Creme Fraiche Dressing - Serves 4

Difficulty: 1

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp whole grain or Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• Juice from 1/2 lemon 

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine mustard, creme fraiche, and lemon juice (taste as you go).  Stir well to combine.
2. Best drizzled over grilled or roast asparagus 

Idea: Drape prosciutto over a platter, top with grilled asparagus, top with a fried egg, and drizzle the sauc over the whole thing.

Vietnamese Congee (Chao Ga) - Serves 8

Adapted from: theWorkTop and Chowhound




  Difficulty: 3 (time-consuming)

Approximately 2 to 3 hours, depending on how flavorful you want the stock

Equipment: Stock pot or other large pot

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 - 2 lb bone-in chicken parts, like whole thighs, drums, etc.
• 1 cup Jasmine (or white) rice 
• 4 cups OR 1 x 14oz box/can Chicken Broth (broth is optional)
• 6 cups Water (if no broth above, increase to 8 cups water)
• Ginger, peeled and chopped into at least three 1" knobs
• 2 tsp Kosher Salt if using low sodium broth, or to taste
• 1 stalk Lemongrass (optional, use leftover)
• Optional Garnishes: 6 Scallions, sliced into rounds; handful of fresh Cilantro, chopped; fresh lime; freshly cracked Black Pepper; dried fried Shallots

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse and drain the rice; add to a heavy stock pot.  Add water, broth, ginger, and chicken.
2. Bring to a boil but immediately reduce heat to Medium Low.  Simmer, covered or uncovered (play with it) for about 40 minutes (no more than 1 hr)
3. Stir occasionally and skim off the scum and fat buildup with a large flat spoon (discard the scum)
4. Remove chicken from the pot and allow the pieces to cool. Shred the meat and discard the bones.
5. Remove the ginger from the pot.
6. Add the shredded chicken back into the congee and mix well. Add salt.
7. To serve, ladle into individual bowls.  Top with scallions and cilantro.  Add freshly ground pepper, lime juice, and fried shallots as desired.

Stuffed Figs with Prosciutto - Serves 4

From: GardenBetty.com

INGREDIENTS

• 12 large figs
• 2 oz creamy goat cheese 
• 4 oz prosciutto 
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400.  
2. Wash and de-stem the figs, then make an X-cut from the top of each fig to about three-quarters of the way down (do NOT cut through the figs completely).  Slightly pull the X apart to prepare for stuffing.
3. Fill each fig with a spoonful or knife-swipe of goat cheese.
4. Wrap a strip of prosciutto around each fig.  Arrange the figs in a shallow baking dish.
5. In a small cup, whisk together olive oil and honey until well blended.  Dribble the sauce evenly over the stuffed wrapped figs.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.  The cheese should be oozy and the figs juicy.
7. Top with freshly cracked pepper and serve!

Limeade

INGREDIENTS

• Simple Syrup
• Zest 1 lime
• 1 tbsp ginger (freshly minced - Optional)
• 3/4 cup C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁
• 1 cup  H₂O

• Limeade Base
• 2 cups H₂O
• 1 cup Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Make Simple Syrup: mix zest, 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in a pot over medium heat. Allow to comes to a quick boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Siphon off the ginger and zest.

2. Mix the lime juice, 2 cups water, and add simple syrup solution. Shake well and refrigerate.

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts (serves 4)

From: Mark Bittman for the NYTimes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large or 6 medium beets
• ¾ cup walnuts
• 6 cups torn greens, one type or an assortment (arugula is great)
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces goat cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 400.  Wash the beets, and while they are still wet, wrap them individually or together in foil.  Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil (optional).
2. Put them on a rimmed baking sheet and cook, undisturbed, until you can pierce them easily with a thin-bladed knife, 60 to 90 minutes.  Once the beets have cooled, peel them (I like to rub the skin off under running water), and cut them into chunks.
3. Put the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant and beginning to darken, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Rinse and dry the greens and put them in a large bowl; add the walnuts. 
5. Combine the oil, vinegar, shallot and Dijon in a jar with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously until the dressing becomes thick and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. Pour some of the dressing onto the greens and toss to coat; pile the greens on 4 plates. Put the beets in the bowl, toss with some of the dressing and arrange them on top of or around the greens. Crumble the goat cheese on top, and serve.

