Panzanella

Panzanella
From Barefoot Contessa

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed. For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Shrimp and Shells

This is by far my favorite pasta salad ever! This recipe makes a lot so keep in mind how many you are feeding when you prepare it. I cut the recipe in half and it was enough for about four people. Once assembled I used about half the dressing - which is just my preference.

Shrimp and Shells
Barefoot Contessa How East is That?

Kosher salt
Good olive oil
1 pound small pasta shells, such as Ronzoni
Kernels from 8 ears of corn (about 6 cups)
12 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and small-diced
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
2 pounds cooked shrimp, medium-diced
1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups minced fresh dill

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt and some olive oil. Add the pasta and cook it for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Add the corn to the pasta and cook it for another 2 minutes, until the corn is tender. Drain the pasta and corn together in a colander and pour them into a large mixing bowl. Add the scallions, diced pepper, tomatoes, and lobster, tossing gently to combine. Allow to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper until smooth. Pour over the pasta and mix well to bind the ingredients. Stir in the dill. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for up to 6 hours to allow the flavors to develop. Check the seasonings and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Apricot, Cherry and Peach Pie

This pie is spectacular!

Apricot, Cherry, and Peach Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook

Filling:
1 pound fresh peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges
1 pound fresh apricots, pitted and sliced into wedges
1 pound of fresh cherries (sweet, such as Bing), stemmed, pitted, and halved
¾ cup granulated sugar (use 2/3 for a more tart pie)
3 tablespoons corn starch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream

In a large bowl, toss together the fruit. Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon juice. Toss to combine.

Perfect Pie Crust:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan and unfold to fit the pan.

Spoon the fruit mixture and any juices into the pie shell, slightly mounding the fruit in the center. Dot with butter. Brush the rim of the pie shell with water. Add the top crust either whole or in lattice strips. Crimp edges.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream. Brush onto the top crust being careful not to let it pool. Generously sprinkle the entire surface with sugar.

Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway through, until the crust is deep golden brown, about 40 – 50 minutes more.

Cool completely before serving.