Spinach Salad

All you need is a nice loaf of crusty bread to go with this salad and you have dinner! (how easy was that?!)

½ cup  extra virgin olive oil

½ cup  red wine vinegar

¼ cup  chopped red onion

¼ cup   sugar

1 ½ tsp  paprika

1 tsp dry mustard powder

1 tsp  salt

½ tsp  freshly cracked black pepper

10 oz   bag baby spinach

4  slices crisply* cooked bacon broken into bits

2  hard boiled eggs, sliced

8 oz   artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half

Mix all dressing in a jar and shake. Set aside. Immediately before serving, mix all ingredients in a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing. Enjoy! 

* for crisp bacon - preheat oven to 400. Place the bacon side by side on a cookie sheet (do not overlap) cook for 15 minutes and drain on paper towels.  Take a cooking scissor and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. 

Beefsteak Tomato, Red Onion, and Mozzarella Platter with Basil Drizzle

An August favorite... when basil and tomatoes are plentiful in the Northeast!  This dish is typically served with balsamic vinegar reduction drizzled on top. I prefer to serve it with this tangy dressing my friend, Chris gave me!
Serves 6–8

Dressing
½ cup good-quality mayonnaise
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
15 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salad
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1–2 (16 oz.) logs fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Dressing
Place all the dressing ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor and blend. While blending, slowly pour in the oil. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, stop blending, pour into a separate container with a spout, and reserve.
Salad
Assemble the platter by alternately arranging tomatoes, red onions, and mozzarella. Immediately before serving, drizzle the sauce over the platter.
This recipe can be found in Country Comfort: Cooking Across America and Summer Favories. 

Black Bean Salsa

Andrea Garro from Vista, California shared her recipe with us for our Cooking Across America cookbook. She describes it as, " a simple and delicious recipe that includes all the favorite local California flavors, such as corn, cilantro, avocados, limes, and jalapeños. I've been making it for years, and, whenever I bring this salsa to a potluck gathering, it is devoured. If you decide to make it, just be prepared to share the recipe....they will ask for it."

Serves 12

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained or 6 ears fresh corn
2 large organic tomatoes, chopped
2 large avocados (see Chef’s Tips tab on avocado)
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (see Chef's Tips tab on chiles)or 2-3 jarred mild jalapeno rings
1 bunch organic cilantro, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄2 large red onion, chopped
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill for 1 hour or more. I altered it slightly by adding 1 teaspoon of cumin... just because I love the flavor!
Enjoy!
Mary Elizabeth  

North Fork Cioppino

Thanks to Chef Claudia Helinski of Salamander’s Bakery and General Store, Greenport, NY for sharing her recipe with us for Country Comfort: Cooking Across America!  I put a spin on it by adding fresh corn.

Serves 8–10

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 TBL garlic cloves, chopped

3 large Spanish onions, chopped

3 fennel bulbs, cored and thinly sliced

1 bunch scallions, sliced

½ bottle (350 ml.) local dry white wine

2 quarts tomatoes, super-ripe, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or canned plum tomatoes

Heaping teaspoon saffron

1 TBL turmeric

1 TBL fennel seed

2 pounds assortment of local littleneck clams, lobster, chopped,

mussels, and/or scallops

2 quarts shellfish stock or good-quality fish fumet

2–3 pounds codfish fillets, deboned and cubed

Fresh parsley, for garnish

Sea or kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Gently heat the olive oil in a deep, non-reactive pot large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add red pepper flakes and garlic, and cook to a light golden color. Add Spanish onions and fennel, cooking until

translucent. Add scallions, white wine, tomatoes, saffron, turmeric, and fennel seed, cooking until the fresh fennel is tender (about 15 minutes). Add clams and lobster (if using) and shellfish stock (or fish

fumet), and cook, removing the clams to a warm serving bowl as they open. Add cod and mussels, leaving any scallops to add to the stew at

the very last minute after removing from the heat. Taste for seasoning and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with rustic bread and salad.