Grilled Shrimp Panzanella

There is something about cooking everything, and I do mean everything, on the grill that makes things taste just so much better.  And as these last days of summer fade into autumn, I'm kicking ye olde grille into overtime, baby.  This recipe is a case in point...technically it is a salad, but two of the major ingredients are cooked on the grill.  (In about 5 minutes, which makes it even more enticing in my book.)

Panzanella is traditionally a salad that substitutes bread for the lettuce (how great is that??), usually tossed with some tomatoes, olive oil and a little vinegar, which in and of itself is pretty wonderful.  This particular recipe adds some shrimp and basil and substitutes lemon juice for the vinegar, but here's the beauty part...the shrimp and the bread are cooked on the grill first.  That gives the whole thing that charred grill taste that makes everything feel like the best part of summer.

So while we still have these lazy, hazy days of summer, surrounded by tomatoes and basil, grab yourself some bread and shrimp and crank up that grill.  Salad never tasted so dang good.

Grilled Shrimp Panzanella, from Real Simple

• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp


• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


• 4 tablespoons olive oil


• kosher salt and black pepper


• 1 small baguette (about 8 ounces), split lengthwise


• 2 1/2 pounds heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges


• 2 cups fresh basil leaves

1. Heat grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Brush the baguette with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil.


2. Grill the baguette and shrimp, uncovered, until the baguette is golden and crisp, about 1 minute per side, and the shrimp are opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cut the baguette into bite-size pieces.


3. In a second large bowl, toss the shrimp, baguette, tomatoes, and basil with the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

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Mini Caprese Bites

My brother and I have been partners in crime for more years than either of us are prepared to admit.  

We fought like cats and dogs when we were growing up, and one of the proudest moments of my life is still the time during a loooooong car ride to Vermont when I tricked him into finishing his McDonalds fries before I finished mine...and then stretching mine out for the remainder of the four hour trip.  ("Boy, these fries are SO good.  I bet you wish you still had some.  Mmmmmmmm.")

You'd think that after that he wouldn't have my back...but he always does.  Through ups and downs, thick and thin.  My bro.  He also gave me one of the great gifts of my life, which is this character, otherwise known as my adorable nephew, otherwise known as the handsomest boy on the planet.

(Okay, I owe my sister-in-law for that too!  Love you, C!)

Anyway, I do have a point with all of this, and here it is: he also turned me on to the best, and I mean the BEST mozzarella cheese I have ever tasted in my life.  The first time I tried it, the Southern husband and I literally stood there in the kitchen and ate the whole hunk of it.  No putting it into lasagna, not even a cracker - I'm not sure we even used a knife, we may have just ripped pieces off of it and guzzled it until it was gone.

And now basically all other mozzarella cheese in the world has been ruined for me, so when decided to make these cute little caprese bites, it involved driving a half hour down and another half hour back to my brother's town to buy a nice big piece of this cheese.  Which did have the extra bonus of getting to hang out with him for a little while, so there was that.

If you are lucky enough to live in the northern New Jersey area and want to experience mozzarella cheese nirvana, it comes from Vito's Bakery (yes, bakery...no idea why and not asking questions) in Secaucus, New Jersey.  They make it fresh there three times daily, and whatever they are doing, I hope they never ever stop.  If you don't, just nab a piece of the best mozzarella cheese you can find.  This is the perfect little nibble to make right now when the cherry tomatoes and basil are at their delicious peak.  All you do is slice the tomatos in half, cut the cheese into tomato size cubes, and spear everything on a toothpick in this order: tomato half, cheese cube, other tomato half, basil leaf.  If you have the tomato half with the stem side on the bottom, it will do a good job of standing upright since it is flatter.

Now mix up some balsamic vinegar with some olive oil and some fresh ground pepper and drizzle it over and around the caprese bites.  And dig in - pop the whole thing in your mouth at once for the perfect sensation of tomato, cheese and basil.  Mmmm, mmm, mmm.  Even better than that last McDonald's french fry.

Mini Caprese Bites, adapted from My Recipes

• 1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved


• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes


• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil


• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar


• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt


• 1/4 teaspoon pepper


• Fresh basil leaves


• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

• 1. Thread 1 basil leaf, tomato half, 1 piece of cheese, and another tomato half onto toothpicks. Place toothpicks in a shallow serving dish.


• 2. Whisk together oil and next 3 ingredients. Drizzle oil mixture over skewers; sprinkle with basil and salt and pepper to taste.

