Sides

Makes 2 tortillas

2 small russet potatoes, peeled, diced small

2 Tbsp. oil

ancho chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small jalapeno, diced

2 6-inch fresh corn tortillas, spritzed lightly on both sides with nonstick spray

Garnishes

diced red onion

avocado slices

sour cream (mix with a little cream to thin - nice for drizzling)

queso fresco or feta cheese

Heat oil over medium heat in saute pan. Stir in potatoes and give them a little sprinkle of salt. Cover the potatoes, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes to soften the potatoes. Remove cover, turn heat back up to medium, and stir potatoes around a few times until they're tender and nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapenos and a sprinkle of chili powder and cumin to taste. Cook for 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper, then scrape potatoes into a small bowl. Return the pan to heat and add one corn tortilla. Cook the tortilla for a few minutes on each side, until brown spots appear. Transfer tortilla to a serving plate, repeat with the other tortilla. Top tortillas with potatoes, finish with garnishes, and serve immediately.

From Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking

Serves 6

1/2 lb. bunch carrots with tops attached

2 medium fennel bulbs

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. Champagne vinegar

1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 c. tangerine sections (or fresh mandarin oranges like Clementines)

2 c. watercress sprigs

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Revove the carrot tops and peel the carrots. Cute them into 3-inch lengths, then use a manual vegetable slicer (or mandoline) to shave them lengthwise into ribbons.

Cut off the stalk and fronds from the fennel bulbs if still attached, then halve the bulbs. Revove the outer latyer, which is usually tough. Shave the fennel lengthwise like the carrots. Put the carrots and fennel in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp. vinegar. Let stand for 20 minutes to soften.

Add the red onion, tangerine sections, and watercress. Season with salt and pepper, toss well, taste, and add more vinegar if needed. Serve immediately.

From 101 Cookbooks http://www.101cookbooks.com/

This recipe will make one 9 or 10-inch tart OR five 4 1/2-inch tarts.

6 perfect, colorful, medium-sized heirloom tomatoes - washed and sliced 1/6-inch thick

1 t. fine-grain sea salt

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unsalted organic butter, well chilled + cut into 1/4-inch cubes

4-ounce chunk of good fresh Parmesan, microplane-grated (you should end up with about 2 cups loosely packed grated cheese. Save any leftover grated cheese for sprinkling on the crusts when they come out of the oven).

2 T. ice cold water

2T. best quality extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup slivered basil

Special equipment: tart pan(s), pie weights, paper towels

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Prep the tomatoes:

To avoid a soggy crust later on, you need to rid the tomatoes of some of their liquid. Clear a space on your counter and put down a double layer of absorbent paper towels. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on the paper towels and sprinkle them with about 1 teaspoon fine-grained sea salt. Top the tomatoes with another layer of paper towels and press gently. Let the tomatoes sit here until you are ready to use them.

Make the tart crust(s):

Place both flours, butter, and Parmesan in a food processor and pulse quickly about 25 times. You are looking for a sandy textured blend, punctuated with pea-sized pieces of butter. With a few more pulses, blend in the 2T of ice water. The dough should stick together when your pinch it between two fingers. Pour the dough into the tart pan. Working quickly, press the dough uniformly into the pan by pressing across the bottom and working towards the sides and up to form a rim. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes.

Bake the tart crust:

Pull the tarts out of the refrigerator and poke each a few times with the tongs of a fork. Cover the tart with a square of aluminum foil and fill generously with pie weights. Place on a baking sheet and slide the tart onto the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, pull the shell out of the oven and very gently peel back and remove the tinfoil containing the pie weights. Place the uncovered tart back in the oven, weight free, and allow to cook for another 10 minutes, or until it is a deep golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little shredded Parmesan (this will act as another barrier to the tomato liquid). Let cool to room temperature before filling.

Assembling the tart: Just before serving, arrange tomato slices in a concentric pattern inside the tart shell. Drizzle with your best quality extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with the slivered basil. Serve at room temperature.

From Mastering the Art of French cooking by Child, Bertholle, and Beck

3 cups

5 Tbsp. flour

4 Tbsp. butter

2 3/4 c. boiling milk (I used cold milk, worked fine)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 c. whipping cream

1 c. coarsely grated cheese (Swiss, but others work too, just make sure to grate it yourself – pre-grated cheeses are treated with a non-sticking agent which inhibits their ability to melt smoothly into sauces)

In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan, cook the flour and butter slowly together for 2 minutes without coloring. Off heat, beat in the boiling milk and seasonings. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute.

Reduce to the summer and stir in the cream by tablespoons. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the spoon fairly heavily. Remove from heat and correct seasoning. Stir in the cheese.

Note: I used leftover sauce on pasta – thinned with a bit of cream or half-n-half, tossed into hot pasta with a bit of pasta cooking liquid, finished with salt, pepper, and generous freshly grated Parmesan, made a nice Alfredo-esque dish.

Jacques Pepin
Serves 6

One 5-oz piece of day-old French baguette with crust, cut into 1-inch cubes (5 cups; I use whole-grain bread with excellent result)
1 1/2 lbs. small cherry tomatoes
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley (I use about 1/4 c. parsley, 1/4 c. basil cuz that’s what I have in my garden)
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly oil a 10-inch ceramic quiche dish.  In a large bowl, toss the bread cubs with the tomatoes, olive oil garlic, parsley, 1/2 c. Parmesan, and salt and pepper.  Scrape the mixture into the baking dish and bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the bread cubes are browned and crisp and the tomatoes are very tender.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe for 4 artichokes

4 large artichokes
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. olive oil (I used less)

Trim stems so that artichoke is flast across the bottom.  Boil or steam artichokes until bottoms pierce easily, or a petal pull off easily (I steam in the microwave with a 1/2-inch or so of water, covered tightly, 7 minutes for one artichoke, 10 minutes for two).  Drain artichokes and cool a bit.  Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and scrape out fuzzy center and any purple tipped petals (I use tongs to grab choke and purple leaves, makes fast work).  Mix remaining ingredients in a large plastic bag.  Place artichokes in the bag and coat all sides of the artichokes.  For best flavor marinate in the mixture overnight in the refrigerator but should marinate at least one hour (I didn't do this, worked great).  Place artichokes cut-side down on a hot grill over medium heat.  Grill until lightly browned on the cut side, 5-7 minutes.  Turn artocjues over and grill until petal tips are lightly charred, 3-4 minutes more.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

For a quick dip, I stirred together mayo, a bit of mustard, and a bit each of soy sauce and balsamic to taste.

Adapted from Louisiana Real & Rustic Cookbook by Emeril Lagasse
Serves 8 (generously)

The grits mixture will almost fill the entire baking dish and will puff up when baking, but don’t worry – it won’t overflow. Also, switching sides, these grits can take the place of mashed potatoes anytime.

6 c. water
3 tsp. salt
2 c. yellow grits (not quick or instant; 12 oz.; Bob’s Redmill is available at Byerly’s)
½ stick (1/4 c. ) butter
few grinds of black pepper
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
½ lb. cheddar, coarsely grated (2 cups)
3 large eggs
1 c. whole milk

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring water and 1 tsp. salt to a boil in a 4-quart heavy pot. Add grits in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring frequently to avoid sticking, until very thick, about 30 minutes. Add butter, another 1 tsp. of salt, pepper, garlic, and cheese, stirring until butter and cheese are melted. Lightly beat eggs and milk in a small bowl, then stir into grits until combined. Pour into an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish (2 inches deep) and bake until set and lightly browned, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.