Sliced Melon w/Serrano Ham

1/2 c (packed) fresh basil leaves

1 medium cantaloupe or honeydew melon

1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil plus additional

1/2 lb thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto

1/4 c fresh lemon juice

1/2 c almonds, coarsely chopped

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

Blanch basil leaves in small saucepan of boiling water until just wilted, about 10 seconds.  Transfer blanched basil leaves to bowl of ice water to cool.  Drain; using hands, squeeze out excess water.  Puree bail leaves, 1/2 c olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in blender until smooth.  Set aside.  Divide melon among four large plates.  Drizzle with basil oil.  Arrange ham over melon.  Sprinkle almonds and parsley over.  Lightly drizzle additional extra-virgin olive oil over.  Serve immediately.

Berry Bread Pudding

8 c bread, cubed or torn into 1 1/2 in pieces

3 c half and half

4 c mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries,

1 Tbs vanilla

   strawberries, or blueberries in any mix)

1 tsp cinnamon

8 eggs

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 c sugar

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare eight individual souffle cups (1 cup capacity) with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the berries to distribute evenly.  In another bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or electric mixer on low speed until frothy.  Add the sugar and beat until well blended.  Add the half and half, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and continue beating on low speed until well blended.  Fill souffle cups with bread and berry mixture, mounding it a bit on top.  Pour egg mixture over the bread and berries, filling evenly to the rim.  Place the souffle cups in a large ovenproof baking dish and pour boiling water into the dish until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the souffle cups.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick placed in the center of the puddings comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  These can be made one day ahead, simply refrigerate overnight and serve at room temperature.  Just before serving, dust each top with powdered sugar.

Steamed Asparagus w/Shallot Vinaigrette

asparagus

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

red wine vinegar

Kosher salt

extra-virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

finely chopped shallots

Drizzle steamed asparagus with a vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, finely chopped shallots, and chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Peanut Butter Chocolate and Banana Froyo

2 containers (6 oz ea) nonfat vanilla Greek

4 tsp natural peanut butter

 yogurt, divided among ice cube try sections

4 tsp mini chocolate chips

 and frozen

cinnamon, optional

2 small ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 in pieces and frozen

In a blender or food processor, blend yogurt cubes and bananas on high, scraping down sides every minute, until mixture holds together, 3 minutes.  Add peanut butter; blend on high until mixture is creamy, like soft-serve ice cream.  Stir in chips.  Serve immediately, sprinkled with cinnamon, if desired.

New Potatoes w Dill Butter

1/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature

freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbs (packed) coarsely chopped fresh

2 lbs new potatoes or other small potatoes

    dill, plus more for garnish

1 Tbs crushed toasted caraway seeds, optional

Kosher salt

Mash butter and dill in a small bowl.  Season dill butter with salt and pepper.  Note:  Can be made a week ahead.  Cover and chill.  Place potatoes in a large pot.  Cover with cold water by one inch; season with salt.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer gently until tender, 10-12 minutes.  Drain.  Transfer hot potatoes to medium bowl; add dill butter and one tablespoon water.  Toss, adding water by teaspoonfuls as needed, until butter lightly coats potatoes with a glossy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl.  Garnish with more dill and caraway seeds, if desired.

Tony's Steak

6 scallions, thinly sliced (white/pale green pts)

1 Tbs (packed) light brown sugar

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

1/3 c soy sauce

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 Tbs fresh lime juice

2 lb flank steak

1 Tbs olive oil

Kosher salt

Combine scallions and next seven ingredients in a large resealable bag and mix well.  Add steak; seal bag, pressing out excess air.  Turn steak to coat.  Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.  Build a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to high.  Remove steak from bag; wipe off excess marinade.  Season both sides lightly with salt.  Grill steak until well browned, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.  Slice thinly against the grain.

Grilled Corn w Honey Ginger BBQ Sauce

16 ears corn, shucked

1/2 c ketchup

2 Tbs vegetable oil

1 1/2 Tbs hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1 tsp salt

4 large garlic cloves, minced

SAUCE:

2 Tbs minced peeled ginger

1 1/2 c apple cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/2 c mild honey

SAUCE: Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 2 to 2 1/2 quart heavy saucepan and briskly simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, 25-30 minutes.  Stir frequently toward end of cooking to prevent sticking.  Divide the Honey BBQ sauce equally into two bowls.  Prepare grill for direct heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high for gas).  Drizzle corn with oil on a large rimmed baking sheet, and sprinkle evenly with salt.  Lightly rub oil and salt into corn.  Oil grill rack, then grill corn (covered only if using gas), turning frequently, until lightly browned and tender, 6-8 minutes.  Move corn to different positions on grill if hot spots are present.  Brush corn with some prepared sauce and grill, turning, until sauce is hot, 1-2 minutes.  Serve with reserved sauce.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

1/2 ripe but firm pineapple, peeled, cored and

1 Tbs fresh lime juice

    cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

pinch of sugar, or to taste

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

salt

1/2 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded and diced

freshly ground black pepper

Prepare a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.  Grill the pineapple slices for 2 minutes per side, or until tender and grill-marked.  Transfer the slices to a cutting board and chop them.  Put the chopped pineapple in a medium bowl and stir in the cilantro, serrano chile and lime juice.  Season the salsa to taste with sugar, salt and pepper.  Serve warm.

Watermelon and Grapefruit Fresh

18 c chopped seedless watermelon (one 10 lb melon)

1 1/4 c fresh white, ruby red, or pink grapefruit juice

cheesecloth

Working in batches, puree watermelon in a blender until smooth.  Pour into a large bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.  Skim foam from surface and discard.  Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large pitcher; line sieve with cheesecloth.  Strain puree into pitcher (you should have almost 7 cups of juice).  Stir in grapefruit juice.  Fill glasses with ice.  Divide among glasses