This cassoulet from a Bon Appetit recipe was going to be photographed after we dug a large spoon into it, but events changed, we ended up bringing it to a neighbor get-together and it was gone in ten minutes! You’ll just have to take my word for it….the dish is ripe with flavor.

1 1 Lb. 1 1/2 – 2 inches thick piece smoked skin-on slab bacon
1 bay leaf
2 medium onions, 1 whole, 1 minced
2 whole cloves
2 cups French green lentils
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 medium carrots, peeled, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
pinch of cayenne pepper
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh sage
2 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh thyme
12 oz. good quality kielbasa sausage or other smoked garlic sausage, cut on a diagonal into 1/3 inch thick slices
4 cups breadcrumbs made from day-old white country bread (I used Panko)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted or olive oil
1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped flat leaf parsely
1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh chives

Bring bacon and 8 cups water to boil in a large pot (bacon should be submerged).
Attach bay leaf to whole onion by piercing it with cloves; add to pot. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer bacon, turning occasionally, until tender, about 1 hour. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Strain broth through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Skim off fat from surface and discard.
Combine strained broth and lentils in a large saucepan. If necessary, add more water to cover lentils by 1/2 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are just tender but not mushy, 18-20 minutes. Drain lentils, reserving broth. Transfer lentils to a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, Add minced onion, carrots, celery and cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly colored, 7-8 minutes. Add garlic, sage, and thyme. Stir for 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with lentils.
Cut skin from cooled bacon; discard skin. Cut bacon crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices. Add to lentils; toss mixture gently until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 3-Qt. baking dish.
Distribute sausage evenly over lenti mixture, gently pushing into lentils. Moisten lentils with reserved broth to barely cover (2 – 2 1/2 cups; add water if needed)
Combine breadcrumbs with butter in a medium bowl; season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Sprinkle evenly over lentil mixture; cover dish tightly with foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake cassoulet for 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake until breadcrumbs are golden and juices are simmering, 25-30 minutes. Let cassoulet rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Sprinkle with parsely and chives; serve with Dijon mustard and conichons, if desired.

We made these turnovers using leftover pie dough. (see pie dough recipe)
I’m going to post these turnovers using one filling, but we’ve also filled them with a cream cheese and fig spread combination (2 parts cream cheese, one part fig spread, mixed together in a bowl). The sky it the limit when it comes to the fillings. We like to experiment with whatever we have around the house.
I’m not going to give the amount of filling you need, that will depend on how much dough you have and how many turnovers it will yeild. I’ll just tell you how much we put in each turnover.

Filling

apple, sliced very thin and cut into 1x 1/2 inch pieces
cinnamon, season to your taste
sugar, season to your taste
almond paste
cream cheese
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375.
In a bowl, mix the apple slices with cinnamon and sugar.
Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 3 x 4 inch rectangular pieces.
Put a dab of almond paste in middle of rectangle, then on top of that a dab of cream cheese, then on top of that 4 or 5 (or however many fit) small slices of the apple mixture.
Brush a small amount of melted butter around the edge of the dough, fold over and seal by pushing your fingers into the dough.
Place on a cookie sheet which is covered with non-stick aliminum foil, then brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with a little sugar.
Cut a few slices into the tops of each turnover to let the steam escape.
Put in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden.

Oh so good with a cup of coffee in the morning……enjoy!

Serves 4
From Food and Wine magazine

1 large grapefruit
3 ounces bacon, cut into 1-by-1/4 inch matchsticks
1 1/4 pounds sea scallops (about 20)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 minced onion
1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc
2 Tbsp. drained capers
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1. Using a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit, removing all of the bitter white pith. Working over a bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the sections. Squeeze the juice from the membrane into another bowl; you should have about 3 Tbsp. of juice.
2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a small plate. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. of the bacon fat.
3. Season the scallops with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 3 minutes. Turn the scallops, add the onion and cook over moderate heat until the scallops are just cooked through, 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add the wine and grapefruit juice to the skillet and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cook, scraping up any browned bits. Strain the liquid into a heatproof cup, then return it to the skillet. (I did not strain) Add the capers and butter and cook, shaking the pan, until the sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the scallops and any juices to the skillet; turn to coat them with the sauce. Add the grapefruit sections and bacon and serve right away.

I cut potatoes (medium thickness) on a mandoline, tossed them in a bowl with salt, pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil, and pan fried them in butter and oil and served them with the scallops. We did have a tossed salad with this meal…it just didn’t make in into the picture!

Wine served: Nobilo, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand

Serves 6
From the Gourmet Cookbook

4 cups cubed (3/4 inch) day-old Italian bread
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 Tsp. salt

Toss bread with melted butter in a large bowl.
Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring milk and cream to a simmer in a 2-Qt. heavy saucepan and pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until well combined. Pour custard over bread. Cover pudding loosely with plastic wrap, then place a smaller bowl or plate on top and weight with a heavy can. Let pudding stand for 1 hour so bread absorbs custard.
Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8 inch square baking pan.
Transfer pudding to pan. Bake until just set but center still trembles slightly, 40 to 45 minutes; do not overbake (custard will continue to set as it cools).
Serve warm or at room temperature, with freshly whipped cream.

4 Servings
Recipe from La Cucina Italiana magazine

fine sea salt
1/8 Tsp. crumbled saffron threads
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion (I used entire medium onion)
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound penne

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine 1 Tbsp. water and saffron in a small bowl; set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and thyme; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes, then add sausage and cook, breaking up sausage into small bits with a wooden spoon, until sausage is mostly cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add cream, saffron mixture and generous pinch of salt; bring to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain, then transfer to a large bowl; immediately add cream mixture and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Wine served: 2010 Cesari Valpolicella Classico

Serves 4

1 qt. chicken broth
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 Tbsp. finely chopped ginger
4 Tbsp. soy sauce, divided
3 Tbsp. Asian sweet chili sauce, divided
1 pkg. (14 oz.) extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
12 oz. fresh ramen noodles
1 cup shredded carrots
1 medium baby boc choy, sliced, use all but top 3 inches of leaves

1. Combine broth, 2 cups water, ginger, garlic and 3 Tbsp. soy sauce in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium head; cook 10 minutes.
2. Mix the remaining 1 Tbsp. soy sauce and 2 Tbsp. chili sauce in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Cut tofu crosswise into 8 slabs, each 1/2 inch thick. Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook tofu, turning once, until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes each side. Remove from heat; pour soy-chili mixture over tofu and turn gently to coat.
4. Add baby bok choy whites to broth, let simmer for 1 minute then add noodles, carrots and bok choy leafs. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
5. Ladle noodles, vegetables and broth into a bowl and top with 2 slabs of tofu.
6. 1 Tbsp. remaining chili sauce should be divided and garnish the top of tofu.