Thank you Judith Wolf for sharing this recipe from the The New York Times International Cook Book 1971

6 Stayman Winesap apples
1  1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1/4  tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Tapioca
3 Tbsp Butter

1. Peel, Core and Slice the Apples
2. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and coat the apples with the mixture. Let stand at least two hours. Drain and reserve both apple slices and the syrup that forms.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
4. Roll out half the dough and line a nine inch pie plate with it. Arrange the apple slices over the bottom of the pastry, packing the slices closely and them pile up.
5. Roll out the remaining dough and cut two holes near the center, each hold about the size of a dime. Wet the rim of the bottom crust and put the top crust on. Trim and crimp the crust. Bake the pie for forty-five minutes.
6. Meanwhile, put the drained syrup in a saucepan and stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
7. When the pie is done, hold a funnel over one of the holes and then the other adding the syrup gradually or it will overflow. The pie will become firm when it cools. Serve warm or cool.

Note: The pie may be frozen if desired. If frozen, let it thaw five hours before warming up.

Two Crust Butter Pie Crust
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup butter, frozen, cut in 6 pieces
1/3 cup cold water

1. Position knife blade in processor, add flour, salt and butter. Process until particles resemble coarse crumbs, about 15 seconds
2. Add water wall at once through food chute with processor running.
3. Process until dough forms a ball, or no more than 20 to 30 seconds. If dough does not form a ball, stop processor. Remove knife blade. Shape into ball with hands.  Chill ½ hour, if necessary, for easier handling. Divide ball in half and shape into two balls.
4. Roll out.

Food Network Kitchen

Hopefully this year our Thanksgiving Dinners will be with just our immediate families.   Clean up is a breeze

• Level: Easy

• Total: 1 hr 35 min
• Active: 45 min

• Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
​For the Turkey and Squash:
Cooking spray
1 small acorn squash, halved, seeded and sliced into 1-inch-thick wedges
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 small turkey drumsticks (2 to 3 pounds total)
For the Brussels Sprouts:1/2 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
5 to 6 strips lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
7 to 8 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 
For the Sweet Potatoes:1 small sweet potato, halved
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans
For the Stuffing:1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 large egg
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups bread cubes (about 8 ounces)
1 small carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 Granny Smith apple, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Cranberry Sauce:1 1/2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar

Directions

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil and coat with cooking spray.
2. Make the turkey and squash: Toss the acorn squash, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl; arrange the squash on one-third of the baking sheet. In the same bowl, combine the parsley, rosemary, poultry seasoning, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the turkey and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat; arrange the drumsticks on top of the squash. 
3. Make the brussels sprouts: In the same large bowl, toss the brussels sprouts, lemon zest, thyme, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add to the baking sheet. Wipe the bowl clean.
4. Make the sweet potatoes: Rub the cut sides of the sweet potato with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange cut-side up on the baking sheet. Combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl; set aside for topping. 
5. Make the stuffing: Whisk the broth and egg in the large bowl. Stir in the remaining stuffing ingredients; season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Arrange on the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.
6. Make the cranberry sauce: Combine the cranberries and sugar with 2 tablespoons water on a 12-by-18-inch sheet of heavy-duty foil. Fold into a tightly sealed packet and place on the baking sheet. 
7. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast until the vegetables are tender and a thermometer inserted into the turkey registers 165˚ F, 50 minutes to 1 hour (tent the vegetables with foil if they get too dark). Remove from the oven and mash the sweet potato flesh a bit; top with the spiced butter and pecans. Sprinkle the turkey and squash with parsley.

Photograph by Ralph Smith

Recipe Courtesy Of Restorative Cuisine

This dairy-free velvety Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Soup will keep you warm on a cold day. The hints of apple and sage turn it into a delectable soup that the whole family will love!

IS THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP VEGAN?
Yes, you can make this soup vegan just sub out the bone broth with vegetable broth. There is absolutely no dairy in this soup. Make sure to use full-fat coconut milk though so that your soup is nice and creamy.

