Potluck surprise: Orzo and veggies with ricotta cheese

Is there any better venue for Sunday lunch than an awesome church potluck? We had some 500 people show up today for a party to help christen our beautiful new facilities at St. James Church in Wichita. And everyone brought excellent food.

I was among parishioners alphabetically assigned to bring a vegetable dish. I got up early this morning and made up this recipe; wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it was good, and I'm happy to report there wasn't much left by the end of the party:

Zucchini , spinach and tomatoes with orzo, ricotta and basil

15 ounce container of ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup orzo
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 small zucchini , sliced
2 small yellow squash, sliced
7 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons freshly grated Romano cheese
1/2 pound fresh spinach leaves
Olive oil

Cook orzo according to package instructions. In a medium bowl, while pasta cooks, combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Romano cheese, eggs, basil and garlic. Mix well. Rinse cooked pasta and drain. Add to ricotta mixture.

Brush a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with olive oil. Place a layer of zucchini in the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of the ricotta/orzo mixture. Top with half the spinach, a layer of zucchini and tomatoes, then add remaining ricotta/orzo mixture. Top with yellow squash and the remaining zucchini, spinach and tomatoes. Top with 3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Brush top lightly with olive oil. Bake for another 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Leftover steak is lovely in spinach salad with Romano

Dinner last night was fresh spinach leaves topped with tomatoes, slices of carrot and green pepper, just a few walnut pieces and diagonally sliced strips of rare flatiron steak Dave had grilled the night before. Here's my balsamic dressing: 1/2 cup olive oil, mixed with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and about an 1/8 teaspoon sugar. (That bit of sugar is essential.) Mix well and dribble over your salad, then top with shaved Romano cheese.

Top healthy pasta with shrimp, roasted veggies

It's harvest time; a great time to cook up an abundance of healthy food. Tonight, I grilled green, red and yellow pepper pieces on skewers along with big sweet onion chunks, all brushed with olive oil. (The key to grilling veggies on skewers just right is to keep the gas grill temp at around 350-400 degrees and let the veggies cook on an upper rack until they're soft and juicy, but not charred.) Then I mixed those veggies with shrimp and fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes to make this pasta dish:

Pasta with shrimp, tomatoes and roasted peppers

3 cups uncooked whole wheat rotini
7-10 medium fresh tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup water
1 pound cooked medium-sized shrimp, shelled, with tails removed
2 cups green, red and yellow pepper chunks
1 large sweet onion, cut into large pieces
3/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons cup fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh grated romano cheese

Grill pepper and onion pieces on skewers as described above. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chopped tomatoes, basil and garlic. Stir well. Add vinegar, red wine, lemon juice, water. Cover and simmer for about 6 minutes. Add peppers, onions and shrimp. Simmer 'til shrimp is heated through. Stir in feta cheese. Drain pasta; spoon sauce over rotini. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with parsley, pine nuts and fresh romano cheese.

Shrimp, peppers and lemon sauce over rice, so nice

Tonight I was determined to cook something beautiful for dinner. I'd picked up a loaf of ciabbata this morning that was so appealing, it inspired me to come up with a dish that would go well with -- and look good with -- the bread.

While rice was cooking in the microwave, I heated 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat, then added a diced sweet onion and two cloves garlic, chopped. I cooked 'til onion was soft, about 8 minutes. Then I added a diced red pepper and half a diced green pepper and cooked about five minutes. I added 1 cup fresh mushroom slices, then added juice from one lemon and 3/4 cup Sauvignon Blanc, along with 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes. I threw in a pound of cooked cocktail shrimp, and heated just for a couple of minutes. Tasting the broth, I realized it was pretty sour, so I added 2 teaspoons sugar and let the dish simmer. I added three tablespoons chopped fresh parsley from my garden, just before dishing the shrimp and sauce over a platter of rice. I served this dish with fresh steamed farmers' market green beans. Very pretty. And tasty too.

Easy, easy chicken in peanut sauce

Summer meals at our house have been all about the grill, but this weekend it cooled down a little so I decided to wok it on out. Thanks to a couple shortcuts in the way of Asian sauces, I managed to put together a beautiful and very tasty dinner in about 20 minutes.

While cooking a batch of rice in the microwave, I heated about 2 tablespoons canola oil with a couple shakes of peanut oil at medium high heat in my electric wok. I added one pound of chicken tenders, chopped into bite-sized pieces. After four minutes, I stirred the chicken to brown the other side for a few more minutes. Then I set aside the chicken on a plate.

To the oil in the wok, I added a handful of chopped carrots and a half of a Vidalia onion, diced. I stir-fried those 'til carrots were lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Then I reduced heat to medium, added a cup of fresh green beans, and covered the wok for five minutes. Then I added chopped red and green pepper and two tablespoons of Kikkoman Classic Stir-Fry sauce. I heated that 'til the peppers started to turn soft. Then I added a shake of red pepper flakes and some sesame seeds. I emptied that into a small bowl and covered to keep warm.

