Weekly Menu

This weeks menu is continuing the theme of budget and focus on seasonality. Really looking forward to it because I have already sampled some of my goods from the farmers market and this weekend was particularly successful. Here goes.

Sunday: Delightful arugula, grilled nectarine and prosciutto salad (see recipe below) and a fabulous glass of wine

Monday: Pesto pasta, beets with blue cheese and toasted almonds, grilled chicken

Tuesday: Chard rolls stuffed with lentils and onions, topped with goat cheese, roast brussel sprouts
Wednesday: Vietnamese chicken soup (broth from our own freezer), fried Vietnamese spring rolls (also from the freezer), green salad

Thursday: Steamed artichokes, roast brussel sprouts, pesto chicken, posh quinoa and fava beans

Friday: Crockpot stew with polenta squares

Indulgent Arugula Salad with Grilled Nectarine and Prosciutto

Serves 2

This recipe is inspired by something I saw on Jamie Olivers "Jamie at Home" show on FoodTV. I love his show - he cooks the way I like to and he has a mindfulness about the environment and food growing that other chefs don't talk about on that network. It's my own rendition based on what I found at the farmers market and what I had on hand. Enjoy!

1 bunch arugula, chopped in large chunks and washed

1 small-medium red onion, sliced in large rounds

1 beet, steamed or baked and peeled, chopped

2 nectarines, cut in half and pit removed

4 tbls blue cheese, crumbled

8 olives

olive oil

1/2 lemon

8 slices prosciutto

Toss the red onion with olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill on med-high heat until tender and tasty.

Sprinkle a bit of olive oil and salt on the nectarines. Flesh side down, place the nectarines on the grill. Cook until you have good char marks and carmelization.

Meanwhile, lay 4 pieces of prosciutto on each plate in a fan like shape. In a bowl toss the arugula with the juice squeezed from the lemon, olive oil (about 3 tbls), salt and pepper.

Place the arugula on top of the prosciutto. Lay the beets and olives on the side.

Lay the nectarines on top of the arugula, top with a few rings of grilled red onion, and crumble the blue cheese over the top.

About the wine featured in the back of the picture - A good friend of ours went to college with the owner and winemaker of Fontanella wineries. While I have not met them personally, I have heard many amazing stories about the hard work of the family producing this wine. This is a new endeavor for them and in the next few months their tasting room should be open at which point I will be rushing up there to taste and meet them. This was their first release and it's an amazing cab. I had been waiting for the perfect time to pop it open (our friends grabbed us a bottle a few months ago while visiting) and what better way than a meal that reminded me so much of Napa (forget Disneyland, Napa Valley is the happiest place on earth). It was a fabulous bottle of wine! You can check out more about Fontanella at www.fontanellawinery.com