HOW TO ROAST BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Roasting butternut squash will give it a sweet caramelized taste which will add a nice depth to the soup. It’s also super simple to roast butternut squash, way easier than cutting it up in cubes! All you have to do is cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the butternut squash on a baking sheet, sprinkle with some salt, drizzle some olive oil on top and bake at 400F for about 40 minutes. 

Insert a fork into the squash to see if it’s done. If it’s easy to pierce through the squash, it’s done! Let it cool a bit as to not burn your fingers. Scoop out the flesh with a large spoon and discard the skin. 

CAN I COOK THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH IN THE INSTANT POT?
You sure can! Add 1 cup of water to your instant pot and place the butternut squash on top. If your squash is small enough you can even put the entire squash in without cutting it. Cook it at high pressure for 25 minutes and then quickly release the pressure.

If you want to speed up the process, cut the squash into smaller pieces and scoop out the seeds. Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes and then quickly release the pressure.

WHY SHOULD I EAT BUTTERNUT SQUASH?
Butternut squash is high in fiber which promotes a healthy digestive tract. Studies have shown that fiber may decrease inflammation which is great for those that have autoimmune conditions.

Squash also contains a moderate amount of almost every dietary mineral and vitamin which sounds pretty amazing to me!!

They are particularly high in Vitamin C and beta-carotene which can help boost immune function.

From a mom’s perspective, squash seems to be one of the easier vegetables to serve to kids. It has a sweet flavor and velvety texture when pureed or in soups. It’s also great to use in lasagna or mac and cheese!

​EQUIPMENT

• Blender

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 1/2 tbsp ghee
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, cut in half
• 1 apple, cored and cut in half
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
• 3 cups bone broth or vegetable broth
• 1 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the butternut squash, onion, apple, and garlic on the roasting sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Remove the garlic and apple halves after 20 minutes. Cook the squash for an extra 20 minutes.
• Check to see if the squash is cooked by piercing with a fork, if it's easy to insert the fork, it's ready. Scoop out the flesh.
• Heat 1 tablespoon ghee or avocado in a small pan over medium heat. Add sage and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
• Transfer the half of the sage, squash, apple, onion, garlic, broth, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Pour soup into bowls and top with remaining fried sage. Enjoy!​

​Darkening and chilling November days call for something hot and soothing to eat.
 
This chicken broth fits the bill and can serve as the plain basis for a variety of dishes such as chicken noodle soup and can also provide the foundation to make sauce for a chicken pot pie or for chicken enchiladas.  As it makes a generous quantity, the broth can be frozen, preferably in convenient pint containers, for use in future food prep.
 
I recommend spending two days when making this broth (not counting shopping for its ingredients)—the first day for cooking and the second day for processing, i.e., reheating and re-straining the broth and skinning and boning the chicken after their overnight stay in your refrigerator.  It’s like mixing cookie batter one day and baking it the next, thereby dividing the work.
 
The broth can be enhanced by the addition of noodles or dumplings or simple egg drop.
 
Science has proven it’s true that chicken soup can make us feel better if we catch a cold or flu.  I wish it would work as well on covid.  If we are still staying home most of the time, preparing this broth will give us something worthwhile to do for family and self.

Delish

INGREDIENTS
8 oz. white chocolate
20 pretzel rods
20 pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

DIRECTIONS

1. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second increments until almost melted, stirring occasionally until smooth.
2. Holding 1 pretzel rod at a time over melted chocolate, spoon some chocolate over pretzel to coat, leaving about 3 inches uncoated at one end. Carefully place on prepared cookie sheet. Immediately press 1 pepita onto coated tip to resemble fingernail. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate 15 minutes to set chocolate. Fingers can be kept at room temperature in airtight container up to 2 weeks.

In 2006, Carol created a Family Cookbook for our extended families.  Each recipe was accompanied by a story or a picture of the family member that created it.   Teriyaki Salmon is a favorite made by Brian and enjoyed by all, accompanied by rice and usually a cucumber salad on the side.   The picture goes back to the days when Brian fished in Canada with his dad and uncle.

