Ham and Parmesan Sandwiches with Raspberry Jam

Things that are good to have:

1. Friends who go to Italy and bring you back giant pieces of incredible parmigiana cheese.  You know who you are, and I love you madly.

2. Jars of Stonewall Kitchen jam.  We've been over this before in previous posts, but it bears repeating.

If you have both of these things, you are halfway to a fabulous sandwich.  And while cheese that has been personally carried through Customs is the best-tasting of all, you can also get a lovely chunk of it at your local deli and it will be almost as good, and then you are still very close to the previously-mentioned fabulous sandwich.

Okay, now that we have that straight, here's what comes next.  Get a nice pile of very thin-sliced ham, and a loaf of sourdough bread.  Lately I have been sending the Southern husband to our local Panera, because let's face it, they make an AWESOME sourdough baguette, and I'm all about the path of least resistance on a Wednesday night.  Slice it on the diagonal in 1/2 inch slices (so that you get nice big slices), and brush both sides with olive oil.  Now comes one of the most critical parts of this sandwich, which is The Grilling Of The Bread.  Every summer I get completely fixated on something grill-wise (last year it was grilled buttermilk rosemary chicken and the summer before it was grilled pizza), and this summer, I am all about grilling bread.  There's something about that slightly charred grill taste that just makes my heart beat faster.  You ARE going to have that moment where you think, is this really worth turning on the grill?  Just to grill a few pieces of bread?

Trust me.  It is.

Once you have your bread all nice and crusty, you are five minutes from heaven.  Slather on some raspberry jam (or cherry, or strawberry.  Anything red is pretty much perfect.)  Layer on some thin-sliced ham, and then some parmesan that you have shaved with your handy vegetable peeler.  Hold it up to your nose and inhale deeply...sweet and salty and slightly grill-smelling, and then open wide and take a crunchy/salty/sweet bite.

My work is done here.  :)

Ham and Parmesan Sandwiches with Raspberry Jam

• Sourdough or other hearty bread, sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
• Olive oil
• Raspberry jam (cherry and strawberry would also work fine!)
• Thin-sliced ham
• Parmesan cheese, shaved into thin pieces with a vegetable peeler

1. Heat grill to medium high.  Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and grill on both sides until slightly charred.
2. Spread bread with jam, and then layer on ham and shaved cheese.
3. Enjoy!!

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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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Ham and Cheese Farfalle

Things I have learned from my mother:

1. Kate Middleton isn't the only one who was a beautiful princess on her wedding day.  I grew up with this picture, and I always thought my mother looked like a fairy tale princess.  (Still do!)

2. When having babies, consider having a red-headed girl or a blond boy.  Make sure they either go barefoot or are wearing really sensible shoes, and always dress them in matching outfits.

My brother and I followed this example to the letter.  Exhibit A:

And Exhibit B:

And okay, maybe we had some help from our spouses.  (We may have fallen down on the sensible shoes/same outfit part, although we still have time on that one.  I think they both own black Converse sneakers.)

3. Always make about three times as much food as you are actually going to need for a holiday dinner.  You never know who is going to show up, and this way everyone gets to leave with leftovers.  And even with that, you are still going to have leftovers of your own.  Which is why we were still eating Easter ham many days after the Peeps were all gone, and why this recipe comes in so handy if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

What we are basically talking about here is a macaroni and cheese recipe that has been spiffed up by using pretty farfalle pasta, also known as bowties, and by tossing in some  - you guessed it - leftover ham.  I always cut it into nice little julienne slices to make it just as fancy.  If you want to get all healthy on me you could toss in some peas or some spinach or even some asparagus (that noise you here in the background is the red-headed teenager shouting NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!).  Anyway, while the pasta is cooking, you stir up a simple cheese sauce of butter, flour, milk and shredded cheddar (as always, I love the Cabot cheddar best of all), and when the pasta is cooked, stir everything together.  Sprinkle with a little parmesan and pop it in the oven until it is just a little golden on top.  By the time you are finished eating, you'll wish you had just a little more leftover ham.

Well, there's always next year.  Right, Mom?

Here's the recipe!

