Salad Caprese, Part Four

Each year since I started my blog, I've put together some combination of my favorite summer salad, Caprese.  This year it makes its appearance as a very easy to put together appetizer I recently took to a barbeque.  I found some wonderful long toothpicks at an Asian store and simply alternated yellow and red cherry tomatoes along with a half small ball of mozzarella cheese and a basil leaf.  I combined 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar with 1/2 cup of good olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste and drizzled if over the plate of appetizers.  It turned out to be a beautiful plate of summer!  I've also included some lovely sights from my brother and sister-in-law's wonderful yard where the barbeque was held.

Italian Chopped Salad

A friend from work recently asked me to check on her house for a week while she was on vacation.  Not a problem as she lives just 3-4 blocks from me and I drove by her cute yellow cottage before and after work each day she was gone.  Well, that nice lady presented me with the most generous gift for my trouble (which was no trouble at all).  A lovely set of two knives; a serrated utility knife and a cheese knife from Cutco.  They're just so pretty I hardly wanted to break them out of their box. But that I did today as I decided to put the serrated one to good use making this Italian chopped salad.

I love to chop up ingredients. I find it almost meditative. I know. I'm weird.  This salad nearly had me in a trance as you may imagine from the name alone.  Chop. Chop. Chop.  The knife was extremely sharp and I got the ingredients prepped for this delicious salad in no time.  It's a wonderful meal-in-itself salad with some garlic bread on the side for a lunch or a light supper.  Thanks again Patty for the lovely gift!

Italian Chopped Salad

Salad Ingredients

4 romaine hearts, halved and chopped into small dice
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped into small dice
1/2 peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber
1/2 red onion, chopped into small dice
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped into small dice
8 ounce ball fresh, all natural mozzarella cheese, chopped into small dice
4 ounces (about ¼ pound) Italian dry salami, chopped into small dice
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped fine
Combine the romaine hearts through the parsley in a large bowl and set aside in fridge the vinaigrette is made.

Herbed Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon Italian seasoning
 Pinch ground black pepper
3/4  teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
In a medium bowl, add all ingredients through sugar, and whisk to combine; next begin slowly adding the oil, whisking until vinaigrette is emulsified.

Pour the vinaigrette over the chopped salad greens and thoroughly toss to coat; check and adjust the salt/pepper, if necessary, and divide the salad equally among 4 plates.

The Pink Stuff

Most families have old favorite recipes that get trotted out during the holiday season.  I know I have mentioned a number of my family favorites like angel cookies, rib roast, and Yorkshire pudding.  Today I am going to share a tried-and-true, wouldn't-be-a-holiday-without recipe from The Husband's family.

It is referred to as "The Pink Stuff" and my lovely mother-in-law makes it for Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. It is gobbled up in great quantities and loved by all who are lucky enough to taste it.  One day I was looking through an old cookbook called A Taste of Oregon and I came upon a recipe that looked very similar to the description my Mom-in-law has given me as to how she creates her pink stuff. 

This year she decided not to make the pink stuff for Christmas dinner so I took it as an opportunity to try my hand at making this recipe to see if it was indeed similar.  It is very simple to make if you have a food processor, which I do. Mom-in-law does not.  She takes the cranberries and grinds them through a manual meat grinder apparatus she screws onto the counter top.  I can't even imagine the effort that must entail!!  Five seconds, pulse, pulse, pulse, and viola, perfect finely chopped cranberries for me.  I am lucky to live in Oregon where local cranberries can be found in the grocery stores. So good!  Throw in a can of crushed pineapples and a pile of miniature marshmallows and some sugar and let sit overnight.  The next day whip up some cream and combine with the rest of the ingredients and there you have it...The Pink Stuff.

P.S. If you're like The Husband's family, you might as well make a double batch while your at it. Take my word for it. There will be no leftovers. 

Mother's Cranberry Christmas Salad (a.k.a. The Pink Stuff)

1  pound fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup drained, crushed and/or tidbits pineapple
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup whipped cream

Grind cranberries. Add sugar, then pineapple.  Add marshmallows. Let this set in refrigerator overnight. Add whipped cream just before serving.  Serves 6-8.

Tomato Caprese, Part Three

Each year I have had this little blog of mine, I have done a recipe at the end of the summer involving a take on the Italian classic Tomato Caprese.  Year one with my sorrowful lack of knowledge about how to use my camera gave you this example.  In year two I learned how to use the vivid colors feature and the zoom lens and created this plate of goodness.

