“Better than Honey Crisp?” I asked.  Honey Crisp are my official favorite.

“Yep,” Lisa said.  “I like them better than Honey Crisp.”

Well, shut my mouth;  I guess I’ll have to try them.

I’ll tell you the truth:  an apple challenge is not my favorite thing.  First of all, it doesn’t seem early enough in the season for us to all be jumping on the apple cart – I mean, I love cinnamon and cloves just as much as the next gal, but I’m just not mentally prepared for crisps, cobblers, and apple brown bettys.

Secondly (and this is a confession, prepare yourself), I cannot stand fruit in a main course.  Or in a savory salad for that matter, and it’s an odd quirk, I know.  I think I get it from my dad.   Mandarin oranges, strawberries, kiwi, apples … please, don’t put them in my dinner.  Or lunch.  I’ll take fruit with my breakfast and let’s call it a day, thank you very much.

But, since I am a team player, I decided to make this salad which contains – yes, apples.  And you know what?!  I liked it.  I mean, I REALLY, REALLY liked it!  The dressing is terrific – a perfect blend of sweet and tart.  It does have a slight “autumn thing” going on with the nutmeg and ginger, but those flavors are subtle – you’ll hardly know they’re there.  Slivered red onion, crisp romaine, and toasty pecans are a nice compliment to the sweetness of the apples.  We had this salad alongside carry-in pizza on Friday night, but I could see it going well with an autumn dinner party menu as well.  I’m sold!

ROMAINE SALAD WITH APPLE, RED ONION, and CIDER VINAIGRETTE

Serves:  5

Source: adapted from epicurious.com

• ¾ c. vegetable oil
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ T. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 T. minced red onion
• 1 t. salt
• ¼ t. ground nutmeg
• ¼ t. ground ginger
• Hefty pinch of ground black pepper

• ½ c. julienned red onion
• 1 Jazz apple (on sale) peeled, cored, and diced
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces
• ½ c. chopped pecans, toasted

Whisk first 8 ingredients together in a small bowl for dressing (or, whip it up with a stick blender, which is what I did).  Set aside.

Place chopped romaine in a large salad bowl. Top with apple, onion, and pecans.  Drizzle with dressing, tossing to coat.  Serve on individual plates.

I woke up a while ago and the house just didn’t feel right.  Uncomfortable, steamy, hot and sticky… I like to think I’m too young for hot flashes, but obviously, something was not right.

Well apparently, the air conditioner hadn’t been working all night long.  I went down to the basement thinking (hoping?!) that I probably just needed to change out the furnace filter (we’re not very good at keeping up with that sort of thing around here, if you want the truth) and all would be well.  But no such luck.

The filter is fine.  Much worse I fear, is that the furnace is covered in a thin layer of ice and frost, which can’t possibly be good.  I find its frozen state slightly ironic, since the rest of the house feels like the rainforest, and my hair (a very reliable humidity indicator) is curling wildly even as we speak.  Nice visual, right?  Yeah, it ain’t good.

I hate problems with the house.  They always give me a bad feeling in the pit of my checkbook.

While I’m sitting around waiting for the repairman to show his face and give me the bad news, I’ve turned my attention to dinner. You’re probably wondering how and/or WHY I would possibly be thinking about dinner at a time like this?  When I’m so hot and crabby?!  Well, that’s how I roll.  Planning dinner is a great diversion from the problem at hand.  Also, I’m a little obsessed.  It’s an illness.

Any hoo, I’m an absolute fool for a good Cobb Salad, which is what I decided to make tonight.  Light and fresh, they’re the perfect warm weather dinner.  I adore them so much in fact, that I ate a Cobb Salad from the North Shore Bistro every single week for the full nine months that I was pregnant with my third kiddo.  Do the math, that’s like, 40 salads.  Don’t believe me?  Ask my husband.  He was my Cobb Salad courier every time I had a craving.  A Cobb Salad mule, that’s what he was.  I’m sure he’d be thrilled with the title.  Let’s just see if he really reads my blog like he says he does.

This version is dressed up a bit with the addition of fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts,  and a lovely, light vinaigrette.  I used the sale marinated chicken breasts from the meat counter (Italian, they were terrific), sale romaine lettuce, stem tomatoes, and Patrick Cudahy bacon.  Economical AND delicious, does it get any better?

Impress your diners by chilling off your plates in the freezer before you plate the salads; it adds a nice touch and will make you look like a pro!

At least something around here will be nice and cold.  Humph.

