Family Reunion

Talk about fun! The five grandchildren had a blast playing together last Saturday. The day was bright, sunny, and warm - perfect for scootering, skateboarding, and playing in general.

Chocolate Roulade

Ingredients

Serves 10 to 12.

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for pan
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 7 egg whites, room temperature
• 3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon Cognac or liqueur of choice
  
• Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
• Seasonal fruit, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Butter an 11-by-17-inch jelly-roll pan or a 12-by-17 1/2-inch sheet pan, and line with parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup cream to a simmer. Add chocolate, reduce heat, and whisk until chocolate is melted. As soon as mixture is a uniform dark color, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, whip egg whites and 2 tablespoons sugar to stiff, glossy peaks, about 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk one-quarter of the egg-white mixture into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold chocolate mixture back into the original egg-white mixture, and mix until smooth and well combined.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan, and spread it in an even layer with a rubber spatula. Bake until cake is set and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Lift parchment paper to remove cake from pan, and set it on work surface with long side facing edge of table. Using a fine-mesh sieve, lightly dust cake with cocoa powder.
5. Make the creme chantilly: Whip the remaining 1 cup cream with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, the vanilla, and cognac. Spread evenly over entire surface of cake.
6. Roll the cake lengthwise, starting at a point 2 to 3 inches over the creme chantilly. Roll cake another few inches, pressing against parchment paper to make a tight spiral. Gently peel parchment paper off as cake layer rolls away. Complete the roll, stopping at the far edge of the parchment paper. Tuck the loose parchment paper around and underneath the cylinder so it is well wrapped and can be moved easily. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
7. When ready to serve, transfer roulade to serving platter. Remove parchment paper, gently rolling cake into center of platter, with seam on bottom. (If roll has slumped or twisted, lay a piece of plastic over top and sides, and reshape with hands.) With a sharp knife, trim both ends of roll crosswise or on a diagonal. Dust top with confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder, and garnish with seasonal fruit. To serve, cut the roll into 1-inch-thick slices, and lay flat on dessert plates; top with additional creme chantilly if desired.

Winning Your Battles through Prayer - In Touch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley 2010

Winning Your Battles through Prayer - In Touch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley 2010

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Weathering the Storms of Life - In Touch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley 2010

Weathering the Storms of Life - In Touch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley 2010

Posted using ShareThis

Save the Date for Rutgers Day!

Fun Indoors with "snow" ?

One tablespoon of Super Snow mixed with 32 oz. of water makes a bowlful of fun!

Click HERE to see where I purchased Super Snow.

Southwestern Casserole

Click HERE for the recipe.

This recipe from Country Woman was a big hit.
Easy enough for an 8 year old chef to make too!
The casserole has sausage, black beans, corn, and tomatoes.
Healthy AND tasty and plenty of leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

Three Hats for Three Children

I knitted three hats out of leftover super bulky/chunky wool. Red, green, and orange were the colors of choice for these thick, warm hats. I'm going to add pom poms in the color of each brim.

Stephen's Journey

Our Family was in a Christmas play this year. Rob played Simeon, Samantha played Mary, David played a wise man, and John was a shepherd. The play was about a man named Stephen who was on a journey to learn more about his Savior. The true story of Christmas was beautifully depicted in our first-ever church play.

Rob, John, David, and Samantha
Stephen's Journey
Christmas 2009

The Feast of the Seven Fishes

The men in our family frying up smelts
as part of the Seven Fishes tradition.

From Wikipedia:

The Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei sette pesci), celebrated on Christmas Eve, also known as The Vigil (La Vigilia), is believed to have originated in Southern Italy and is not a known tradition in many parts of Italy. Today, it is a completely Italian-American feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. Some Italian American families have been known to celebrate with 9, 11 or 13 different seafood dishes. This celebration is a commemoration of the wait,Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus.

The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the medieval Roman Catholic tradition of abstinence—in this case, refraining from the consumption of meat or milk products—on Fridays and specific holy days. As no meat or butter could be used, observant Catholics would instead eat fish, typically fried in oil.

There are many hypotheses for what the number "7" relates to, one being the number of Sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church. Another theory is that seven is a number representing perfection: the traditional Biblical number for divinity is three, and for Earth is four, and the combination of these numbers, seven, represents God on Earth, or Jesus Christ.

