Choose One: Angel Food Cake/Sponge Cake/Pan di Spagna 

Slice cake into three horizontal layers and put one layer on a serving dish and set the other two layers aside. 

Filling:

1-lb whole milk Ricotta cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup high quality chocolate, grated 

Frosting:

1 pint heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp. powdered sugar
¼ cup high quality chocolate, finely grated or seasonally themed decorations

Blend first four ingredients together gently but thoroughly. Spread half of this mixture on cake layer. Place second cake layer on top of the Ricotta. Spread the remainder of the filling on the next layer. Top with third layer. 

Beat the cream to stiff-peak stage, gradually adding the ½ tsp vanilla and sugar, as it beats. Frost the cake on all sides with the whipped cream mixture. Dust the cake with ¼ cup of the finely grated chocolate or with seasonally themed decorations. 

Refrigerate for 2 hours, minimum. Serve and enjoy! 

I like to try new preparations for ingredients I have often to change it up! I had a pound of asparagus……..So I paired it with some leftover broccoli stems and made soup! Sounded good to me 😋. It is delicious 👍

• 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 broccoli stems, peeled and cut in pieces
• 1 lb asparagus, cut in 1 inch pieces (you can reserve the tops for a garnish)
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup cream or half & half
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot

Sauté onion til translucent

Add broccoli stems, asparagus and garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Sauté til tender

Add stock and heat through

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup. Or purée in a blender being careful not to overfill it and DON’T put lid on tight to allow steam to escape

Add cream or half & half and the reserved asparagus tips and heat through. Re-season if needed

Submitted by G ❤️

There have been some frost warnings here in Western New York, but my tomatoes had not fully ripened, so to avoid waste, I picked whatever survived the chilly nights. Some of the tomatoes are ripening in paper bags – agreed this is not optimal for flavor and quality – but the few that I tasted were actually quite good. Nothing beats a vine-ripened tomato, but when Mother Nature steps in, we improvise.

I selected 4 medium sized green tomatoes for this recipe and must admit that the results were very pleasing!

Fried Green Tomatoes

• 4 medium green tomatoes
• Flour
• Egg/milk combo
• Cornmeal/breadcrumb mixture
• Vegetable oil for frying

Wash tomatoes, slice in 1/2” rounds. Set up a breading station. Dip slices into flour for a light dusting, then into egg-milk combo to coat each slice, then finish with the cornmeal-crumb mixture.

Place paper toweling and a cooking rack in a baking tray to collect and drain the fried tomato slices.

Heat the oil to medium temperature and fry the coated slices – do not crowd the pan -fry only about 4 at a time. Fry until slices are golden brown and crispy, and transfer to the rack.

Serving suggestion: prepare a Remoulade for dipping. This is the easiest one I’ve found so far:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/2 teaspoon horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon spicy creole seasoning

 Stir together and enjoy.

(Quantities shown are guess-timates and may be adjusted according to taste.)

Easy Remoulade

Not bad for a Yankee from New York! And my mom would be proud that I did not waste any tomatoes! Bon Appétit!

Submitted by Linda 👩🏻‍🍳

This is a quick version of the Eggplant Stackers published in May of 2020, however, there is no ricotta in this recipe today. I used a small container of leftover tomato sauce – (about 2 cups) – a great time saver!

Wash a medium eggplant, cut into thick slices. Place the slices on a sprayed, foil-covered baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle some flavored crumbs on top, add a dash of parmesan cheese on each slice. Bake @375° for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Top one slice with about a tablespoon of sauce, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Top that with another eggplant slice and more sauce and mozzarella. Repeat once more with another slice. Repeat until all the eggplant is used and the towers are covered with sauce and cheese. Return to oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

That’s all there is to it!

Bon Appétit!

