Barbara's Favorite Garden Salad

• Coleman's Mustard Powder
• Unio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Monte Pollino White Wine Vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt
• salad greens

In a wooden salad bowl, grind garlic with a pestle and mix thoroughly with 1/4 tsp of salt. When the garlic and salt have been combined into a paste, mix in 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar. Next add 1/2 - 3/4 tsp of Coleman's and mix thoroughly so the garlic and mustard powder are evenly distributed. Finally, stir in 4 tbls of EVOO and spread mixture over the entire bottom of the salad bowl.

Once you've completed the dressing, you may add in the greens of your choice - Barbara likes butter lettuce or romaine - and toss lightly. By making the dressing in the bottom of the bowl, you can get a light coating over all the greens rather than having too of a heavy portion on the top. Delicious!

Recipe from: Barbara Hiken (my Mother-in-law)

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Laura Chenel’s Cabecou

Serves 4

• 4 each Heirloom tomatoes – approximately 3 pounds of tomatoes. It’s fun to mix up size and color when possible.
• ½ each red onion – torpedo onions come into season about the same time as heirloom tomatoes and are tasty and mild but any red onion will do.
• 1 bunch of basil
• Sea Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup of balsamic vinegar (use white balsamic if you want a brighter look to your salad).
• 1 (9 ounce) jar Cabecou, room temperature

Slice heirloom tomatoes ¼ inch thick, slice red onion as thinly as possible. Slice basil into thin strips (chiffonade) or chop. (Always use a sharp knife when cutting basil as a dull knife will bruise and brown the herb.) Place tomatoes on plate overlapping and alternating colors and shapes. Distribute red onions lightly and loosely on top of tomatoes. Sprinkle basil on top of onions. Drizzle all with the oil from the Cabecou. Break Cabecou into large chunks and tuck around the top of the salad. Drizzle a little more of the olive oil and then the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roasted Asparagus Salad w/ Beemster Lite & Balsamic

Serves 4

• 5 oz. Beemster Lite Matured, in cubes or matchsticks
• 2 tblsp. olive or wok oil
• 18 oz. green asparagus, sliced diagonally into 3/4 inch pieces
• 2.5 oz. arugula or baby leaf lettuce
• 8 slices of ham
• 2 pears, peeled & sliced
• 2 green onions, sliced into thin rings
• 3.5 tblsp. walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 3 tblsp. olive oil
• 1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tblsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. mustard
• freshly ground pepper

Grease a grill pan with 2 tblsp. olive or wok oil, and grill asparagus until golden brown and done but still crunchy - about 3 to 4 minutes.

Mix dressing ingredients: olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice, mustard, & pepper.

Divide lettuce evenly on to 4 plates, place asparagus on top of greens.

Put the ham on the hot grill pan until crispy. Divide the pear, green onion, and Beemster evenly over asparagus.

Drizzle dressing over salads and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Tip: serve with ciabatta or warm French bread. Try mixing green & white asparagus (be sure to completely peel the white variety).

From: Beemster website

Anna's Pizza

Individual Serving

• Cirio Sugo Alle Olive Tomato Sauce
• 8" Soft French Roll
• 3 oz. Tuscano Salami (sliced)
• 2.5 oz. Prosciutto (sliced thin)
• 1 oz. graded Manchego cheese
• 1.5 oz. graded aged Asiago cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut roll in half horizontally then spread tomato sauce on both halves. Place Tuscano salami evenly to cover tomato sauce. Next, sprinkle both cheeses evenly across the salami. There should be enough cheese to entirely cover both halves of bread. Finally, lay thin strips of Prosciutto across the top and place in the oven on baking rack for 13 -15 minutes. When the cheese is melted and the Prosciutto is crispy, remove from oven and enjoy!

Created & submitted by VCH employee Anna Sandoval

Baked Goat Cheese & Tomato Fondue

Serves 6

• 6 thin slices sturdy bread
• 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes or 2 (16 – ounce cans diced tomatoes)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large shallots, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 fresh bay leaf, if possible, or 1 sprig fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 tablespoons sliced dates, prunes, or dried apricots
• 1 (9 ounce) jar Cabecou cheese, at room temperature

If you want smaller croutons, cut the slices of bread in half. Grill, toast, or oven-toast them so they are nice and crispy. Set them aside. For the fondue: peel and seed the tomatoes. If they are extremely juicy, set them in a colander to drain 20 minutes or so, then chop them into ½ - inch pieces. (Canned tomatoes should be drained too.) Heat the olive oil in a heavy wide pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook slowly until very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Increase the heat and add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and bay leaf: cook another 30 seconds or so. Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Add the dried fruit and take the pan off the heat. The dish can be held at this point and finished later. To finish the dish: preheat the oven to 500 F. Cut the disks of cheese in half horizontally, making 6 small rounds. Spoon the tomatoes into a baking dish and top with the cheese. Bake until the top of the cheese is golden and the tomato sauce is heated through and looks rich and thick. Depending on your oven, this should take 6 to 8 minutes. Set the baking dish on a napkin-lined plate (to keep it from sliding around) with the “croutons” alongside, so your guests can make their own toasts. It is best to spread some cheese first, then spoon some tomatoes on top. Alternatively, cut the bread into bite-size cubes, toast till crispy, and have your guests skewer them with fondue forks and coat them with the cheese and tomato fondue. From: Cindy Pawlcyn’s “Big Small Plates”