This year I must carry on the tradition but I added a twist and made a wonderful hot pasta dish with all of the components of a Tomato Caprese salad.  I must confess that not all of the tomatoes this year were from our garden but  the yellow and red ones were, as was the basil.  A most delightful and very quick to put together supper.  Here is how it's made as best as my memory serves me as I had no recipe.

Tomato Caprese Pasta

12 oz. dried pasta (choice of shape is optional)
1 container of small mozzarella balls, cut in half
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 cloves of garlic sliced finely
3-4 medium tomatoes, cut into small pieces
10-12 basil leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Put pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.  Gently heat up the olive oil in a saute pan.  Add the garlic and watch carefully so it doesn't burn.  As soon as it starts to color, add the tomatoes and turn the heat down to low.  Cook the pasta.  When done, drain and put in large bowl.  Toss in the tomatoes, garlic, and oil along with the cheese and basil leaves.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve along with some Italian bread.  Enjoy.  Makes 4 servings.

Exploring With New Ingredients

Recently I discovered a new ingredient, Quinoa. It is a grain-like product which is all the rage on many of the food blogs I read. It is nutritious, easy to cook, and very adaptable in recipes by picking up on flavors it is mixed with. Here is a link to Wikepedia for all of you interested readers who want to learn more about this remarkable food.

As I was making a Mediterranean inspired dinner with grilled lemon chicken breasts for the main dish, roasted asparagus, and Tiramisu for dessert, I decided to use the quinoa I had recently purchased and experimented to create a Greek style salad.  With no recipe at hand when I made this salad, please take these measurements and adjust them to your liking.  I was very pleased with the results and I hope you will be too.

Quinoa Greek Salad
1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cup water
3 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
2 roma tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 large cucumber, cut into bite size pieces
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Make quinoa. Bring water to boil then add quinoa and let simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered, until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and take off heat to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, add all of the vegetables, cheese and cooled quinoa;  mix gently. 

Make the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, dill, oregano, salt and pepper until slightly emulsified.  Pour over salad and gently mix until it is all well coated.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

A Summer Salad

As mentioned previously, the poor garden is not fairing well this year due to our long, cold late spring/early summer and the tomatoes are yet to ripen.  I do have basil though, so pesto has been on my mind.  A cold pesto pasta salad screams of summer to me so I am not going to let the fact that there are no ripe tomatoes in the garden stop me.  Off to the store I go for some very nice tomatoes called Romanescas, a variety I had never heard of before.  They are a bit bigger than a cherry tomato and in a kind of oblong shape.  Perfect!

This is one of those recipes where I just clean out the cupboards, adding to the salad as my mood suits me and today this included 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, 1 small can of diced black olives, cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese, and some peas along with the pesto and some mayonnaise. It's the kind of non-recipe I love to make.

Pesto Pasta Salad

1/2 cup pesto, fresh or homemade  (My pesto recipe can be found here).
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lb. pasta (any shape you want but I like Rotini)
1/4 shredded Parmesan cheese
8 oz. chopped tomatoes
4 oz. fresh Mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
1 small jar drained marinated artichoke hearts
1 small can sliced black olives
3/4 cup frozen green peas
2 green onions, finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Bring to boil 5 quarts of salted water.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain and run under cold water until pasta is cooled.  In a small bowl, mix pesto, mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese together.  Add to pasta along with the rest of the ingredients and toss all until well mixed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Salad Caprese, The Sequel

This is my favorite summer time treat (besides ice cream!)  Tomatoes fresh off the vine (not ours unfortunately, this year), fresh mozarella cheese, basil and splashes of good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, seasoned to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.  The classic Italian Salad Caprese. 

It is so simple with such a small number of ingredients yet the finished dish is ever so satisfying.  The Italians are very good at putting together recipes like this.  I have blogged this salad before here, but I'm particularly pleased with this version using heirloom tomatoes.  I just think they're gorgeous.

Popeye Would Be Proud

We harvested our first spinach from the garden.  Oh the poor garden!  This has been a cruel year so far with The Husband doing all that hard work of tilling the soil and planting and here it is mid-July with things looking so pathetic.  I still have hope that we will have a nice hot September and get a few ears of corn and some beautiful red tomatoes.

But the spinach took off very well despite the cool weather and I picked a large bowlful on the first go-around and it was beautiful. This was the first year we've attempted to grow a leafy green, but it certainly won't be the last.  I share with you a quick and tasty salad that is made with common pantry items with the addition of a couple strips of bacon.  It is delicious and really shows off the flavorful spinach very nicely.  I'm so lucky to have someone who doesn't mind all the work a vegetable garden entails!
Wilted Spinach Salad

6 cups (5 oz) fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried and chilled
2 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced red onions (I substituted green onions)
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp good quality aged balsamic vinegar
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced (optional)

Remove stems and veins from spinach and tear into bite-sized pieces then place in a large bowl.

In a small frying pan, fry bacon until crisp; transfer to a paper towel to drain.  Leave approx. 1 teaspoon bacon fat in pan.  Add olive oil, onion, salt, pepper and sugar.  Cook 2-3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar; swirl to incorporate.

Pour warm dressing over spinach and toss gently to wilt.  Sprinkle bacon over spinach and top with hard boiled egg slices if desired.  Serve immediately.

Cobb Salad

What to fix for lunch for company that is special but not your typical dinner fare?  That was the question I posed to myself yesterday when I got a call from my brother that he and his lovely wife were coming through town and wanted to stop by for lunch.  A composed salad came to mind and in my opinion there is none better than the Cobb Salad.

This is definitely a meal unto itself with all the traditional components of chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocadoes and whatever else one might choose to make it unique.  I added a bowl of bite sized roasted asparagus pieces and  another of olive slices. Put everything out on a big platter along with a large bowl of greens and let everyone mix and match toppings as they want. Along with some warm buttered French bread, Arnold Palmers (1/2  part ice tea and 1/2 part lemonade) as our beverage and delightful conversation, it was a quite a lunch.

No recipe today as one really isn't needed but I will give you my previous post for the homemade dressing that topped this magnificent salad:  Bleu Cheese dressing.

Fagioli E Tonno (White Bean and Tuna Salad)

My brother-in-law gave me such an unusual present for Christmas: A can of tuna fish.  He absolutely swore by it and being a Seattle native, I must assume he knows fish.   I have been waiting for just the right recipe to inspire me to use this superior product and today I found and adapted a recipe in the April edition of Saveur cooking magazine for a white bean and tuna salad.

I was so surprised when I open this can of St. Judes tuna as it was one solid hunk of fish.  None of the cat food looking stuff you get from the national brands (I won't name names but I think you know who you are Charlie!)  It was amazingly flaky and very white in color and the taste was fantastic.

This wonderful salad took all of ten minutes to put together and the results were delicious.  This would be a great luncheon meal or something to take on a picnic.  It is at its best when left to sit a couple of hours before eating so the flavors combine to their fullest.    Here is the website to St Judes products if you are interested:  http://www.tunatuna.com/

Fagioli E Tonno (White Beans and Tuna Salad)

2 cans of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed well
1 5.5 oz. tuna, drained
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 Tbsp. finely slivered red onion
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. parsley or basil finely chopped

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar and garlic in a bowl.  Combine vinegar mixture with beans, tuna, onion and herbs.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Let sit for 2 hours before serving.

Cold Noodle Chicken Salad with Sesame/Peanut Sauce

It was a hot weekend and perfect for cold pasta salads. They can be so versatile and easy to throw together, either improvisationally or following a new recipe. I did both and made two salads which lasted for a few meals. It's always nice to have leftovers!

The first salad I made was my standard pesto bow tie pasta salad which included petite peas, grape tomatoes and marinated artichoke hearts. The dressing included prepared pesto, some mayonnaise and sour cream, salt and pepper. This is one my standards where I sometimes will throw in some leftover chicken or some olives, whatever strikes my fancy at the time.

The second salad was a new one I found on a great food site at the New York Times by Mark Bittman, who has written a number of great cookbooks. His latest endeavor was a travel/cooking show on PBS called Spain-On The Road Again, with Mario Battelli where they traveled all around Spain along with Gwenyth Paltrow and a Spanish actress. It was very entertaining and educational. I want to go to Spain now.

The salad is a cold noodle salad with sesame sauce, chicken and cucumbers. I forgot the cucumbers while shopping so mine was minus that component. I also used 1/4 cup tahini sauce and 1/4 cup peanut butter, whereas Mr. Bittman calls for 1/2 cup tahini. I just thought peanut butter would bolster the flavor a bit more. I also added about 1/2 tsp. of chili flakes along with the hot sauce he calls for. So, those are my modifications to this delicious cold main course salad.

I also experimented with making green onion garnishes just for fun and they turned out very well.Cold Noodles with Sesame/Peanut Sauce, Chicken and Cucumbers

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 lb. sliced cucumber, with the seeds removed

12 oz. long pasta, like linguine or fresh Chinese egg noodles

2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil

1/2 cup sesame paste or peanut butter

2 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp minced ginger

1 Tbsp rice or wine vinegar

Hot sauce to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup minced scallions for garnish.Cook pasta until tender but not mushy. Strain and run cold water over them. In a large bowl, whisk together sesame oil and sesame paste, sugar, soy, ginger, vinegar, hot sauce and pepper. Thin the sauce with hot water so that it is about the consistency of heavy cream, you will need approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Stir in cucumber, pasta and chicken. Toss everything together well and garnish with minced scallions.

Homemade Salad Dressing

When we are in the mood for a "big salad" dinner, I always try to make it special with the freshest produce I can find, some wonderful freshly made french bread and best of all, homemade bleu cheese salad dressing. In a matter of minutes, this dressing can be mixed together and put in the fridge for a couple of hours so the flavors marry and voila, the tastiest bleu cheese dressing you've ever had.

Mind you, I have tasted a couple of bottled/jarred bleu cheese dressings that aren't bad, but they all tend to have such strong vinegar taste - probably for preservative sake. This recipe makes a rich dressing (a little goes a long way) with big chunks of cheese and the flavors of the garlic and a slight undertone of acid from the lemon. It lasts about a week in the refrigerator. Leftovers are also good as a dip for veggies such as celery and carrot sticks.

Bleu Cheese Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 medium garlic clove, minced very fine

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

3-4 oz. crumbled bleu cheese

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Combine all of the ingredients together until well combined. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours so flavors are well combined. Serve with green salad or as a dip for crudities.

Hail Caesar

While having lunch out with a friend last week I was appalled at the price we paid for a Caesar Salad. My salad which consisted of romaine lettuce and an oil based vinegar dressing on a dinner plate with a roll on the side was $8.95. My dining companion opted for grilled chicken on his and it came with 4 slices of chicken breast at the astonishing price of $12.95. Can you believe it?? Prices like that for lunch!!

This experience got me thinking about our current horrible economic status in this country and the fact that if some people just understood how much cheaper it is to cook meals from scratch instead of going out to restaurants or take out delis, they would save so much money. I know time is a big issue for folks with kids at home but I work full time and I manage. You just need to put a bit of effort into planning your menus and making sure you have well stocked pantry with the basics.

I decided to make my own Caesar Salad this weekend to go along with our Fettucini Alfredo pasta and it probably only cost me $3.00 for a huge salad bowl full. Granted I already had some stale french bread in the house to make the croutons but still and all.....a mere pittance the cost of restaurant food. Okay, I'm going to get off my soap box now and give you my recipe. This was a new recipe I tried out for the dressing and it was delicious. Very lemony and flavorful with the touch of anchovies and Parmesan cheese. I also liked this recipe because it doesn't have the traditional raw egg in it which tends to make me a bit nervous when cooking with raw eggs. I was lazy this weekend though and didn't put out the ingredients to photograph as I normally do.

Caesar Salad

Croutons

Cubed stale french bread (approximately 1/2 loaf)

1-2 minced garlic cloves

1 heaping tsp. lemon zest

2 heaping Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Put the garlic, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir together. Add the bread cubes and pour over enough olive oil to lightly coat the bread and mix all the ingredients together until the bread is well coated. Bake the bread in a single layer for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes until they are light golden brown. Put aside to cool.Caesar Salad Dressing

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2-3 medium anchovy fillets or 2-3 squirts of anchovy paste

1-2 medium cloves of garlic

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor mix together cheese, lemon zest, mustard, anchovies, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice until well combined. With machine going, slowly pour olive oil in and process until creamy and blended. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble salad, tear up a large romaine lettuce into 1 inch pieces into a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss until all the leaves are well coated. Top with the croutons and some shavings of Parmesan cheese.

