White Bean Dip

1-10 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
3 T chunky peanut butter
3 T olive oil
2 T plain yogurt
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
juice from 1/2 lime
1 t cumin seed, toasted (See note, below)
3 whole cloves
1/4 t black pepper corns
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t salt

Combine one-half of the beans and the peanut butter in a food processor bowl, and process until the peanut butter and the beans are incorporated. Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl.

In the processor bowl, combine the remaining beans and the yogurt, and process until smooth. Scrape the mixture into the mixing bowl. Add the garlic and lime juice to the bean mixture.

In a grinder, or mortar, grind the cumin, cloves, and black pepper corns. Add all of the spices to the bean mixture.

Whisk the dip until all the ingredients are mixed together. Garnish with a swirl of olive oil and paprika. Serve with pita or crackers.

Cucumber Salad

Serves 2

1 medium cucumber
2 t kosher salt
2 T rice vinegar
1 t sugar
1 T sesame oil
1/4 t ground black pepper

Wash and peel the cucumber. Slice it thinly (about 1/8"). I use a manoline, although some of you out there are very good with knives.

Layer the cucumber slices in a plastic colander, salting each layer as you go. Sprinkle any remaining salt on the cucumber slices, and gently toss them. Spread them out in the colander, and set aside for at least 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar and sugar. Add the sesame oil. Set the dressing aside. (See the note, below.)

Wash your hands. Rinse the cucumber slices in the colander under running water. Use your hands, and squeeze as much liquid as you can from the cucumber slices. Place the squeezed slices in a small serving bowl.

Pour the dressing over the cucumber slices. Sprinkle the ground pepper over the cucumber. If you are not serving the salad immediately, refrigerate it.

Note: If you aren't worried about sodium, you can add 1 T fish sauce or soy sauce to the dressing. Increase the sugar by 1/2 t to 1 t. A sprinkle of cayenne pepper adds a zing, too.

Wilted Lettuce

Serves 4 (sides)

1 large head leaf lettuce (see note)
1/8 lb thinly sliced pancetta
3 spring onions, chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved -or- 1 medium tomato chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 T vinegar (see note)
parmesan cheese, for grating
black pepper

Note: You can use a leaf lettuce mix, including escarole. Stay away from iceberg. You'll need 6 - 8 c chopped lettuce. You can use just about any kind of vinegar. I mix together white and balsamic.

Rinse the lettuce in cold water, then dry it in a salad spinner. Coarsely chop the leaves, and set aside.

Lay out the sliced pancetta, in a large cold skillet (with a cover), and fry on medium heat until the pancetta begins to curl and lightly brown. Turn it, and fry until lightly crisp. Take the skillet off the heat, and remove the pancetta. Coarsely chop it.

Add the olive oil, onions, and garlic to the skillet, and return it to the stove. Fry for about a minute over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, and fry for another minute.

Pack all of the lettuce into the skillet, then pour the vinegar over the top. Cover the skillet, turn the heat to very low, and wilt the lettuce for five minutes.

Remove the cover, and stir the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions to lightly mix them. Plate the wilted lettuce. Sprinkle with the chopped pancetta. Pour the pan liquor over the salad, if you wish. Grate some parmesan cheese over the lettuce, and add a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Potato Salad

4 servings

2 medium red potatoes, 1/2-inch cubed
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 bunch green onions, washed, trimmed, and thinly sliced
1 small dill pickle, finely chopped
6 large pitted olives, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
2 T vinegar
2 t prepared country mustard
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 c parsley, chopped

Scrub the potatoes and remove any blemishes. Cube the potatoes, cover them with cold water in a small sauce pot, and bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to a lazy boil, cover the pot and cook the potatoes for 9 - 10 minutes. Do not cook them any longer!

While the potatoes are cooking, chop the vegetables, and place all of them, except the parsley, in a large bowl. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander and let them cool for five minutes or so, then add them to the vegetables in the bowl.

Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and vegetables and mix very lightly. Mix together the mustard and the vinegar. Pour over the potatoes and mix very lightly. Carefully, fold in the chopped parsley. Cover, and refrigerate the salad a couple of hours before serving.

Rodkaal – Danish Braised Red Cabbage

Serves 6 – Note: best made at least one day before serving. This recipe come from a Moscow, Idaho childhood friend, Karen Barr.

1 medium head of red cabbage (about 2 lbs)
4 T butter cut into pieces
1 T sugar
1 t salt
1/3 c water
1/3 c white wine vinegar
1/4 c red or black currant jelly
2 T grated apple

Wash the cabbage, remove tough outer leaves and cut the head from pole to pole. Cut out the core and slice thinly to make roughly 9 Cups shredded cabbage.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine butter, sugar, salt, water and vinegar in a cast iron Dutch oven or 4 – 5 qt enameled iron casserole. On the stove top, melt the butter mixture and add shredded cabbage, tossing with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and place the pot in the oven to braise for 2 hours.