Brian Bondy
 
Ingredients
Salmon
½ c. Soy
¼ c. Good Seasons Zesty Italian salad dressing
¼ c. sugar
Fresh ginger
Some mirin, why not…..maybe another ¼ c.
 
Marinate the salmon and brush the fish frequently.  Cook on the grill if you can, not so messy.    I add fresh ginger whenever possible.  If you like ginger, add a lot. 

Recipe courtesy of Jan Bachman

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 T Milk
2 t orange zest
2 t orange extract
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups chopped dried cranberries
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and brown sugar in large bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the milk, zest, and the extracts.  Mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift the salt and baking soda into the flour, then add that to the butter and egg mixture.  Add the oats and mix well.  Fold in the cranberries and nuts.

Using a teaspoon, place dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the edges brown.  Let cookies cool on the sheet for four minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

​This dough freezes well and can be stored in the freezer in teaspoon sized balls.

Note from author:  ​The project which became Raven Fair Fare began after we purchased our home. We would have put Julie Wagner's Ravens on our fenceposts, but they were already placed there by the previous residents, Sharon Burkhard and Mickey Simmons. Thus, the name Raven Fair. We had a desire to put all our favorite or often-used recipes in one place. We also wanted to incorporate recipes from the local areas. So, the book was born from many scraps of paper, jotted notes, and new or old recipe cards. We've discarded and added many more over the years, as the books fell apart from use and we printed new ones. Sequestering gave us the opportunity to reformat and revise once again and now we have a new version with a Wire-O binding that will better suit a cookbook.

​Raven Fair Fare is available at Devenish Press and Abiquiu Inn Gift Shop

Casseroles are probably my least favorite way of cooking—with one exception, good old-fashioned tuna noodle casserole.  It is comfort food, quick and easy to make.  I made it so often as a Friday night supper that to this day my kids don’t care to eat it, but when my granddaughters visit me here in Abiquiu, they invariably ask for it.
 
As I write this in September, we are experiencing an unusual cold front (almost down to freezing the other night), and that calls for putting on a sweatshirt, starting a fire in the wood burner, and making a tuna noodle casserole, which I did today.
 
When I became an empty-nester back in Illinois, my Friday night meal of choice was to eat out.  I had three favorite restaurants in my town, one upscale Italian, one German, and the other a Japanese restaurant owned by a Korean fellow.  Invariably, I sat at the bar as I so enjoyed watching sushi being assembled while drinking sake—warm in winter and cold in summer—from my personal cedar sake box.  When I moved to New Mexico, the owner’s son gave me the box, which I still have, and a bottle of sake.
 
Making a large casserole means having leftovers, which is fine with me.  I’ll have some for breakfast along with my hot, hot coffee, and I even eat tuna noodle casserole cold.
 
EnJOY
​
This simple affordable recipe is close to the original developed during the 1930’s Depression by the Chicago-based Jay’s Potato Chip Company—then named Japp’s, a name that was changed during WWII.  The Jay’s plant on Wells Street on Chicago’s southside was a long city block from my grammar school, St. George, and, around 10 a.m. every morning, the heavenly smell of freshly fried potato chips would perfume the air for blocks around.  When I went home for lunch, I deliberately chose to walk by the Jay’s plant just to breathe deeply of that smell, which really spiked my appetite.  The closest potato chips to Jay’s these days are the crisp kettle types.  I have used home-made cream of mushroom soup but found that the canned version is better.  Trying to economize once, I bought generic tuna, generic noodles, and generic potato chips.  The result:  Generic Tuna Noodle Casserole.  Never again!