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Grilled Provolone, Egg and Pancetta Sandwiches

There are grilled cheese sandwiches, and then there are Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  Before the teenager left for college, grilled cheese meant American cheese inside two slices of white bread, fried in a little butter until golden brown.  She's a grilled cheese purist, and hey, that is a perfectly good grilled cheese sandwich.

But here in our newly empty nest we are pushing the boundaries a little, grilled cheese-wise.  The empty nest version uses provolone cheese that has been set on top of thinly sliced sourdough bread and put in a skillet with a little butter until the cheese is melted.

While this is happening, we are cooking up some pancetta (thin round Italian bacon, and if you can't find it, regular bacon will work just fine) until it is just crispy.  While it is draining on paper towels, cook up a couple of fried eggs in that same skillet until they are just set.

Now lay a couple pieces of bacon on top of the melted cheese toast, lay an egg on top, and sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese and a little basil.  Slice off a bite, making sure to get some of every single ingredient, and chew it up nice and slowly.

Realize that while you miss your teenager like crazy, there are advantages to living in a house where you don't always have to break out the American cheese when you are making grilled cheese for lunch.

Grilled Provolone, Egg and Pancetta Sandwiches, adapted from Bon Appetit

12 slices of pancetta (Italian bacon), or 4 regular bacon slices cut into thirds
2 tablespoons butter
4 slices sourdough bread
8 thin slices provolone cheese
4 large eggs
Parmesan cheese shavings
12 fresh basil leaves 

1. Cook pancetta or bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Reserve skillet with drippings.
2. Melt butter in extra-large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 bread slices; top each with 2 provolone slices. Sprinkle with black pepper. Cook until cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat skillet with drippings over medium heat. Crack eggs into skillet; cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. 

4. Set 6 pancetta slices and 2 eggs atop each of 2 cheese toasts. Top eggs with Parmesan, and basil. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

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Pasta with Mozzarella Tomatoes

Just about this time of year, you start thinking...what am I going to do with all that basil in my garden?  And what I am going to do with all those gorgeous local tomatoes?

I think I have the answer.  First step: find a big hunk of the best mozzarella cheese you can get your hands on.  The softer and creamier the cheese, the more deliriously happy you are going to be...it's a direct connection.  Creamy cheesiness = happiness.  Next, go get yourself a few of those nice tomatoes...



...and some of that basil.  I have some if you need any!



Okay, here we go.  Cook up some spaghetti, and while it is boiling away, get your tomatoes ready.  Slice them up in nice thick slices, and season them with a little salt and pepper.  Place them on a baking sheet and cover them with some slices of that great mozzarella you found, along with a little parmesan. 

Meanwhile, heat up some olive oil with some chopped garlic and red pepper for a couple minutes...don't let the garlic get too brown.  As soon as it starts smelling like garlic heaven, you're good.  When the pasta has about 2 minutes to go, pop those tomatoes into the broiler until the cheese starts getting gorgeously brown and bubbly. 

Now it's time to put it all together.  Toss the pasta with that delicious garlic oil, some chopped basil, a little more salt and pepper, and then slide those cheesy tomatoes on top.  A few more basil leaves and Parmesan just to send you completely over the edge, and you are all set.  Tomato season, I adore you!

 Pasta with Mozzarella Tomatoes, from Real Simple

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), each cut into 4 thick slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce), plus more, shaved, for serving
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

1. Heat broiler. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, cover the slices with the mozzarella and Parmesan. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. In a small saucepan, warm the oil with the garlic and red pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add the garlic oil, basil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve topped with the tomatoes, additional basil, and shaved Parmesan.

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Creamy Pasta with Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Basil

We are now in the wonderful midst of the lazy, hazy, wonderful days of summer, and that means the best local veggies of the year.  Fresh local vegetable season is over before you know it, and so I throw them into everything I can think of these days.  This week our local farmers market had a giant mountain of zucchini that was still warm from the sunny field, and that was all the excuse I needed to make this one....and it had the extra added advantage of also needing some basil, which I have about 100 acres of at the moment.

Now this DOES involve turning on your oven, which is usually against the rules in my house during the months of July and August unless Absolutely Necessary, but let me tell you that the delicious roasted crispy edges of the zucchini make it Absolutely Necessary.    Once it is done, it gets tossed with a quick little cream sauce that includes lemon zest (yum!) and a few tablespoons of your favorite goat cheese.  My favorite goat cheese comes from these guys:

And if you want to know the full story behind those adorable faces, please click here.  Otherwise, please proceed with making this fabulous pasta dish, while the zucchini is in full swing.

