Free time is at a premium for me right now.  We're juggling a few too many home improvement projects, as far as I'm concerned.  In fact, I'm so tired of them all, that I'm not even going to tell you about them.  I don't want to talk about them because I'm exhausted and thinking about them makes me even more exhausted.  I haven't felt much like cooking during these projects, but I still feel like eating -- and, sitting down with a glass of wine at the end of the day.  I was able to put this Black Bean and Corn Salad together quickly, which we ate with bison burgers on the grill, along with that glass of wine.

                                       Black Bean and Corn Salad
                      a recipe from the now out-of-print Country Home

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2  15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped or equal amount of grape tomatoes, halved
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

1.  For the dressing, whisk together lime juice, oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne until well mixed.
2.  In a very large salad bowl, gently combine beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, and jalapeno.  Add half of the dressing; toss to coat.  Add additional dressing until desired coverage is achieved.  Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. 

                  Raspberry Tart with Lemon Curd Whipped Cream
adapted from a recipe published in Saveur magazine July | August 2001

For the Pastry:
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
For the Filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups lemon curd (recipe follows)
• 1 1/2 pints fresh raspberries, or any combination of berries

1.  For the Pastry:  Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food prcessor.  Pulse to combine.  Add butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal.  Pour flour mixture into a large bowl.  Beat together egg yolks and cream in a small bowl and add to the flour mixture, and mix with a fork until dough just holds together.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead several times until smooth.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Roll dough into a 9-inch round and transfer to a 10-inch springform pan (I used a 10-inch ring mold placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper).  Using your fingertips, press dough evenly into bottom and about 1-inch up the sides of the pan.  Prick dough with a fork, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
2.  Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Line dough with aluminum foil, then fill with dried beans or rice.  Bake until pastry is set and edge just begins to color, about 25 minutes.  Remove foil and beans or rice and continue baking until pastry is golden, about 8 minutes (or longer, to achieve a nice golden brown).  Set aside to cool completely, then remove from pan and slide pastry onto a serving plate.
3.  For the Filling:  Put heavy cream into a well-chilled mixing bowl and beat with a whisk or an electric mixer fitted with a whisk until cream holds soft peaks.  Add lemon curd and gently fold together to combine.
4.  Fill pastry with whipped cream-curd mixture, then scatter berries evenly over the top.
 
                                            Lemon Curd

   Whisk together 2 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 6 tablespoons sugar, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl until well combined.  Set bowl over a medium pot of simmering water over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thick, 8-10 minutes.  Whisk in 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces, a few pieces at a time, until completely incorporated.  Transfer to a clean bowl, cover surface with plastic to prevent a skin from forming, and set aside to let cool.  Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.  Makes 1 1/4 cups.

 
  

  I had been looking forward to July 25th for days.  It was the day the bikers riding in La Tour de France would be ascending Mont Ventoux.

                       Chicken With Mango, Ginger and Cilantro
              adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit | February 1996

• 2 boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup chopped peeled mango
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1.  Using a mallet or rolling pin pound the chicken lightly between sheets of waxed paper to about 1/2-inch thickness.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Either broil the chicken in your oven or grill outdoors, until golden brown, turning once.
2.  Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a heavy small skillet over medium heat.  Add ginger and garlic; sauté 2 minutes.  Add mango; sauté until heated through and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Mix in cilantro and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.
3.  Place chicken on plates and top with warm mango mixture and serve.

   We are getting some new windows this week.  The original windows to our 1928 home no longer function efficiently (did they ever?).  Draperies rustle in the gentle breeze -- when the windows are closed!  Our windows never would have been classified as "energy saving" windows.  So, this week I took down the linen roman shades I made and anything hanging on the walls near the windows that came out.  I have cleaned my rooms, over and over; only to have to clean the rooms again today when the workmen leave for the last time.  But, before they are gone, they will also put new glides on my very old kitchen drawers.  That is almost worth more to me than the new windows. 

  My very good friend, Renate, came for a visit this past week.  We are childhood friends from my hometown of Amana, Iowa.

   I haven't made a raspberry tart in ages.  I used to fill baked tart shells with pastry cream and arrange fresh raspberries on top, brushing them with melted currant jelly that was spiked with a little Grande Marnier.    The raspberries I've seen at the markets lately have been beautiful, and I decided it was time I needed to make a raspberry tart again.  This time I used a recipe from Chez Nous by Lydie Marshall.  This is a go-to cookbook for me.  Everything that I've ever made using this book has far exceeded my expectations.  The only  change I made was to bake the tart, once filled with the raspberries and custard, much longer than the recipe called for. 

                                             My Salade Nicoise
                      adapted from a recipe in The New Basics Cookbook
                                   by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins
                              Recipe adjusted to feed 6 to 8 people

• 16 new potatoes
• 1 pound haricot verts, trimmed, or if using regular green beans trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 6 cans (4 1/2 ounces) tuna (packed in olive oil), drained
• 8 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 4 tablespoons tiny capers, drained
• 7 tablespoons, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 7 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon BEST quality, mild extra-virgin olive oil (for this salad I use my favorite French olive oil)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 generous tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 cloves minced garlic
• Coarse (kosher) salt, to taste
• 4 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
• 1/2 cup Nicoise olives
• 1 head Boston Bibb lettuce
• 1/8 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1.  Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
2.  Prick the potatoes with the tines of a fork, and place them in a baking dish.  Bake for 1 hour, or until tender.  Set aside to cool.
3.  Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the beans.  Simmer until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes.  Drain.  Wrap in a dish towel and set aside.
4.  Place the tuna in a mixing bowl, and break it into large chunks.  Add the red onion, capers, 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and pepper.  Toss gently until well-combined and set aside.
5.  Cut the cooked potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and place them in a mixing bowl.  Add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, pepper, and coarse salt.  Toss to combine, and set aside.
6.  Place the halved grape tomatoes in a bowl.  Sprinkle with pepper, coarse salt, and the parsley.
7.  Just before you are ready to serve, toss the beans with the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons olive oil.  Season with coarse salt.
8.  Place the head of Boston Bibb lettuce in the center of a large platter.  Make the Vinaigrette:  Mix together the red-wine vinegar, shallot, Dijon, and garlic mashed with salt.  Whisk in the olive oil and fresh basil.  Drizzle the lettuce with some of the vinaigrette. Arrange the tuna, beans, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and tomatoes around the lettuce.  Sprinkle the Nicoise olives over the salad.  Serve with lemon wedges.

   Orange slices, red onions, black olives and lots of freshly ground black pepper; drizzled with red wine vinegar and your best extra-virgin olive oil, this salad couldn't be any easier.