Baked Potato with Tomato-Basil Relish and Balsamic Drizzle

• 2 baked Idaho® russet potatoes
• 4 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced (about 1 cup sliced)
• 1 clove garlic, very finely minced or use a garlic press
• 6-8 basil leaves, stacked, rolled and cut into ribbons
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• Garnish: 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze

1. Place sliced tomatoes, garlic, basil ribbons, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper into a medium bowl and mix to combine.
2. Cut a slit into the warm baked potatoes and fluff up the flesh with a fork.
3. Divide tomato relish between the two potatoes.
4. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
5. Serve immediately.

BAKED KALE CHIPS

1 HEAD OF KALE, WASHED AND THOROUGHLY DRIES

3 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL

2 TEASPOONS SEA SALT, FOR SPRINKLING

*****   A QUICK TIP ****   KALE SHOULD NOT BE COLD, ROOM TEMPERTURE

DIRECTIONS

PREHEAT OVEN TO 275 DEGREES. ROMOVE THE RIBS FROM THE KALE

AND CUT OR BREAK INTO ONE AND A HALF INCH PIECES.

BAKE FOR 10 MINUTES AND THEN FLIP OVER FOR AN ADDITIONAL 10 MINUTES.

ENJOY, THIS HEALTHY SNACK !!!

FILLING

3/4 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Dash cinnamon
Dash ginger
Dash clove
Black pepper
Handful of bread crumbs

Sage Butter Sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons dried sage

3 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces, melted

In a small bowl, blend cornstarch with cold water.  In a small pot, heat chicken broth over high heat and cook 3 minutes, or until slightly reduced.  Add dried sage and cornstarch mixture and boil for 1 minute.

Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter until melted.

Homemade Ravioli   

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

3 eggs, plus 1 for egg wash

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.  Make a well in the center of the flour, add in the eggs all at once, and mix them together well using your hands.  Add the olive oil and knead the dough for 5 minutes.  Form into a ball and leave in the bowl, covered with plastic wrap for 30 minutes.  Take a small piece of the dough and either run it through a pasta machine a few times or use a rolling pin, using some flour and muscle to create a thin sheet.  Cut circles out of the dough using a cookie cutter or a glass.  Place 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin filling in the center of half of the circles and lightly brush egg wash around the edge of the circle.  Place the second circle on top over the filling and use a fork to crimp the edges all around.  Continue with the remaining pasta dough until all of the dough and filling have been used.  To cook the ravioli, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the ravioli, and cook for 2-3 minutes (they’re done once they float to the top).  Drain, toss the pumpkin ravioli with sage butter sauce, and enjoy!

Makes  6 to 8 servings

6  Large Apples  ( A mix of different apples is great)

3  Tablespoons sugar

3  Teaspoons ground cinnamon

2  Teaspoons instant tapioca

1  Baked  9-inch pie shell

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

CRUMB TOPPING

1 1/2 cups flour

1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) butter

Preheat the oven to 375*F

Peel, core, and slice the apples and place in a large bowl. Add the sugar,

cinnamon, and tapioca and stir together until the apples are well coated.

Spoon the apple mixture into the pie shell. Dot with butter or margarine

and set aside.

For the crumb topping, place the flour, cinnamon, and sugar in a large

bowl and cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the

mixture has the texture of course cornmeal. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top of the apples.

Bake the pie for 40 to 45 minutes

.

Enjoy the Taste of Fall

• 2 heads broccoli, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries
• 1/2 small onion, red or white, diced
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3/4 cup of cashew nuts
• 
  

• 1-1/4 cups mayonnaise 
• 3-4 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar 
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 
  

In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over broccoli and stir until well coated.  Chill and serve. 

Break apart broccoli into florets.  You can also cut up stems.  Steam broccoli until fork tender.  Do not over cook.  In a large bowl put in broccoli.  Squeeze the juice of the lemons and add the olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir until well coated.  You can either serve it at room temperature or refrigerate.  

