Pesto Lasagna

This is a great lasagna for summer.  It contains no meat and there is no tomato sauce.  It makes use of that great summer basil and it can either be a side dish to grilled meats or a main dish. 

If you want to save some cooking time, you can use no-boil lasagna noodles. Keep in mind, though, that these noodles require a lot of liquid or sauce in order for them to cook properly.  They absorb a lot.  So if you use these instead of regular cooked lasagna noodles, you have to make sure each layer is covered in plenty of sauce.   

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Potato Pizza and the Correct Flour to Use for Pizza Dough

I know what you're thinking - what a carb load potato pizza must be!  Well . . . yes.  You certainly wouldn't want to eat it if you were doing Atkins, but if you're vegetarian or even vegan, it's the perfect pizza.  No meat and no cheese (the cheese is optional, but I think the pizza doesn't need it).  If you go to Italy, you will see potato pizza in most of the pizza shops.  The combination of potatoes, rosemary and onion is absolutely delicious and set on top of great pizza dough, it's so good.  Add a green salad and it's a nice dinner.  Cut it into small squares and it's a delicious, unusual appetizer.  

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Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts

When confronted with these beauties at the local farmers market, what would you do with them?

Growing up, I never liked beets. I think that's true of a lot of people because we were used to bad canned beets. The best way to enjoy beets is to buy them fresh, roast them simply in the oven, peel them and serve them with just a little olive oil and sea salt. When I started reading Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin, it inspired me to cook beets this way and I've loved them ever since.

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