The "Feast of the Seven Fishes", a completely Italian-American celebration of Christmas Eve with meals of fish and seafood, but there may be seven, eight, or even nine specific fishes that are considered traditional. The most famous dish Southern Italians are known for is Baccalà (salted cod fish). Reasons for celebrating with such a simple fish as Baccalà is attributed to the greatly impoverished regions of Southern Italy. Fried Smelts, calamari, and other types of seafood have been incorporated into the Christmas Eve dinner over the years.

FTWC Donates to DYFS

Parents and wrestlers of the Franklin Township Wrestling Club (FTWC) donated twenty-five gifts to children cared for by the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). The gifts ranged from MP3 players to bicycles to kitchen sets to clothing. The event was a blessing both to FTWC and DYFS children.

Find someone in need and give them a little help today.

Asian Noodle Bowl Soup

What do do with leftover pork?

Asian Noodle Bowl Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 package (8 oz.) sliced white mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
4 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth or 4 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar
1 bunch bok choy, chopped
1 package (16 oz.) firm tofu, drained and diced
1/4 lb. bucatini or spaghetti
3/4 pound cooked Pork Tenderloin (recipe follows), cut into strips (optional)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves


Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook until edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to a plate; set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion, garlic, ginger and carrots and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add broth, soy sauce and vinegar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer broth 10 minutes.

Stir in bok choy, tofu, pasta and reserved mushrooms and pork, if desired. Gently boil until pasta is just cooked through, 10 minutes. Stir in green onions and cilantro.

Today's Reading on Colonial Times

The children and I enjoyed reading this book about colonial times today. The illustrations by award-winning Larry Day are as appealing as the tale by Kay Winter, former school teacher and author of several children's books. Colorful watercolors depict the stories of a variety of Boston colonists, both Patriots and Loyalists. The book contains a variety of viewpoints on the meetings leading up to the Boston Tea Party from shoe makers and blacksmiths to Native Americans and slaves. The well-told story culminates with the tea dumping and the celebrations afterward.

2009-2010 Science

This year's science is happily based on Jeannie Fulbright's Zoology book entitled Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day.
Skillfully written in a format friendly for curious elementary children, Flying Creatures is a welcome addition to the realm of routine zoology texts. Fulbright's book is creation-based with colorful diagrams and pictures, informative and fun experiments, as well as thorough review sections. The elementary-age text encompasses a perfect introduction to the world of God's incredible flying creatures.

Our science-loving family eagerly awaits the release of Anatomy and Physiology, soon to be a part of this excellent elementary science series. We expect this future edition of Jeannie Fulbright's work will be as outstanding as the other Exploring Creation texts.

Chocolate Raspberry Brownies with Velvet Chocolate Glaze

Raspberry Walnut Brownies with Velvet Chocolate Glaze

3 squares (3 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
Chocolate covered whole walnuts for garnish

1. Melt chocolate and shortening in a double boiler. Cool slightly.
2. In another bowl, blend eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
3. Stir egg mixture into chocolate mixture.
4. Stir in flour.
5. Stir in walnuts.
6. Pour into a greased 8" square pan and bake at 325 for 40 minutes.
7. Spoon jam over hot, cooked brownies and let cool.
8. Spoon Velvet Chocolate Glaze (recipe below) on cooled brownies and top with chocolate covered walnuts.

Velvet Chocolate Glaze

1 square (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate
2 T butter
2 T light corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T milk
1 t vanilla

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave-proof bowl.
2. Stir in light corn syrup.
3. Stir sugar, milk, and vanilla into glaze mixture.

Menu for the Week of September 7th, 2009

This week's shopping order came to $95.71. In addition to the meals listed below we stocked up on toilet paper, a few canned goods, and tea.

Meals for the week:

• Mu Shu Pork - Just like the Chinese version, except made for way less $ at home. Served with crispy Chinese noodles and duck sauce for dipping. Takes about 15 minutes to prepare. Recipe HERE.
  
• Eggplant Curry - Another meal cooked in about 20 minutes or so, this one contains lots of veggies, mango chutney, scallions, cilantro, and almonds. Served over basmati rice with samosas and Indian bread on the side. Recipe HERE.
  
