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This is a fun spin on eggplant Parmesan. You could serve over pasta, but it’s great on its own as a small plate for dinner or an appetizer.

Ingredients

• Eggplant, sliced length-wise about 1/4 in thick
• Beaten egg
• Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/2 C olive oil (or other frying oil)
• 2-4 oz chevre
• Standard tomato sauce (see previous recipe)
• Fresh basil

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the oil till it crackles and pops when you drop a drop of water in it. Dip the eggplant into the egg wash and then dredge it in breadcrumbs. Place in the skillet, one at a time. When the edges start to turn brown, turn the eggplant over. When both sides are brown, remove from oil.

Next, you’re going to place a piece of eggplant on a plate, then spread some goat cheese on. Then put another piece of eggplant on top of that and some more goat cheese. Stack it about 3-4 slices high. Don’t put goat cheese on the top piece.

Spoon the tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with basil.

This is a super easy sauce that you can serve over pasta, gnocchi, or fried chicken or eggplant. Rather than a sauce that comes from a jar you can taste all the flavors because you’re using all fresh ingredients. This recipe is for two servings, but you can easily double or triple the recipe to serve more, or save leftovers for later.

Ingredients

• 10 medium crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 C dry white wine
• 4 medium tomatoes (blanched, peeled, and seeded)
• 2 T butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 T fresh basil chopped

Directions

If you’ve never used fresh tomatoes for a sauce before, you’re in for a real treat. The trick is to blanch them in boiling water. Score the top of them by making an “X” across the top. Put them in boiling water for a minute. The boiling water gets under the skin making it easier to remove. Take them out and run them under cold water. When they’re cool enough to hold, peel the skin off.

Next, chop the top off the tomato and use your fingers or a spoon to scoop the seeds out. You’ll end up with a heap of yummy tomato flesh. You can mince it with a knife or throw it in a food processor or blender if you don’t like a chunky sauce.

Meanwhile, saute the mushroom slices in the olive oil over high heat. Add some salt. You’ll really want to cook theses down to get a nice flavor. Once they’re pretty well browned, add the crushed garlic. Allow this to cook for about a minute, mindful not to let the garlic burn. Then add the white wine and stir. When this is mixed, add the tomato and stir.

Allow the entire mixture to cook for another 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Right before serving, add the butter and mix it in. Serve over fresh pasta with fresh basil scattered on top.

I’ve got a bunch of herbs growing in pots on my back porch. I had no idea what to do with the tarragon until I thought up this beauty of a sauce. As a rule, tarragon and lemon usually work quite well together. They are the main flavors in Hollandaise sauce. Use them with chicken, white fish, or scallops. Here I have the chicken served with green bean almandine, parsley buttered potatoes, and a nice dry white wine.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 C Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 T butter
• 1/2 C dry white wine (I used Lolonis fume blanc)
• 1 lemon
• 2 sprigs French tarragon
• salt, to taste

Directions

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over high heat till a drop of water pops on the surface. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and then in the bread crumbs. Place in hot oil and turn down to medium. Cook the chicken on one side till it browns, then turn over. Turn the heat down to a smidge higher than low. All the chicken to finish cooking.

Once the chicken is done, remove from the sauce pan. Drain about half the olive oil. Try to keep all of the bits and pieces that fell off the chicken as it cooked. Turn the heat back to high. Add the crushed garlic and cook until translucent. Immediately add the white wine and slosh around a bit. If you’re using a gas range, this is the part where the sauce might catch fire. This may be a bit scary if you’re not expecting it, but it will certainly impress any guests watching you prepare it.

Add the tarragon and juice from the lemon. Allow the sauce to cook over high heat for another minute to thicken a bit. Add salt to taste.

Put the chicken on plates and pour the sauce over.

My parents have an incredibly prolific lemon tree in their yard. Last year it produced over 500 lemons! They squeeze and freeze the lemon juice in the winter so they have it all year round. Lately, they’ve been making lemonade. It’s great and not too sweet or too tart. Best of all it is easy!

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a pitcher and stir until sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I saw the idea for this dish somewhere (no, I can’t remember where)… It caught my eye because we get a lot of summer squash and zucchini around here during summer and I do not particularly like either (except in zucchini bread). It seems a shame to not buy summer squashes since they always look so bright and fresh at the market. When I saw the idea for a squash carpaccio I knew it was something I had to try - if only in an attempt to eat more of the yummy looking squashes at the market. I am happy to report that the thin slices avoided both the mushy texture and “raw” squash taste that I do not like.

Ingredients

• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small summer squash
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 lemon
• freshly ground pepper
• salt
• shaved Parmesan

Directions

Slice the zucchini and summer squash into circles as thinly as possible. Arrange slices overlapping on a small plate. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Shave several bits of parmesan over the whole plate. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes before serving.