Creamy Pasta with Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Basil, from The New York Times

• 2 medium zucchini, cut into
• 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 sprig basil, with leaves and stem
• 3 tablespoons goat cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 6 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti or linguine.

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Toss the zucchini and oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Arrange zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
3. Simmer the cream and basil sprig in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the goat cheese until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and keep warm.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well. Toss the pasta with the cream sauce. Serve topped with the zucchini and almonds.

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Pasta with Sweet Yellow Tomatoes

Every summer I look forward to the Return of the Tomato.  I do love the classic red ones, and have about one million recipes that call for them, but I'm also crazy about the green ones (fried green tomatoes!) and the sweetest ones of all, which are the yellow ones.  It has something to do with less tannic acid (or maybe more...I'm a little fuzzy on the technicalities) but they have a sweet, perfect taste that makes you want to bite into them like they were a peach or an apple.  As a matter of fact, you might want to buy a couple of extras just to do that.

And after you've gotten that out of your system, you need to make this scrumptious pasta, which not only tastes like summer but looks like it too.  Yellow tomatoes, fresh basil, all mixed up with a light pan sauce made with garlic and Parmesan cheese and a teeny hint of red pepper.

All topped with toasted breadcrumbs.  Do not be tempted to skip the toasted breadcrumb part...it gives this dish the perfect crunchy touch.  Hurray for yellow tomatoes!

Pasta with Sweet Yellow Tomatoes, from Bon Appetit's fabulous article on How To make Perfect Pasta!

4 slices white bread, stale or lightly toasted
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 oz. Sun Gold or cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
6 oz. capellini, spaghetti, or bucatini
3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan
8 medium fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces



Tear bread slices into small pieces. Process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Bake in a 350° oven, stirring occasionally, until browned and dry, then transfer hot breadcrumbs to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, season, and toss to coat.

Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes, season with salt, and cook, covered slightly and swirling pan often, until tomatoes blister and burst, 10-12 minutes. Press down on tomatoes to release their juices. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

Transfer pasta to skillet with tomatoes; set over high heat. Add 1/2 cup pasta water. Cook, stirring and tossing often, until sauce thickens and begins to coat the pasta, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining oil, cheese, and half the basil and toss until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente. (Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Add remaining basil, season with salt, and serve with breadcrumbs.

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Spiced Peaches with Ham and Basil

There are a few things that say to me, it is completely, totally, no doubt about it summer.  The day we flip the switch on the ceiling fans and don't turn it off again until October.  The day it is actually hot enough for me to put on my bathing suit In Public.  The day my basil gets so rampant that I start figuring out if I can work it into a breakfast recipe along with lunch and dinner.  And the day that the REAL peaches hit the farmer's market.  Not the rock hard ones that have been flown in during the winter, but the sweet-smelling, velvety, juicy peaches that are just begging to be bitten into.  Yep, peach juice on your chin - you know what I'm talking about!

This great little recipe takes both peaches and basil and turns them into a sweet and spicy appetizer (or lunch!) that just sings of summer.  You need nice firm peaches for this one...slice them into wedges, and then mix them up in a little slurry of sugar, sherry vinegar and cumin.  This is going to cut the sweetness with just a tiny little bite.  Then wrap each peach with a strip of serrano ham and skewer it on a toothpick with a basil leaf.

I served up mine on my beloved Verterra plates.  If you haven't run into these plates yet, they are made from fallen palm leaves and are both beautiful AND natural.  Just like those summer peaches!

Happy summer, everyone.

Spiced Peaches with Ham and Basil, from Epicurious

• 3 peaches, each cut into 8 wedges
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Sherry vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced serrrano ham
• 24 small basil leaves

1. Toss together peaches, sugar, vinegar, and cumin and let stand 10 minutes.
2. Cut ham slices in half lengthwise, then wrap each piece around a wedge of peach. Top with a basil leaf and secure with a wooden or metal pick.

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Mini Bacon Tomato and Basil Sandwiches

Okay, I'll admit it...I am a complete sucker for anything with the word "mini" in the title.  Mini-golf.  Mini-series.  Mini-cooper.  And add the word bacon, and I am pretty much helpless.  Toss in some basil and a tomato - you get the drift.

