Mozzarella, tomato and basil, the classic “Caprese salad” (named after the Italian island of Capri) is a popular first course.
For a change, substitute goat cheese. Its creaminess pairs beautifully with the sweet acidity of tomatoes.
For a beautiful dish:
Slice circles from a log of goat cheese.
Plate with sliced heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.
Drizzle with fine olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Provide sea salt and a peppermill.
Variations include serving the sliced goat cheese with a “salad” of red and yellow tomato wedges (or sliced cherry tomatoes) in a red wine vinaigrette.
Or, you can stack the cheese, basil and sliced tomatoes in a “napoleon.”
When tomatoes aren’t in season, substitute roasted red peppers.
Do you have happy ketchup memories….great cookouts, playing vampire with ketchup “blood,” the first time you made dinner for your parents? Share your memories, and maybe you’ll be one of the 57 who win a Growing Wholesome Memories Kit, with a digital camera to capture new family memories. The kit includes actress Josie Bissett’s book, Making Memories, Heinz Ketchup, kitchenware, recipes, HeinzSeeds, garden tools and more. Estimated value: $250. Entries are due by 8/31/09.
Visit the Heinz website for contest rules and to enter your memory. For each memory received, Heinz will make a donation to the National Gardening Association, a nonprofit organization that works to sustain the connection between people, plants and the environment through gardening.
Check out THE NIBBLE’s reviews of 42 different ketchups. Some are so wonderful, we recommend them as gifts.
If you’ve got the memories, you could
take home the prize.
Heinz Ketchup Trivia:
Once advertised as the “slowest ketchup in the West,” Heinz Ketchup exits the glass bottle at 0.028 miles per hour.
The secret to releasing the ketchup more quickly from the glass bottle: Apply a firm tap to the “57” on the neck of the bottle.
The company no longer makes green ketchup—only red.
From the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel to your lunch
box: the Waldorf tuna salad. Photo courtesy of StarKist.
Waldorf Salad was created in 1896 by Oscar Tschirky, the maître d’hôtel (dining room manager) of New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Containing only apples, celery and mayonnaise on a bed of lettuce, it was an instant hit. Chopped walnuts were later added to the recipe, and subsequent variations included grapes. You can update this old-fashioned favorite of the “ladies who lunch” by adding tuna, which gives it universal appeal. Here’s a quick recipe from StarKist. Prep Time: 10 Minutes. Serves 2.
Ingredients
– 2 cans (4 ounces) tuna, drained and chunked (or one 6.4-ounce pouch or two 2.6-ounce pouches)
– 2 tablespoon lemon juice
– 1/3 cup raisins
– 1/2 cup mayonnaise
– 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 3 apples, medium, cored and cubed
– 1 cup celery, chopped
– 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
– 1/4 cup milk
– Lettuce leaves
Directions
1. In a large bowl, toss together apples and lemon juice. Add celery, raisins, walnuts and tuna; toss gently.
2. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, and cinnamon; blend well. Pour dressing over apple-tuna mixture; toss gently to coat.
3. Serve over greens.
If you’ve got an original, very tasty and easy-to-make recipe that uses mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce or another French’s product, French’s Foods invites you to submit it to the 2009 Cook-Off for your shot at the grand prize of $25,000 and a 6-month supply of French’s products. Five finalists, determined by online voters and a panel of judges, will compete in a live cook-off to be held in New York City.
The four runners-up will each receive a new 7-quart Cuisinart Stand Mixer (we’re dying for one—the SRP is $725) and a 6-month supply of French’s products. Alas, food writers and other food professionals (chefs, restaurateurs and recipe developers) are not eligible to enter.
All submissions must be entered by October 31, 2009, so click over to Frenchs.com for details.
Will your recipe take home the 2009 $25,000 grand prize?
