Adapted from The Italian Country Table: Home Cooking from Italy’s Farmhouse Kitchens by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

• 8 ½-inch-thick slices of crusty country bread
• ¾ C extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, split
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 8 oz. young or medium-aged sheep cheese (Black Sheep Creamery’s Pecorino)
• ½ medium red onion, cut in thin rings
• 1 big handful organic salad mix
• ¼ C fresh basil leaves, torn
• 3 T balsamic vinegar

Toast bread in the oven. Rub with garlic and moisten lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle each side with olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet. Preheat broiler, setting oven rack about six inches from heat. Blend together onion, salad mix and basil. Cut the cheese into thin slices. Divide the cheese between the slices of bread. Top each bruschetta with several leaves and onion rings. Sprinkle liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place under broiler until greens wilt and cheese is melted. Remove from over, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and eat hot, warm or at room temperature.

Thanks to Cathy Hume for providing this recipe and for demonstrating how to make it at the July 10th market!

You can get all the ingredients for this recipe from the Farmers Market except the ricotta cheese and the mushrooms  Enjoy!!!

1 bunch spinach
4 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated pecorino sheep cheese (Black Sheep Creamery) or parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mushrooms (portabella, crimini or button) chopped
4 scallions finely chopped
1/2 tsp rosemary dried or 1 tsp fresh
1/2tsp thyme dried or 1 tsp fresh
Salt and pepper to taste

1)     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl combine all the ingredients.  Pour the mixture into a pie dish.

2)     Bake for 30-35 minutes until it is lightly browned and set.  Let pie cool slightly before cutting and serving or refrigerate up to 2 days

3) Top with Hot Mama’s Salsa for a zesty flavor

Using the best of the harvest at the height of the season, tomatoes + chiles + spices and all things good just make for an awesome combination. Ooh and it uses a spice bag. You gather your spices, and wrap them up in cheese cloth. I use a slice of cheese cloth to tie the bag shut. And then off they go into a vat of tomatoes to season themselves off.

I use a variation on the classic chili sauce recipe in the Ball Canning Book and I have to tell you, it’s a delicious recipe. It provides the perfect amount of sauce and tang to a winter dish.

Ingredients
24 large red ripe tomatoes (I rough chop them)
3 medium onions chopped
4 medium red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 jalapenos chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup sugar (we halved this)
3 T salt
3 T mixed pickling spice
1 T celery seed
1 T mustard seed
2.5 cups distilled white vinegar (I used cider vinegar this year)

Directions
1. Combine the tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, sugar and salt in a large sauce pan. Cook over a low flame for 40 minutes.

2. Tie the spices in a cheesecloth bag and add to the tomato mixture. Cook until mixture is reduced by one half about 45 minutes. As mixture thickens stir frequently to prevent sticking.

3. Add the vinegar and cook slowly until desired thickness. (we used very juicy tomatoes this year: this took hours.) Remove spice bag.

4. Pour into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 15 minutes in boiling water bath canner.

Ingredients
3 cups fresh blueberries crushed
1/2 cup firmly packed torn fresh basil leaves
4 cups white vinegar
Fresh basil leaves optional

Directions

1. Combine crushed fresh blueberries and 1/2 cup torn basil in large sterilized wide mouthed jar and set aside.

2. Place vinegar in a medium nonaluminum saucepan and bring to boil.

3. Pour hot vinegar over blueberry mixture, cover jar, let stand at room temp for 2 weeks.

4. Strain vinegar through several layers of cheesecloth into decorative jars, discard blueberry pulp. Add additional basil leaves to jars if desired.

5. Seal jars with a cork or other airtight lid.

yields 4 cups

Ingredients
1.5 cups fresh mint leaves
6 cups white wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey or 1 cup sugar
zest of 3 lemons
3 fresh mint leaves

Directions
1. In a half gallon container bruise the mint leaves with the back of a spoon.

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

3. Store in two 1 quart jars, capped and sealed, at room temperature for about 2 weeks.

4. Filter into three clean containers and add afresh mint sprig for beauty. Store tightly sealed in a cool dark place for up to 6 months.

Ingredients
2 pints strawberries rinsed stemmed halved, 1/4 cup reserved
1 quart cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
Directions
1. In a large 4 quart nonreactive saucepan combine berries and vinegar. Let stand for 1 hour.
2. Add the sugar to the saucepan and heat to a slow boil to dissolve the sugar. Simmer 10 minutes
3. Use a coffee filter to strain into three sterile 1 pint bottles. Press out as much juice from berries as possible.
4. Add some of the reserved strawberries to each bottle. Cap, seal label. Store in cool dark place for 2 weeks before use.
yields 3 pints

Buy asparagus now. In spring. Preheat oven to 450. Wash asparagus well, trim, and lay in single layer in baking dish. Squeeze one Meyer lemon over asparagus. Season with a little salt and pepper, and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. Done.