Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ===================================== 1 focaccia, homemade or purchases 1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips and drizzled with olive oil. 1 recipe homemade Tapanade (or purchase all ready made) Chevre (Goat cheese) . Cut the Focaccia into bite size squares Cut the roasted pepper into small strips Warm the Goat Cheese in the microwave to soften. Put a dollop of goat cheese on top of each square of focaccia. On half the focaccia place a few strips of pepper and on the other half place a small spoon of Tapenade. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Black Olive Tapenade ==================== Olive Tapenade 2 large garlic cloves 1 3/4 cups pitted Kalamata olives 4 anchovy fillets 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers 2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh basil 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil salt/pepper to taste . Finely chop the garlic cloves in a food processor. Add olives, anchovies, capers, basil . Process until almost smooth. Add lemon juice. With machine running, gradually add the olive oil. Blend mixture until smooth. Season tapenade to taste with pepper. Transfer to a small bowl. Serve on slices of french bread. Options: Use some or all green olives add small can of quality tuna add 1 to 2 tablespoons brandy add more anchovies Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ========================================== Weber Grill REcipes 32 large shrimp (450 to 565 grams or 1-1 1/4 pounds) shelled and deveined (except for tails) Lemon Pesto 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic 1 tablespoon pine nuts . In a food processor or blender, combine ingredients for Lemon Pesto. Whirl until smooth. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Place in a large heavy-duty plastic bag or nonreactive bowl. Pour in pesto and seal bag (or cover bowl). Rotate bag to distribute marinade and place in a shallow pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, turning shrimp occasionally. Remove shrimp from bag and drain, discarding marinade. Thread shrimp on skewers. Arrange skewers on cooking grate. If using charcoal, cook directly over coals; if using gas, use medium heat and put skewers over unlit side of grill (indirect heat method). Place lid on grill. Cook, turning once halfway through cooking time, until shrimp are opaque in thickest part (4 to 5 minutes; cut to test). Transfer to platter or individual plates. Garnish with basil sprigs.

I'm thinking of starting with one of these soups, or a variation of the two. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Southwest Gazpacho ================== Source: Southwest Cookbook 3 1/2 cups tomato juice 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes diced 1 cup finely chopped cucumber 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper 2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 jalapeno chili , seeded and minced 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh squeeze lime juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon red hot pepper sauce salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro 1 cup garlic croûtons 1/2 cup black olives avocado . In a food processor or blender, put 1 cup of tomato juice, half of the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the cucumber, 1/4 cup red onion, 1/4 cup celery, 2 tablespoons green pepper, parsley, garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, cumin and hot pepper sauce. Process or blend until almost smooth. Pour into a large bowl and add the remaining tomato juice and vegetables. Add salt and pepper. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight so that the flavors blend the soup is cold. divide soup among 6 chilled bowls; pass the avocado, cilantro, croûtons and olives as optional garnish. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Chilled Tomato Soup Gardnished with Shredded Cabbage ==================================================== 4 cups chilled tomato juice 1/2 up fresh cilantro leaves, minced 1 garlic clove minced 2 green onions finely chopped 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno chili 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice salt to taste 1 avocado peeled, pitted and diced Garnish: 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro 6 tablespoons shredded napa cabbage leaves Pour the chilled juice into a large bowl and stir in the cilantro, garlic, green onions, jalapeno , cumin and lime juice. Season to taste, adding salt and more lime juice, if necessary; stir in avocado. Chill. Devide soup amount 6 chilled bowls. Garnish each serving with 1 teaspoon cilantro leaves and 1 tablespoon shredded napa cabbage leaves.

Here are three of my favourites. I'm thinking of making the Prawn and Avocado Salad as a first course. Still thinking about my main course. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Prawn and Avocado Salad ======================= 24 large Prawns/Shrimp 2 Avocados sliced 2 Tablespoons chopped chives 6 leaves of Boston or Butter Lettuce Dressing 1 cup of Mayonnaise (homemade or Hellmans is best) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 small fresh red chilli, finely chopped 1 clove of minced garlic (Note: Sometimes I use just hot red pepper flakes and sometimes I roast a fresh red pepper, finely chop and add to the dressing along with the hot red pepper flakes) . Peel and devein shrimp, leaving on tail shell. Cook. Cool and refrigerate Make Dressing by mixing all of the ingredients together. To serve, Place one leaf of lettuce on each plate. Place the shrimp on plate and place one slice of avocado between each shrimp. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with chopped chives. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Vittorio's Spinach Salad ======================== Vittorio's was a restaurant in Toronto that we use to go to years ago. Salad isn't something that I would usually order but I loved his. This is my recreation of his recipe. Washed and dried spinach (Baby) 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled 4 or 5 cleaned mushrooms, sliced 1 can of artichoke hearts halved or quartered 3 Roma tomatoes, quartered 2 chopped green onions Kalamata olives Dressing 1/4 teaspoon tarragon 1/2 clove of garlic 2 or 3 tablespoons wine vinegar 1/2 cup homemade mayo or Hellmans salt and pepper . Place spinach in a large salad bowl. Decorate with eggs, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and green onions and olives. Drizzle with dressing and toss. Can be made on individual plates as well. Dressing Soak tarragon and garlic in vinegar. Add salt to dissolve. Mix vinegar mixture into mayonnaise and adjust seasoning to taste. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Roasted Red Pepper And Watercress Salad ======================================= Source: Judith Huxley's - Table for Eight 4 large red bell peppers 6 Tablespoons olive oil 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon minced shallot salt and pepper to taste 1 bunch watercress, washed and dried . Broil or roasted the peppers until the skins are blackened and blistered. Place them in a plastic bag and let them sit for about 10 minutes, or until they are cool enough to handle. Rub off the skins, seed the peppers, and cut into thin strips. Mix the oil and lemon juice and add to the peppers. Add the minced shallot and salt and pepper. Set aside. Just before serving place the watercress in a bowl, add the peppers with the dressing and toss.

well, as usual, I am late to the party - my 25th reunion bash which I coordinated, was last night, and we didn't get home til almost 2. I am often awake at 2 AM, but normally it's after already sleeping for 3 hrs... We had great fun, but still had to run to the store for ingredients for our dinner, today. It's just us. For starters we are having the grilled flatbread with carmelized onions and blue cheese and mushrooms posted by Sharon. We got King Crab Legs on sale so dipped in butter they'll be! We got a dozen ears of finally fresh corn and I'll mix up some chili lime butter. I was going to do the grilled asparagus with proscuitto too, but the asparagus was about as big around as a toothpick. So I looked for soba noodles. nope. what are they like, anyway?? Ahhh, I remembered a great looking recipe for fingerling potatoes! Nope. They NEVER have them. sigh. so, I guess it's corn and crablegs. I guess our theme is BUTTER. we should probably have toast and popcorn, too. maybe i'll save the flatbreads to serve with our dinner...or maybe whip up a quick mac salad or something. I got some watermelon, blueberries, lime sherbet and lemon italian ice. i'm not too organized. I think I"m going to go take a nap in the pool. :-) Stacy