What to get...

• bundle of fresh asparagus (thinner spears. trimmed bottoms)
• package of prosciutto, sliced
• package fresh fettuccine (store bought)
• 5T shredded Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
• additional grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish
• 2 tsp fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 3T butter
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper to taste (~ 1/2 tsp)
• sea salt to taste
• lemon zest to taste

What to do...

1. Rinse and trim ends off of asparagus spears.
2. In pot with steamer basket, gently steam asparagus for a few mins till slightly tender, then cool spears immediately in a bowl of ice water.
3. Drain asparagus and let dry on kitchen towels.
4. In the meantime, preheat oven to 425 and lightly oil a baking sheet (can line with foil & oil).
5. Roll several asparagus spears at a time in thin slice of prosciutto, repeating for desired amount of bundles (at least one per person), and arrange on tray for baking.
6. Sprinkle bundles with little salt & a little lemon zest.
7. Bake bundles till asparagus is tender with a fork & prosciutto is slightly crisp/browning, avoid over drying asparagus, and adjust temp as necessary for your oven, (~6-10 minutes).
8. In a large pot for pasta, bring salted water to a boil.
9. Boil fresh fettuccine according to package directions (only takes a few mins), immediately drain in a colander, and rinse with warm water.
10. Drizzle cooked pasta with little olive oil to prevent sticking.
11. In the emptied pasta pot, add 2 tsp of oil and sauté chopped garlic, for a few minutes, avoid over-browning garlic.
12. To pot, add 3T butter and gently melt on low, stirring frequently until melted.
13. Add cooked pasta, black pepper and salt to taste (generous with the pepper).
14. Add 5T shredded Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, stirring consistently until melted.
15. Dish pasta warm and serve with an asparagus bundle on top.
16. Garnish dish with some finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and little lemon zest.

Notes

What to get...

• 1.5 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp chopped, FRESH thyme
• 2-2.5 cups fresh blackberries (may need to cut large ones in half)
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 T Meyer Lemon EVOO (I get from WeOlive) *if you don't have, use more zest!
• 3/4 cup (less 2 T) extra virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), sweet variety like Arbequina or Koroneiki)
• *Powdered sugar for topping cake

What to do...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. prepare loaf pan with butter/shortening and flour, set aside
3. Combine dry ingress: flour, baking powder, salt.
4. In small separate bowl, toss blackberries and fresh thyme with 2 T flour (this is to help berries to not sink to bottom of cake while baking!).
5. In bowl of an electric mixer combine eggs, lemon zest and sugar, beating well.
6. Add vanilla.
7. Beat in milk.
8. Add oil, gradually until incorporated.
9. Add dry ingredient mix gradually till combined, only stirring lightly.
10. Now gently stir in blackberry/thyme mixture until folded.
11. Bake in loaf pan for about 40-50 min depending on pan and oven. Mine took 50 min, until toothpick inserted into center came out clean!
12. Cool cake in pan, on rack for about 40 min, and slice.
13. Dust top with powdered sugar and serve warm or at temperature.

Notes

What to get...

• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, (high quality, sweet variety like Arbequina & Koroneiki
• 1 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 egg yolks
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
For Roasted Apricot Topping:
• 6 ripe, fresh apricots, sliced in half, de-pitted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-4 T white wine
• 2 T honey
• 1/2 cup roasted pistachios, de-shelled & crushed
• Himalayan pink sea salt (or regular sea salt!), to taste

What to do...

Start by reviewing your ice cream maker/mixer attachment instructions, freezing ice cream mixer bowl for at least 15 hours.
1. Set up mixer accordingly.
Make Custard/Ice Cream Mixture:
2. In a mixing bowl, pour just cream and set a mesh strainer over bowl, set aside.
3. On stove in saucepan, warm milk, sugar, salt slowly till just warmed.
4. In another medium bowl, whisk egg yolks & slowly pour warm milk mix into yolks whisking constantly (to temper them).
5. Then immediately pour/scrape combined egg yolk mix back into saucepan.
6. Stir mix over medium heat constantly scraping bottom to make sure no solid begins to stick on pan. Stir until mixture thickens and coats spatula (be careful not to overheat and over-thicken!).
7. Pour custard through a mesh strainer atop bowl containing he cream.
8. Whisk olive oil vigorously into combined custard/cream mix until well incorporated.
9. Stir combined mixture over an ice bath (larger bowl with water and ice) continuously till mixture could down.
10. Chill mix in fridge well, about 40 minutes.
11. Use cooled mixture in ice cream maker according to directions. (Mine goes in frozen bowl on my Kitchenaid and stirs for about 25 min. Then remove ice-cream with spatula from bowl and put into shallow, airtight container and freeze ice cream to desiree firmness. After about an hour mine was soft-set but good!
Make Honey Roasted Apricot Topping:
12. Rinse, halve and de-pit apricots
13. in a shallow baking dish, lay apricot halves, face down and drizzle with honey, white wine and vanilla extract.
14. Roast in oven on 350 degrees uncovered for about 20 min. (baste with juices halfway through)
15. In small pan on stove, slightly heat/roast crushed pistachios adding desired amount of pink sea salt. Remove from heat.
16. Dish ice cream, topping with roasted apricots and pistachios!

