In A Nutshell

1 1/2 cups Israeli Couscous, cooked according to package directions and cooled slightly 1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin 1 ear of grilled or cooked corn (nice use for a leftover ear of corn) 1 cup (approximately) cherry tomatoes, halved thinly sliced red onion (maybe about a quarter of a medium onion) 1/4 cup diced feta 3 T lemon juice 3 T olive oil 1 clove of garlic, pressed 1 t Dijon mustard 1 heaping T parsley or basil pesto (optional) 1/2 t salt pepper Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, Dijon, pesto and salt and pepper.  Throw the red onion into the dressing for 10 minutes or so to mellow the flavor. Meanwhile, saute the zucchini in a very small amount of olive oil just for a few minutes until crisp-cooked. Add all the remaining ingredients to the dressing and stir. Serve at room temperature. If you like a lot of dressing, you can add 1 more T each of EVOO and lemon juice but I found 3 to be sufficient.

This is a great use for bruised peaches; I had a whole bag of them so I made a lot of the peach puree and froze it in smaller containers. This is another delicious Rick Bayless drink adapted by Rachel Ray adapted by me. In the magazine, they salt the rim with a mixture of kosher salt and dried basil but I don't like dried herbs so I did just the salt. The drink hinges on good summer peaches. For the purée : 1 lb ripe peaches (this is about 2 good size peaches), peeled, pitted and sliced into large chunks 1/2 cup sugar 2 T lemon juice 3-6 basil leaves, torn (depending how strong of an herbal flavor you want) 4 1/2 oz. silver tequila (go ahead and round up to 5 oz- I won't judge) 2 oz. triple sec 2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice 3 oz. fresh peach puree In a food processor, blend the peaches, sugar and lemon juice until smooth.  In a small pitcher or large measuring cup, stir together peach puree, tequila and triple sec. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the basil leav...

The peanut dressing is absolutely fantastic; it also makes a terrific dipping sauce for chicken but I suggest you reduce the amount of lime juice and water to make it thicker. Peanut Dressing : 1/2 cup peanut butter (natural, creamy) 1/8 cup soy sauce 1/8 cup toasted sesame oil 1 1/2 T unseasoned rice vinegar 1 T finely chopped garlic 1 T grated fresh gingerroot 1 t Asian chile paste (oelek sambal) 1/2 T hoisin sauce 3 oz. water 4 T freshly squeezed lime juice Mix everything together in a mini food processor or a blender until smooth. If this is too thick, you can add a little more lime juice and/or water; you don't want it to be too thick and gluey.  I found it to be just right but it might depend on what kind of peanut butter you are using. For the salad : 8 oz. vermicelli, cooked according to package directions and rinsed with cold water 2 carrots, shredded 4 cups baby spinach 4 scallions, sliced 2 leftover grilled chicken breasts, sliced (optional) 4 rad...

I wanted to use those pretty striped beets along with the red but couldn't find them anywhere. If you can find them, I think they would be a visually pleasing addition. The proportions here can easily be changed- the following recipe made a starter enough for 4 people. 1 bunch beets with fresh green leafy tops 2 cloves of garlic, sliced small pinch of crushed red pepper 1 ball of burrata cheese green onions, brushed with olive oil and grilled until charred in spots (we grilled the green onions while we were grilling the rib eyes for that evening's meal) extra-virgin olive oil pepper thick balsamic vinegar Maldon sea salt Preheat oven to 400º; cut the washed leaves from the beets and chop into approximately 2" pieces. Peel the beets with a paring knife and cut into wedges; toss with just enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat them and sprinkle them with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for about 45 minutes until tender. You can roast these a day or two before you...

Empanada fever rages on..... This is adapted from Tyler Florence, made by my daughter Leksa, who is now officially the Queen of Empanadas. For the filling : 1 small potato, peeled and sliced (about 1/4 lb or so- it's not too important) 1/2 lb chorizo, casing removed (we used 2 links of chicken chorizo from Whole Foods) 1/2 small onion, diced 1 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 t cumin pinch of oregano 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup sliced green olives 1/2 cup golden raisins Cook the potatoes in salted water for about 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain and return to the pan, breaking up the potatoes with a wooden spoon into smaller chunks. Meanwhile, cook the chorizo in a pan until brown and crispy. Add the onion, cumin and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.  Pour in the broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, olives and raisins and toss together. Season with salt and pepper to taste (you may not need additional salt because chorizo tends to be pretty salty). Let the fill...

This is adapted from Bon Appetit; I served these with Naan and roasted eggplants with yogurt sauce . 6 cups baby spinach, chopped (I chopped it in the food processor in two batches) 8 scallions, sliced 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine or pressed 2 lbs ground chicken (or turkey) 1 t ground cumin 2 t salt freshly ground pepper Combine all ingredients and mix gently with a fork or your clean hand. Form into 6 large patties and fry in olive oil for 3 1/2- 4 minutes per side. I did 4 minutes on the first side and 3 1/2 on the second side and they were cooked perfectly.

 I'm always enthused about upside down cakes but inevitably wind up disappointed... too dry, not fruity enough, bland etc. This summer I was attracted to a recipe from the Good Housekeeping 2002 Annual Cookbook mainly because one of the ingredients was cornmeal. This cake turned out dreamy... moist, fruity, a bit crunchy from the cornmeal- a delightful change of pace from the usual upside down cake. For the topping : 1/2 cup toasted pecans 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 4 T unsalted butter 3 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges For the cake : 1 1/3 cup flour 1/4 cup cornmeal 2 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 3/4 cup sugar 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), softened 2 eggs 1 t vanilla 1/2 cup milk 1 cup blueberries For the topping: In a 10" cast iron skilled, melt brown sugar with 4 T butter over low heat until sugar melts, about 2 or 3 minutes. Throw the pecans over this (breaking them up a little with your hand) and then arrange the peach sli...