Recipes

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

2 heads of romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1½ teaspoons anchovy paste or 4 whole anchovies
1 teaspoon capers
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¹⁄₃ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
¹⁄₃ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS

In a large serving bowl, place chopped romaine lettuce.

Meanwhile, to make the dressing, place all ingredients except olive oil and Parmesan cheese in a blender and puree, slowly stream in olive oil until dressing is emulsified. Mix salad with dressing and Parmesan cheese and season with salt and more black pepper. Serve.

Makes 1 focaccia

INGREDIENTS

2¼ teaspoons (or 1 package) active dry yeast
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
Zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together 1²⁄₃ cups lukewarm (105 to 115°F) water and yeast and let stand until creamy and foaming, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups flour, ¼ cup oil, and 2 teaspoons salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms. Replace paddle with dough hook and knead dough at high speed until soft, smooth, and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes. **If mixing by hand, this process will take longer, so be patient.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead. If dough is sticky, sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. Knead dough 1 minute (it will still be slightly sticky), then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, at warm room temperature, until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1½ hours.

Press dough evenly into a generously oiled 15-by-10-by-1-inch baking pan. Let dough rise, covered completely with a kitchen towel, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Stir together thyme and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Make shallow indentations all over dough with your fingertips, then brush with thyme oil, letting it pool in indentations. Sprinkle lemon zest and sea salt evenly over focaccia and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Once out of oven, immediately remove from pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup sugar in the raw
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced thin
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut in cubes
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly butter a baking sheet. Set aside.

Sprinkle a work surface with sugar-in-the-raw and spices and roll out puff pastry about ¹⁄₈ inch thick, turning once to coat both sides. Place puff pastry on baking sheet and using the tip of a pairing knife create a ½ inch border around the entire sheet. Prick pastry all over with a fork (to prevent pastry from puffing up) and place baking sheet in freezer until pastry is chilled well, about 15 minutes. Once chilled, arrange pear slices on puff pastry (in whatever design you like), sprinkle with sugar and place cubed butter on top. Finish by adding juice and zest of 1 lemon. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

½ pound (about 1½ cups) cannellini beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 fresh bay leaves
4 cups vegetable broth or water
Salt
Pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

In a large heavy bottomed soup pot, over medium low heat, add olive oil. Sauté onions until translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the drained white beans, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and vegetable broth. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until the beans are very soft. Remove the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Pass the soup through a food mill or use an immersion blender to puree. Return the soup to the pot to reheat and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.