food processor and grind to a fine consistency. Add the salt and remaining olive oil, blend and season to taste with freshly ground pepper. Use right away or cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. onions, sliced and separated
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium saucepan combine onions with water to cover. Bring to boil; boil 1 minute. Drain. Transfer to 8-inch square baking dish.
In bowl combine egg, cream, salt and pepper; pour over onions. Sprinkle with cheese, then paprika. Bake 25 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Makes about 6 cups sauce

This fragrant sauce is easily assembled and quickly cooked. It makes a very satisfying supper served over a bowl of hot pasta and is equally delicious served as a topping on grilled rounds of olive oil and garlic seasoned bread for a pretty crostini style appetizer. Leave the skins on fresh tomatoes, their texture is not a problem in this rustic sauce.

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 medium black beauty eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into ½ inch dice
• 2 ½ to 3 pounds ripe summer tomatoes coarsely chopped, or 5 generous cups good-      quality canned plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup large capers, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup shredded fresh basil
• Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onion is tender and transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer briefly. Stir in the eggplant and cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and cooked down, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, capers and olives. Simmer gently until the tomatoes are very soft and the sauce is aromatic, about 20 minutes. Add the basil, stir and season to taste with pepper. Serve right away while hot over pasta with grated cheese on the side or cool to room temperature for crostini appetizers.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to come up 2 inches from the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender. Drain, and mash. Mix in the milk using a potato masher or an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the sour cream and chives, and season with salt and pepper.

12 plum tomatoes, quartered
2 med. sized cucumbers, sliced very thin
1 red onion, sliced very thin
1 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoon sugar (or more to taste)
½ bunch dill
Salt and black pepper

Directions:

• One fennel bulb (reserve some leaves)
• olive oil
• half a lemon
• salt
• shaved parmesan cheese

Slice fennel as thinly as possible, set in bowl. Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice, & salt and toss together. Top with thin shavings of parmesan cheese & fennel leaves.