2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
¹/₄ cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1 ripe plum, deseeded and chopped
1 bottle sparkling rose

Directions

Combine the rosemary leaves, sugar, water, cinnamon stick and plums in a medium saucepan, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick and allow to cool. Blend until smooth and pour through a fine mesh strainer. Chill. Place about 1-2 ounces of the chilled syrup in the bottom of a champagne glass and fill with sparkling rose and stir.
Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh cinnamon.

Ingredients

Basic Pie Crust Dough (Recipe Follows)
6 medium plums, peeled, cored and chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
1 pinch of ground cardamom
½ cup light brown sugar or sugar in the raw
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar or sugar in the raw

Rosemary Sugar

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

In a small mixing bowl, combine all plum filling ingredients and mix well. Roll out dough and cut dough into 12 to 15 4-inch squares. Put 2 tablespoons of mixture of the dough on one side, and fold over. Using wet hands, moisten the seal so it sticks together. You can use a fork to press it down or roll it over like an empanada. Place on a greased baking sheet. Brush outside with beaten egg wash, and sprinkle with salt and sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle some rosemary sugar on top!

Pie Crust Dough

Ingredients

1½ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ sticks of unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons ice water

Directions

Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl until combined well. Using your hands, add butter and crumble into the flour (a food processor can also be used) until the crust mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the egg yolk and the ice water, and mix together gently until dough is moist. Form dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.

Ingredients

6 boneless pork loin chops
Salt/pepper
3 plums (black preferred), deseeded, and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped superfine
2 cloves roasted garlic
½ cup red wine
½ cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

Directions

Season the pork loin chops with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat a grill to hot or pre-heat the oven to 350°F. In the meantime, combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and cook about 10 minutes or until semi thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill or bake the pork until desired doneness. Serve with warm not hot plum sauce over the top.

Ingredients

2 zucchinis, sliced long and thin using a mandolin
1 portabella mushroom, sliced thin
1 grilled Japanese eggplant, sliced round and thin
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 2 teaspoon
Grilled flatbread (recipe follows)

Directions

Follow instructions for the grilled flatbread and keep warm. Place all the ingredients on a flat baking sheet and season with salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons lemon zest, making sure to get both sides. Drizzle olive oil over it, not too much and flip and do the same. Let stand while the lemon ricotta is made. In a medium bowl mix together the lemon juice, ricotta, and zest and season to taste with salt. Heat a grill and grill all vegetables until grilled and soft, or about 3-4 minutes. Place a dollop of the herbed ricotta on the flat bread and spread around, place the grilled vegetables of choice over the top and serve!

Grilled Herbed Flatbread

Makes 6 hand sized breads

Ingredients

1½ cups warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
Olive oil
Coarse salt
¼ cup fresh herbs of choice (rosemary being the classic version), chopped fine

Directions

In a small bowl combine warm water and yeast, whisk a bit to mix and let stand for about 10 minutes or until the yeast if frothy and dissolved. In a large bowl mix the flour and salt, add the yeast mixture and about 2 tablespoons of olive. Mix well with hands or a wooden spoon until sticky dough is made, adding more flour or water if needed. Turn the dough out onto a floured flat surface and knead until smooth and elastic or about 5-10 minutes. Grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough (smooth and elastic) in a round ball in the bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm area and let rise until more than doubled in size or approximately 1½ hours. Punch down dough and divide into 6 balls. Roll out each ball into hand size flat bread until golden brown with grill marks, or about 3-4 minutes per side. Take off the grill and immediately brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and rosemary.

Ingredients

Directions

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring often for about 1 hour. Remove from heat and discard the cinnamon stick. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Ingredients

Directions

On the insides of the bread slices place on one side fontina cheese and on the other the fig compote, lay the prosciutto in-between and cook in a Panini press, making sure to butter the outsides of the bread for crispness. The bread should be brown and thin and crisp!

Caramelized Onions
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons onions, red or yellow, sliced in rounds and separated
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Madeira, port or sherry (optional)
Pinch of salt

Directions