Notes

What to get...

• 24 oz center cut pork tenderloin (extra lean, fillet) cut into 1" medallions.
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• Head of cauliflower, trimmed and sectioned
• 1/4 lb smoked fontina cheese, cubed
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 5 cloves garlic, for roasting
• 3 T butter, softened
• 1/4 cup Half & Half or milk
• 2 cups fresh spinach, for wilting
• 1 can chicken broth, low sodium
• *little extra balsamic for spinach
• *extra EVOO to drizzle onto roasting vegetables
• *extra white wine for sauce as desired
For pork Marinade & Reduction:
• 1/4 cup WeOlive Koroneiki EVOO
• 1/6 cup white wine (like Chardonnay)
• 1/8 cup WeOlive blackberry balsamic (or regular balsamic)
• 1 T WeOlive Garlic-infused EVOO *can add extra garlic clove chopped if you don't have
• 1 T Dijon or spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 T honey (if you don't have blackberry balsamic above, add little more honey)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced

What to do...

The Game Plan:
make marinade & marinate pork
roast veggies for smash
sear pork on stove, and transfer to oven
make smash and transfer to oven
reduce some of marinade on stove , for topping
wilt spinach on stove
plate!
Detailed Instructions:
1. Combine all marinade ingredients, whisk well in bowl, set aside.
2. Rinse and slice pork tenderloin into approx 1" slices (medallions).
3. Add pork to marinade bowl, coating each well.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and return to fridge for about 25 min.
5. Meanwhile, trim cauliflower and peel carrots & section into large pieces and place on an oiled roasting pan.
6. To pan add 5 garlic cloves, no need to peel.
7. Drizzle all with EVOO and S&P, and place pan in 400 degree oven and roast about 25 min uncovered.
8. Take pork marinade from fridge, stir, & let sit on counter covered for additional 20 min, to come closer to room temp.
9. Check roasting veggies & add about 1/2 cup water to bottom of pan, cover with foil, roast additional 35 min, or until tender/done with fork. Once tender, remove from oven and let cool slightly.
10. In a preheated, oven safe, skillet on stove (medium), sear pork medallions with some of the marinade, flipping on both sides till starting to brown. (3-5 minutes). Transfer to 350 degree oven, adding a few T of the chicken broth or some additional white wine. Pork is done when there is only faint hint of pink in center, so keep a close eye (think mine took about 15-20 min).
While Pork Cooks, Make Smash:
11. Chop roasted cauliflower, carrot and add 4 of the roasted garlic cloves peeled (they should be mush and sweet!). Add to bowl of electric mixer with 2-3 T butter, the half & half, some S&P to taste, combining well.
12. To achieve creamy consistency, I used immersion blender to smooth out chunks. (You can do this in a blender or food processor as well).
13. Return to oven safe dish/bowl to heat mixture in oven for about 5 minutes (pork may still be cooking, 350 OK). Once at temperature, add cubed fontina & parm, combining well, return to oven to melt thoroughly.*If pork is not yet done in oven, smash can go into oven along side it.
Cook Spinach & Reduce Sauce:
14. In another skillet, cook & reduce about a cup of remaining marinade on medium-low, thoroughly (because this had raw meat in it, you will need to cook for at least 15-20 min on medium).
15. Stirring often, as sauce thickens, add small amounts of chicken stock to thin consistency and mellow flavor. Let reduce on low until desired consistency/flavor is reached. (I added a little white wine, black pepper, and a T butter at this point, but season to your taste).*You won't need much of this; it is only to enhance the flavors. If it seems salty, add more broth or water.
16. On stove, in small pot (with available lid), add about 3/4 cup water, S&P and heat till almost boiling.
17. Add fresh spinach stirring into warm water. Reduce heat to medium-low & cover for 1 minute to help wilt. Remove lid & stir adding drizzle of balsamic, one of the roasted/smashed garlic cloves, and 1 T butter. Stir well over heat, till spinach is beginning to wilt & soften, but still bright green. Remove from heat, drain as needed.
18. Plate the warm smash, top with some of the wilted spinach, and then with pork medallions. Drizzle a small amount of reduced sauce to the top and eat!

Notes