First Courses

Make this pie during the high tomato season and you just can’t lose; those big ripe local tomatoes will do all the work for you. After you slice and salt the tomatoes and roll out the dough, the rest is simple. (If you want to cheat, use a store bought pie shell instead of homemade dough. Just let it soften enough so you can ease it into the tart tin. By the way, feel free to substitute other fresh herbs… more »

Haven’t you often wondered how they make the delicious citrus dressing that glorifies the Iceberg salads often served at sushi restaurants? The orange dressing in this recipe is my attempt at duplicating it, and I think I’ve come pretty close. With the dressing in hand, I wondered just which ingredients—other than Iceberg lettuce—to dress. I came up with a refreshing combination of shrimp, avocado, and cucumbers. The chiles and mint also help to make this a lively entree or first… more »

This totally refreshing summertime soup is a breeze to make; all you need is a blender. The key is to find really ripe melons and be sure that the soup is served very cold. It looks great, too, because the two purees don’t mix, when you pour them into the bowl—they hang out together side by side in a happy little yin-yang pattern. The strawberry mixture and sour cream are like the cherry on top. 1 small very ripe cantaloupe,… more »

I just love salad. When I’m in the city, I eat salad every day for lunch. When I’m on the road for business, I often order salad from room service for dinner. Of course, I understand that not everyone shares this leafy passion (take my husband, please), so when I make a salad for my family or guests, I try to dress it up. I think of this as the ultimate spinach salad because of all of the elements—other more »

Cory Van Horn recently sent me this photo along with an e-mail saying “I made your ‘Summer Salad from Paris’. . . . This recipe is delicious! I loved how all the flavors scream summer.” You can find more of his work at www.culinarycory.com. Janis Adler is my sister-in-law.  When I went to France to do an apprenticeship in the late Seventies, Jan made the trip with me and we had a lot of fun banging around for a few… more »

This dish, from Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals…, is perfect for those warm summer nights when you don’t even want to switch on the stove. Melon and prosciutto is such a refreshing summertime appetizer that I wondered if there was a way to make it entrée-hearty without ruining its essential appeal.  I did it by adding watermelon and feta cheese to the lineup.  These two play together beautifully – the sweet watermelon and the salty feta, hand in hand, more »

Posted with permission of author, from Caprial’s Soups & Sandwiches… by Caprial Pence. Ingredients 8 cups chicken, fish, or seafood stock 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, minced Kernels cut from 12 ears fresh corn (about 10 cups) 1 cup dry white wine 2 cups heavy whipping cream 2 teaspoons cayenne sauce, or to taste 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Salt Freshly ground black pepper Roasted red bell pepper puree for garnish* Basil puree, for garnish** more »

Patricia Fairbanks of West Townsend, MA sent me this recipe. She says to plan on one cereal bowl per person and to be sure to cover the cooked gnocchi with sauce. My son, Sam, thought these were great. Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed 6 cups unsifted durum or all-purpose flour 6 large eggs 1 pint sour cream 1 teaspoon salt Makes 12 servings Cook, drain, and mash the potatoes; cool to room temperature.… more »

A favorite from my friend and colleague Jean Anderson. Makes 4 servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 large scallions, trimmed and finely chopped (include some green tops) 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 firm-ripe Haas avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced One 15 1/2-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained One 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained well 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh… more »