​Serves 8-9
 
3 lb. fresh string beans, washed and trimmed
⅔ cup of good green olive oil
½ cup finely shredded, fresh mint
3-4 tablespoons orange zest
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. In a jar, mix the oil, mint, zest, salt and pepper.
3. Shake the jar well, until fully blended.
4. Place the beans in the boiling water and let cook for 3 to 5 minutes.  Drain immediately.
5. Remove beans to a serving dish.  Drizzle the dressing over the top.  Toss gently and serve hot.

 

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves 8

4 ripe quince, washed
¾ cup sugar
1 cup fresh, light ricotta or requesón cheese – room temperature.
16-24 thin slices of country baguette

1. Preheat oven to 300◦.
2. Place quince in a baking dish and bake until soft, about 2 hours.
3. Let cool to room temperature.
4. Peel and core quinces. Chop them into pieces and place in a processor.
5. Add the sugar to the processor and pulse until quince and sugar are well blended.
6. Pour the quince mixture into a large nonstick saucepan and cook over a medium low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring until it thickens and turns pink. Scrape the bottom and stir in whatever paste caramelizes on the bottom.
7. Pour and scrape the paste into a shallow dish. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.
8. When ready to serve, loosen the jelled paste from the sides of the dish with a flat knife. Place a dish over the paste dish and invert, de-molding the paste from the dish.
9. Cut the jelled paste into bite-sized pieces.
10. Place a dab of the cheese on each small piece of bread. Top with a piece of the paste and serve. 

​Serves: 4
 
Olive oil
2 to 3 medium to large zucchini, cut into ¼ to ½ inch vertical slices
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage meat, crumbled and browned
8 oz. ricotta
¼ cup fresh parsley, shredded
8 oz. shredded* cheese- choose from or blend: mozzarella,
                        provelone, pecorino, or fontina
3 to 4 tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese.

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Smear or spray the bottom of a 13”x9” baking dish with a small amount of olive oil.
3. Add the first layer of zucchini slices covering the bottom of the pan, slightly overlapping where necessary.
4. Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese atop the zucchini slices in the baking dish.
5. Press a spare layer of crumbled browned sausage into the ricotta.
6. Sprinkle lightly with parsley.
7. Sprinkle with shredded cheese/s.
8. Repeat with another layer of zucchini, etc.  You will need at least three or four layers depending on the depth of the baking dish.
9. Sprinkle the top layer with the Parmesan cheese.
10. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 40 minutes.  Test the doneness with a toothpick.  Timing will vary based on thickness of the zucchini slices.  Fully cooked slices will yield gently to the toothpick, though they should remain slightly firm, not mushy.  The Parmesan cheese top should be golden brown and bubbled.
11. Serve while hot.

 
*Shredded cheese pieces are larger and melt a bit slower that the finely grated, commercially available cheeses.

​Serves: 4
 
4 medium bell peppers, tops removed, cored and de-seeded
1 cup cooked farro, prepared according to packager*
2 small to medium leeks, thinly sliced and minced
½ cup shredded parsley
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup white wine
3 tablespoons shredded cheese (Fontina, Swiss, Monterey Jack, etc)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
 

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the leeks and sauté until transparent.
3. Add the salt and pepper to taste and the wine to the leeks.  Mix well and set aside.
4. Place the cooked farro in a bowl.  Add the leek mixture, the parsley and the cheese.  Mix all the ingredients together well.
5. Spoon the farro mixture into each of the prepared peppers.
6. Bake the peppers for about 20 minutes.  Serve hot.

 
*I prefer to cook farro in chicken broth rather than water.

​Serves:6
 
3 large eggplants, trimmed and cut lengthwise into slices ¼ to ⅓ inch thick.
Spray bottle of good green olive oil
1 cup plus good green olive oil
10 to 12 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
⅓ cup of pignoli seeds (called nuts, but actually a seed)
½ cup golden Sultanas (golden raisins), soaked in hot water, then drained
3 tablespoons Panko crumbs
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
Zest of 1 large lemon
2 teaspoons of fresh, shredded mint
3 tablespoons of fresh, shredded basil
1 large egg, beaten
3 cups diced tomatoes, well drained
10 ounces of shredded mozzarella
Extra fresh basil and/or mint leaves for garnish
 

1. Preheat your grill or broiler.
2. Lightly spray both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil.
3. Grill or broil the eggplant slices for about 3 to 4 minutes a side.  Allow to cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350º.
5. In a large bowl, combine feta, pine nuts, raisins, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, Panko crumbs, garlic, lemon zest, mint and basil.  Mix in egg, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Arrange eggplant slices on a flat surface.  Spoon the feta mixture, divided evenly, across the sliced eggplant and smooth it out over the top of each slice.
7. Roll up slices tightly to secure filling, and place each roll in a 9 X 13 X 2 inch baking dish, fitting them snugly together.
8. Spoon the tomatoes along the top of the eggplant rolls.
9. Sprinkle the mozzarella across the top of the rolls and tomatoes.
10. Place the baking dish into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
11. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.  Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

​ROBERTA’S OF BROOKLYN PIZZA DOUGH
                                                Adapted from New York Times
 
Makes:  Two 12” pie crusts
 
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Italian Pizza flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Extra flour for surface working
 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours and salt.
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together 200 grams (a little less than 1 cup) lukewarm tap water, the yeast and the olive oil, then pour it into flour mixture.
3. Knead with your hands until well combined, approximately 3 minutes, then let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
4. Knead rested dough for 3 minutes.  Cut into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.  Place on a heavily-floured surface, cover with dampened cloth, and let rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (If you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.)
5. To make pizza, place each dough ball on a heavily-floured surface and use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds or squares.  Top (see below) and bake of 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your dough crust.

 
NOTE:  You can freeze one of the dough balls for another time.
 
TRI-PIZZA TOPPINGS
 
Vegetarian Third:
⅓ cup of tomatillo salsa verde
½ cup of Fontina cheese, shredded
8 to 10 slices of zucchini
8 to 10 thick slices of tomato
10 to 12 halves of yellow cherry tomatoes
 
Alternative Third #1
⅓ cup tomato sauce
½ cup mozzarella, shredded
15 to 20 slices of pepperoni
¼ cup small basil leave, or large shredded leaves
 
Alternative Third #2
⅓ cup tomato sauce
½ cup Pecorino Romano
15 to 20 slices of sausage
¼ cup small basil leave, or large shredded leaves
 

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. With a paper towel, rub a tiny bit of olive oil onto the surface of your pizza pan.
3. Flatten and push out your dough out into a circle on a heavily-floured surface, working quickly.  Turning your crust occasionally while working it, until you have reached the desired thickness and size.  (See the two links above for a helpful demonstration of various techniques.)
4. Place the crust dough onto your pizza pan.
5. Arrange each third of the pie toppings on the crust.
6. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of your pan and the thickness of your crust.

 
NOTE: Whatever sauces you choose to use, be certain that it is thick and without a layer of loose liquid or moisture on top.  It will make the pie soggy.