Ingredients

• 1 European cucumber, peeled if desired and cut in medium dice
• Salt to taste
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded if desired, cut in thin wedges or diced
• 1 small ripe honeydew melon or cantaloupe, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice or shaped into melon balls
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon mild honey, like clover, or agave nectar
• 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil, rice bran oil or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• Fresh watercress for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Put the cucumbers in a colander set in the sink or a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.

2. Toss the cucumbers, tomatoes and melon together in a bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, salt to taste, lime juice, honey and oil and toss with the fruit and vegetable mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

3. Just before serving, toss with the herbs. Line plates with watercress if desired. Taste the salad, adjust the seasonings and serve over the watercress.

Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of radishes
• 1 cup plain white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. kosher salt
• 3 cups water
• 2 fresh Thai chiles, split lengthwise
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 small piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin rounds

Preparation

Wash and trim the radishes, leaving about half an inch of stem. Cut the radishes in half lengthwise and put them in a 2-quart jar with a lid. In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt with water and bring to a boil. Cook for a minute to dissolve the sugar and salt completely. Remove from heat and let cool until warm. Add the chiles, garlic, and ginger to the jar and pour enough of the warm liquid over the radishes to completely cover them. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least twenty-four hours and up to several weeks.

Garden and Gun, August/September 2012

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatoes, diced
• 3/4 pound cucumbers (1 European or 4 Persian), diced
• 1 green pepper, preferably a long green Italian frying pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Turkish or Aleppo pepper
• Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 ounces feta, crumbled (1/4 to 1/2 cup) (optional)
• Black olives as desired (optional)
• Romaine lettuce leaves and pita bread for serving (optional)

Preparation

Combine all of the ingredients except the olives and romaine in a large bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes toss together, taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with olives and serve, with pita bread and romaine lettuce if desired.

Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. quinoa
• 2 1/2 c. water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3/4 tbsp. aji amarillo paste
• 2 tbsp. “Delicioso adobo” (follows)
• 3 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp. of olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• salt to taste

Delicioso adobo

• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder or flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon achiote powder (ground annato)
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt

Preparation

Rinse the quinoa well and dry it in a colander. Put it in a medium saucepan, add the water and cook for 20 minutes or until the quinoa starts to pop. Drain it. Put the oil and butter in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook until the onion is transparent, 5-7 minutes. dd the aji amarillo paste, the “Delicioso adobo,” the parsley (save a bit for garnish), and salt to taste. Add the drained quinoa and mix completely. Serve hot with the rest of the parsley sprinkled on top.

Ingrid Hoffman, Delta Sky Magazine (trans. from Spanish)

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 pound bacon slices, chopped
• 2 6-ounce bags baby spinach leaves
• 2 medium-size red apples (such as Red Delicious or Gala), halved, cored, thinly sliced [CP: replace this with Granny Smith]
• 1 cup very thinly sliced red onion
• 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cubed

Preparation

Whisk oil, powdered sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, dry mustard, paprika and ground ginger in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sauté chopped bacon slices in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer chopped bacon to paper towel and drain. Combine baby spinach leaves, apple slices, red onion, avocado and bacon in large bowl. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat. Divide salad among plates and serve.

Bon Appetit, December 2000

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cooked shrimp
• 1/2 lb. frozen peas
• 1 cup chopped celery [or 1 green apple, julienned]
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon
• 1/8 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 oz. chow mein noodles
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preparation

Combine shrimp, peas, celery, and onion and chill.

Mix next five ingredients and chill.

Combine shrimp, sauce, noodles and almonds and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups warm whole milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Farro:

• 2 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
• 1 cup grated Gruyere
• 1/2 cup fontina cheese, grated
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups faro or barley, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
• Olive oil, for drizzling

[N.B.: The recipe size here is for a 13x9" dish, which is a lot given how heavy it is. You should strongly consider halving it.]

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

For the sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 8 minutes (do not allow the mixture to boil). Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the farro: In a large bowl, add the cheeses and stir to combine. Remove 1/2 cup of the mixture and reserve. In a large stock pot, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the farro, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the faro is tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, if necessary. Add the farro, thyme, and sauce to the bowl with the cheese. Stir until combined and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the reserved 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake until the top is golden brown and forms a crust, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Giada de Laurentiis, FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions, divided
• 6 tablespoons annatto oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 6 ounces Münster cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)

Preparation

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cover potatoes with cold water in a medium pot, then stir in 1 teaspoon salt and simmer until very tender, about 18 minutes.

While potatoes simmer, cook garlic and 1/3 cup scallions in 2 tablespoons annatto oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomato and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add milk and bring to a bare simmer, then remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until combined well. Keep peanut sauce warm, covered, off heat.

Drain potatoes, then mash in a bowl.

Cook remaining 1/2 cup scallions with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in 2 tablespoons annatto oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until scallions are softened, then stir into potatoes along with cheese. Form potato mixture into 8 balls and flatten each into a 3-inch patty.

Heat 1 tablespoon annatto oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then fry cakes in 2 batches, turning over once, until crusty, about 6 minutes per batch. Add remaining tablespoon annatto oil for second batch.

Gently reheat peanut sauce, thinning to a creamy consistency with a little water if necessary. Season sauce with salt and serve with potato cakes.

Gourmet, September 2007

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp groundnut oil
• 6 long dried chillies
• 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 whole star anise (optional)
• 100g/3½oz smoked lardons, cut into 1cm/½in thick pieces
• 1 red chilli, de-seeded, finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp clear rice vinegar or cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 200g/7oz cucumber, halved lengthways, de-seeded and sliced into 1cm/½in thick wedges
• pinch sea salt
• 1-2 pinches dried chilli flakes [CP: omit for heat]
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp chili oil [CP: omit for heat]
• 1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• dry-roasted peanuts (optional)

Preparation

Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir fry for a few seconds, or until fragrant.

Add the star anise (if using), bacon lardons and chilli and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the lardons have turned golden-brown at the edges.

Add the rice wine or sherry, vinegar and sesame oil and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the cucumber and stir-fry for a few more seconds.

Season with sea salt, dried chilli flakes and lime juice, stirring well.

Pile the stir-fry onto a serving plate, drizzle over the chilli oil, garnish with the chopped coriander, sprinkle over some peanuts, if using, and serve immediately.

Ching-He Huang, Chinese Food Made Easy, BBC

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds whole small button mushrooms, wiped clean
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Gray sea salt
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves

Preparation

In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms. Do not move the mushrooms until they have caramelized on the bottom. If you toss them too soon, they will release their liquid and begin to steam. When the bottoms are caramelized, toss them and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the butter. Cook and toss for 5 minutes, until beautifully browned.

Season with salt and add the garlic. Saute another 2 minutes, and add the thyme, lemon juice, and white wine. Cook to evaporate the liquid.

Toss in the parsley and serve immediately.

Michael Chiarello, Food Network