Tomato and Olive Tapenades (with blurry photo!)

These are two tapenades we used to make at a restaurant I worked at in Minnesota. I love tapenades and would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. They are so easy to put together and will keep for weeks (or longer). I make my crostini using a good baguette (I usually buy at Panera, sometimes using a whole-grain baguette), cut into about 1/4" slices, brush with olive-oil, and bake at 325 for about 15 minutes. I usually turn them over and bake maybe another 5 minutes or so until crisp.

OLIVE TAPENADE (this is the full recipe, I usually half it and gives me plenty to snack on for a few weeks.....Jim doesn't eat much of it)

8 oz green olives, chopped

16 oz black olives, chopped

4 oz sun dried tomatoes, chopped (I use smoked SDTs)

16 oz marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

2 1/2 Tbsp garlic

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 cup olive oil

That's it. Just mix it up and mmmmmm........enjoy!

TOMATO TAPENADE (again, I usually 1/2 this recipe)

10 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup basil, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lime, juiced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 tsp salt

1/4 coarsely-ground black pepper

Mix, then just pour a bunch of balsamic vinegar until it's soupy. Serve on crostini.

Delicious Turkey Gravy (no photo)

I have never made turkey gravy! Jim doesn't care for it and when brining a turkey, you simply don't need it. But we were having company and since it is usually a basic on the Thanksgiving table for most people, I thought I better give it a shot.

This recipe is so easy and it really has a wonderful flavor. I was shocked that I turned out such a great turkey gravy!

DELICIOUS TURKEY GRAVY

1 Tbsp canola oil
Neck and giblets from turkey
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
Pan drippings from roasted turkey
2 cups chicken/turkey/vege stock or broth
S&P to taste

In medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Brown the turkey neck and giblets in the oil, turning until well-browned and there are bits stuck to the pan. Remove giblets and neck and discard (I cut up the kidneys and added to the dressing and saved the neck to cook down with the carcass).

Reduce heat to medium-low and add butter until it melts, stirring and scraping up the browned bit on the bottom on the pan. Add the flour and pan drippings (I just kind of scooped them out of the roasting pan, trying to avoid the grease) and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low or medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes, until butter/flour mixture is golden. Slowly whisk in the broth and cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking often, for about 10-15 minutes until the gravy has thickened and is bubbly and hot. Season with S&P.

Scalloped Potatoes with Three Cheeses (no photo)

This is a dish that was demo-ed at Central Market when we lived in San Antonio (www.CentralMarket.com) and Jim and I both went nuts over it. It is a staple anytime we make a big dinner. The blue cheese just puts this one over the top. It is delicious!!!

Since it's usually just the two of us, I generally half this recipe and use an 8x8 glass dish to bake it. When I made it yesterday, I went ahead and baked it and the dressing at the same time, took out and covered while turkey roasted, then reheated as directed. I don't know if it was the size I made, or the reheating, but it was, sadly, a bit dry. Hopefully you can make this and serve it right away. If you are going to reheat, I would initially bake it less, maybe 1/2 hour each time instead of 45 minutes.

SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH THREE CHEESES

Yield: 12 servings (using a 9 x 13 dish) or half recipe using 8x8 dish

3/4 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar (4 oz)
3/4 cup blue cheese (4 oz) (I add a bit more!)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (1 1/4 oz)

4 lbs Russets, peeled, cut into 1/4" thick rounds (I used a mandolin)
1 1/2 Tsps salt
1/2 tsp coarsely-ground black pepper
1/4 very finely minced onion
3 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp butter
3 cups milk (recipe calls for whole, but I've used skim with fine results)

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly butter 13x9 glass baking dish (I used cooking spray). Mix cheeses in a small bowl.

Arrange half of the potatoes in prepared dish, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Sprinkle onion over, then flour. Dot with 2 Tbsp butter. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over. Top with remaining potatoes, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 2 Tbsp butter. Reserve remaining cheeses.

Bring milk to simmer in medium saucepan (I microwave on half power) until warm. Pour milk over potatoes (milk will not completely cover). Cover tightly with foil, bake 45 minutes. Remove foil (liquids will probably look somewhat curdled); sprinkle potatoes with reserved cheeses. Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and cheese is a deep golden brown, about 45 minutes longer. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Cover and rewarm in 375 degree oven about 20 minutes). Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Waldorf Salad (no photo)

WALDORF SALAD

1 cup coarsely chopped, slightly toasted walnuts
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved or quartered
2 sweet apples, cored and chopped (I used Honeycrisp....great choice!)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp mayo
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
S&P
Butter lettuce for garnish

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the mayo and lemon juice. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4+ tsp coarsely-ground black pepper. Mix in the apple, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

(I made this the day before and even those I used full-fat mayo, it did get a bit watery. I would make this the day of serving.)

Makes 4 very generous servings, or 8 side servings.

Wild Rice Salad (no photo)

WILD RICE SALAD

1/2 cup brown Texmati rice
1/2 cup wild rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup thawed frozen peas
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 + 2 Tbsp dried cranberries
S&P
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Put chicken broth in a medium-sized saucepan. Add rice and wild rice, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover. Let cook about 40-45 minutes until rices are cooked. Cool completely.

Heat a small skillet on medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove pine nuts from pan and let cool.

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.

In a large bowl, gently mix together the cooled, cooked rice, celery, green onions, peas, cranberries, pine nuts and dressing. Add S&P to taste.

Chill completely before serving.

(I mixed everything except the pine nuts and dressing and chilled overnight. I added the pine nuts and dressing. I love anything that has sesame oil in it and this salad is a great combination of tastes and textures. Leftovers are just as good as when first served. The recipe...from www.simplyrecipes.com says it would serve 4-5. Maybe if this were all you were eating. This recipe made a bunch! Enough for 3 of us at dinner, and plenty of leftovers. Yippee!!!)

Grandma Barton's Pecan Pie (no photo)

Grandma Barton's Pecan Pie

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup light syrup
1 to 1 1/2 cup pecan halves
1 9" pastry crust

Mix sugar and flour; add butter and work until creamy. Add eggs and beat with mixer until smooth and combined.

Add vanilla and syrup, mix well; Stir in pecans.

Pour into a pastry shell that has been in a 450 oven for 3 minutes. After filling is added, reduce temperature to 350; return pie to oven and continue cooking until center is firm to the touch (30-35 minutes).

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (no photo)

Again, I apologize for no photos on the upcoming recipe. Poor photography skills yesterday.

PUMPKIN CHIFFON PIE

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs/separated
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 (9") graham cracker crust
whipped cream for garnish

In saucepan, combine first 7 ingredients (gelatin through nutmeg). Stir in milk, beaten egg yolks, and pumpkin. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from heat. Put mixture in shallow glass bowl and refrigerate until partially set, about an hour. Stir mixture and set aside.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually add sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Fold into pumpkin mixture along with whipped cream. Pour into crust and chill, at least one hour....mine was overnight.

Top with whipped cream.