 Pop's Tomato Sandwich - 1 Serving

2 - slices Italian semolina bread

1 medium-sized to large New Jersey Tomato sliced

2 or 3 thin slices sweet onion

olive oil

 balsamic vinegar 

dried oregano 

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

For this sandwich, you need the best semolina bread, perfectly ripe new jersey tomatoes, and the best olive oil. ( We always had olive oil and vinegar in the truck). If we were near a delicatessen or general store, sometimes my father would buy a little jar of mayonnaise and use that too. If you're using mayonnaise , spread a thin layer on both slices of bread. Then cover one piece with a thick layer of tomato slices, then thinlysliced onions. Sprinkle some hot pepper on top( as i got older i cut out the hot pepper)Dress with olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Top with second slice of bread.

TAKE A BITE AND YOU WILL KNOW IT'S SUMMER !!!
 

We have all kinds of upscale restaurants, and there is a lot of interest in complicated cuisines, but sometimes it's the really simple things that give you the most pleasure. When I was a kid, I had to help my father sell produce out of the back of his truck. At lunchtime he'd stop at some little store and buy a loaf of Italian bread. Then we'd find a place where we could pull off to the side of the road. He'd put down a piece of cardboard for a cutting board, slice the bread, cut up a tomato and an onion, and make tomato sandwiches. Sometimes when I come home from work and I'm too bushed to prepare or even eat a full meal, I'll make myself a tomato sandwich. Food brings back memories. You can sit down with the most ordinary things on your mind and eat something good and it will bring back memories - things you haven't thought about in years. Even memories that might not start out being so good seem to improve as time goes by. At the time I hated peddling fruits and vegetables out of that truck with Pop, but now I wish I had the time to pull off to the side of the road they way we did then. We don't have the luxury of slowing down - everything is geared to working and being productive. Produce, produce, produce! Wouldn't I love to be able to take my son and go sit by the side of the road and have a tomato sandwich? With the perfect ripe red tomato and good bread, there's nothing better. 

• 2 eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1/8 or 1/4 inch slices
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/4 cup milk 
• bread crumbs
• salt to taste 
• vegetable or olive oil 
• Prepared tomato sauce 

Filling

• 1 ½ pounds ricotta cheese
• 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese grated 
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 
  

Dip the eggplant slices in egg and milk mixture, then coat with bread crumbs, both sides. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot and fry eggplant until golden brown; drain on paper towels. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together all of the filling ingredients.

In a large baking pan, place sauce on bottom of pan to cover. 

Spread a thin layer of cheese mixture onto each slice of eggplant. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in baking pan. Once the pan is filled with the rollatini pour sauce over the rolls and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Also, sprinkle some Parmesan or Romano cheese over top.

Bake in preheated 350° oven for 20 - 25 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Ingredients

2 lbs Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 lb String Beans

1/2 cup of Corn or other light oil

1/4 cup Wine Vinegar

Pinch of Garlic Power

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

Instructions

In a large saucepan of water, boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Drain and set

aside to cool. In a medium -sized saucepan, steam the string beans until 

barely tender. Drain and run quickly under cold water to set their color.

Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, beans, oil, vinegar, garlic power, salt, and 

pepper. Mix well. Add more oil and vinegar if needed. Served chilled or at

room temperature.

ENJOY, This is one of my favorite dishes my mom would make, she was the best cook, and could make something so inexpensive taste like a gourmet meal.

