 Pear and Gorgonzola Tart a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis • 1 9-inch tart shell, baked and slightly cooled • 4 ounces cream cheese • 2 ounces Gorgonzola, or other good blue cheese • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped • Pinch of salt • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper • 2 tablespoons butter • 3 small pears, cored and sliced • 2 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips 1. Combine the cream cheese, Gorgonzola, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Using a hand blender, whip the cheeses together. 2. In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-hi heat. Add the pears and cool until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes. 3. Gently spread the whipped cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of the slightly-cooled tart crust. Place the pear slices over the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the thin strips of prosciutto over the pears.  I thought it strange that I had a craving for iceberg lettuce. I rarely purchase it. It may have been because I had all the makings for Roquefort Buttermilk Dressing in my refrigerator -- and once I get a vision inside my little head, there's no getting rid of it (just ask my family about that). The only thing I did not have was a grilled steak. That would have been a great follow-up to the chilled wedge of iceberg lettuce drizzled with creamy blue cheese and buttermilk dressing, and sprinkled with pieces of hot, smokey bacon. ROQUEFORT and BUTTERMILK DRESSING Gourmet | May 1996 • 1/3 cup well-shaken low-fat buttermilk • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard • 1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese • additional blue cheese for sprinkling In a blender, blend dressing ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over wedges of iceberg lettuce and sprinkle with additional blue cheese and pieces of hot bacon. This recipe makes enough dressing for 4 servings. Oh... grill a steak, too.  I can't tell you enough how much I loved this flank steak! I've had this recipe on file for a couple of years and finally got around to making it. I was still able to use cherry tomatoes from my garden and it was fantastic! As far as I'm concerned, if there's Sherry Wine Vinegar in a recipe, it will be a winner. Sadly, my cherry tomatoes are now finished for this growing season. If I make this herb-crusted flank steak again, it will have to be with purchased grocery store tomatoes. Herb-Crusted Flank Steak with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives Bon Appétit | June 2002 YIELD: Makes 6 servings STEAK • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I used 1/3 of that amount dried) • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 2 teaspoons salt • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper • 2 1 1/2-pound flank steaks • 1 tablespoon olive oil TOMATOES • 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes • 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted brine-cured black olives • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted brine-cured green olives • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar (a must- don't substitute anything else) FOR STEAK: 1. Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Place steaks in large glass baking dish. Brush steaks with olive oil. Rub with herb mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. FOR TOMATOES: 1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Season tomatoes to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) 2. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill steaks until cooked to desired doneness. Transfer steaks to cutting board. Cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes. 3. Cut steaks across grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange steak slices on large platter. Spoon tomatoes with juices over steaks and serve.  This is my favorite way to make (and eat) a turkey burger -- and it's healthy, loaded with shredded organic carrots. TURKEY BURGERS (don't remember where I found this recipe) • 1 medium onion, finely chopped • 2 cloves of garlic, minced • 2 pounds ground turkey • 3/4 cup grated organic carrots • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste Combine all of the ingredients and shape into patties. Grill and enjoy!  Each Saturday afternoon I look forward to listening to MPR's The Splendid Table, hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. I also receive the program's newsletter. Greek Salad with Char-Grilled Salmon was the featured recipe this week. Since my husband had requested salmon for dinner and I had all the ingredients for the salad in my garden and refrigerator, I thought I'd give it a try. We loved it and I'm hoping to make this one more time before my tomatoes and lettuces are history. The only change I made was to substitute baby lettuces from my garden for the romaine called for in the recipe. Greek Salad with Char-Grilled Salmon adapted from Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone by Curtis Stone Serves 4 Salmon: • 4 6-ounce salmon fillets • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 teaspoons garlic-infused extra-virgin olive oil • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • Olive oil, for brushing grill Salad: • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • Salt and freshly ground black pepper •1 head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces • 3 or 4 small Heirloom tomatoes (I used Red Siberian) • 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise • 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives • 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced • 4 ounces feta cheese • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1. To make the salmon: Prepare a barbecue grill for medium-high heat. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Rub the garlic oil and the oregano over the salmon. Brush the hot grill with olive oil. Place salmon on the grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until it is just cooked through and pale pink in the center. Gently peel away the skin from the fillet. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the salad: Place the red wine vinegar in a large bowl. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly to blend. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and onions with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. 3. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Crumble the feta cheese over the salads. Top each salad with a grilled salmon fillet, and sprinkle with the parsley. Drizzle some of the remaining vinaigrette over the salmon, and serve immediately. FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER -- chicken spedini 08/27/2009