• Chicken fajitas - These will be served with refried beans and corn. I have a few corn tortillas that need to be fried and eaten too, so we'll have those on the side. The main part of the dish has peppers, onions, chicken, cilantro, tomatoes, and scallions.
• Pizzas - Using the pizza shells I made last week, we'll make five custom-pizzas. Whatever you want on it - you get!
• Crescent dogs - We're babysitting this Saturday and thought something fun was in order. Hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls with fries and a big salad will do!
• Steak - London broil was on sale last week so I bought two. This will be coated in seasoning and broiled for 6 minutes per side. Serving with baby asparagus and fries with parsley, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Tomato salad with beans too.

Six delicious meals and all our household needs for under $100.

Fine Art Friday

This week's art projects focused on learning foreground, middleground, and background in landscapes. Samantha and John chose to use Cezanne as their model, while David used Van Gogh's Starry Night.

We used this wonderful resource for our project ideas.

Lesson Plan for Fall Quarter 2009

I use this full color document as my main lesson plan to which I refer throughout the quarter. Creating this Fall Quarter only took me a few hours. I do this four times a year and voila my planning is done!

Here's how I do it:

1. Make a table in Word, Excel, Publisher or any program you want with 10 rows and as many columns as you have subjects.
2. Fill in the row headings by numbering from 1-9 (representing weeks one through 9)
3. Fill in the column headings by adding each subject you'll be studying for the quarter.
4. Highlight each column and add background color if you'd like.
5. Start to fill in the columns with what you need to accomplish each week. For example, Saxon 6/5 has 120 lessons in the book. I divide 120 lessons by our 36 week school year. If I do 4 Saxon 6/5 lessons per week, I will finish on time (or even a little early!). Do this with each subject.I use this replica of the Fall Quarter without all the color as my weekly guide. The white background makes it easier for me to check off or highlight what I've already accomplished. I can easily see what needs to be done before the week is over.

When I get everything set up for the quarter, I copy one week at a time into my Weekly Assignment Sheet. I have a section for Notes where I add interesting websites I want to visit, videos to watch, or other ideas I have pertaining to a subject for the week. Below the Notes section I have an area for each child and for the three of them together (we do many subjects as a group). This section is broken down into days of the week.

When God Doesn't Make Sense

101 Simple Salads

MOSTLY VEGAN SALADS

1. Cube watermelon and combine with tomato chunks, basil and basic vinaigrette. You can substitute peach for the watermelon or the tomato (but not both, O.K.?). You can also add bacon or feta, but there goes the vegan-ness.

2. Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice. Astonishing.

3. A nice cucumber salad: Slice cucumbers thin (if they’re fat and old, peel and seed them first), toss with red onions and salt, then let sit for 20 to 60 minutes. Rinse, dry, dress with cider vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard; no oil necessary.

4. Shave raw asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler. Discard the tough first pass of the peeler — i.e., the peel — but do use the tips, whole. Dress with lemon vinaigrette and coarse salt. (Chopped hard-boiled eggs optional but good.)

5. Grate or very thinly slice Jerusalem artichokes; mix with pitted and chopped oil-cured olives, olive oil, lemon juice and a sprinkling of coarsely ground cumin. Unusual and wonderful.

6. Sichuan slaw: Toss bean sprouts, shredded carrots and celery, minced fresh chili, soy sauce, sesame oil and a bit of sugar. Top with chopped peanuts and chopped basil, mint and/or cilantro. (The full trio is best.)

7. Grate carrots, toast some sunflower seeds, and toss with blueberries, olive oil, lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Sweet, sour, crunchy, soft.

8. Chop or slice radishes (or jicama, or the ever-surprising kohlrabi) and combine with chopped or sliced unripe (i.e., still crunchy) mango, lime juice and mint or cilantro.

9. Chop or slice jicama (or radishes or kohlrabi) and mango and mix with coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder and cilantro or mint.

10. Cook whole grape tomatoes in olive oil over high heat until they brown lightly, sprinkling with curry powder. Cool a bit, then toss with chopped arugula, loads of chopped mint and lime juice.

11. Chop and steam baby or grown-up bok choy until crisp-tender, then shock it in ice water. Drain, then toss with halved cherry tomatoes, capers, olive oil and lemon juice.

12. Combine sliced fennel and prune plums; serve with vinaigrette spiked with minced ginger. Nice pairing.

13. A red salad: Combine tomato wedges with halved strawberries, basil leaves, shaved Parmesan and balsamic vinegar.

14. A classic Moroccan thing: Thinly slice carrots, or grate or shred them (the food processor makes quick work of this). Toss with toasted cumin seeds, olive oil, lemon juice and cilantro. Raisins are good in here, too. There is no better use of raw carrots.

15. Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half; toss with soy sauce, a bit of dark sesame oil and basil or cilantro. I love this — the tomato juice-soy thing is incredible.

16. Slice fennel and crisp apple about the same thickness (your choice). Combine, then dress with mustardy vinaigrette and chopped parsley. Come fall, this will be even better.

17. With thanks to Szechuan Gourmet restaurant: Finely chop celery and mix with a roughly equal amount of pressed or smoked tofu, chopped. Dress with peanut oil warmed with chili flakes and Sichuan peppercorns, then mixed with soy sauce.

18. Roughly chop cooked or canned chickpeas (you can pulse them, carefully, in a food processor) and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, lots of chopped fresh parsley and mint, and a few chopped tomatoes. Call this chickpea tabbouleh.

19. Mix cooked cannellini or other white beans, chopped cherry or grape tomatoes and arugula or baby spinach. Lightly toast sliced garlic in olive oil with rosemary and red pepper flakes; cool slightly, add lemon zest or juice or both, then pour over beans.

20. Shred Napa cabbage and radishes. The dressing is roasted peanuts, lime juice, peanut or other oil, cilantro and fresh or dried chili, all whizzed in a blender. Deliciousness belies ease.

21. Dice cucumbers (if they’re fat and old, peel and seed them first) and toss with cubes of avocado, a little mirin (or honey, but then it’s not vegan), rice vinegar and soy sauce. (You could mix in a little lump crab meat, really not vegan, even rice, and call it a California roll salad.)

Recipe: Basic Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Real Ranch Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Yogurt-Feta Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Miso-Ginger Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Avocado-Basil Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Creamy Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Ginger Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Mayonnaise (July 22, 2009)

22. Thinly slice button mushrooms; toss with finely chopped carrots and celery and mix with mung bean sprouts. Finish with peanut or olive oil, sherry vinegar, a little soy sauce and minced ginger. (This is a super vinaigrette, by the way.)

23. Thinly slice some cucumbers (if they’re fat and old, peel and seed them first), red onions, radishes and fresh chili pepper. Soak for a few minutes in equal amounts vinegar and water, with some salt and sugar. When they taste lightly pickled, drain and serve, alone or over rice.

24. Blanch spinach, then drain and shock in ice water. Squeeze it dry, chop it and toss it with toasted pine nuts, raisins, olive oil and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. Capers are good, too. Quite elegant, actually.

25. Combine chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, chilies and cilantro, then toss with corn tortilla strips, toasted in a 350-degree oven until crisp (or yes, use packaged chips; why not?). Dust with chili powder and lots of lime juice.

26. Combine mushroom caps and thinly sliced red onions with olive oil; broil gently until tender and browned. Toss with a lot of chopped fresh parsley or basil (or both) and a simple vinaigrette. Some chopped escarole, arugula or watercress is good, too.

27. Cook whole, unpeeled eggplant in a dry, hot skillet or on a grill, turning occasionally, until completely collapsed and soft. Chop and toss with toasted pita, toasted pine nuts, cooked white beans and halved cherry tomatoes. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice and lots of black pepper. Or a (non-vegan) yogurt dressing is good, especially one laced with tahini.

28. Toss mâche or another soft green with toasted slivered almonds and roughly chopped fresh figs. Thin some almond butter with water and sherry vinegar to taste and use as a dressing. Some will like this with fresh goat cheese.

29. Pit and halve cherries (or halve and pit cherries), then cook gently with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar until they break down. Toss with chopped radicchio, endive, escarole or a combination, some toasted hazelnuts and more oil and vinegar, if necessary.

30. Fast, grown-up potato salad: Boil bite-size red potatoes. While still warm, dress them with olive oil, lemon juice, whole grain mustard, capers and parsley. Chopped shallots, bell peppers, etc., all welcome, too.

31. Roast beets whole (or buy them precooked), then slice or cube and toss with a little chopped garlic (or a lot of roasted garlic), toasted walnuts, orange juice and olive oil.

32. Same deal with the beets, but toss with cooked corn, arugula, olive oil, sherry vinegar and chopped shallots.

33. The real five-bean: Chickpeas, cannellini or other white beans, kidney or other red beans, steamed string beans and steamed yellow wax beans. Toss with vinaigrette, chopped scallions or red onion, and parsley.

