Lemon Verbena Basil Avocado and Tomatoes

It's supposed to hit the upper 90s later this week in my neck of the woods. I can already feel the miserable humidity shoving my hair our of balance. So for the rest of the week the oven will be off, the stove will remain idle, if I can help it, and any type of cooking will be left in the hands of Mr. Grillman, with the exception of salads.

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Salmon Baked in Paper (Salmone in Cartoccio)

After all of these years I am still trying to understand the meaning of life. I've spent the past few months preoccupied with much of my past and wondering how I would redo things if I had the chance. There are ample improvements to be made if I could just rewind the clock. I have been trying to pin point and map out the decisions I made that had the biggest impact on my life, and to my dismay some of them were made spontaneously while others taken too lightly. You know you can worry yourself sick over things that you can't change. Although this exercise of looking in the rear view mirror has taught me how to better focus on the future.

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Artichoke Hearts with Sun Dried Tomatoes Pasta

Every Spring season I look forward to two vegetables: asparagus and artichokes. And even though it is not summer, you can still find asparagus in the market. The season for artichokes, on the other hand, unfortunately never lasts long enough. Each year I make my favorite artichoke recipe: sauteed artichokes in lemon parsley sauce. This year I got a bit more creative with the recipe adding a fiesta of colors: bright red sun-dried tomatoes, deep green spinach and pasta to make it a complete meal. 

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Sherry's Radish Tops Pesto Recipe

"Can you guess what's in there?" Sherry asks me as I bite into the pesto crostini."
"Um. Sun dried tomatoes, almonds, garlic ... I don't know, but it's really good!" I replied between bites.
Each time I visit my friends Bob and Sherry in California it feels like opening up an unexpected gift as they graciously offer a lavish spread of appetizers accompanied by excellent wines from their extensive collection, and always with good company. This time, in addition to several small dishes, Sherry had whipped up a bowl of pesto composed of radish tops, a novel appetizer replete with exciting pesto flavors with a unique kick from the spicy radish tops.

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CHUNKY GUACAMOLE RECIPE

Festive, satisfying, and at times fiery, guacamole is a simple crowd pleaser that incorporates several fresh, bold and exciting flavors onto a thin crispy chip. There are several different versions of guacamole, this one is a chunky-style dip that integrates several big flavors while allowing each ingredient to remain distinguishable.

This recipe is dedicated to my friend Gloria, who has a personality that is fun, festive and at times fiery, and moreover is someone that most everyone loves!

GUACAMOLE RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2-3 avocados
• 1 lime
• 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
  
• sea salt
• black pepper, grounded
• 1 jalapeno, diced (optional)

 Method

1. Using a large cutting board, create a pile of the diced onion, cilantro, and minced garlic. Sprinkle the pile with roughly 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Incorporate these ingredients together by chopping the ingredients across the cutting board, taking care to fold the ingredients back into a neat pile along the way. This method imitates the traditional way of making guacamole, which is done by pounding the ingredients in a mortar pestle. Once the mixture reaches a consistency similar to the photo above, transfer it into a mixing bowl.
2. To dice the avocado, split the avocado in half, and remove the pit by stabbing the seed and twisting it out. Score the avocado fruit lengthwise in 1/2-inch slices, and again width-wise to produce cubes. Using a large spoon, scoop out the cubed avocados and place in the bowl with the onion mixture. Repeat until you have two avocados diced. Add the diced tomatoes, jalapenos (if using) and juice from a lime half. Fold the ingredients until it is evenly blended. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Taste. If you feel the guacamole is strong, add another half avocado diced. If you feel it is too bland, add ground black pepper, lime or cilantro. You get the idea, if you feel there is something missing, use your judgment to balance out the flavors to your preference.

Try serving guacamole with chips, over savory carnitas, or freshly made corn tortillas.

Serves 8-10