Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 1/2 cup shelled walnuts

2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 red onion, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bunches Swiss chard

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lb penne pasta

1/4 cup walnut oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay the walnuts in a single layer on a bake sheet and toast them for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove the tray and let the walnuts cool to room temperature before coarsely chopping them.

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and slowly cook the onion pieces for 2-3 minutes until they wilt. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking over low heat while trimming the tough stems from the chard, rolling several leaves together at a time and cutting into one inch lengths. Add these to the skillet allowing them to soften and cook down over 5 minutes. Season with salt and grind on black pepper to taste. Reserve.

Heat 4 quarts of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt and cook the pasta according to the directions on the packaging. Drain but reserve 1/4 cup of cooking water.

Reheat the chard mixture, fold in the pasta and work in the pasta water. Stir in the toasted walnuts. Drizzle a tablespoon of walnut oil over each serving.

Cheese: If you want to add cheese, pick a semi-soft cheese from the region such as a Ossau Iraty. Shave or dice the cheese and scatter over each serving just before serving.

This recipe was adapted from one that appeared in Saveur magazine in 2002.

Ingredients for 8 servings:

1 small head cauliflower

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

4 anchovies, rinsed and dried

1 teaspoon capers, drained

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced

12 ounces whole wheat penne pasta (optional)

• Preheat a stove-top griddle or outdoor grill. Cut the flowerlets from the head of cauliflower and divide into bite-size pieces. Place them in a bowl and toss them with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place pieces on the grill for 10 minutes, turning as the surfaces begin to brown. Remove pieces to a bowl when they reach be al dente texture.

• Peel and halve the garlic cloves; remove the green germ. Drop the cloves down the feed tube of a food processor or blender. Cut up the anchoves and add them followed by the capers. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vinegar, process for 15 seconds and slowly pour in the olive oil with the machine running. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the parsley and pulse for 10 seconds. Pour the dressing into a container.

• Toss the roasted cauliflower with the vinaigrette adding it by the tablespoon until it lightly coats the vegetable pieces. Toss with pasta adding more vinaigrette as needed. Serve at room temperature.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

5 cups milk

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup minced shallots

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

8 ounces elbow macaroni (1 1/2 cups)

3 ounces (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese

3 ounces (1 cup) gruyere cheese

1/4 teaspoon tabasco

1/4 cup Panko crumbs and 1 tablespoon butter

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 quart gratin dish.

• Bechamel: Heat the milk with bay leaf just to the simmer. Heat the butter in a saucepan and cook the shallots for two minutes. Add the flour, stir and cook for another two minutes. Off the heat, stir in the hot milk. Return the pan to the heat and cook slowly until the sauce is smooth. Off the heat, stir in the salt and pepper. Smooth a thin pat of butter over the top of the bechamel and reserve.

• Cook the macaroni in boiling, salted water following the directions on the package. Drain and hold in the saucepan.

• Remove the bay leaf from the sauce bechamel and fold it into the pasta. Stir in the two cheeses. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold.

• Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in a skillet. Add the Panko crumbs and stir until they turn golden. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly. Put under the broiler for 2 minutes to lightly brown.

FAVA BEANS WITH POTATO GNOCCHI

Ingredients for 4 servings:

5 pounds fava beans

1 stem fresh rosemary, leaves removed and minced

1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Gnocchi:

3 baking potatoes

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1-1/2 cups flour

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Grating of nutmeg

Serving: Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions;

Fava beans:  Remove the beans from their cushioned pods.  Cook them for 1 minute in boiling salted water.  Refresh in iced water.

Use a fingernail to puncture the loosened shell and squeeze out the beans.  Repeat with the rest.

Place the beans in a saucepan with the rosemary and garlic.  Cover with a mixture of half water, half olive oil.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Reserve.

Gnocchi: Peel the potatoes and cut into 2” cubes.  Cover with water in a saucepan, lightly salt, and bring to a simmer.  Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Put the potatoes through a ricer or food mill.  Heat the butter and milk until the butter melts and stir this gradually into the potatoes.  Work in the egg and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Add half of the flour to the potatoes and fold it in with a spatula.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead in additional flour as needed.  Divide the dough into four pieces.  Roll each into a rope  1” in diameter.  Place them on a lightly floured sheet cake pan, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a simmer.  Remove the pasta ropes from the refrigerator and cut them into 1/2” lengths.  Turn each into a traditional gnocchi shape by pressing each piece over the top joint of your finger with the tines of a fork to make a curved underside and ribbed upper surface.

Slide the shaped gnocchi into salted boiling water.  Pieces will rise rather quickly to the surface.  Cook for 2 minutes, then strain.

Turn the gnocchi out onto a serving platter.  Warm the fava beans, season to taste and spoon over the gnocchi.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.  Pass more at the table.  Serve immediately.