Submitted by Linda 👩🏻‍🍳

Cheesy Quinoa Butternut Squash Spinach Casserole

• 3-4 cups frozen butternut squash chunks
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, or to taste)
• 8 ounces fresh spinach – sautéed and drained
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk (dairy, soya, oatmeal, or almond)
• 1 cup grated cheese of choice (Gruyère or Cheddar work well)

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook the frozen squash as per package instructions to a crisp-tender doneness. Heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions and sage – cook until onions are tender and start to caramelize. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add quinoa and squash and stir for a minute. Add broth, black pepper, sea salt, and cayenne pepper (if using). Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Move the quinoa mixture to an oven-safe 9×9 casserole -coat the pan with pan spray first. In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs, pour over the quinoa mixture. Top with the spinach and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake @350° for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Quinoa is a surprisingly versatile grain that is a great source of protein. Enjoy this lovely dish as a side or as a main vegetarian dish.

Bon Appétit!

Submitted by L

Our garden is already cranking out some early beans, grape tomatoes, and zucchini. The beans were tender-cooked in less than 8 minutes, and the grape tomatoes found their way into some salads. The first two zucchini were sautéed with some onion and served as a side to a simple Fettuccini Alfredo.

As you probably know, where there is one zucchini, there are at least six more, so here is one recipe to enjoy two of the several squash that will most likely ripen this week.

Roasted Cheesy Zucchini Wheels

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2″ wheels
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, to taste
• Oregano, to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss zucchini wheels in the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Lightly coat a foil-covered tray with olive oil spray. Arrange the zucchini in a single layer- no overlapping. Using a microplaner, finely shred the cheeses on top of the zucchini. Be generous with the cheese! Sprinkle with oregano.

Bake on center rack for 5-6 minutes. Finish under the broiler until the cheese is golden and just a bit crispy. 

The entire process takes about 15 minutes from slicing to serving the zucchini.

Give it a try!

Bon appétit!

Submitted by L: 👩🏻‍🍳

• 2 TBLS butter, melted
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked fennel seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 cups sliced & chopped cabbage
• I cup carrots, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• 2 TBLS white wine
• 2 TBLS cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Melt butter in a large pot; add onion, fennel seeds, and salt. Sauté gently on low heat until onions are very soft and almost caramelized. Add cabbage; toss to coat and cook until cabbage wilts. I started with the pot covered and removed it to continue with the final steps.

Add stock and wine; add carrots and simmer 20 minutes or until cabbage is very tender and most of liquid is cooked off. Stir infrequently. Whisk cream and mustard with a fork and stir into the cabbage. Adjust the seasoning and serve warm.

Submitted by L

I’m trying out my O’Talian today, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with some traditional Irish Soda Bread. This recipe is courtesy of my dear friends, The Gaineys.

Sift together 4 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt. Work in 1/4 cup very cold butter (like for pie crust), add 1 cup raisins. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1-1/3 cups buttermilk, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon baking soda. Add to flour mixture, mixing gently until just blended. Make one or two round loaves, place on greased parchment-covered baking tray, dot with butter, bake in 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes.

Submitted by L- OfficIally “O’Talian” today!

I’m trying out my O’Talian today, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with some traditional Irish Soda Bread. This recipe is courtesy of my dear friends, The Gaineys.

Sift together 4 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt. Work in 1/4 cup very cold butter (like for pie crust), add 1 cup raisins. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1-1/3 cups buttermilk, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon baking soda. Add to flour mixture, mixing gently until just blended. Make one or two round loaves, place on greased parchment-covered baking tray, dot with butter, bake in 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes.

Submitted by L- OfficIally “O’Talian” today!

This may be the fastest soup I have ever made – and it ranks in the top ten for flavor!

Cheesy Potato Soup

• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt, like Lawry’s (I used a combination of red pepper, paprika, garlic powder)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4-ounce package of cream cheese
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• Parsley for garnish

Combine the broth, potatoes, and spices. Boil on medium heat until the potatoes are tender. Reduce to low heat. Add cream cheese and cheddar – stir to melt. Garnish with parsley.

Bon Appétit!!