This is a perfect little supper for eating curled up together on the sofa watching, oh, a mini-series?  Right now we are trying to catch up with The Game of Thrones, The Borgias and Nurse Jackie all at the same time, while being very careful not to miss a single episode of either Glee or American Idol.  It's exhausting, which is why a perfect little tiny sandwich that has some tomato, some bacon, a garlic-parmesan-mayonnaise spread and one basil leaf is just the ticket.  Providing you make enough that each person can have five or six of them.  They are like the wild and crazy American cousins of those little cucumber sandwiches you sometimes get at a proper English tea, and I love 'em.

That's all I've got on this one...except go make them right now.  Bacon = happiness!

Mini Bacon Tomato and Basil Sandwiches, adapted from Southern Living

• 9 slices bacon, cooked and halved
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 9 slices extra-thin white bread slices
• 3 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 12 fresh basil leaves

1. Stir together cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly onto 1 side of each bread slice. 

2. Layer 3 bread slices, mayonnaise sides up, with 3 bacon slices each. Top bacon evenly with 1 bread slice, tomato slices, and basil. 

3. Top each with remaining bread slices, mayonnaise sides down. Cut each sandwich into quarters.

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Gnocchi with Spring Vegetables

This past week or two it is finally sinking in with me that after the long winter of snow and ice and snow and wind and snow and sleet and snow, spring might finally be here.  The proof is right here in my own backyard....

That is a little baby lilac.  When it turns into a full-blooming lilac I will go through the same agonizing decision I make every year - clip it and bring it inside, or leave it on the lilac bush?  (Hint: the lilac bush has won every year so far.)

There's also this little guy.

I have no idea what he is, but he's green, so I'm happy.

However, the ultimate sign of spring, the one that means we have truly crossed over to the other side is the following....

Once the dog is outside sunning herself in the grass instead of lounging around illegally on my bed, I know that summer can't be far away.  And all this springtime merriment was enough to make me work up my courage and tackle this recipe for gnocchi with spring vegetables.  I don't know what it is about gnocchi that intimidates me, but for some reason I think that it is always going to backfire on me and I am going to have to wave the white flag and call the pizza delivery guy.  But this recipe was just different enough for me to buck up and give it a go.  For one thing, any recipe with the words "spring" and "vegetables" in it just makes me want to run out and buy loads of carrots with the tops still on them.

And in this case, I also bought a load of fresh peas that the Southern husband cheerfully shelled for me.  Man, I love this guy.  If you ever find someone who is willing to shell peas for you, hang onto him.

Anyway, the gnocchi recipe turned out to be a snap.  After you make the gnocchi, which are basically little heavenly balls of mashed potato mixed with a little flour and olive oil, you freeze them solid.  Then when you are  ready to make them you saute them on the stove in butter and olive oil until they are golden brown and perfect.  Toss in some fresh cooked carrots and peas, a little chopped basil, some salt and pepper, throw open your windows, put on your flip-flops and a short-sleeved shirt and raise a glass to spring.

(I hope I haven't now inadvertently triggered a rare late-April snowstorm.)

Gnocchi with Spring Vegetables, adapted slightly from Jonathan Waxman's recipe in The New York Times

3 large russet baking potatoes
4-6  tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut in thirds
2 cups shelled peas, fresh or thawed frozen
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 basil leaves, slivered
Sea salt and ground black pepper.

1. Steam potatoes over boiling water until tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool for 2 hours. Break up potatoes and use a food mill or ricer to mash them into a bowl. Peeling is not necessary with these tools, but the potatoes can be peeled if desired. Dust a smooth work surface with 1 tablespoon flour and scoop potatoes on top. Dust potatoes with remaining flour and dribble a tablespoon of the oil on top. With your hands, work the potatoes, kneading lightly, about 5 minutes until they come together to make a soft dough. Add a bit more flour if needed. Let it rest 10 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into four balls. Roll out each into a strand 1-inch thick, then use a knife or pastry scraper to cut into 1-inch pieces of gnocchi. Place on one or more parchment-lined trays and freeze at least 1 hour. When hard, remove as many as desired for cooking and transfer the rest to a plastic bag for freezing up to one month.
3. Cook carrots in simmering water 10 minutes or until tender. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and cut in bite-size pieces. If using fresh peas, add to water, cook about 2 minutes, until tender, and drain. Melt butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add frozen gnocchi and sauté about 5-10 minutes, turning gnocchi frequently, until lightly browned. Add peas and carrots and cook about 2 minutes more. Toss in basil leaves and season with salt and pepper.