​Recipe courtesy of Restorative Cuisine

This will probably be one of the easiest appetizers you will ever make. All you have to do is mix a few things together and under 5 minutes you have a fancy smoked trout dip!I don’t know about you guys but Covid has really left me negative time to get anything done. You would think being home all day, every day would free up some time. It’s been the exact opposite. Between homeschooling, work, and life it’s been hard to find time to even cook.
This smoked trout dip will make you feel like you went out for a fancy meal. Pair it with some bubbles, kick your feet up and take some time for yourself!
This dip taste great on simple crackers. My all time favorites are these almond crackers from Simple Mills. If you’re looking for some other ideas check these out:

• spread the trout on crackers or homemade bagels and top with cucumbers and endives
• make some vegetable latkes, top with a poached egg, and some smoked trout dip
• make a salad with arugula, pickled red onions, apple slices or grapes, topped with some smoked trout dip

INGREDIENTS  

• 6 oz smoked trout
• 4 oz kitehill cream cheese )or other dairy-free cream cheese)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp chopped capers

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Put the smoked trout in a bowl and break up with a fork.
• Add cream cheese, chives, dill, capers, and lemon juice and mix together. That's it!

French Onion Pork Tenderloin
​Jan Bachman
 
1 2-pound pork tenderloin
14-ounces French onion soup (Wolfgang Puck makes a good French onion soup)
3/4 cup red wine
3 T minced garlic
3 T soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper
 
Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the French onion soup. Add the wine and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat.
 
Spread the garlic over the pork, leaving as much as possible on top. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low for 3 hours.
 
After 3 hours, remove the pork and shred in lengths of about 3 inches and return to the cooker for another hour. This goes well over Basmati rice. Serve with au jus from the slow cooker.
 
Left-Over French Onion Pork Enchiladas and Enchilada Sauce
 
Place a colander in a bowl, then place the left-over shredded pork tenderloin and au jus in the colander.  Drain and reserve the au jus in the bowl. Fry up some corn tortillas and fill with the pork, cheese, diced green chiles or a mixture of your choice. Roll up and place in a baking pan. You might get about 8 enchiladas.
 
Heat your favorite enchilada sauce or this variation below in a pan on the stove. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the enchiladas with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and cover with some of the sauce and some shredded cheese and bake another 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. When serving, cover with more hot enchilada sauce and lettuce, sliced olives, chopped tomatoes, or other toppings.
 
Enchilada Sauce
 
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
2 t minced garlic
2-3 T avocado or olive oil
up to 1 T flour
4 T chile powder, like Chimayo Heirloom
1/2 t salt
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried Mexican oregano
2 T tomato paste (optional or use 2 T Bloody Mary mix, like Bloody Maria)
2 cups vegetable stock (or use left-over au jus and the rest vegetable stock)
1 t apple cider vinegar
 
Sauté the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of the oil. If needed, add more oil and a little flour to thicken. Then add the other dry ingredients and paste, if using, and whisk for about a minute. Slowly add the stock. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 minutes. 

Farmers markets still feature beautiful red onions, although yellow or white onions will work in this recipe as far as taste goes but will lack the pretty pink color that develops with the quick pickling of red onions.  This easy-to-make condiment enhances any dish.

When a friend gifted me with a bag of red onions, I made a few jars of quick-pickled red onions.  This recipe fills one pint jar.  I do not have any pickling jars on hand, but I do have a collection of pickle jars because I love one particular brand of bread-and-butter pickles and always have some in the fridge.  When a jar is empty, I boil it in water to cover to remove the wrap-around label and its glue.  My pantry shelves are filled with these jars in which I store dried items such as split peas and lentils and a supply of different grains.

Mary Helen Bondy

If you are looking for something easy to make for a light supper that doesn't heat up the kitchen, look no further.​

Ingredients
 
1 lb cooked shrimp, thoroughly drained, halved if large
3 hard boil eggs, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, grated
1 small lemon, juiced
Approx 1/2 c light mayo
Approx 1/4 c ketchup

Mix grated onion and lemon juice in large bowl.    Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Recipe from The New Spanish Table  - Traditionally Inexpensive wine is used to make Sangria

Its that time of the year when Zucchini is showing up in our gardens or in some cases on our porches!   

If you have lots of zucchini, you can shred it with a food processor and freeze it in 2-cup portions for zucchini bread or cake any time of the year.