Ham and Cheese Farfalle, from Allrecipes.com

8 ounces farfalle (bow tie) pasta 1/4 cup butter 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups milk 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard 2 1/2 cups shredded Colby cheese 4 ounces cooked ham, julienned 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3.	In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Saute garlic 30 seconds. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Stir in mustard and Colby. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in pasta and ham.
4.	Pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
5.	Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

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Brie Croque Monsieur Sandwiches

There are grilled cheese sandwiches, and then there are Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  I have always been helplessly enthralled with any menu that has the words Croque Monsieur on it.  Because that basically translates to a rocking great grilled cheese sandwich that involves thin-sliced ham, swiss cheese, an egg batter that the whole thing has been dipped in, and some deep-frying.  Usually with some fries on the side, to make sure your calorie intake is high enough.

So imagine this: the very same thing...except instead of the swiss cheese, you use Brie cheese.  And in  my case, I used D'Affinois, which is the cheese I would choose to take with me if I was ever banished forever to a desert island and could only choose one cheese to take with me.  (These are the things I think about, just so you know.  It never hurts to have a plan.)

Now, some Croque Monsieurs out there in the world use a much thicker batter, but I think the light (and I use that word loosely, given what we are talking about here) french toast-type egg mixture approach is actually kinda better.  It lets the whole cheese and ham end of things shine through in all their glory.  And this is one of those recipes that is, well, glorious.  You practically have to eat it with your eyes closed just to make sure nothing else in the world interferes.

Please go make this right now.  Time's a wasting.

Brie Croque Monsieur Sandwiches, adapted from Ile de France Cheeses

9 oz.  Brie or D'Affinois cheese, cut into 12 thin slices

3 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

6 slices thin sliced ham

12 slices white bread

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided

• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk salt and pepper. Set aside.
  
  
• Assemble six sandwiches, each with one slice of ham and two slices of cheese between two slices of bread. Cut each sandwich into quarters.
  
  
• Heat half of the melted butter in a large nonstick pan on medium heat, swirling to coat bottom of pan.
  
  
• Dip half of the sandwich quarters into the egg and milk mixture, turning to coat. Immediately place in preheated pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown and cheese is melting. Repeat with remaining butter and  sandwiches. Serve hot.

Click here for printable recipe

Ham and Egg Crepe Squares

I am a complete sucker for any recipe that does something out of the ordinary with eggs...provided that it stays within my weekday "must be able to be made in 30 minutes or under rule."  I love and adore eggs (which works out so conveniently with my love and adoration of bacon), but there's only so many poached/fried/scrambled eggs a girl can eat, and variety is the spice of life, and all that.

So when I happened on this recipe for crepes that are baked with ham and an egg inside, I moved straight to the top of the recipe pile.  I have to admit, I was a teeny bit intimidated by the whole making of the crepe part, but as I was getting ready the Southern husband commented that it was probably like pancakes...the first one would be a bust, and then I would get the hang of it and it would all go just fine.

I snippily reminded him who the food blogger/expert chef was in the house, and he smartly retreated to the other end of the house.  Then I started making the crepes.  The first one was a complete bust, and then I got the hang of it.   At which point I went to the other end of the house and said he kind of maybe had sort of been right, and kissed the top of his Southern head.

Anyway.

Once you are finished making the crepes and are incredibly proud of yourself for actually MAKING crepes, you lay them on a baking sheet, and line each one with a thin slice or two of ham.  Then crack an egg into the center and fold up the sides of the crepe so you have a little square package with the egg yolk peeking out.  The egg white will act as a kind of glue so the sides pretty much stay put.  Sprinkle some coarse salt and pepper on each one and pop them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes - you want the white to be set but the yolk to still be a little runny.  When they are done, sprinkle with a little parsley and you have a scrumptious, handsome little egg dish.  I made two per person and that was perfect.  And the happy recipient of that first crepe - the one that was a bust?

And they all lived happily ever after.

 Ham and Egg Crepe Squares, from Everyday Food

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 9 thin slices ham
• 9 eggs
• Chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, milk, four eggs and the melted butter in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds.  Let rest for 15 minutes.

2. Heat a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with butter.  Add 1/3 cup batter and swirl to completely cover skillet.  Cook until underside of crepe is very lightly starting to brown, about 2 minutes.  

3.  Loosen edge of crepe with spatula and then either using large spatula or your fingers, lift it up and flip it over.  Cook another minutes and then slide out of skillet onto wax paper.  Repeat until all crepes are done.  You should have about 9 when you are done.

