Pesto

1/3 cup Olive Oil
2 cups firmly pcked basil leaves
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1/4tsp salt

Blend in blender or food processor till narly smooth, adding enoug additional live oil (up to 2 T) to reach desired consistancy.

Makes 3/4 cup Pesto. Store in tightly covered jar in refrigerator.

Roasted Chicken Thighs Provencal

3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 6 wedges
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 (6-ounce) skinless chicken thighs
24 black olives
Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle vegetable mixture with olive oil; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss gently, and spread into a single layer on pan. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Remove vegetable mixture from pan, and keep warm.

Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped rosemary, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken and olives to pan. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

6 servings (serving size: 1 chicken thigh, 1 2/3 cups vegetable mixture, and 4 olives)

Focaccia Bread

[foh-KAH-chyah] This Italian bread begins by being shaped into a large, flat round that is liberally brushed or drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Slits cut into the dough's surface may be stuffed with fresh rosemary before the bread is baked. Focaccia can be eaten as a snack, or served as an accompaniment to soups or salads.

2 packages fast−rising dry yeast
2 cups tepid water
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup salad oil
1 teaspoon table salt
5 1/2 cups unbleached white bread flour
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil for topping
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Dissolve the yeast in tepid water. Add the sugar, olive oil, salad oil, and table salt. Mix in 3 cups of flour and whip until the dough begins to leave the sides of the mixing bowl, about 10 minutes.

Mix in the remianing flour by hand or with a dough hook and knead the dough until it is smooth. Allow the dough to rise twice in the bowl, and punch down after each rising.

Oil two baking sheet, each 11 x 17 inches, and divide the dough between the two pans. Using your fingers, press the dough out to the edges of each pan. Cover and allow to rise for about thirty minutes, and brush with a mixture of the crushed garlic and oil reserved for topping. Sprinkle with rosemary and kosher salt.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Sugar Snap Peas Salad

4 cups bibb (or butter) lettuce
4 cups sugar snap peas, string removed
3 tablespoons minced shallots
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar salt and black pepper, to taste
7 teaspoons extra−virgin olive oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped italian flat leaf parsley

Wash and dry the lettuce and tear into bite−sized pieces.

Make the vinaigrette by combining the shallots, vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil and set aside. Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and cold water and set that aside.

In a large pot, blanch peas in boiling water for about 3 minutes, until peas are bright green and cooked but still crunchy. Immediately, drain the peas and plunge into the ice bath.

Once the peas have cooled remove them from the ice bath. Remove excess water from peas by blotting with a paper towel. Up to this point, the salad can be made a day in advance, refrigerated as separate components. Use the lettuce to line the bottom of a serving dish and add peas, basil, and parsley to another bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss. Put this mixture on top of the lettuce and serve immediately.

Pork Tenderloin with Orange and Rosemary Glaze

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate,
thawed
1 scant teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tablespoon balsamic
vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
Salt and pepper

Combine corn syrup, orange juice concentrate, rosemary, and vinegar. Heat over medium-low heat until it comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat oven to 450°. Line a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with foil; brush with
olive oil.

Trim excess fat from pork tenderloins. Place the pork in the prepared baking dish. Place in the preheated oven and roast the pork for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°. Put about 1/3 cup of the glaze in a dish to use for basting pork. Brush the pork all over and continue roasting for about 30 to 40 minutes longer, or until pork is cooked through. Brush with glaze every 10 minutes or so.

A meat thermometer should register about 160° when inserted in the thickest part of one of the pork tenderloins.

Slice tenderloins and serve drizzled with remaining glaze.
Serves 6.