Baked Ratatouille Recipe
(serves 2-4)

Sauce:
2 large cloves of fresh garlic
6 roma tomatoes
a dozen basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small eggplant
1 small yellow summer squash
1 small zucchini
3 medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon minced parsley for garnish

Chop the cloves of garlic roughly and pulse in a food processor until minced, scraping down the bowl if necessary . Core the tomatoes and add to the bowl along with basil, salt, pepper and olive oil. Pulse until well combined.

Turn oven on to 450F. Slice vegetables into round about 1/4″ thick. In an 8×8 casserole dish pour half of the sauce and spread to cover the bottom. Start layering the vegetables, alternating types in a row which is slightly angled up both on the side and at the end. Make another row, slightly overlapping the previous one. Continue until you run out of pan space. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with parsley.

Bake for 45minutes.

Grilled Corn and Summer Vegetable Salad
(serves 2)

1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon honey

4 cobs of corn
1 zucchini
1 summer squash
1 red pepper
1 hot fresh pepper such as a jalapeno or banana pepper
4 fresh roma tomatoes, large dice
1/4 cup cilantro, minced

Zest the lime into a small bowl and add half the juice. Whisk in honey, cumin and a big pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Slowly whisk in oil.
Remove the husks from the corn. Slice zucchini and summer squash into 1cm wide diagonal slices. Cut squash peppers in half and remove seeds.
Heat grill to high and clean. Brush all vegetables with the dressing and place on grill. Grill, rotating until lightly charred all over, you want them all still to have crunch.
Remove from grill and chop pepper, and squash into large bite sized pieces and add to a salad bowl. Remove corn from it’s husk and also add to bowl. Toss in tomatoes and cilantro and an extra tablespoon of the remaining dressing. Taste and correct for seasoning. Can be served warm or cold.

Grilled Radicchio with Balsamic Vinegar, Walnuts and Gorgonzola Cheese
(serves 2)

2 heads of radicchio
3 tablespoons + drizzle balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup walnuts
3 tablespoons Gorgonzola Cheese

Heat your grill to high. Trim the stems of the radicchio and quarter it. Whisk together vinegar, oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Toss with the radicchio. Grill radicchio over medium high heat for ~ 5 minutes per side. It will very possibly flare up as the balsamic burns off. Meanwhile toast the walnuts over medium low heat until just fragrant, shaking the pan occasionally – about 5 minutes.

Remove radicchio from heat and plate 4 pieces on each plate, garnish with walnuts, cheese and a drizzle of balsamic.

Roasted Figs Recipe
(serves 2-4)

a dozen fresh figs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
freshly ground pepper (optional)
salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Trim the stems off the figs and cut in half. Place them in a casserole dish cut side up. Drizzle with honey, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Put in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. Until soft and starting to caramelize.

Spinach Salad with Grilled Peaches and Gorgonzola
(serves 2)

1 peach
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
4 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon Diijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat a grill to high and gently oil it. Cut the peach in half and remove the core. Remove the skin from the peach and toss with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Grill for 3 minutes, flip and grill for another 3 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Slice thinly.

In a small bowl zest and juice the lemon. Whisk in mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil and correct seasoning.

In a large bowl toss together spinach and dressing. Serve topped with peach slices and crumbled blue cheese.

Turkish Inspired Salad with Feta and Dill
(serves 2)

4 cups romaine lettuce
1 large tomato
1 medium cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Tear lettuce into bite sized pieces and put in a large salad bowl. Dice cucumber and tomatoes to a medium size and add as well. Sprinkle with the fresh dill and feta cheese. Toss gently.

Juice lemon into a small bowl and whisk together with a big pinch of salt and pepper and mustard. Slowly add oil while whisking. Taste and correct for seasoning.

Toss with salad and serve.

Zucchini and Rhubarb Whole Wheat Muffin Recipe
(makes 12 muffins)

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350F. In a food processor* set with the grater attachment grate zucchini. Remove zucchini and change the accessory to the blade attachment. Add sugar, milk, banilla, eggs and oil and process for 1 minute until well combined. Stir in the zucchini.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, soda, cinnamon, salt and baking powder and stir. Gently stir in the wet mixture, and when almost combined stir in the rhubarb.
Pour into lined muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes.

* Note: Feel free to do this without a food processor, you will simply need to grate the zucchini by hand and beat the wet mixture by hand.

Mustard and Sage Barbecued Pork Butt
(serves 4-6)

1 pork butt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1 1/2 chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Combine salt, pepper, dried mustard, chilies, and sage.  Rub into pork butt.
Heat grill to high, turn off one side and reduce the other side to medium low. Put the pork on the side which is off, fatty side up. Close the lid and allow to cook for at least an hour.

Meanwhile combine the Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar with a big pinch of freshly ground pepper and a tablespoon of water. Start peaking at the pork butt every hour or so, and if it starts drying out brush it with the sauce. Cook until at least 200F in the center. The lower the bbq the slower it will cook. This particular roast took 4 hours. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.