4. Preheat oven to 350.  Place crepes on a rimmed baking sheet (you can fit 3-4 per sheet).  Place am slice in center of crepe and carefully crack egg onto ham.  Fold edges of crepe toward center, using the egg white as a kind of glue.  Season with salt and pepper and bake until egg white is set, about 10-12 minutes.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve at once.

 Click here for printable recipe

Asparagus and Ham Oven Frittata

There is something that is just so comforting about anything made with eggs.  I don't know what it is about them...maybe it reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad would make scrambled eggs for breakfast every Sunday.   At least I THINK it was my dad.  He was definitely the one who bought the crumb cake at the local bakery, and just on the basis of that I am going to go ahead and give him credit for making the scrambled eggs, too.



Hi Daddy!

Anyway,  this is why I love a good frittata - that and the fact that it is so dang easy to make.  Frittatas are usually made on the stovetop, but they can also be made in the oven and that is what I like to do -- they are amazingly easy that way.  Now, this particular one also helped me with this little project I have going on lately, which is to try a different cheese each week that I haven't tried before.  This particular week I tried a cheese called comte cheese, which was like a mash-up of cheddar and parmesan and was very delish...but if you can't lay your hands on some comte cheese, a nice sharp cheddar will work perfectly well.

So here's the deal.  Blanch a handful of asparagus in boiling water for a minute or two  - just until they are nice and bright green.  Chop up some ham (and dare I say it?  if you are clean out of ham, a handful of cooked bacon will work just fine.  Actually, if you are out of anything at all a handful of bacon will do just fine.  This is a basic truth in life.)  Mix up some eggs and toss in the ham and the cheese.  Pour it all into a round oven-safe dish.  I use a 9 inch cake pan for this - it works perfectly.  Now take your  bright green asparagus and arrange them in a pretty design, and pop the whole shebang in the oven for about 30 minutes.  Make a nice green salad in the meantime.  By the time you are finished making the salad and setting the table, your frittata will be brown and hot and wonderful.  Slice it up the same way you would slice a pie and you are all ready for the perfect comfort food meal!

Asparagus and Ham Oven Frittata, adapted from Il de France

• 8 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 cups grated comte or cheddar cheese
• 2/3 cup chopped or sliced ham
• 6 sun-dried tomato halves, softened in water and thinly sliced
• Pinch red pepper
• 14-16 asparagus spears, bottoms trimmed and blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Whisk eggs and milk until well-combined. Stir in cheese, ham, sun-dried tomato and pepper.

3. Grease a 9 inch round pan, pour in egg mixture. Arrange asparagus on top like the spokes of a wheel.

4. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Cool for 5 minutes, cut into sections and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Ham, Brie and Apple Sandwich

Ladies and gentlemen, it's HOT outside. I love my kitchen as much as the next girl, but at the end of a sultry afternoon I come home and look at the stove and I just...can't...do it. That's when it is handy to have a nice pile of sandwich recipes in your back pocket. Recipes that involve dealing with only one large kitchen appliance, and that is the refrigerator.

If you can find it under all the magnets and pieces of paper.

Take the following out of your fridge: thin sliced ham. Really good Brie cheese (I am in love with a brie-like cheese called D'Affinios. If you can find it, give it a try...it will ruin all varieties of Brie for you for the rest of your life, but it will be worth it.) Back to the fridge: you also need a nice crisp Granny Smith apple, some good bread (I used ciabatta bread for our sandwiches)...and here's the kicker. The secret ingredient. The thing that elevates this ham sandwich above all other ham sandwiches...

Mango chutney.

I'm always a little fearful of chutney, to be perfectly honest. I'm just suspicious of all those sweet and sharp bits and pieces of things all lurking together there in the same jar, and you are never really sure about what all of them are, but in this case I don't care, because it just WORKS. I used the Stonewall Kitchen variety of mango chutney and that may have had something to do with it, because everything they make is pretty much perfection. But do whatever you need to do chutney-wise.

So tonight for dinner, just say no to the stove, and hello to ham sandwiches.

Ham, Brie and Apple Sandwich, adapted from Everyday Food

• Thinly sliced ham
• Sliced Brie cheese
• Thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
• Mango chutney (or the chutney of your choice)
• Sliced bread

Spread mango chutney on bread slices. Layer ham, cheese and apple on bread, top with second piece of bread, and enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Ham and Pineapple Quesadillas, and Organizing Your Dinner!