Roasted Carrot Soup with Carrot Top Pesto - Serving 4 - 6

Adapted From: America's Heartland


Difficulty: 2

INGREDIENTS

• Soup Ingredients:
• 5 large carrots, peal and the cut into 1" slices
• 1 sweet and tart apple (e.g., gala), cut into wedges
• 1 small onion (yellow), thick slices
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1" slices
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 2 kung pao peppers (or jalapeno/serrano)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• pinch chile powder
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• heavy cream (optional)

• Pesto Ingredients:
• 2 carrot top bunches, washed
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 garlic clove, pealed
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

• Prepare mise en place
• Soup Preparation:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Place carrots, apple, onion, celery, garlic, pepper, chile powder,and olive oil on a baking sheet. Season with the salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes or until veggies begin to brown.
• Place all ingredients plus the vegetable broth into food processor and puree. Place pureed contents into a stock pot to keep warm.
• Pesto Preparation:
• Place all ingredients into the food processor and blend until smooth. 
• Presentation:
• Place a dollop of pesto on top in each bowl of soup, Lightly drizzle 

Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies - Makes 30

Difficulty: 2 (time consuming)

EQUIPMENT

• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 medium bowl
• 2 Air-bake OR 2 regular baking trays
• Parchment Paper (optional)
• Mixer (if you don't want to do it by hand)

INGREDIENTS

WET

• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1/2 cup butter, room temp or melted
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 can (or about 1 cup) pumpkin puree or 100% pumpkin - NOT pumpkin pie filling

DRY

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup wheat flour (if no wheat flour, use all-purpose)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup (half a 12 oz package) Chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients EXCEPT the chocolate chips. Whisk until well-combined. 
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars by mixing them together with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer until rather smooth and creamy.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix again (whipping the eggs provides air).  Add pumpkin puree and mix again.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet while using the electric mixer.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again.
5. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
6. Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto the lined baking sheets.  These cookies do not spread much.
   
   7A - REGULAR BAKE: Bake for 10 minutes, then check using a toothpick.  If still a little raw in the middle, bake for another 2 to 4 minutes.  If using AIRBAKE sheets, bake for 15 minutes, then check.
   7B - CONVECTION BAKE WITH AIRBAKE SHEETS: Bake for 15 minutes, then check using a toothpick.  May need another 5 minutes.

Optional: Cool on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack for another 10 minutes.

Tomato Sauce - Burst Cherry

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 - 1 Kung Pao Chili Pepper
• Oregano (1 tbs fresh or pinch dried)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Put the tomatoes, 1 tbs olive oil, pinch of salt, and sugar into a bowl. Toss to coat the tomatoes.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and pour the tomatoes onto the lined baking sheet. Place in the over for 30+ minutes or until the tomatoes collapse.
4. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes..
5. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a food processor - pulse the mixture until smooth
6. In a sauce pan, sauté 1 tbs olive oil with the garlic and chili pepper for 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes along with the oregano to the sauce pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until heated.

Zucchini and Avocado Chilled Soup with Cucumber Salsa - 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• Soup
• 2 medium zucchini (~3 cups) - pealed and chopped
• 1/2 cup scallions - thinly sliced
• 1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 2 tbs fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 medium avocado (~3/4 cup - peeled, and diced
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• ground Pepper to taste
• Salsa
• 1 1/2 cups cucumber (~1 large) - peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1/4 cup scallions
• 1/4 cup fresh cliantro - chopped
• 1 tbs fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

• Soup
• combine zucchini, greens onions, and broth in a large saucepan; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 7 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Remove from heat; cool 30 minutes.
• In a blender/food processor place lime juice, salt, zucchini mixture, avocado, buttermilk, and cumin and process until smooth.
• Refrigerate for one hour or until chilled.
• Salsa
• Combine all ingredients, toss, cover and chill for one hour or until chilled.

Summer Strawberry Cake - 10 Servings

http://www.onceuponachef.com/2014/07/summer-strawberry-cake.html
By Jennifer Segal, modestly adapted from Martha Stewart Living (June 2005), via Karen Tannenbaum

Servings: One 9-inch cake, 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk (low fat is fine)
• About 3/4 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch deep dish pie pan or 9-inch square cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth. (Note: the batter will be very thick.)
4. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula (if you use a square cake pan, the batter will only come about 3/4-inch up the sides of the pan -- that's ok). Arrange the strawberries on top, cut side down, so that they completely cover the batter (the recipe calls for approximately 3/4 pound of strawberries; use more or less if necessary). Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries.
5. Bake for ten minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and bake until the cake is lightly golden and a tester comes out clean, about an hour. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
6. Note: Cake can be stored at room temperature for several days, loosely covered.

Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies - Makes 18-20

Adapted from shelikesfood.com

Difficulty: 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c all-purpose white flour**
• ¼ c whole wheat flour**

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 c packed brown sugar
• ½ c granulated sugar
• 1 c mashed avocado, about 2 avocados
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1½ cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (10 oz)

*Optional: 1 c chopped pistachios or other nuts

**For gluten free cookies, replace all flours with 1¼ c of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl and set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, combine both sugars and the mashed avocado. Beat until creamy, about 30 seconds (I used an electric mixer). 
4. Add eggs (one by one) and beat, then add vanilla and beat again.
5. Add flour mixture in two batches, mixing well between each. 
6. Using a spoon, mix in chocolate chips (and pistachios) until combined. 
7. Drop mixture in rounded tablespoons (you could also do rounded teaspoons for smaller cookies) onto a non-greased cookie sheet. 
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.