eat the food, tina

Here are two of my favorite recipes for fall parties. The first I have made a few times and received lavish praise for, and the second I have made only once and lavished praise on myself for. I highly recommend either of these crowd pleasers, which contain no ingredients from Kraft or Campbells. They both take a little time, but all good things do.

Green Beans with Walnut Vinaigrette

1/2 cup walnut pieces lightly toasted and finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 lbs green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup packed coarsely chopped cilantro

Grind or process 1/4 cup walnuts to a paste. Combine with oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and a pinch of salt. Whisk to blend. Let sit 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

15 minutes before serving, cook the beans in a covered saucepan in an inch of water until tender but still firm, about 5-7 minutes. Rinse with cold water and place in bowl.

Whisk dressing and pour over beans. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Reserve 1 teaspoon cilantro, add remaining to beans and toss. Garnish with remaining walnuts and cilantro. Voila!


















Red Onion and Gorgonzola Flatbreads

1 package yeast
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tsp salt, divided
1 red onion
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
4 oz gorgonzola, crumbled

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water (about 100°). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in flours, 2 tbsp. oil, and 1 tsp. salt. (Dough will be stiff.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place to rise until 1 1/2 times its original volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, halve onion lengthwise, peel, and thinly slice. In a bowl, combine onion and rosemary with remaining 2 tbsp. oil, the vinegar, remaining 1 tsp. salt, and the chili flakes. Cover; set aside.

Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly sprinkle 2 baking sheets with semolina and set aside. Turn risen dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough just until it feels smooth, about 10 times. Divide into 32 balls. Set 16 balls aside and cover with plastic wrap; roll the others as thinly as possible. Put 8 rounds on each baking sheet. Top each with a scant 1 tbsp. onion mixture and 1 1/2 tsp. blue cheese. Bake until browned and sizzling, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough balls, onion mixture, and cheese. Serve hot or warm.