Yield: About 60 gnocchi, 4 to 6 servings.

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Zucchini Carpaccio

Here's the latest in the Friday Night Lights series of light suppers the Southern husband and I have been having lately.   It's nice and light and involves one of my favorite things in life, which is fresh ricotta cheese.  First of all, I love to make ricotta.  It is one of the easiest things in the world to make and when you are done (in about 10 minutes) you feel supremely worldly and intelligent for being able to make your own ricotta cheese.  I use a recipe you can find by clicking here, but I add in about 1/4 cup of heavy cream, which makes it, well, creamier.

Second of all, I love to eat ricotta, and therein lies a confession about this particular post.  After I took that picture up there, and the one below, I went back and added a bunch more ricotta.  I wanted you to be able to see all the nice layered zucchini slices, but I also wanted to be able to eat lots and lots of fresh ricotta, and there you go.

Once you've made the ricotta the rest of this dish is a snap.  Slice the zucchini as thin as you can get it.  I used a  Mandoline Slicer, but you could also use just a plain old knife, if you are a really good thin zucchini slicing type of person.  Then arrange them in a pretty pattern on a pretty plate.  Drizzle with a mixture of fresh lemon juice and nice olive oil, scatter on some chopped scallions, grind on some fresh pepper, and spoon on as much ricotta as you can handle.  (I can handle a LOT).  Then chop up a handful of fresh basil (or any other herb that catches your fancy), and that's it!  We ate this in our usual Friday Night Lights style - cuddled up on the couch from one plate with some jazz on the stereo -- but it would be a great side dish for grilled steak or chicken.  And its almost, almost grilling season!

Happy sigh.

Zucchini Carpaccio,  from Bon Appetit

• 5 medium zucchini, trimmed
• Coarse kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• One cup ricotta cheese, preferably fresh
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Using knife or mandoline slicer, cut zucchini into paper-thin rounds. 

2. Arrange rounds, slightly overlapping, on large platter. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and pepper, then green onions. 

3. Whisk lemon juice and oil in small bowl. Drizzle dressing evenly over zucchini. 

4. Drop small spoonfuls of cheese all over zucchini. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Lobster Bruschetta

So, the Southern husband and I have this thing we do on Saturday nights called The Restaurant Project, and it goes like this: every Saturday night we go to a new restaurant we have never been before.  We started it about a year ago and it has been a year of fabulous dinners, a few clunkers, and some adventurous expeditions where I have said fervent prayers of thanksgiving that someone out there invented the GPS.

One of the rules of the restaurant project is that in addition to getting two different entrees, we also must order at least one dessert.  All of which adds up to good substantial eats on Saturday nights...and why I have decided I need to institute an addition weekly tradition which I am kicking off with this scrumptious lobster recipe, and which I am christening "Friday Night Lights." 

In a nutshell, we are going to cuddle up on the sofa every Friday night while the teenager is out gallivanting around, and we are going to have a light but still wonderful supper that is an appetizer only...something new every Friday night.  This will both balance out (I hope) the Saturday extravaganza, and also give me the chance to work my way through my teeteringly tall pile of appetizer recipes.  Because while I would love to have weekly fancy dinner parties wherein I make fancy finger foods, somehow I haven't figured out a way to work that into my life yet.  I'll try to be organized enough to post these on Thursdays so you can follow along with us on Fridays if you want to!

So here you go, the first Friday Night Lights supper: a quick and easy bruschetta.  Lightly toasted slices of Italian bread brushed with olive oil and topped with a mixture of chopped lobster, red onion, shallots, tomato and fresh torn basil, all tossed with a little bit of Madeira wine.  

Where did I get the fresh basil in the midst of the winter, you ask?   Well let's just say that the Aerogarden has been so successful that I am now making herb bouquets and distributing them around the house.

But that is a topic for a whole 'nother post.  Meantime, Friday Night Lights, baby.  It's not just a great television series anymore.