• FOR THE BATTER
• 2  Eggs
• 1/2  Teaspoon of Salt
• 8-9   Tablespoons of Flour
• 1/4    Cup of Milk or Half and Half

• FOR THE STUFFING
• 8-10  Zucchini Flowers
• 1 Small Fresh Mozzarella.  Cut in Small Pieces

• In a medium-sized bowl using a whisk beat eggs well, whisk in salt, then flour one tablespoon at a time for the first five tablespoons,  then add milk, whisk until smooth, and then add last three to four tablespoons, and continue whisking until smooth,The batter should be thick enough to coat the zucchini.
• To Clean the zucchini, trim the top of the flower, then cut down the middle and remove the middle stem (stamen) leaving  approximately 1/2 inch  of stem. Rinse and dry with a paper towel.
• Stuff the flower with approximately 3 cubes of mozzarella. Dip in the batter and coat well. Fry till golden in hot oil and then drain on paper towels .
• Serve and Enjoy !!!

• 4 zucchini 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried  mint leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Slice zucchini with skins on. In a large skilled heat oil and fry until golden brown. Set aside. In a medium casserole layer the fried zucchini with vinegar, chopped garlic, salt, pepper and mint leaves. 

Cover casserole and let zucchini marinate at room temperature. You may serve it hot or at room temperature. 

 Bette's Artichokes 

4 Purple Artichokes  Medium to Large Size

 2 cups breadcrumbs

 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

 1 tablespoon garlic powder

 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

 ¼ cup water

3/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons parsley flakes

Rinse the artichokes well, remove the small outer leaves from the bottom row around artichoke, cut off the stem and slice about 1 inch off of the top. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and pepper. Add the melted butter, water and oil and mix well.  If needed, add more water or oil to make stuffing very moist.Turn the artichokes upside down and press firmly to spread the leaves. Turn right side up and stand the artichokes in a large pot with about 1 ½ inches of water in the bottom. Cover and steam over medium-high heat about 20-25 minutes or until the artichokes are tender, checking the water level occasionally and adding more water as needed.  Stuff the breadcrumb mixture into the center and inside surrounding layers of leaves.  Put onto microwavable plate and microwave for approximately 3-4 minutes or before serving put into pan covered tightly with foil and place in 350° oven for approximately 20 minutes.    

Malfatti 4 to 6 servings

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup finely chopped onions

4 cups Swiss chard, cooked, drained, and chopped

2 pounds ground beef

1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

4 eggs

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup flour

4 cups tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350ᵒF.

In a skillet, melt the butter, add the onion, and sauté until lightly browned. In a large

bowl, mix the sautéed onion, Swiss chard, ground beef, 1 cup grated cheese, eggs, and

bread crumbs. Take a small handful of the mixture and form into sausage like rolls

about 3 inches long.

Place some flour in a dish and roll each malfatti in flour until well coated. Bring a large

saucepan half full of water to a boil. Place the malfatti's into the pan and boil until they

float to the top, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain.

Cover the bottom of the baking pan with tomato sauce and place the malfatti in the

pan in a single layer. Cover with sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan

cheese. Bake for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

• 1/2 pound broccoli rabe 
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 3 garlic clove, diced 
• 1/2  pound sausage, no casing 
• 3/4  pound ricotta cheese (whole milk) 
• 1/2  cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3  tablespoons grated cheese 
• 1 egg
• 2 pie crusts for bottom and top
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 

Sauté garlic and oil until lightly browned and add broccoli rabe; sauté until tender. Strain the broccoli rabe and garlic mixture to remove the excess liquid. Chop the mixture finely, and set aside for later use. Cook the sausage meat and the diced onions until the mixture is fully cooked.  Drain the sausage mixture of any excess liquid.  Make sure the sausage and onion mixture is chopped, without any large pieces of meat. Add sausage mixture to the broccoli rabe mixture.  Blend well.  Next, add the ricotta, mozzarella, grated cheese and egg.   Stir until mixed well.  Add broccoli rabe and sausage mixture to the pie crust, and distribute evenly.  Add pie crust over the top.  Cut a vent hole in the center of the pie. Pinch the edges of the two crusts together. Brush the top of the pie and the edges with a beaten egg yolk.    Place pie on a cookie sheet, and bake at 375° for 45 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving .