Raclette

A dish indigenous to parts of Switzerland. The Raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners' plates.Traditionally, it is accompanied by small firm potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions, dried meats (such as prosciutto), sliced peppers, tomato, onion, mushrooms, pears, and dusted with paprika and fresh-ground black pepper. It is normally accompanied by a white wine, such as a Riesling or a Pinot Gris.

Latkes for the First Night of Hanukkah

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (12 to 14 pancakes)
6 green onions, light green and white part only, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons matzo meal (see note)
Canola oil
Sour cream
Purée green onions with eggs in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until smooth. Add potatoes; pulse until finely chopped (mixture should retain some texture). Add salt, pepper and matzo meal; quickly pulse to combine. Do not overprocess. Pour batter into a medium mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap to prevent discoloration and let sit for 15 minutes. Heat 3/4 inch oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour a tablespoon of batter into skillet. If oil is hot enough, pancake will begin to sizzle and brown. Taste pancake and check seasoning. If necessary, add salt and pepper to batter.Spoon tablespoons of batter into skillet, leaving a little room between each pancake. Flatten pancakes with the back of a spoon; use the spatula to round out the sides if necessary. Fry pancakes until they are golden brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes, then turn them and brown the other side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer pancakes to a cookie sheet lined with 2 layers of paper towels. Allow excess oil to drain. If necessary, keep pancakes warm in a 275-degree oven. Remove the paper towels before putting them in the oven. To make ahead and freeze: Lay pancakes on a double sheet of aluminum foil. When completely cook, enclose pancakes tightly in the foil. Place on a flat surface in the freezer. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 425 degrees; place foil packets on a baking sheet. Open the packets, exposing the top of the pancakes. Bake the frozen pancakes about 7 minutes, until they are brown and crispy.
Note: If you cannot find matzo meal, substitute about 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.

Calico Beans

8 ounces bacon, about 10 to 12 slices
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. dry mustard
2 cans pork and beans
1 can lima beans or butter beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vinegar

Brown bacon, ground beef, and chopped onions. Combine drained ground beef mixture in slow cooker with remaining ingredients; cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 5 hours.

Pumpkin Praline Pie

Filling:

1 can pumpkin puree

1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 prepared pie crust
Adjust oven rack to lowest position.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Whisk pumpkin, sugar, spices, salt, and vanilla in mixing bowl until blended. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Whisk in cream. Pierce bottom of pie shell with fork.Pour filling into pie shell.
Bake 20 minutes.
Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1/4 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Whisk butter, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla together in small saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.
Scatter nuts over pie and cover with topping. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F. Bake just until pie is set, 30-35 minutes. If edge browns too quickly, cover it with strips of foil.
Let cool completely.
Serves 6.

Butter-rum baked apples

4 Golden Delicious or Baking apples with stems

1/3 Cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 Cup dark rum

2 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 Teaspoon fresh lemon zest

1/8 Teaspoon cloves
¼ Teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Cut off top third of each apple and reserve. Scoop out seeds and some of flesh from apples using a melon-ball cutter or round teaspoon measure to form a cavity (do not puncture bottoms). Stand apples in a buttered baking dish just large enough to hold them.

Heat remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Pour some of syrup into cavity of each apple and remainder into baking dish. Return apple tops to apples and cover dish loosely with foil.

Bake in middle of oven until apples are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.

Peachy Keen Muffins

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup diced peaches
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats and buttermilk. With a fork, mix in vegetable oil, molasses, vanilla, and egg. Add remaining ingredients and stir just until dry ingredients are dampened.
Grease bottoms of 12 medium muffin cups.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.Makes 12 medium muffins.

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

2 cups instant couscous, prepared as per box instructions
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 ¼ cups tomatoes, stemmed, seeded and diced
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint, plus whole sprigs for garnish
2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano, plus whole sprigs for garnish
For dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs. grated lemon zest

3 Tbs. white balsalmic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare couscous as per box instructions. Transfer the couscous to a large serving bowl. Using a fork, fluff the couscous grains to separate them. Add the pine nuts, kalamata olives, tomatoes, feta cheese, chopped mint and oregano and toss.
In a separate bowl whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, and the vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until well blended. Mix into couscous mixture gently but well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend. Garnish with the mint and oregano sprigs and serve the salad chilled or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Granita

noun: icy frozen mixture made of sugar, water, and flavorings that originated in Southern Italy. The mixture is placed in a shallow glass baking dish and put in the freezer. The concoction is stirred every half hour during freezing by using the tines of a fork to scrape the mixture to achieve a coarse, crystalline texture. It needs to be served as soon as it’s ready and is traditionally served either between courses or as refreshment, but it also makes a light and zingy dessert.

2 cups Water
1 cup Sugar

1 1/2 cups

Freshly squeezed lime juice

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring occasionally todissolve sugar. Cool the syrup. Stir in the lime juice through a fine strainer to eliminate any seeds or pulp. Pour into a shallow glass pan and put in freezer. When the mixture starts to freeze, stir every 30 minutes or so, scraping the frozen mixture from the bottom and sides of the pan and mixing it with the as-yet-unfrozen mixture. When there is no longer any unfrozen liquid in the pan press plastic wrap against the surface. Serve within a few hours for best texture. Substituteany citrus juice for distinctly different flavors.

Makes 1 Quart

Sangria, ole!

Sangria is a refreshing wine drink from Spain. It can be made using different fruit-even small chunks of apples and pears-and any good quality red wine.The rum in this recipe gives it an extra kick. You can use triple sec or brandy instead of the rum.

1 1/2 cups rum

1/2 cup castor sugar

1 orange, thinly sliced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 bottle dry red wine

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Mix the rum and sugar together in a large pitcher until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced fruit. Let the fruit/sugar/rum mixture set in the refrigerator for 2-6 hours. Just before serving stir in the red wine and orange juice.

Salsa Fresca

Here's a great recipe that will use some of those ripe tomatoes from the garden that are so abundant now. Pair it with a Mojito and have a Summertime Happy Hour. Enjoy!

4 ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced

1/4 red onion, chopped

1 chili, minced

8 cilantro sprigs, leaves only chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of 1 lime

½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together. Toss thoroughly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Mojito

noun: a traditional Cuban cocktail traditionally made of five ingredients: mint, rum, sugar (or sugar cane juice), lime, and carbonated water. Its combination of sweetness and refreshing citrus and mint flavors are intended to mask the potent kick of the rum, and have made this clear cocktail a popular summer drink.

To make a Mojito, juice from a lime is added to sugar and mint leaves in a tall glass. The mixture is then gently mashed repeatedly with a muddler. Crushed ice is then added, followed by rum and topped off with club soda.