Okay, so I admit it, I am a Type A, compulsive, inflexibly organized person. It's the only way I can keep the various parts of my life all (mostly!) heading in the right direction, and by parts I mean the care and feeding of one Southern husband, one picky but adorable teenager, one constantly hungry dog, one full-time job, and one obsession with photographing my dinner. In terms of the last one, my usual approach is to plan the menu for the week all in one fell swoop on Saturday morning by spreading cookbooks and clippings and scribbled notes all over the kitchen counter, picking out some good-sounding ones, making a giant list and hitting the local farmer's market and supermarket on Sunday morning. That way I know what I am making when I walk in the door each evening, and all the fixings are already there and waiting for me.



Now, I have gotten more than a little bit of teasing for this over the years, so I felt extremely vindicated when I heard about this new website that pretty much does EXACTLY this same thing, without the added complication of having to collect the recipes.

Relish

Relish is a service that collects a great variety of recipes, including lunches, desserts, kid-friendly dishes, vegetarian stuff -- you name it. The recipes change up every week, although the old ones are archived so if there is one you love you can go back to it. You pick out the recipes you want to make for the week, and it organizes them into a grocery list for you -- all the stuff you need to make them. When you print out the list, it prints out all the recipes too, so at the end you have a weekly menu, a grocery list with all the stuff you need to make everything, and all the recipes. It costs $7 per month, and less if you sign up in increments of 6 months or more.

Gee, what a great, organized IDEA!

The folks at Relish were nice enough to give me a gift voucher to road test this service, and so I took it out for a spin. It worked exactly as described, and the recipes were right at my level -- creative but not too fussy or elaborate for weeknight cooking. For example, the dinner pictured above, which is a ham and pineapple quesadilla with a lovely little side salad of sugar snap peas, mango, avocado, coconut and other nice things. (This was one of the things I liked best about Relish -- they don't give you the main course and then leave you to your own devices on the side dish. Each meal comes with both.) The recipe was quick and pretty easy, and delish.

So for those of you who don't get your kicks out of figuring out the weekly menu, you might want to give Relish a try. And in the meantime, try out their ham and pineapple quesadillas. I'm going to clean up my kitchen counter now.

Ham and Pineapple Quesadillas, adapted from Relish

• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 2 8 inch whole wheat tortillas
• 4 slices ham
• 1 8 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1. Spray frying pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat over high heat.

2. Divide apricot preserves over half of each tortilla. Top evenly with ham, cheese and onions. Fold tortillas in half.

3. Place tortillas in heated frying pan and reduce heat to meidum high. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until cheese is melted and tortilla is golden.

4. Cut tortilla into wedges and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Country Ham Biscuits

Remember those ham souffles from the other day? Well, as luck would have it, I still had just enough leftover ham from that little escapade to make these scrumptious little ham biscuits. They are easy as easy can be -- all you need is some leftover sliced ham, some really, really, really good mustard, and about a half hour to make these rustic little biscuits.

Now the one thing you DO have to make sure of is that you use self-rising flour. If you don't have any on hand never fear, you can make your own like this: click here. But make sure you use it, so your biscuits come out with a nice little rise to them and not like cute little bricks. All you do is mix up that flour with some butter and some buttermilk (and if you have leftover buttermilk make sure you make some of THIS!). Add in some extra flour if your dough is too sticky. Roll it out to a nice rectangle, cut it into biscuit size pieces and pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes or so. Let them cool for about 5 minutes so they are easier to cut open -- slice them in half, slather them with that nice mustard, layer on as much ham as you want and voila! Perfect, quick, delicious lunch or light dinner.

COUNTRY HAM BISCUITS, adapted from Saveur

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour

4 tbsp. butter

1 cup buttermilk

4 oz. thinly sliced cooked 


country ham or ham of choice

1. Heat oven to 425˚. Sift flour into a large bowl; mix in butter until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal. Using a wooden spoon, stir in buttermilk to form a dough. Transfer dough to a floured work surface; knead briefly until smooth.


2. Roll dough into a 1⁄4"-thick rectangle. Cut dough into twelve 4" x 3" rectangles; transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15–20 minutes. Cool slightly. To serve, slice biscuits, spread with your favorite mustard and stuff with ham.