 Our French boy has left. He's gone back to Marseille. The last several posts were all foods we ate while he was visiting. He loves "meat". I was usually baking a dessert each day (French, of course. So much for an American dining experience) and I incorporated much more "meat" into our diets than we normally eat. I have been making this skewered chicken frequently over the summer. I discovered it in the meat case at our local Whole Foods store and decided to create my own. I saw it as another way to use my bounty of fresh basil. The name it goes by at Whole Foods is Chicken Spedini. I made searches on the web for this and the recipes varied greatly. My version is similar to what Whole Foods is selling. The first thing you will need to do is make Basil Oil. Combine 1/3 cup fresh basil, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic (it all depends on how much you love garlic) in the bowl of a food processor; purée until smooth and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Using one large, boneless, skinless chicken breast halve per person, cut each breast into large cubes. Drop these into a bowl or zip-lock bag and drizzle enough of the basil oil over the chicken to coat. I have used the chicken immediately at this point, but if you can marinate it, refrigerated, for several hours, so much the better. Soak 10-inch wooden skewers in a pan of water before threading the chicken onto the skewer (this step prevents the wood skewer from catching on fire). Wrap each chicken cube in a piece of pancetta (Italian bacon) and tuck a small basil leaf inbetween the two before sliding onto the skewer. I use 5 pieces of chicken per skewer. Grill over a low flame. And I forgot to mention... everyone who has eaten this, loves it!   I have been making Bistecca alla Florentina (Tuscan Porterhouse) ever since our neighbors served it to us a couple of years ago, after returning home from a vacation to Italy. It's a snap to make and wonderful served with any fresh produce from your garden or the farmers' market... especially a tomato caprese salad! Porterhouse, New York Strip or T-Bone is the suggested cut of meat, but I have been using Top Round recently; the thicker, the better. Prepare the grill. Over high heat, sear the steak, reduce the heat (or raise the rack) and continue to cook until medium-rare. Have waiting, a platter of chopped fresh rosemary, chopped fresh sage and lots of finely-diced garlic. Pour over this at least one-third of a cup of extra-virgin olive oil (the more, the better, as far as I'm concerned). The moment the steak is pulled off the grill, plunge into the herb and oil mixture and start flipping the steak. Add a good dose of salt (it is impossible to over-salt once the steak is seared); continue to flip, then add freshly ground pepper. Simple, and absolutely delicious! FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER -- Chicken "Club" Salad 07/30/2009
 The basil mayonnaise in this salad is wonderful. Use any leftovers in sandwiches. This salad is a "keeper". Chicken, Bacon, and Tomato Salad with Croutons adapted from a recipe in Gourmet Magazine | June 1989 • 3 cups 3/4-inch cubes of Italian Bread (I used a baguette) • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 7 slices of lean bacon, chopped • 3 pounds chicken breasts, poached, skin and bones discarded, and the meat cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups) • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered • 4 scallions, including the green part, minced • 1/2 cup basil mayonnaise (recipe follows) • basil sprigs for garnish, if desired 1. In a bowl drizzle the bread cubes with the oil, tossing them to coat evenly, and season with salt. Spread the bread cubes in a jelly-roll pan and toast them in the middle of a preheated 350˚F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden. Remove and let cool. 2. In a skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp and transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain. 3. In a large bowl combine the chicken, tomatoes, scallions and two thirds of the bacon, the mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the salad among 3 plates. Arrange the croutons around it. Garnish each serving with some of the remaining bacon and a basil sprig. Basil Mayonnaise • 1 garlic clove • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves • 1 large egg • 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice • 3/4 cup vegetable oil • 1/4 cup olive oil Mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. In a food processor or blender, blend together the basil, the egg, the lemon juice, and the garlic paste. With the motor running, add the oils in a VERY slow stream, and blend the mayonnaise well. Season the mayonnaise with salt and pepper. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.  Chicken With Mango, Ginger and Cilantro FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER -- Salade Nicoise 07/17/2009
 Every summer when my haricot verts bush beans are ready, I will make a large Salade Nicoise. As you can see -- they're ready! Enjoy with a chilled bottle of French Rosé.   My Salade Nicoise |  Passions
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