About 10 minutes before the cabbage is finished, stir in the currant jelly and grated apple, then pop back in the oven to complete cooking.

The “piquant” taste will improve if by resting the cooked cabbage in the fridge overnight – I add a another Tablespoon of currant jelly, then reheat on top of the stove to serve hot as a side dish for pork, goose, or turkey.

Bread Salad

1/2 Baguette (or other sturdy high-gluten bread) broken into 1-1/2" cubes (about 4 - 5 c bread cubes)
2 lb ripe tomatoes
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1 Japanese eggplant
1 medium green pepper
1/2 bunch green onions
juice of 1 lime
oregano
salt
pepper
1/2 bunch basil

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Peel the tomatoes (see note below). Remove the hard core, then scoop out the seeds, pulp, and liquid into a bowl and set aside. Chop the tomato flesh, and add to the bread.

In a large skillet, heat 2-3 T olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then add the tomato seeds and pulp and half of the minced garlic. Stir the mixture constantly until most of the liquid is boiled off, the the pulp is thickened. Remove from the heat and pour on top of the bread mixture.

Heat the oven to 400°F. Trim the end of the eggplant, and split lengthwise. Put on a rack over a cookie sheet and bake until softened (about 20 - 25 minutes). While the eggplant is baking, chop the green pepper and the green onions, and add to the bread mixture. Season to taste the bread mixture with salt, pepper, and oregano.

Remove the eggplant from the oven. Peel and chop it. Heat 2 T olive oil on medium heat in the skillet. Add the eggplant and the remainder of the minced garlic. Cook until the mixture is soft, then mash it. Season the eggplant to taste with salt and pepper. Add the eggplant to the bread mixture.

Refrigerate the salad until it is cold. You can make the salad a few hours before serving. Just before serving, chiffonade the basil, and toss the salad.

Note: To peel ripe tomatoes, fill a large bowl with very cold water and set aside. Boil two inches of water in a large pot on the burner's high setting. Add several tomatoes to the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds. With a skimmer or strainer, remove the tomatoes immediately to the bowl of cold water. Repeat until you have blanched all of the tomatoes. If your tomatoes are ripe, the skins should come off easily.

Happy's Famous Potato Salad

This recipe changes every time I make it. I don't cook from recipes very well.

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (1/2" dice)
2 T olive oil
2 T cider vinegar
1/2 t salt (or to taste)
1/4 t black pepper (or to taste)
6 eggs, boiled, peeled, and chopped
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 or 4 baby kosher dill pickles chopped
6 large stuffed olives, sliced
1 T dill weed, finely chopped
1 c non-fat sour cream
1 c low-fat mayonnaise
2 T prepared mustard

Cover the potatoes with water, and boil for 10 - 12 minutes until done. Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl. Dress the potatoes with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Lightly toss. Cover and refrigerate.

In a pot, cover the eggs completely with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain the eggs, and cover with cold water. Peel and chop the eggs.

Add the eggs, scallions, celery, pickles, olives, and dill weed to the potatoes. Lightly toss to mix.

Mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and mustard. Pour over the salad, and fold to mix. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Marinated Asparagus

l lb asparagus stalks
1/3 c olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
cracked pepper
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 lemon, juiced

Steam asparagus for five minutes, then plunge into a pan of cold water. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer in a dish (a 13 x 9" cake pan works well). Cover and refrigerate the asparagus.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add the garlic to the oil, stirring the mixture to coat the garlic, and separate all of the garlic slices. Fry the garlic until it is a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Crush the oregano and add it to the oil and garlic. Cool the mixture completely.

Pour the oil-garlic mixture over the asparagus. Cover the asparagus and refrigerate at least twelve hours.

To serve, arrange the asparagus and garlic on serving plates and drizzle with lemon juice.

Macaroni Salad

1-9 oz box macaroni - cook until tender; drain

2 c salmon (No. 1 can)
3 Tbsp grated onion
2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Flake and add to macaroni.

3 eggs hard cooked
1/2 to 3/4 c mayonnaise

Add 2 eggs to salad - use 3rd as garnish.

Sesame Noodle Salad

8 oz thin egg noodles, in 2-inch length, cooked
4 T soy sauce
3 T sesame oil
1 lemon juice and zest
1 T minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T sugar
8 oz cooked chicken, bite size pieces (optional)
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
8 oz broccoli or alfalfa sprouts
1 zuchinni, julienned
1 bunch chives or spring onions, in julienned, 2-inch pieces
2 T sesame seeds, toasted

Mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice and zest, ginger, garlic, and sugar to make a dressing. Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water until the noodles are cold.

In a large bowl toss together the noodles, vegetables, and chicken. Add the dressing and the sesame seeds, and toss until mixed. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

This salad serves a bunch a people, it tastes good, and it's easy to fix. This is a good one for a hot summer day.