Click here for printable recipe

Ham and Cheese Souffle

Man, I wish you could have been a fly on the wall when I was photographing this little number. Or maybe I don't. Because you see, my little food photo shoots usually go something like this: I put the dish in front of the camera and take its picture. Then I look at it on the computer screen (I have a nifty little device that connects my camera right to the laptop, not to get too technically boring but these are the things that float my boat.) Then I go back to the dish. I move it to the right. Take the picture. Check the picture. Move the light. Take the picture. Check the picture. Switch the camera angle. Take the picture. Check the picture. And so on...and usually 15 minutes later I am happy.

However, this is a souffle, people. An adorable little single serving souffle. And while souffles have gotten what I think is a bad rap over the years for being hard to make (they aren't! they are SO easy!), the other part of their reputation is totally accurate. That gorgeous airy brown puffiness that comes out of the oven doesn't last long. In fact, it lasts about 90 seconds...and then...it starts...to....deflate.

90 seconds.

On your mark...get set...PHOTOGRAPH!!! It was like an episode of the Keystone Kops, speeded up really really fast, only I was the only Kop. And I almost, almost got it -- as you will see from the picture above, it was just starting to cave in the middle just a bit as I frantically ran around trying to get my shot, leaping over the dog who always likes to lie right in between the tripod and the computer. Which added a nice extra element of calmness to the whole thing.

Anyway. If you are a sane person and decide simply to make and eat these charming little souffles and not introduce other complications, they are easy and delicious and a great way to use up any leftover ham you might have. I found the recipe in one of my new favorite magazines, Saveur, and this will definitely be making a repeat appearance on my table. I put a little chopped green salad on the side, and it was the perfect light weekend lunch. Ham and cheese souffles....you only need to be scared if you are planning to take their picture.

HAM AND CHEESE SOUFFLE, adapted from Saveur

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 4 ounces grated cheddar
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 eggs, separated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces chopped ham
• 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped chives
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Whisk in the flour to make a paste, then whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, mustard, nutmeg, egg yolks, salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat for 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in ham and chives and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Heat over to 375 and grease six 8 ounce ramekins with remaining butter. Coat the bottom and the sides of the ramekins with the Parmesan, shaking out any excess.

5. In a large bowl, whip the eggs whites to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chilled cheese mixture to make a fluffy batter.

6. Divide the batter between the ramekins and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 30 minutes.

7. Serve immediately. And when I say immediately, I mean immediately.

Click here for printable recipe

Ham with Chunky Apple Walnut Cranberry Sauce

Fall is really here, and all those summer tomatoes, all that never-ending basil, the sweet corn...it's all a memory now. But that's okay, because now we have butternut squash, and pumpkin, and apples, apples, apples. And they aren't just for dessert, no ma'am. This super-quick recipe is a luxurious tasting number that would be perfectly wonderful on a holiday table if you used a spiral cut ham...but this version uses ham steaks and therefore cooks up in about 10 minutes. The absolute longest and most challenging part is cutting up the apple (which you don't even need to peel -- we are talking coring and chopping only).

I like to get the large ham steaks -- usually sold next to the bacon in the supermarket -- and I cut them into quarters and pop them right into a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. They are fully cooked so you are just looking to heat them through and maybe get a little bit of brown on them. If you are feeling really feisty, you can send your significant other out into the brisk fall evening to grill them. Whatever way you choose to heat them up is just fine with me.

Meantime, you can throw together this chunky sauce in just about the amount of time it takes to heat up the ham. Chopped walnuts are browned briefly in butter, and then you quickly cook up the apples, with some dried cranberries, maple syrup and brown sugar. It all combines into a syrupy, succulent sauce that you ladle over your ham slice (here comes that sweet and salty combo that I love so much!) to make a quick and happy dinner that practically sings "Fall is here!" It's enough to make you not even miss those summer tomatoes. Well...almost.

HAM WITH CHUNKY APPLE WALNUT CRANBERRY SAUCE

Serves 3-4

• 1 large ham steak
• 1 medium apple, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Heat ham over medium low heat in large skillet until heated through and slightly browned.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in medium skillet over medium high heat and add walnuts. Stir until walnuts are browning, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add apple, walnuts, cranberries, syrup and brown sugar. Bring to boil and stir until sugar is dissolved and apple softens slightly, about 3 minutes.

