Ingredients

Sauce

• 6 cloves garlic
• 3-4 shallots
• Roma Tomatoes
• Fresh Parsley
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt & Pepper
• Fresh Parmesan
• 2lb package of frozen raw prawns

 
1.Sweat the Garlic and Shallots on low heat while you chop and add the tomatoes, you can bring up to a medium heat once the tomatoes are in the pan. make sure nto to cook the sauce too much, it should be light and fresh.
2.Chop and add parsley. Salt Pepper to taste. Contintue to simmer
3.Thaw and rinse prawns. Add to a hot cast iron pan. As the cook, add juices from the sauce in with the prawns, avoid the chunks of tomato etc. Flip the prawns. Add juices, until prawns are slightly browned on outside and cooked through.
4.Grate parmesan
5.Make nests with pasta, top with sauce and then grilled prawns.

Pasta

1. Boil a large amount of water in a 8 qt stock pan. Note: to cut down on the time and energy required to heat up that amount of water, I use my electric tea kettle to get the water boiling, and then add to the pot on medium heat.
2. Add a good amount of salt to the water
3. Add a good amount of Olive Oil to the pan
4. Bring to a rolling boil
5. When ready add noodles – heed the cook time on the package, but I always go by the taste of the noodles to know when to strain the pasta. Stir frequently and pull the noodles up through the oil on the surface.
6. I look for perfectly cooked pasta, not over cooked and not full al dente. I want the noodles to be firm, but I don’t want to taste hardness or raw noodle at the center of the noodle.
7. Strain the noodles when they are ready. Rinse with cool water to keep them from continuing to cook, but don’t drown them or fully cool them off. We still want a hot meal! Add a couple glugs of olive oil and mix to coat the noodles in oil, and not have the stick to each other.

Chocolate Shortbread Crust
​

• 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for greasing, at room temperature
• 1/3- cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch salt

1. Cream together sugar butter and cocoa powder in the bowl until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix with hands until the dough starts to come together.  Roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap to get nice and thin. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the chilled tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Traditional Shortbread Crust

• 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for greasing, at room temperature
• 1/3- cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch salt

1. Cream together in the bowl until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix with hands until the dough starts to come together.  Roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap to get nice and thin. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the chilled tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.

​Lemon Cream Curd

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (Meyer or regular) Note: I generally double the lemon
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 cup sugar -  good amount or just slightly less
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter

 

1. Pour water to a depth of about 2 inches into a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer.
2. Combine the lemon juice, whole eggs, yolk, sugar, and salt in a stainless steel bowl that will rest securely in the rim of a saucepan over, not touching, the water. (Never let the egg yolks and sugar sit together for more than a moment without stirring; the sugar will cook the yolks and turn them granular.) Place the bowl over the saucepan and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes very thick and registers 180° F on a thermometer. This will take 10 to 12 minutes. If you don't have or trust your thermometer, don't worry. It should thicken to the point that your whisk leaves a trail through the curd.
3. Remove the bowl from over the water and let cool to 140° F, stirring from time to time to release the heat.
4. Meanwhile, cut butter into 1-tablespoon (15-ml) pieces. When the cream is ready, leave it in the bowl if using an immersion blender, or pour it into a countertop blender. With the blender running, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, blending after each addition until incorporated before adding the next piece. The cream will be pale yellow and opaque and quite thick.
5. You can use the cream immediately, or pour it into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To use after refrigeration, if necessary, gently heat in a stainless steel bowl set over simmering water until it has softened, whisking constantly.

Lemon curd

• 3 lemons
• 3/4-1 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs 
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons) - double this and zest of 2 lemons
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

 

1. Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
2. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
3. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

​
Huckleberries

• 1 cup huckleberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water - if you have no fresh mint, brew with peppermint tea. 
• juice (and zest) of 1/2 lemon
• 4 sprigs of fresh spearmint stems

1. Make a basic and thin simple syrup with sugar, water/tea, lemon juice, and mint stems. 
2. Allow to cool
3. Dunk huckleberries into syrup, coat berries, and strain from the sugar mixture. 
4. possibly save the simple syrup for a crafty cocktail.

Assembly

• Allow crust to come out of the oven and cool. speed up the process int eh fridge. 
• Once crust is cool, add the lemon curd/ cream curd, and allow to fully cool and set. 
• once ready to serve arrange the sugar soaked huckleberries onto the top of the set lemon tart.