Then, I put the chicken back into the wok with about a cup of House of Tsang Bankok Padang Peanut Sauce. I heated that for five minutes. Then I added two tablespoons chopped fresh parsley from my garden. I served the veggies and chicken with rice with Man Vintners Chenin Blanc, a wine we've come to particularly like this summer. Mmm.

Make the most of summer tomatoes and basil

So far only one tomato from our crop has ripened and omigod it was so delicious. Now we have six tomato plants in the garden heavy with green tomatoes, so we're looking forward to more garden goodness in the coming weeks.

'Til those ripen, the farmers' market is a great place to pick up tomatoes. We've been eating a lot of Caprese Salad, one of my favorite summer side dishes; tomato slices with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and a dribble of balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I vary the formula a little by adding Greek olives, pine nuts and avocado slices.

For brunch on the Fourth of July, I served Caprese Pesto Bruschetta-- a very easy appetizer that everyone seemed to enjoy. To make, spread pesto on baguette slices (I used storebought pesto for ease, as I don't have enough garden basil to make pesto). Top slices with one ripe tomato slice, then fresh mozzarella, and a fresh basil leaf. Add a couple pine nuts. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve right away.

Summer's almost here; time to savor fresh flavors

What's to love about this time of year? Tomatoes from the farmers' market, topped with fresh mozzarella, basil from my garden and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Yellow and red bell peppers with sweet onions, brushed with just a bit of olive oil and grilled to perfection. Simple green salad of fresh-picked romaine topped with a light vinaigrette, a few dried cranberries, pecans and shaved parmesan. Fresh cut chives to garnish grilled new potatoes. A sprig of garden parsley on every plate. Dinner on the deck.

Roast pork with fresh rosemary, oregano and lemon

I love springtime, when we can make use of our first cuttings of fresh herbs from the garden. Tonight for dinner, I roasted two pork tenderloins. I like to buy the unseasoned variety so I can jazz it up myself. In a foil-lined pan, I brushed the tenderloins with olive oil, then rubbed fresh rosemary (does anything have a nicer scent?) and chopped oregano leaves to coat, sprinkled on juice from half a lemon and cut some slots to insert slices from two cloves of garlic into the meat. Roasted at 425 degrees for about an hour. Halfway through the cooking time, I added boiled potatoes to the roasting pan, brushing those with olive oil also. Mmm. Fresh herbs sure beat dried, every time.

What do you know? We love Merlot

Good friends who know how to throw a party hosted a Merlot tasting at their home last night. Great event. We blind-tasted and rated a variety of inexpensive Merlots, all under $20, except the one we brought that cost more but didn't win more raves. (Good perspective in these economic times.) Dinner was elegant deep-dish pizza with salad. Top rated wine among guests was a Ravenswood 2006 Merlot, $9.99 a bottle. I'm off to my favorite outlet, Jacob's Liquors, to pick some up today.

A brilliant Wall Street Journal column inspired our hosts to put the party together and guided them in wine selection. Each guest was asked ahead of time to write a poem about Merlot, and we recited these between sips at the party. Allow me to share:

Merlot - A Tribute
by Nancy

It's for Merlot I write this verse
'Tis both a blessing and a curse,
that the wine gets such bad reputation
when in fact it's cause for celebration.
It's the wine to drink with lamb I'm told,
soft and smooth, not brash and bold.
It's one of few with aroma of grapes
and a hint of floral that escapes...
Blackberries, blue, eucalyptus and dill,
this wine's got nose that demands refill.
Merlot's oft mentioned as jammy and plummy,
and with low tannin content, it tickles the tummy.
Grapes are suited to regions warm and bucolic,
but don't buy from France, wine's less alcohlic.
So to all who will hear me, I'll lay on the line...
"Hail thee, Merlot, you're an excellent wine."
________________________________

Merlot
by Angela

I think that I shall never know
A grape as lovely as merlot.

In the "Sideways" movie, you were defamed.
Paul Giamatti should be ashamed.

You're not as rich as Cabernet
But you give Bordeaux its bouquet.
You're not as fruity as zinfandel
But paired with chocolate, you excel.

Some people call you overripe.
I say don't believe the hype.
Your hints of berry make me merry.
At the taste of plum, I start to hum.

So my merlot, do not go, gentle into that good night.
But stay and play and guide me with your ultraviolet light.

_________________________________________

To a Modest Merlot
by Dave Knadler

I think that I shall never know
A wine so useful as merlot,
A modest grape that won't offend
When crowds of people must attend.

Though other wines may have more fame,
Its alcohol is much the same.
It's not too heady, nor too light,
And usually the price is right.

Although we gather just to taste,
To spit it out would be a waste
And though it's just a tiny pour,
It's never wrong to have some more.

But so that you will not seem dumb,
Pretend to note "a hint of plum"
And give your lips a thoughtful purse
Allowing that you've tasted worse.
________________________

And here's what I wrote:

Tasting notes

Friends,
let us vow to be
for one another
what we know we can expect
from a bottle of good Merlot,
to be uncorked and spirited,
straightforward,
true.
Unpredictable,
not jarring,
serious, not dour,
engagingly dry
and not too sweet.
Never sour.
Never cold.
At the ready
for an elegant supper,
a joyful toast,
or quiet conversation
any time.
Generous.
Inviting.
Unpretentious.
Memorable.
Good for the heart.

