Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

1 large loaf of ciabatta bread, torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
Olive oil
1 medium red onion
2 pounds tomatoes
1 English cucumber
1-cup fresh basil leaves
½ cup red wine vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

1.    Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, toss the torn ciabatta with 2 tablespoon of olive oil.

2.    Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until dried out and slightly toasted. Set aside. (The bread cubes can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container).

3.    Peel and chop the red onion into medium dice. Place in a small bowl, cover with ice water, and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

4.    Cut the tomatoes and cucumber into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl.

5.    Tear the basil into bite-size pieces, and add it to the bowl.  

6.    In a small bowl or jar, stir the olive oil and vinegar together. Season with salt and pepper.

7.    Add the red onion and toasted ciabatta to the tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil. Toss with the dressing and let sit on your counter for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours, to allow the flavors to blend.

8.    Before serving, toss one final time, adjust the seasoning, and place on platter or serving dish. 

TIPS & TRICKS

•    Ciabatta bread is the key of success in the salad. It has a nice dense, crumb and chewy crust that when slightly toasted, it dries out enough to absorb the dressing, but not get soggy.
•    Use a combination of red or yellow tomatoes, or any varieties that look the best. Home grown or from a farmers market, tomatoes that are picked when ripe will have the best flavor. A few examples are cheery, early girl, grape, and heirloom to name a few. 
•    Use can substitute a Persian cucumber for the English cucumber. Both work well and just need to be cut into pieces. However, Persian cucumbers need to be peeled before slicing. 
•    The list of additional goodies you can add to this salad are endless. Here are a few suggestions: chopped pepper, olives, artichoke hearts, mini Mozzarella balls, and crumbled feta.
•    Soaking the red onions in ice water Removes the better assertiveness of the onion and really crisp them up which adds a nice contrast to the salad.
•    You can prepare all the ingredients a day or two ahead, but the salad is best combined and eaten the same day.

Eggplant Gratin

Ingredients

2 large eggplants (about 2 pounds) 
Olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1½ pounds of tomatoes, cut into medium dice (or one 28 oz. can whole     tomatoes cut in to chunks with juice)
½ cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Sea or coarse salt & pepper
1 egg
½ cup ricotta
1½ cup unflavored Greek yogurt
¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1.     Preheat oven to 350° F.

2.    Cut the eggplant into ½ inch round slices, and place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the coarse salt and let the eggplant sit for 30 minutes.

3.    Wipe the slices with paper towels to remove the salt and moisture.

4.    Brush one side of the slice lightly with olive oil.

5.    Bake in a 350° F oven until soft, about 25- 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 450º F.

6.    In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, heat 2T of olive oil and sauté the onion until slightly soft, about 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.

7.    Add the tomatoes. Turn the heat up to “medium-high,” and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the liquid has reduced and thickened, about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

8.    In a small bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, yogurt and ½ cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Set aside.

9.    Line a 9x11-inch baking dish with a single layer of the eggplant slices. Sprinkle with a little salt and 4-5 grinds of pepper. Sprinkle on half of the basil.

10.    Spread the tomato mixture over the eggplant and sprinkle the remaining basil on top.

11.    Cover the tomato mixture with the rest of the eggplant slices.

12.    Spread the egg-cheese mixture evenly on top of the eggplant slices.

13.    Sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top.

14.    Bake for 10 minutes at 450º F. Reduce the oven temperature to 350º F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until hot and golden brown. If not brown enough, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.

15.    Cool 20 minutes before serving.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    Globe or Italian eggplants work best for this dish. They have a delicious and meaty texture to them. Look for eggplants that have smooth skin, are free from blemishes, and on the heavy side. 
•    I use Roma tomatoes. They have a thick, dense flesh and not too much liquid in them. You can substitute any tomatoes that look good and are in season. The cooking time might need to be increased to allow all of the liquid to reduce. 
•    Whole milk ricotta and whole milk unflavored Greek yogurt are so intensely rich and creamy, then the low fat varieties. They are life changing! Also, try to find ricotta and yogurt that have no additives added to them.
•    I like to buy a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and grate it in my food processor. Let the cheese sit on you counter for 30 minutes. Cut it into 1-inch cubes, and then process it until finely ground. Store the grated cheese in a container in your fridge. 
•    The gratin can be assembled until step #7 the day ahead. Top with the cheese mixture and bake the day of. It is best served warmed. It makes a great light lunch with a salad. I just adore it cold or warmed up with a fried egg on top anytime! 