Brian and I enjoy spriralizing it and just blanching it for a minute.  You want it to remain firm.  Then we use a sauce.  Sometimes a marinara made with fresh tomatoes or with garlic and olive oil.

Being gluten free breads that are made with bananas or shredded zucchini hold together in a way that gluten free breads often do not.
​Orange Cranberry Zucchini BreadThis delicious zucchini bread is flavored with orange zest and cinnamon along with dried cranberries and optional chopped nuts. Sour cream adds to the richness of this zucchini bread.  
The recipe makes two small loaves. Wrap the second loaf and freeze it for up to four months.
Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons orange extract
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 cups zucchini (shredded)
• 1 cup dried cranberries or craisins
• Optional: 3/4 cup chopped nuts

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.
   
2. Heat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3-inch loaf pans.
   
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
   
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat or whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and orange extract.
   
5. Stir in the dry ingredients and the sour cream until well blended. Fold in the orange zest, zucchini, cranberries, and optional chopped nuts.
   
6. Spoon into the two loaf pans, dividing equally.
   
7. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center.
   

During the hot days of August—especially during these Covid-19 times—a cooling summer drink may shorten these long days, especially when accompanied by a morsel as tasty as Chile Peanuts, either Red or Green.  This recipe has been in my file for a long time, that is, the recipe for Red Chile Peanuts.  As I remade it, I thought “Why not Green?” and suggested, in my first draft, that my EnJoy readers experiment with this and let me know the results.  Daughter Lisa, visiting with me, suggested I experiment with Green, and so I did.  Here is my result along with the tried-and-true Red version.
Food Styling and Photography by Lisa M. Joy

We'd love to hear from locals.   Send your favorite family recipe to info@abiquiunews.com.  If you have a picture of the dish so much the better.

It's going to be a scorcher this weekend.  I've been looking for recipes that involve no stove time or grill time.  This one fits the bill.

Ingredients

• 2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 cucumber, roughly chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 1 cup Smokehouse Almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed, skins removed
• 14 ounces white albacore tuna, drained and flaked (two 7 ounce cans, or three 5 ounce cans will work)
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use full-fat but 2% will work)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 lemon worth of lemon juice
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Whisk Greek yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and Greek yogurt mixture in a large bowl. Stir until well mixed.
3. Eat in a tortilla, on a sandwich, or on lettuce wraps! Store sealed in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Our very American Fourth of July culinary celebration can be enhanced by reaching across our Southern border to our Mexican neighbors and borrowing one of their well-known street foods, Eliote, but adapting it to please several people.  After all, we corn-consuming Americans owe Mexico thanks for its agricultural gift of maize.  The word ‘Eliote’ derives from ‘Elote,’ a Nahuatl word meaning ‘corn on the cob’ or ‘tender cob.’
 
Having grown up in Chicago with its large Mexican population, I learned to appreciate Mexican food at an early age.  The first Mexican food I ate as a child was a tamale sold by a street vendor in our neighborhood.  This inauthentic treat, wrapped in paper rather than in a corn husk, acquainted me with masa and a spicy filling and gave me a life-long taste for Mexican food.  I did not know about Eliote until much later in life when I was strolling along one of Chicago’s beautiful Lake Michigan beachfronts and getting hungry.  I bought a cob of Eliote and fell in love with it and am still smitten by it.
 
You might not find an Elitero from whom you can buy a single cob on the street, but you can easily grill this dish in a quantity to feed your family and/or friends.
 
EnJOY 

No recipe this week.

One of the interesting things about being in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or Farm Share program is you might receive produce you haven't tried out before.   This week of of the items was "Pea Shoots".  

Immediately I googled "Pea Shoot Recipes".  I found that they can be eaten raw - added to a salad or stir fried with sesame oil and garlic.  Voila!  Garlic was also in our share.

From Malandro Farms - 
Did you know pea shoots are great in a stir-fry??  
(like bean sprouts!)
Or that you can dice them up very fine and sprinkle them on fresh pasta?  (like parsley!)