COBB SALAD WITH HERBS AND SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Serves:  6

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, August/September 2008 p. 55

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (again, I used the marinated ones from the meat counter)
• 1 large head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• ¾ c. fresh herbs (I used Italian parsley, basil, mint, and chives), chopped (not minced)
• 2 large avocados, pitted and diced
• 2 larged stem tomatoes, seeded and diced
• ¾ c. crumbled blue cheese of your choice
• 1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted (you could easily swap in pecans or walnuts for much less $$ than the pine nuts)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled, and crumbled
• Sherry Vinaigrette, recipe follows
• Additional fresh chives, chopped for garnish

Place 6 large salad plates in the freezer to chill.

Preheat your grill to medium high.  Grill the chicken breasts until well marked and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.  Cool; cut in to small dice.

Combine romaine and herbs in a large mixing bowl.  Toss with just enough dressing to coat lightly, 4 – 5 tablespoons.  Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

In a medium mixing bowl, toss the avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, pinenuts, and chicken together with 3 – 4 tablespoons of the dressing.  Remove the plates from the freezer.  Divide the greens among the plates, arranging the lettuce in a circle with a small hole in the center. Mound the chicken mixture in the center of the lettuce on each plate, dividing evenly.  Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and chopped chives and serve.

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

• ¾ c. extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ c. good quality sherry vinegar
• 2 t. finely grated lemon zest (from about one lemon)
• 1 t. sugar
• 1 clove garlic minced finely or pressed
• ½ t. Dijon mustard
• ½ t. salt
• ¼ t. ground black pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a glass measuring cup or jar with a tight fitting lid and whisk or vigorously shake to combine.  You can refrigerate this for up to five days, but allow it to come to room temperature and stir well (or shake again) before serving.

There’s a hilarious scene where the two of them are discussing the wedding menu (or, ‘monyu’); flamboyant Franck tries to convince stressed-out George (or, ‘Mr. Bonks’) that he must serve either veal (‘vol’), seafood (‘sah foot’), or the lowly, cheaper chicken (‘the chipper chocken’).  George, who is trying to pinch pennies, of course opts for the ‘chipper chocken’.  He then rips his old ‘tux-ah-doh’ straight down the back,  heads off to the grocery store in a huff, and proceeds to rip the stockboy a new one over the outrageous cost of hotdog buns.  A crazy shopping cart chase through the aisles ensues, where product displays tumble left and right, and  George lands himself in jail, where poor Nina (Diane Keaton) has to come to bail him out.

Remember that scene?  You don’t?  Well then you must go rent the movie.  It’s delightful from start to finish!

You’re probably asking yourself where this conversation could possibly be headed.  And so, before I digress much further (like, by busting out the complete soundtrack for you), I want to tell you about this ‘chipper chocken’ recipe that I made tonight.  It’s my favorite dish to make out of plain old, boring ‘chocken’ breasts.

The refreshing Greek flavors of oregano and fresh mint really liven up these pretty skewers.  The whole meal came together quite quickly – you’ll just need a little time to marinade the chicken.  While the chicken marinates, pull together the delicious Greek salad, prepare a box of couscous or rice pilaf, and toast some pita bread.  Dinner is served!

GRILLED CHICKEN, RED ONION, & MINT KEBABS WITH GREEK SALAD

Serves:  4

Source:  epicurious.com, originally published in Bon Appetit Magazine, July 2001

• 1 ½ lbs. skinless boneless chicken breast halves (on sale!), cut in to 1-inch pieces
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. dried mint
• 1 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh mint (one clear plastic box from the produce department)
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 metal skewers (or wood, just soak them for an hour beforehand so they don’t burn up on your grill)
• Greek Salad, below

Mix chicken, oil, garlic, mint, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Let marinate 30 minutes (mine went two hours with no trouble).

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.  Pull off the large mint leaves from their stems.  Alternate chicken, onion, and mint leaves on skewers, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill until chicken is just cooked through, turning occasionally, about 9 minutes total.  Serve with Greek Salad.

GREEK SALAD

Yields:  about 4 ½ cups

• ¾ lb. stemmed tomatoes (on sale), seeded, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 c. diced seeded peeled cucumber (about 1 large, on sale)
• 1 c. diced red bell pepper (from 1 large)
• ¼ c. pitted kalamata olives, halved
• ¼ c. diced red onion
• 3 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 ½ T. red wine vinegar
• ½ t. dried oregano
• ¼ c. crumbled feta (half of a 4 oz. box)

Toss the first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend.  Gently mix in cheese.  Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the Chicken Kebabs!