Lobster Bruschetta, adapted from Bon Appetit

• 2 1 1/2- to 13/4-pound lobster, steamed, shelled and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 8 ounces tomatoes (about 2 medium), each cut into 6 wedges
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 2 peeled garlic cloves; 1 minced, 1 whole
• 2 tablespoons Madeira
• 3 extra-large basil leaves, torn
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional (for drizzling)
• 4 5x4x1/2-inch slices sourdough bread

1.  Mix onion and vinegar in large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Add lobster meat, tomatoes, celery, shallot, minced garlic, Madeira, basil, and 1/4 cup oil to bowl with onions. Toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes for flavors to blend.
3. Lightly toast bread. Rub with whole garlic clove. Drizzle with oil. Divide lobster salad among toasts.  

Click here for printable recipe

Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil

Okay, so I have to admit that it was the alternate name of this recipe that first sucked me in.  The regular title was Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil, which isn't too bad either, but in Italian it is called Spaghetti a LIMONE.  Just saying it out loud made me feel all cosmopolitan and exotic and international.  Then I read the description and was even more sold on it: spaghetti tossed with a light sauce of lemon juice, shallots, lemon zest and just a touch of heavy cream, thinned out with some of the pasta cooking water.  A little freshly grated parmesan and some fresh chopped basil and you are done.  I used a handful of globe basil from my Aerogarden...

...because the globe basil section of my Aerogarden is now so big that it needs its own zip code.  (You can read about my Aerogarden adventures by clicking here.  I am in herb heaven.)

Anyway, back at the LIMONE, which is a quick and delicious weeknight supper with just enough zing to keep you lively all through dinner.    Grab some lemons and give it a try!

Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil, from Cooks Illustrated

	Table salt
1	pound spaghetti
1/4	cup extra virgin olive oil , plus more for serving
1	medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4	cup heavy cream
2	teaspoons finely grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 3 lemons
1	ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving
	Ground black pepper
2	tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water; cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Reserve 1¾ cups cooking water, drain pasta into colander, and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1 1/2 cups of reserved pasta cooking water and cream into pot; bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat, return pasta, and stir until coated. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
3. Cover and let pasta stand 2 minutes, tossing frequently and adjusting consistency with remaining 1/4 cup reserved pasta water if necessary. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual portions with oil and sprinkling with cheese.

Click here for printable recipe

Herbs From The Aerogarden!

I love cooking with fresh herbs.  Not that my spice cabinet isn't a hazard to anyone who opens it up and thereby puts themselves in serious danger of being bonked on the head by a bottle of star anise...but there is nothing like a nice big aromatic bunch of the real thing to make any recipe sing.  So all through the summer I grow big wooden barrel-fuls of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme right outside my back door.  Along with mint and tarragon and lots and lots of basil.  The basil gets its own personal barrel.  

And I merrily cook all summer long with the fresh herbs right outside my back door.  And then sooner or later comes this.

And not only are my herbs not growing happily in my barrels anymore, I can't even SEE my barrels.  So from about November until late May, there I am paying for outrageously priced limp bunches of herbs in the supermarket.  This year, I decided to take matters into my own hands and give  myself a birthday present of one of these:

This is an Aerogarden, and this seems like a good place to say that the Aerogarden people have never heard of me or my blog and that I bought and paid for my Aerogarden my own self.  So you know that the story you are about to hear is true and unbiased.

The Aerogarden basically works like this: that top part has special lights in it that are on a timer so they know when to come on and off.  The bottom part you fill with water and a packet of "nutrient liquid" that comes with your seeds.  There are 7 little holes in the center of the Aerogarden, and you pop whatever seed pods you ordered into these little holes.  I ordered the herb package.  The pods are filled with the seeds and a tiny amount of dirt, all pressed into a little plastic holder.  When the pods are in place, all you can see is the label on the top - everything else is in the water, and there is a little pump swirling it all around.  This all took me about 10 minutes to set up.

After about 2 weeks, my little herbs were springing up.  Here is my 2 week old thyme.

 And here is my two week old basil.  Isn't it adorable?  It's about one inch high.

It is now four weeks after I set the whole thing up - four weeks, mind you - and that cute little basil now looks like this:

The mint is very pushy and taking over the joint.  Which is slightly problematic, since I don't really have many mint recipes.

Hello, mint.

The dill is much more dignified.  Tall, but dignified.  I have plans for this dill in a chicken fricassee later this week.

This is globe basil.  I have no idea what globe basil is.  If any does, please tell me because it is getting bigger by the second.

And here's the thyme.  Also four weeks old, and this is after "harvesting" it twice.  (Harvesting is what the Aerogarden brochure calls it.  I feel very farmer-ish.)