Cooking Magazines

I have always had a love of cooking magazines. I have been a loyal subscriber to Bon Appetite since the year I graduated from college, in 1979. Since then the number of magazines I subscribe to has varied but the three standards, year after year, have been Gourmet, Bon Appetite and Martha Stewart Living. I look forward to checking the mail box and gleefully perusing through my magazines each month looking for ideas and inspirations. Since I began this food blog I have paid close attention to the food styling, amazed at detail of the shots taken. Like pictures of models though, there is a lot of magic that goes on when food is photographed professionally. It is far more difficult to make most food look like the "food porn" that is exhibited on the glossy pages of the magazines.

I saw a picture of a salad in Everyday Food from Martha Stewart in the January 2009 edition that I thought looked beautiful and even better yet, sounded quite healthy. It incorporates the whole grain bulgur, which I have never tried as well as tasty goat cheese and tomatoes and some greens. Below is my rendition.

Bulgur Salad

(Adapted to serve 2)

2/3 cup medium grind bulgur (I found mine in the bulk section of a health food store)

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 sprigs of green onion

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar ( I used 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar)

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 ounces fresh goat cheese crumbled (I used an herbed goat cheese)

In a heatproof bowl soak bulgur with 1/2 tsp salt and 2 cups boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes until grain is tender but slightly chewy.

Drain bulgur in a fine mesh sieve and squeeze out any liquid. Return to a bowl and add tomatoes, parsley, onion, cheese, oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper, gently toss until well mixed. Chill before serving.

Baked Goat Cheese and a Salad

Not a very clever title today. I haven't done enough salads on my blog so I decided to include this one which was served for dinner this weekend along with Seafood Fettucini Alfredo. Though the salad tasted good, I was disappointed by the baked goat cheese. It just didn't get brown which I thought would happen. The failure I believe goes to the fact that I baked the cheese in a baking pan as opposed to the baking sheet called for in the recipe. It pays to follow instructions! All in all it was a nice salad and I would definitely make it again. (P.S. I know Gladys, yours wasn't plated as nicely as the one shown above!)
Mixed Greens Salad with Baked Parmesan Goat Cheese
1 5.5-ounce log creamy goat cheese (such as Montrachet), chilled

1 egg

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

1/3 cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

6 cups (4 ounces) mixed lettuces

Cut goat cheese log into 4 equal rounds. Place egg in a shallow bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Spread flour in a shallow medium bowl. In another shallow medium bowl, mix panko, parmesan, thyme and cayenne. Coat each cheese round completely with flour, then dip into egg, letting excess drip off, then coat well with panko/parmesan mixture. Place on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Whisk together lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Add shallots and tomatoes to dressing and set aside. (Dressing can be prepared 2 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)
To bake goat cheese, arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake cheese, uncovered, until heated through and coating is light golden brown, about 6 minutes. Watch carefully.

To serve, toss greens with enough dressing to coat lightly, and mound salad on 4 salad plates. Garnish each serving with a baked goat cheese round.

Makes 4 servings.

Salad Caprese

Last night I wasn't feeling very inspired to cook as I had taken on the challenge of cleaning out my spice and baking cabinets yesterday. Some of the spices and herbs I found in the bowels of that cabinet have probably moved with me since I came to Salem in 1990 from Seattle. Needless to say it was a jumbled, unorganized mess. Below is a pic of the mishmash I took out:

While I was at it I thought I might as well go for it and clean out the entire space. My friend Janet would be proud of me. She was (and probably still is) one of the neatest people I ever knew and her apartment always looked spotless. I took a trip to the local Bed, Bath, and Beyond and purchased functional clear glass jars for individual spices, labels, and a Lazy Susan (what an apropos name for that gadget). I then went next door to the World Market where I found a large selection of spices and herbs in manageable quantities for .99 cents each. Eureka!

An hour later after pouring the spices into their cute little jars and labeling them I felt such a sense of satisfaction. As well, the room and my hands were very fragrant with the heady smells of the spices. It smelled like walking into an Indian spice store. Below is a pic of the final results:

So, back to my original statement above, I whipped together some spaghetti with meat sauce and to accompany this Italian dinner we had Salad Caprese made with slices of vine ripe tomatoes (from the store, not our garden!), basil (from our garden) and slices of fresh whole milk mozzarella balls. The salad was dressed with salt, pepper and drizzles of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Truly a masterful summer salad!