Shepherd Salad

• 1 sm Cucumber
• 1 small Sweet Onion
• 1 Tomato
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbl Red Wine Vinegar
• Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
• ½ cup Crumbled Feta, (I recommend Hidden Springs Creamery Fresh Sheep Feta in Brine)

Coarsely chop veggies, transfer to bowl.  Add Vinegar and Oil, toss well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with Feta and serve.

Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza

• 1 Boboli Whole Wheat Crust
• 1 Lemon
• 4oz Chevre, room temp.
• few leaves fresh Basil, cut in thin slivers
• ½ med Yellow Zucchini, sliced thin
• ½ med Green Zucchini, sliced thin
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Oven temp: 450

Stir together chevre with juice of half the lemon.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread over pizza crust.  Scatter with fresh Basil slivers over cheese.  Arrange zucchini in circles on crust, overlapping slightly.  Squeeze juice of second half of lemon on top of zucchini , drizzle olive oil over zucchini and finish with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake 8-10minutes, until edges start to brown and zucchini looks roasted.

Crisse adds on the recipe that this makes a nice light lunch with a tomato salad and a white wine.

Saute of Zucchini & Toasted Almonds

• 2 Tbl Olive Oil
• 2 Tbl Thinly Sliced Almonds
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 or 2 small Zucchini, julienned
• few ounces of fresh grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan

Heat Oil on high in a large skillet.  Once hot, not smoking, add the almonds to the pan.  Cook stirring constantly until golden brown, apx. 2min.  Add zucchini, toss it with oil and almonds until to begins to glisten, (1 min) Just warm the zucchini….do not cook it to mush!  Season with Salt and Pepper, top with freshly grated cheese and serve.

The first dish, a Panzanella Salad, is a favorite of mine that I crave all summer long.  It’s cool and crisp with fresh bell peppers, cucumbers, red onion and tomatoes; toasty French bread croutons add a savory crunch. The salad is finished with a simple, tangy vinaigrette, but if you’re short on time, you could easily swap in an Italian Vinaigrette (choose either Annie’s Naturals Dressing, or Kraft Salad Dressing, both on sale this week).   I swear, I could eat the entire bowl of this salad myself – actually, that might even happen today.  I can’t be trusted with this stuff hanging around – it is to die for!

Secondly, to make great use of this week’s extremely economically-priced zucchini, I whipped up a batch of delicious Zucchini Pancakes.  What a terrific little side dish these guys are – and no exaggeration, the recipe came together in about five minutes flat.  Serve them alongside a chilly bowl of gazpacho, and you’ll have a fabulous dinner on a warm summer night.

I’m pleased as punch to tell you that most of the main ingredients for these dishes are on sale for insanely low prices this week, and the rest are on the cheap as well.  So with that, my frugal friends, fill up on your veggies, and enjoy your weekend!

PANZANELLA SALAD
Serves:  12

Recipe Source:  Barefoot Contessa PARTIES!, by Ina Garten, pp. 102-103

• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 small loaf of French bread, cut in 1” cubes (about 6 cups)
• 1 t. salt
• 2 large tomatoes, cubed
• 1 English cucumber, seeded and sliced 1” thick
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1” cubes
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1” cubes
• ½ red onion, julienned
• 20 large basil leaves, chopped
• 3 T. capers, drained

Dressing:

• 1 t. minced garlic
• ½ t. Dijon mustard
• 3 T. champagne vinegar (champagne vinegar is great, but I use white wine, sherry vinegar, or whatever light vinegar I have on hand)
• ½ c. olive oil
• ½ t. kosher salt
• ¼ t. ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large sauté 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.  (* note:  I make these in the oven sometimes; just toss the bread with the oil and salt, and spread the cubes on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, toss, and continue to bake until golden and toasty.)

For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well blended (* another note:  I also like to make this with my stick blender, which emulsifies dressings in a snap).

In a large bowl, mix all of the vegetables, the basil, and the capers.  Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour to blend the flavors.

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES

Makes about 10 Pancakes

Source:  Barefoot Contessa at Home, by Ina Garten.  pp. 136-137

• 2 medium zucchini (about ¾ pound)
• 2 T. grated red onion
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 to 8 T. flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Butter and olive oil

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater.  Immediately stir in the onion and eggs.  Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper.  If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.

Heat a large (10-12 inch) sauté pan over medium heat and melt ½ tablespoon of butter and ½ tablespoon of oil together in the pan.  When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping spoonfuls of batter into the pan.  Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned.  Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven.  Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, and add more butter and oil to the pan.  Continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used.  The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.