If you are interested in learning more about our local Abiquiu CSA visit Malandro Farms online.

Serves 4
​Summer time is the season for salads.  This one is particularly refreshing.

​Ingredients
½ tsp grated lemon zest
1 ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
¾ tsp sugar
¼ tsp mustard powder
2 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 (7 ox) bag mixed spring greens
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 (1 oz) piece blue cheese, frozen
2 Tbsp walnut pieces, toasted

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, sugar, and mustard powder in a salad bowl; mix well. Stir in the shallot. Add the spring greens and radishes; toss to coat.

Grate the frozen cheese onto to the salad. Sprinkle with the walnuts and serve at once.

Alkie Mugrage via Mary Helen Bondy

I've always put myself in the creamy potato salad group.  Don't spare the mayonnaise but last week when we were visiting Brian's Mom she made a German  Potato Salad - delicious served warm or cold. This recipe is her sister Alkie's recipe

​

Ingredients
2 Cups cold boiled potatoes (about four or five potatoes)
2 Tbsp bacon grease
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
3/4 Cup Water
1 Tbsp Flour
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Onion chopped
salt to taste

Cook onion in grease until tender.  Add flour and stir well.  Add sugar, vinegar and water and cook until thick.  Stir in sliced potatoes and bake in moderate oven until cooked through.

​The recipe we had last week was similar but included bacon bits.  Four slices of bacon crumbled is a great addition.

Italy has given the world many gifts, not the least of which is its fabulous cuisine, and, of course, that brings pasta to mind.  The Italians freely admit they ‘discovered’ noodles in China and give thanks to Marco Polo for introducing this foodstuff to Italy.
 
Italy also has given the world two greats in the entertainment realm—opera singer Luciano Pavarotti and actress Sophia Loren.  Fortunately for us, both stars liked to cook, and here is a quick and simple recipe from each—Pasta Pavarotti and Spaghetti Sophia.
 
If you are gluten-intolerant, these recipes are delicious made with gluten-free pasta.
 
EnJOY

​PASTA PAVAROTTI
Luciano Pavarotti is my favorite opera singer.  I was fortunate to hear and see him perform in several productions at Lyric Opera in Chicago, and I often listen to his CDs.  His over-the-top tenor voice was matched by his flamboyant over-the top-lifestyle—lived out globally but most enjoyed at his home in Modena, Italy, where he often served this dish to friends.  As it is rich, serve it as a first course rather than as an entreé; crisp Italian bread will wipe the plate clean.  The measurements given here result in two small, but satisfying, portions.  Cooking for a crowd is easy as long as the amount of pasta is adjusted and the two-to-one ratio of butter and blue cheese is maintained.  High-quality blue cheese results in a truly tasty dish.

A plate of piccata is like an instant fancy dinner with all the stops. One second you’re just sitting there, all normal-like, but the moment that first forkful of lemony wine bliss touches your tongue, you’re transported to candlelight and tablecloths, even if you are sitting in front of the TV watching Dancing with the Stars. This version is made with chickpeas, which make it super fast, and it’s servied over arugula for some green. I know lots of people are accustomed to piccata with pasta and that is the Italian tradition, but my first piccata was as a vegan and we vegans love our mashed potatoes, so that is what I suggest serving it with. 

Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
1 scant cup thinly sliced shallot
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp bread crumbs
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
a few pinches of freshly ground pepper
a generous pinch of dried thyme
1 (16 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup capers with a little brine
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups arugula

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Saute the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes, until golden.  Add the bread crumbs and toast them by stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. They should be a few shades darker.
Add the vegetable broth, wine, salt, pepper, and thyme. Turn up the heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and let the sauce reduce by half. It should take about 7 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and capers and let heat through, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and turn off the heat.

If you’re serving the piccata with mashed potatoes, place the arugula in a wide bowl. Place the mashed potatoes on top of the arugula and ladle the piccata over the potatoes. The arugula will wilt and it will be lovely. If you are serving the piccata solo, just pour it right over the arugula.
 
​from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.