Ingredients

• Spaghetti Pasta
• 2 cans whole peeled Tomatoes (could also be diced or pureed or a combination – just don’t use tomato sauce, just tomatoes, no extra herbs or spices.) The absolute best is if you have grown and canned your own tomatoes, but store bought cans work perfectly fine too!
• ½ head gearlic – I love garlic!
• Fresh Basil – 2 bunches
• Dash Oregano
• Chili flakes
• Calabrian Chilis or Calabrian Chili Paste
• Spicy Italian Sausages/Sausage meat
• Real Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Olive Oil

 
Pasta

1. Boil a large amount of water in a 8 qt stock pan. Note: to cut down on the time and energy required to heat up that amount of water, I use my electric tea kettle to get the water boiling, and then add to the pot on medium heat.
2. Add a good amount of salt to the water
3. Add a good amount of Olive Oil to the pan
4. Bring to a rolling boil
5. When ready add noodles – heed the cook time on the package, but I always go by the taste of the noodles to know when to strain the pasta. Stir frequently and pull the noodles up through the oil on the surface.
6. I look for perfectly cooked pasta, not over cooked and not full al dente. I want the noodles to be firm, but I don’t want to taste hardness or raw noodle at the center of the noodle.
7. Strain the noodles when they are ready. Rinse with cool water to keep them from continuing to cook, but don’t drown them or fully cool them off. We still want a hot meal! Add a couple glugs of olive oil and mix to coat the noodles in oil, and not have the stick to each other.

 
Sauce

1. Add tomato cans to a sauce pans. If the tomatoes are whole I try to break them up into bite size chunks with fork and knife, or with kitchen shears.
2. Pan fry the spicy Italian sausage in a cast iron pan.
3. Mince the garlic and add to the sauce pan. Sometimes I will roast some whole garlic cloves in a toaster oven until it is soft and sweet, and add them whole to the sauce.
4. Add in Oregano, sliced Calabrian chilis or Calabrian chili paste, chili flakes and salt to taste
5. Allow to come to a simmer, don’t over boil or it will become too runny.
6. Add fresh basil, because it cooks down and adds such a wonderful flavor I am very generous with the fresh basil in the sauce. I also add more fresh basil on top the finished pasta so cut extra and save some for garnishing the dish!
7. Cut up spicy Italian sausages into bite size chunks, and add to sauce.
8. Simmer until noodles are ready.

 

1. Grate fresh parmesan.

 

1. Serve with red wine.

Ingredients
 
Lamb Burgers

• 1 lb package of ground lamb
• ¼ red onion (minced)
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 10-15 leaves fresh spearmint leaves/ ¼ tsp dried mint/ dash of the inside of a peppermint tea bag
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• Dash of Italian seasoning
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Note: All of the measurement above are guesstimations, I really do the proportions of ingredients by eye. Easy on salt and pepper inside the burgers as they will be salted and peppered before going on the grill or in the pan.
2. Using your hands, mix together all the ingredients so that they are all evenly dispersed throughout the burger meat.
3. Form into 3-4 patties. Place on a plate.
4. Put on Pink Himalayan Salt and Cracked Black pepper on both sides of the burger patties, pat the salt and pepper lightly into the meat with hand.
5. Heat a seasoned cast iron pan on med-high heat. Or prime a grill or BBQ.
6. Once pan or grill is hot, place burger patties on. They should sizzle immediately.
7. Ideally you want to only flip once. It is not the end of the world if you flip an extra time or two, but try to be patient and let it cook well on both sides only once.
8. When burgers are done to your liking, remove from heat, and onto a toasted bun with Tzatziki sauce on it.

 
Note: I sometimes make lamb meat balls from this recipe. Just roll the mixed meat into balls. Place on parchment on a baking sheet or greased sheet and bake for approximately 20 minutes, bake at 400 F

The Fixins

• Toasted burger bun of choice
• Garden fresh sliced Tomatoes
• Garden fresh Arugula
• Perfectly ripe Avocado
• Tzatziki Sauce (homemade)

 
Note: I like to display all of the fixings on the plate and allow each person to construct their own burger.
 
Tzatziki Sauce

• Goat cheese
• Labneh – Fermented kefir cheese (sold at Trader Joes)
• Goat Yogurt
• 1 Small – med Cucumber
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 8-10 leaves fresh spearmint/ dash dried mint/ dash of leaves from a peppermint tea bag
• Salt & Pepper

 
Directions

1. Combine Goat Cheese,  Labneh, and Yogurt and whip together until it is creamy. I try to make a bowl full of the finished tzatziki sauce, left over always gets eaten.
2. Add parsley and mint
3. Finely mince the cucumber, and add into the cheese and herbs. The consistency should be runny, but not watery. The cucumber adds a lot of water naturally, so add it in carefully so as to not make the sauce too watery.
4. I use goat cheese and not feta, because you can add salt at the end and control the amount of salt in the sauce. Pepper too. I generally put just a pinch of black pepper in the sauce.
5. Any small bits of garlic or onion that may be on my cutting board from making the burgers, I am not too worried if they get into the sauce. Not a lot, just a piece here and there.