Marinated Grilled Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

1 4- pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied*
Rub:
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
4T fresh thyme leaves or rosemary
3T olive oil
salt & pepper

Pistou:
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
3 cups basil leaves
½ cup olive oil
salt & pepper

1.    *You can ask your butcher to butterfly the boneless leg of lamb for you or you can do it yourself by placing the leg of lamb on a cutting board, using a boning knife to “butterfly” the thickest part of the leg areas so that the overall thickness of the meat is 1 – 1½” thick. If necessary, trim any large pieces of fat off the meat. I then cut the leg into 2 pieces so that it is easier to handle. Set aside.

2.    In a bowl of your food processor, while running, add the garlic and process until chopped.  Add the parley and herbs; pulse until chopped. Add the olive oil and pulse until combined.

3.    Spread the rub all over the lamb. Place in a ziplock bag or sealed container. Refrigerate overnight.

4.    Approximately 1 ½ hour before want to serve the lamb, Remove the meat from the bag or container, place on a platter and let sit on your counter for 30 minutes. Preheat your BBQ grill. 

5.    Right before grilling, pat the meat dry using paper towels dry. Season with salt and pepper.

6.    Place the meat fat side up on the grill over “medium-high” heat. Let the meat achieve a nice sear before flipping it over, about 6 minutes.

7.    Flip to the other side. You may need to occasionally flip or turn the meat over if the fat should catch on fire and flare up.

9.    Remove from grill and place on platter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

8.    Continue cooking until the thermometer reads 125º-130º F for medium rare, about and additional 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat and the temperature of your grill.

10.    Slice the lamb against the grain i.e. with the knife slicing perpendicular to the direction of the grain in the meat.

11.    Place the sliced meat on a platter, and serve with pistou sauce. 

12.    Pistou: In a bowl of your food processor, while running, add the garlic. Process until chopped, add the parsley and basil, and pulse until finely chopped.

13.    Add the olive oil, pulse until smooth, season with salt and pepper. This sauce can be made 4 days ahead, but remove from refrigerator a hour before serving. 

TIPS & TRICKS

•    If you have the lamb butterflied by the butcher, make sure to ask to have it cut so that the overall thickness of the meat is 1- 1½ inches, this will make the cooking process much easier and insure that the meat is cooked evenly.
•    You can make the pistou directly after you make the rub, so that you don’t have to wash the food processor twice.
•    Left over grilled lamb makes the most fantastic sandwiches or tacos!

Peaches with Honey and Almonds

Ingredients

3T unsalted butter
6T honey
½ cup Moscato wine
4 peaches pitted and sliced into ½” thick slices, about 3 cups.
½ cup sliced almonds
1 quart vanilla ice cream

1.    In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter, stir in t honey 

2.    Add the Moscato and stir until blended. Bring to a boil.

3.    Add the peaches; stir until well coated with the sauce. 

4.    Lower the heat to medium-high and cook until sauce thickens and peaches become soft, about 15-20 minutes.

5.    Pre heat the oven to 350° F. Place almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes until lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

6.    Scoop the ice cream into bowls. Spoon the peaches and sauce on top, sprinkle almonds on top. Serve immediately. 

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You can use any sweet dessert wine or sparkling wine in place of the Moscato.
•    You can use yellow or white fresh peaches. I leave the skin on, but you can peel if you like. This dish also works very well with frozen peaches.
•    You can substitute apricots or nectarines for the peaches.
•    You can substitute the almonds with almost any nut. I really like walnuts and macadamia nuts.