___________________

Our host e-mailed us these words of wisdom this morning:

A Belated Poem about Merlot
By David K.

If you want to make your friendships grow
invite your friends to taste Merlot
For some, it's the lowliest grape
But its wonder is hard to escape
Tobacco and currant are mixed with smiles
Nancy's stories, Dana's wiles
Tannin, plum, laughter, cheer
The goodness of friends is all in here.
So raise your glass and give a toast
to our friends - the ones who matter most.

For a party, dress up mini-pizzas & pigs in a blanket

We had friends over a few nights ago to watch the Oscars with us. Thinking hot dogs and pizza were a good match for my going-to-the-movies theme, I made pigs in a blanket (Dave described them more as "pigs in a comforter") and mini-pizzas. I used my favorite recipe for bread dough to wrap my hot dogs. In a frying pan, I cooked sliced red pepper and sweet onions in olive oil with Hebrew National All-Beef Hot Dogs (cut in half crosswise.) I rolled my bread dough thin, cut it into triangles and in each cresent I rolled a half dog, sauteed pepper, a little onion and some grated cheddar. Brushed the bread with beaten egg white mixed with water and baked on a parchment-covered cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 350 just before serving. They were excellent.

For the pizzas, I used my food-processor dough recipe. I coated standard-size muffin pans with olive oil and some cornmeal, and cut the dough into 2 inch rounds that fit perfectly into the muffin pans. I topped some with store-bought pesto sauce, Greek olives, grated mozzarella and pine nuts. The rest I topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni bits and parmesan. Baked these at 375 for 20 minutes. Dandy, single-serving party fare.

Caryn's 'crab' salad is good potluck option

Caryn and I had two church potlucks on the schedule this weekend, so she volunteered yesterday to make a double batch of this super-easy salad to take to both events. It is SO nice having this girl around. I'm a fan of imitation crab meat-- it's non-fat and not high in calories. There's no mayo in this either, so in spite of the yummy cheddar cheese, this dish is relatively healthy.

Easy 'crab' salad with green peas

4 8-ounce packages imitation crab meat
2 cups frozen peas
4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 6-ounce cans black olives
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Break crab meat into bite-size chunks. Let peas soak in cold water until thawed, about 10 minutes. Slice olives. Combine all ingredients. Chill 'til ready to serve.

Tuna casserole offers comfort on a January night

Daughter Caryn made supper tonight, a tuna noodle casserole that's earned her a degree of fame in our family. This is delicious and creamy, with bites of crunchy celery, green peas and cheddar cheese. On this windy, cold January evening, what comfort it was to have dinner on the table, cooked by our darling girl.

Best-ever tuna-noodle casserole

3 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup of onion
1 can tuna in water, drained
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. In a separate saucepan, mix cream of celery soup with milk. Heat through, add cheese. Heat 'til cheese melts. Drain noodles, add to a casserole dish with tuna, celery, mayonnaise, onions and noodles. Mix well. Pour cheese sauce over. Stir 'til well blended. Top with sliced almonds if you'd like. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

Jazz up dinner with cheesy scalloped potatoes

Tonight I baked some boneless, skinless chicken breasts for dinner, and steamed some broccoli, all healthy stuff. But boring. What made dinner special tonight was a casserole of scalloped potatoes, with a bit of sweet onion, cream sauce, a little white wine and dry, sharp white cheddar. Cooked to perfection.

The secret to elegant scalloped potatoes is slicing the potatoes nearly paper-thin , and cooking at least 90 minutes. Here's my recipe:

Scalloped potatoes with white wine and cheddar

8-10 medium new potatoes
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3/4 cup white wine (I used Wishing Tree Unoaked Chardonnay, left over from the holidays)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour

Slice potatoes in a food processor. In a skillet, cook onions in butter until
translucent. Add flour, stir with wire whisk. Add milk all at once. Cook over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Add 3/4 cup cheese and wine. Continue stirring until cheese melts. Place half the potatoes in a buttered casserole dish. Pour half the cheese sauce over. Spread the rest of the potatoes evenly in the dish. Top with remaining cream sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 50-60 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.

Easy apple tarts warm a winter night

My daughter has just moved to Wichita from the Bay Area. She arrived this weekend with a friend and will be staying with us for two weeks 'til the apartment she's rented is remodeled. I relish the idea of sharing family dinners now that she's here! Last night we had easy bean soup and green salad. After this light supper, I decided we needed a slightly decadent dessert, so I pulled some puff pastry from the freezer and made apple tarts. I topped each warm-from-the-oven tart with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of Hershey's caramel sauce.

Quick apple tarts

Thaw one sheet of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry until it's easy to unfold (30 to 40 minutes.) Cut into six rectangles and place on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Peel and slice two large apples (thin slices!) in a small bowl. Add two tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the apples. Melt 3/4 cup apricot jam and brush to coat pastry crusts, leaving edges uncoated. Arrange apple slices on top and brush again with apricot jam. Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees, until apples are soft and shells are golden brown. Serve warm.