1 lb. beets
1 lb. summer squash (or zucchini)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, divided
salt, to taste

for ali-oli (Catalan spelling for aioli):
1 piece sandwich bread, crusts removed (to make 3 inch round)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
half teaspoon salt
approximately 1 1/2 cups olive oil

for napoleon:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, cut into 2 inch by 4 inch rectangles
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Peel and wash beets. Slice beets in half and then slice each half crosswise into thin slices. Slice each squash in half, lengthwise. Then slice each half crosswise into thin slices, same thickness as beets. (All your veggies will be shaped like thin half moons.) Line bottom of two roasting pans with parchment paper. Place beet slices in one pan, zucchini slices in the other.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and salt to taste in each pan, and stir to coat. Roast in a 350 degree oven until tender, approximately 20 minutes. Remove and cool.

Ali-oli:
Place bread in shallow bowl. Pour vinegar over bread and let the bread absorb vinegar. There should be some standing vinegar. If not, add more. Let stand two minutes. Remove bread from bowl, squeeze out excess vinegar and place in food processor along with garlic and egg. Process until garlic is finely chopped. With processor running, add olive oil in a thin stream and continue adding until mixture resembles the thickness of mayonnaise. (Mixture may be made thinner or thicker depending on preference.) Add lemon juice and salt and process to combine. Note: Best if used after resting one day. Can be refrigerated for up to 10 days.

Napoleons:
Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Paste puff pastry rectangles at least one inch apart. Brush tops with beaten egg wash. Let stand five minutes. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan. Bake in 375 oven until puffed and golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

To assemble:
Carefully slice puff pastry in half lengthwise, horizontally. Place squash and beets on bottom half, overlapping and alternating. Drizzle with ali-oli. Replace top, and serve.

from In Season: Cooking with Vegetables and Fruits by Sarah Raven

1 medium zucchini
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 red onions
2 eggplants, cubed
1/3 cup apple juice
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 TB. sunflower oil
Small bunch of herbs (savory, tarragon, parsley), chopped

Peel the squash, deseed it and cut it into chunks about 1/4 inch thick. Put in a colander and sprinkle well with salt, then leave to drain.

Lay the chunks out in a single layer on a baking pan in a low (300 degree) oven for about an hour. This will dry them out further. Then pour over a little olive oil and increase the heat to 425 degrees for another 15 minutes. This will brown the chunks around the edges.

Meanwhile, put the onions and eggplants on another baking pan. Pour over a little bit of olive oil and roast in a medium (350 degree) oven for 45 minutes.

In a pan, mix the apple juice with the balsamic vinegar and reduce it by three-quarters over low heat. Add the sunflower oil.

Mix the roasted vegetables together and dress them with this mixture. Scatter the herbs on top.



1 lb. pasta

1/2 lb. bacon, cut into bite sized bits
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems removed
1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
Any combination of the following:
spinach
chard, cut into strips
onions, in chunks
leeks, sliced
asparagus, in bite sized pieces
squash, large dice
zucchini, large dice
bell pepper, large dice
green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
mushrooms, sliced
cabbage, large shred
fennel, sliced into thin matchsticks

Cook pasta until al denta, set aside. Over medium low heat, cook the bacon pieces until crisp. Carefully remove bacon bits from pan, add to the pasta. In the same pan, over medium high heat, add vegetables that need to cook the longest, such as onions, leeks, asparagus, green beans, peppers, mushrooms and fennel. Cook 4-6 minutes, tossing for even cooking. Add tomatoes and cook covered another 8-10 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft. Add vegetables such as chard, spinach, squash, and zucchini. Cook until greens are just wilted. Add bacon and pasta to the pan, cook 2 additional minutes until pasta is warm. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Toss with parsley and walnuts and serve.