California's Central Coast
Ingredients
Fresh Lasagna sheets
Large tomatoes - cut into thick slices
fresh mozzarella - cut into thick slices
baby spinach leaves
basil leaves
pesto sauce
toasted pine nuts - chopped
Directions
Cut lasagna sheets into (12 ) 3.5 inch squares
Cook in a large pot of boiling water until al dente
Place one square in the center of each plate, top with a slice of tomato and
mozzarella, a couple of spinach and basil leaves and a spoonful of pesto.
Top with another layer of lasagna and layer as before finishing with a sheet of
lasagna
Place a generous spoonful of pesto on top and sprinkle with pine nuts.
Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 pounds thin chicken breats -- cut into pieces about 2-by-3 inches
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil -- plus more for brushing
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 bunches arugula -- tough stems discarded (10 ounces)
1/4 cup very thinly sliced sweet onion -- such as Vidalia
Directions
Light a grill. In a small bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese with the chopped chives,
parsley and lemon zest. Spread the chicken pieces on a work surface and season
them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the Parmesan mixture on the veal
and roll the pieces up to form neat cylinders.
Thread the chicken rolls onto pairs of parallel bamboo or metal skewers, leaving
1/4 inch between each of the veal rolls. Brush the rolls with olive oil and
season them with salt and pepper. Grill the skewers over a hot fire, turning
them once or twice, until the veal is lightly charred but still slightly pink in
the center, about 6 minutes. Transfer the skewers to a platter.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the lemon juice with the 2 tablespoons of
olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula and onion and toss to
coat. Mound the salad on the platter beside the veal skewers, sprinkle with the
remaining Parmesan mixture and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The chicken skewers can be refrigerated overnight before grilling.
Let the rolls return to room temperature before grilling them.
Ingredients
One 12-pound fresh ham roast from the leg -- bone in
10 garlic cloves -- halved
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Remove the skin from the ham, leaving a thick layer of fat. Using a 4-inch
paring knife, make incisions all over the ham about 1 inch apart and as deep as
the blade will go.
2. In a mortar, pound the garlic to a paste. Add the rosemary, 2 teaspoons of
kosher salt and the fennel seeds and pound until finely crushed. Stir in the
olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
3.Using a chopstick, push 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic paste deep into each
incision. Rub any remaining paste all over the ham. Set the ham fat side up and,
using a knife, score the fat 1/2 inch deep in a crosshatch pattern. Wrap the ham
in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 300°. Set the ham in a roasting pan in which it fits
snugly and bring to room temperature. Rub the ham with generous amounts of
kosher salt and pepper. Roast the ham in the oven for 3 hours. Drain the pan
juices and fat into a small saucepan; skim off the fat. Return the ham to the
oven and roast for 3 hours longer, or until it is deeply browned and the meat is
very tender.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Spoon any pan juices and fat into the
small saucepan and skim again. Let the roast stand for 15 minutes. Heat the
juices, adding a little water if the flavor is too strong. Cut the crisp fat
from the top of the ham, then carve the ham and serve with the crisp fat and pan
juices.
Ingredients
2 cups drained and rinsed canned cannellini beans (one 19-ounce can)
4 cups water -- more if needed
3 slices bacon -- cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary -- crumbled
1 onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
2 carrots -- chopped
1 rib celery -- chopped
3/4 pound cabbage (about 1/2 small head) -- chopped (about 3 cups)
3/4 pound Swiss chard -- tough stems removed, leaves washed well and chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
2 cups canned tomatoes with their juice (from a 28-ounce can)
2 1 1/4 inch -- ¥
1 thick slices country bread
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°. In a food processor, combine 1 cup of the beans with 1
cup of the water and puree until smooth. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for
3 minutes. Add the rosemary, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and cook,
stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. Add
the cabbage, chard, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the cabbage
wilts, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with the
back of a spoon, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 3 cups of water and bring
to a simmer. Stir in the bean puree and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the bread on a baking sheet and toast until golden, turning once,
about 15 minutes. Add the remaining beans and the toasted bread to the soup.
Increase the heat to moderately high and bring just to a boil, stirring to break
up the bread. If the soup is too thick, stir in some additional water.
Ingredients
3 pounds sweet Italian sausage -- cut into 3-inch lengths
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 pounds red or green seedless grapes -- stemmed (6 to 7 cups)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over
high heat. Prick the sausages with the tip of a knife or a metal skewer and add
them to the boiling water. Boil the sausages gently for 8 minutes, then drain
them and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large roasting pan over low heat. Add the grapes to the pan
and toss to coat them with the butter. With tongs transfer the parboiled
sausages to the pan and push them down into the grapes so that the sausages will
not brown too quickly.
Roast the sausages and grapes in the preheated oven, turning the sausages once,
until the grapes are soft and the sausages have browned, 20 to 25 minutes. With
a slotted spoon, transfer the sausages and grapes to a heated serving platter.
Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over a medium-high flame and add the
balsamic vinegar. Stir to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan
and cook the vinegar and juices until they are thick and syrupy.
Pour the sauce over the sausages and grapes and serve immediately
Ingredients
2 Bartlett pears--peeled -- cut into 8 wedges and cored
3/4 cup Moscato d'Asti
1 cup hazelnuts (4 ounces)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter -- softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions
In a bowl, combine the pears with the Moscato d'Asti and let stand at room
temperature for 2 to 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour an 8-by-1-inch round cake pan.Put the
hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, or until richly
browned. Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel and let cool completely. Rub
the hazelnuts in the towel to remove the skins. In a food processor, pulse the
nuts until they're finely ground; be careful not to overprocess to a paste.
In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat 6 tablespoons of the butter with
1/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time,
until thoroughly incorporated. Add the vanilla, then fold in the hazelnuts and
flour.
In a stainless-steel bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the
remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until almost-firm shiny peaks form.
Stir one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold
in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for
about 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Transfer the cake to a rack and let it cool slightly in the pan. Run a thin
knife around the cake and unmold it. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel.
Drain the Moscato d'Asti into a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat until
reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Let the syrup cool, then
refrigerate.
In a large skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the pears and
cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Arrange
the pear wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern.
In a stainless-steel bowl, beat the cream until it starts to thicken. Add the
reduced Moscato d'Asti and beat until soft peaks form. Serve the hazelnut cake
with the whipped cream.
NOTES
Cooking Club Tip: This cake relies on whipped egg whites for volume. It's
easiest to separate eggs when they are cold because they are not as fluid as
when they are at room temperature.
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