34. Grill quartered romaine hearts, radicchio and/or endive. Drizzle with olive oil and sherry vinegar, and add dill and chopped shallots. Teeny-tiny croutons are great on this.

35. Combine cooked or canned black beans with shredded cabbage and this vinaigrette: olive oil, fresh orange juice, not much sherry vinegar, ground cumin.

36. Mix cooked or canned chickpeas with toasted coconut, shredded carrots, chopped celery, curry powder, olive oil, lime juice and cilantro.

VEGETARIAN SALADS

37. Cube smoked tofu, then brush it with a mixture of honey and orange juice; broil until browned. Toss with chopped cucumbers, radishes and peas or pea shoots; drizzle with soy sauce and lime juice.

38. Cube watermelon; combine with roughly chopped mint, crumbled feta, sliced red onion and chopped Kalamata olives. Dress lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Despite saltiness of feta and olives, this may need salt.

39. Yucatecan street food as salad: Roast fresh corn kernels in a pan with a little oil; toss with cayenne or minced chilis, lime juice and a little queso fresco. Cherry tomatoes are optional.

40. Slice cucumber and top with capers, olive oil, lots of pepper and little dollops of fresh ricotta. Note: cucumbers, ricotta and oil must all be really good.

41. Halve avocados and scoop out some but not all of their flesh. Roughly chop and toss with black beans, queso fresco, cilantro, chopped tomatillos and lime juice. Serve in the meaty avocado shells.

42. Trim crusts if necessary from day-or-two-old bread (or even three-day-old bread), cube and marinate in black olive tapenade thinned with more olive oil. Add chopped capers and toss with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. (Anchovies optional.)

Recipe: Basic Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Real Ranch Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Yogurt-Feta Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Miso-Ginger Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Avocado-Basil Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Creamy Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Ginger Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Mayonnaise (July 22, 2009)

43. Grate raw beets (use the food processor to avoid ruining everything within spattering distance) and toss with watercress or arugula. Top with sherry vinaigrette and a little goat cheese. Especially obvious, perhaps, but also especially popular.

44. Make a crisp grilled cheese sandwich, with good bread and not too much good cheese. Let it cool, then cut into croutons. Put them on anything, but especially tomato and basil salad. This you will do forever.

45. Halve or quarter cooked artichoke hearts (the best are fresh and grilled, but you can use canned or frozen) and combine with cherry tomatoes, bits of feta or Parmesan or both, olive oil and lemon juice.

46. Sauté mushrooms and shallots in olive oil. Add a lot of spinach, chopped unless the leaves are small. When it wilts, stir in parsley and crumbled blue cheese. Feels like a steakhouse side-dish salad.

47. Thinly slice raw button mushrooms; combine with sliced or shaved Parmesan, parsley and a vinaigrette of olive oil, sherry vinegar and shallots.

48. Toss roughly chopped dandelion greens (or arugula or watercress) with chopped preserved lemon, chickpeas, crumbled feta and olive oil. (Before you start cursing me out, here’s a quick way to make preserved lemons: chop whole lemons and put in a bowl with the juice of another lemon or two, sprinkle with a fair amount of salt and let sit for an hour or so.)

49. Toss greens with walnuts, blue cheese and raspberries; drizzle with a simple vinaigrette. Sell for $14 a serving.

50. It’s puttanesca-ish: Egg salad with pitted black olives, chopped tomatoes, capers, anchovies (optional), a tiny bit of garlic and some red onion; mayonnaise as needed.

51. Arrange sliced ripe tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs on a platter; scatter a handful of chopped pitted green olives on top. Drizzle with a dressing made with olive oil, sherry vinegar and a teaspoon of pimentón.

52. Chop hard-boiled eggs and mix with just enough mayonnaise to bind; spoon into endive leaves. Top each with a small canned sardine and drizzle with a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice and mustard.

53. Peel beets and grate them in a food processor. Mix equal parts plain yogurt and tahini, and toss with the beets along with lemon juice and za’atar (a mixture of toasted sesame seeds, dried green herbs and ground sumac; you can make it yourself using dried thyme).

54. Slice roasted red peppers (if you must use canned, try to find piquillos) and fresh mozzarella. Toss with cooked white beans, olive oil, red wine vinegar, a chopped shallot and fresh rosemary or parsley.