4. Place ham slices on plates and ladle sauce over top. Serve immediately.

Click here for printable recipe

Egg and Toast Mix-Ups

Much as I love to cook, every once in a while I have one of those days where I just plain run out of ideas of what to make. I walk into the kitchen and my mind becomes a total blank. Out of gas. Sold out. No dogs allowed. Out of business. Etc. I gaze into the open refrigerator, hoping for divine inspiration, or at least some leftover pizza. Ever have one of those days?

This recipe is tailor-made for the culinary version of brain-freeze, because you (and I) very probably have everything you need for a pretty decent and tasty meal, even if your refrigerator is suggesting that you really should start dialing for take-out. Not that there is anything wrong with take-out. Nothing at all. However, if you don't want to give up without a fight, follow along with me here. Got eggs? Got bread? Then we are in business. Because working with one piece of bread and one egg, these great open-faced sandwiches can then be dressed up with pretty much any combo of the other bits and pieces of stuff you probably have in there too. You need one kind of cheese -- any kind -- and from there on in it is dealer's choice.

On this particular day I had some ham left over from my Ethan Allen sandwiches (see earlier post, yum yum yum), a somewhat aging tomato and the end of my Vermont cheddar (ditto on the Ethan Allen post). But if you have leftover Swiss, or Jack cheese, or pretty much anything meltable, that will do too. After that, it's whatever catches your fancy or is leftover in your fridge. Chopped cooked bacon. Pieces of leftover asparagus or broccoli. Diced leftover chicken. You get my drift.

Anyway, the basic premise is this: you butter the bread and put it butter side down on a cookie sheet -- I line mine with non-stick foil. Make a little dent in the center of the bread and very gently break an egg into the dent. The white will spill over the side -- do not worry. Just make sure the yolk is sitting right there in the middle. Now scatter your cheese and whatever else you have on hand over the top. Grind a little pepper on top. Pop into a preheated 450 degree oven and bake those puppies until the yolk is set -- about 15 minutes.

And there you go. A lovely lunch or light supper that looks like you had it planned out for weeks in advance. Listen, perception is reality, that's my motto. One important note about this phenomenon: it never seems to happen with dessert. I always have plenty of ideas in that area. Amazing how that works out, isn't it?!

Ethan Allen Sandwiches

Yes, I am still working my way through my post-vacation "cook every great thing I had to eat while in Vermont" syndrome. I think this might be the end of it, but it is a delicious and easy one. I should begin by saying I am a big fan of The Grilled Cheese Sandwich. If a grilled cheese sandwich ever runs for public office, I will vote for it. They are crunchy and creamy and comforting and classic. So whenever I see an unusual one on the menu, I just can't resist.


So when we were at the Little Rooster Cafe in Manchester, Vt, they had a grilled cheese sandwich on the menu that was named the Ethan Allen. I'm not sure why, unless he was also a big fan of grilled cheese, but whatever. It featured Vermont cheddar grilled with a thick layer of thin-sliced ham and slices of Granny Smith apple. Mouth-watering, right? It had my name on it, so I ordered it. Okay, it had Ethan Allen's name on it, but I still ordered it. And when it came it was a wonderful mix of the sweet apple with the savory cheese and ham. The only thing I changed when I made my version above was to cut down on the amount of ham -- I used just a few slices, so as to have an equal balance of the three flavors.

So this concludes my retrospective of Meals I Ate On My Vermont Vacation. We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.

ETHAN ALLEN SANDWICHES

Makes one terrific sandwich. Can be doubled, or tripled, or quadrupled, etc. Sandwiches are great that way.

• Two slices country bread (I used ciabiatta bread)
• 1/4 cup shredded Vermont cheddar
• 2-4 slices thin-sliced ham (or more, if you want)
• 3 thin slices Granny Smith apple
• Butter

1. Preheat griddle or skillet over medium heat
2. Butter one side of bread
3. With butter side down, layer one half of cheese, then all the ham, then all the apple, then the remaining cheese on bread slice. Place second slice of bread butter side up over all.
4. Place sandwich on griddle and toast over medium heat until golden brown, pressing down firmly with spatula several times.
5. Flip sandwich over carefully and toast on second side until golden.
6. Slice sandwich in half and serve immediately.