And just to give you the full sense of how the whole thing fits so adorably on my counter, here's a picture of the full 4 week old Aerogarden. 

I'd like to say that water bottle is in the shot to give you a sense of perspective as to the size of the thing, but honestly, it's there because people leave half-full water bottles all over the dang house.

Anyway, I'm an Aerogarden groupie now, and as a result am planning to make something that involves fresh pesto in the middle of February.  Just because I can. 

Chicken Basil Parmesan Burgers

I'm continuing on with my public service announcements regarding using up those fresh herbs growing all around us before they disappear in the first frost (it's coming! you know it is!), and so please consider this the basil edition. I actually have a ton of recipes in my arsenal for dealing with all this basil outside my back door.

These include Tomato Mozzarella Basil Salad, Pasta Caprese, and maybe my all-time favorite, Pasta with Brie and Tomatoes. But there is always so, so, so much basil that I am always on the look-out for the next great basil-using recipe, and when I ran into this recipe for chicken parmesan burgers in Bon Appetit I knew it had my name on it. First of all, it involves basil both in the sauce and as a topping for the burger. Second, the teenager is always thrilled to hear that anything with the word "parmesan" is on the dinner menu. And I always love experimenting with anything that takes a familiar dish and shaking it up a little, which is what this one does. So...game on.

You start with some ground chicken, which I had actually never used before. Now, I hear from good sources that plain ground chicken can be a little bland, so this recipe jazzes it up with some parmesan cheese and onion and bread crumbs. A little chopped basil, a little marinara sauce, and you have some pretty good looking stuff going on here. You fry up the chicken burgers in a little olive oil until until they are cooked through and nice and crispy on the outside.

Meantime, you are toasting some nice slices of your favorite Italian bread, heating up some of your favorite marinara sauce (if I am using the jar variety, I like Patsy's) and picking some nice, big basil leaves.

You're almost there....finish the burgers by melting some fresh mozzarella on top. Nestle them onto a slice of bread, ladle on a little sauce, lay some basil leaves on top, cover with another piece of bread.

Take THAT, basil!! :)

Chicken Parmesan Burgers, adapted from Bon Appetit

• 10 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread (4 inches in diameter); 8 slices toasted, 2 slices (crust removed) diced
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided, plus 12 large basil leaves
• 3/4 cup marinara sauce
• 12 ounces ground chicken (white meat)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

• 
  
  Blend diced bread and Parmesan in processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to pie dish; mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.
• 
  
  Mix marinara and 2 tablespoons basil in small saucepan. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce to large bowl. Add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with pepper; blend. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; coat with crumbs. Heat sauce over low heat.
• 
  
  Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until bottoms are crusty, 4 minutes. Turn patties over; top with cheese. Cook 3 minutes. Cover; cook until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

• Place each burger on a slice of toasted bread. Ladle some sauce on top and cover with basil leaves. Top with another slice of bread and serve immediately. With lots of napkins!

Click here for printable recipe

Panzanella!

Panzanella! Isn't that a great word? And if you saw it actually being said by my pale, freckled, Irish girl self you would laugh your head off, because it really needs to be said with a fabulous Italian accent to get the true benefit. But no matter, it is wonderful and summery, and the perfect, perfect thing to make when tomatoes and basil are in full swing and the days are still too hot to even THINK of turning on the oven.

Basically, it is a bread salad that involves tossing chunks of crusty bread with tomatoes, basil, red onion and just enough vinegar and olive oil to soak into the bread and soften it up just a little bit. This particular version calls for a generous scoop of fresh ricotta on the top, which then gets drizzled with a little more olive oil. Some fresh ground pepper, and you are good to go.

Now, we ate this all by its gorgeous self, but I can also imagine it as a scrumptious side dish alongside grilled sliced steak or chicken. Yum, right? In any language.

Panzanella!  Adapted from Everyday Food

• 5 cups crusty bread, cut or torn into one each pieces
• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into one each pieces
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup basil leaves, torn
• 2 cups fresh ricotta

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Spread bread on a baking sheet and toast until golden, about 20 minutes.

2. Combine tomatoes, onion, vinegar and oil in a large bowl.  Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.  

3. Add toasted bread and basil and toss to combine.  Let sit for 20-30 minutes so bread can soak up the liquid.

4. Divide among plates and top with a generous spoonful of ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil, and a little more salt and pepper.

Click here for printable recipe