- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, creating a crosswise ridge, separating the sheet into two compartments.
- Remove the stems and leaves from the beets and reserve. Put the beets on one side of the divided foil-lined baking sheet and the fennel on the other. Drizzle the vegetables with 1/4 cup of the oil divided between them, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Position the fennel cut side down on the baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with foil and roast until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 45 minutes for the fennel and 1 hour for the beets. Remove the vegetables from the oven as they become tender and set aside. When the beets are
cool to the touch, remove the skins, quarter, and slice into 1/2-inch wedges. Remove the tough outer layer of the fennel, and slice the remainder of the bulb lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices.
- Meanwhile, bring a 6-quart pot of well-salted water to a boil. Have an ice bath ready. Wash the beet greens thoroughly and separate the stems from the leaves. Slice the leaves into thin ribbons, and the stems into a small dice. Blanch the greens and stems separately until just tender, about 2 minutes each. Transfer the greens to the ice bath with a slotted spoon. Strain the stems into a mesh strainer. When the greens are cool to the touch, squeeze out as much water as possible and coarsely chop.
- Slice off the ends of the oranges to expose the fruit. Stand the fruit on a cut end, and slice off the skin and pith, following the natural curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Working over a bowl to collect the juice, cut on each side of each membrane to free the segments and transfer to a small plate. Squeeze the membranes and the skin over the bowl to extract more juice.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 3 Tbs. of the reserved orange juice, 2 Tbs. of the remaining olive oil, and the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the beet wedges, greens, and stems to a medium bowl, and the fennel slices to small bowl. Divide the dressing between the bowls, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss until well coated.
- Transfer the beets to a large serving platter or plates, top with the fennel, beet stems, orange slices, and walnuts, and serve.
Tip: If desired, choose a variety of beets for color and texture. For a milder flavor, choose golden beets rather than red. For remarkable visual impact, opt for the candy-striped variety.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 12- x 8-inch baking dish with oil; set aside.
- Heat oil in large sauté pan set over medium heat; cook peppers, onion, fennel and salt, tossing occasionally, for 8 minutes or until onions are softened. Sprinkle with cornmeal; spoon into prepared baking dish. Set aside.
- In bowl, beat together ricotta, eggs and Parmesan with fork until smooth; spread over vegetables. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until ricotta topping is set.
Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders
- Using mixer, beat ricotta until light and fluffy; stir in walnuts, lemon zest, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Preheat grill; grease grate well. Cut each zucchini and squash into four slices lengthwise, about 1/4-inch thick; place on baking sheet. Using pastry or basting brush, coat slices with olive oil on both sides; place in single layer on grill. Grill on both sides until soft but not mushy. Transfer to baking sheet; keep warm.
- Top 1 squash slice with 1 zucchini slice, trimming ends for even borders if necessary. Spread thin layer of ricotta cheese mixture over zucchini. Starting at one short end, roll up like a jelly roll. Repeat to make 7 more bundles.
- Place two bundles on each of 4 plates. In small saucepan, warm olive oil and pour a little over each bundle.
Recipe provided by Chef Mary Ann Esposito
- In large sauté pan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat; cook cauliflower, covered, for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Add water; cover and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until well browned. Add garlic, bread crumbs and salt, tossing to combine. Cook for 2 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden; remove pan from heat. Transfer florets to plate, leaving bread crumbs and garlic in pan.
- In large pot of boiling salted water, cook ziti for about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Add ziti to sauté pan along with cheese and remaining oil, adding enough of the reserved cooking water if needed to moisten. Toss with reserved cauliflower and olives. Sprinkle with parsley. Season with pepper to taste.
Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders
- Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or deep skillet set over medium heat; sauté onion, pepper, celery, carrots, green beans and garlic for 4 minutes or until tender-crisp. Stir in tomatoes, peas, artichoke hearts and basil.
- Pour in stock; bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe provided by Joseph Ciminera
Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Salad:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Slice halves crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices; place in large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Arrange squash in single layer on prepared baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender; set aside. Let cool slightly, and remove peel, if desired.
Maple Dressing:
- Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper.
- In large bowl, combine wild rice, dried cherries and pecans. Toss with Maple Dressing. Stir in spinach and squash. Garnish with goat cheese (if using).
Tip: To cook wild rice, place 1/2 cup of wild rice in saucepan; pour in enough cold water.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pour 1/3 cup of the olive oil in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper. Separately toss each of the vegetables, carrots, Brussels sprouts and peppers in the oil, coating them well.
- Transfer the vegetables to a baking sheet and bake them until a knife is easily inserted into them. Keep them covered and warm while the spaghetti is cooking.
- Bring 4 to 6 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt. Stir in the spaghetti, pushing it down into the water with a wooden spoon. Cook the spaghetti until a strand of it fished out of the water and broken in half does not reveal any uncooked flour. Drain the spaghetti in a colander and return it to the pot. Over low heat, stir in the remaining olive oil and add the roasted vegetables. Stir until everything is very hot, and then transfer the mixture to a serving platter.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Provided by Chef Mary Ann Esposito