SALADS WITH SEAFOOD

55. Mix watercress with chopped smoked salmon, avocado, red onion and capers. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, sherry vinegar and mustard powder.

56. Salade niçoise, sort of: On or around a bed of greens, make mounds of olives, cooked new potatoes and green beans (warm or at room temperature), good tomatoes, capers, fennel slivers, hard-cooked eggs and good quality Italian canned tuna. None of these is crucial; you get the idea. Serve with vinaigrette or aioli.

57. Toss cubes of day-or-more-old good bread with soy sauce, chopped sautéed shrimp, chopped radishes and cilantro. Like a weird shrimp toast panzanella.

58. Sear tuna until rare (for that matter, you could leave it raw) and cut it into small cubes. Toss with shredded jicama or radish and shredded Napa cabbage; season with mirin, soy sauce and cilantro. Avocado and/or wasabi paste are great with this, too.

59. Sear tuna, or use good canned tuna. Chop it up and mix with chopped olives, capers, tomatoes, parsley and olive oil.

60. Ditto on the tuna. Mix with chopped apples, halved seedless grapes, chopped red onion, olive oil, a bit of cumin and black pepper.

61. Mix canned salmon (sockeye, or use cooked fresh) with capers, chopped celery, yogurt or mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Serve on greens or in endive leaves.

62. Dust shrimp with chili powder. Sauté in butter or oil (or a combination) with fresh corn kernels and flavorful cooking greens (bok choy is good, as is watercress). Add halved cherry tomatoes and lime juice at the last minute.

Recipe: Basic Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Real Ranch Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Yogurt-Feta Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Miso-Ginger Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Avocado-Basil Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Creamy Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Ginger Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Mayonnaise (July 22, 2009)

63. Sunday brunch salad: Mix diced cucumbers, chopped tomato, minced red onion and capers with bits of smoked salmon. Dress with lemon juice (you won’t need much oil, if any). Take a step further by adding croutons of cubed toasted bagels.

64. Alternative Sunday brunch: Shred or chop cucumbers (if they’re fat and old, peel and seed them first), then toss with flaked smoked trout or whitefish, capers, dill, lemon juice and olive oil.

65. In a hot pan, flash-cook cut-up squid in a little olive oil for no more than two minutes. Toss with cooked or canned chickpeas, chopped bell peppers, lemon juice, a little more oil and parsley.

66. In a hot pan, sear sea scallops for a minute or two on each side, depending on size. Slice or chop, then toss with thinly sliced fennel and lemon or orange vinaigrette and some chopped fennel fronds.

67. Bread salad for anchovy lovers: Chop together many anchovies, a few capers, lemon juice and olive oil (or anchovy oil). Toss with cubes of toasted bread and chopped tomatoes or halved cherry or grape tomatoes.

68. Mix crab meat with pan-roasted corn, chopped avocado, halved cherry or grape tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice and perhaps a bit of cilantro and crumbled ancho chili.

69. Stir-fry small or chopped shrimp in olive or peanut oil with lots of ginger; while still warm, combine with tomato wedges, chopped romaine, cilantro, scallions and lots of lime juice. Good in pita.

SALADS WITH MEAT

70. Shred brussels sprouts in the food processor, preferably with the slicing disk. Toss with vinaigrette and crumbled bacon.

71. Combine sliced green tomatoes and sliced fresh mozzarella; top with roughly chopped basil, olive oil, black pepper and crumbled bacon.

72. Sort-of carpaccio salad: Broil or grill skirt or sirloin steak very rare and slice very thin. Arrange on a plate with tomato wedges, lettuce and lemon juice.

73. Hawaiitalian: Combine pineapple chunks with bits of any cured pork product — cooked guanciale is ideal, or any ham — and a not-too-subtle chili vinaigrette.

74. Julienne red, yellow and orange bell peppers; mix with thinly sliced red onion, olive oil and cooked crumbled sausage or chopped salami.

75. The Little Italy salad: Chop or julienne salami and prosciutto, then toss with cubed mozzarella, chopped tomato, pepperoncini, oil and wine vinegar.

76. Slice fresh figs — many, if you live where they grow — and top with crumbled bacon, balsamic vinegar (the best you have) and crumbled blue cheese.

77. Combine shredded cabbage or lettuce with bits of good turkey, Swiss cheese and rye croutons. Top with good old Russian dressing, call it a turkey sandwich salad and don’t knock it until you try it.

78. What happens when your Chicago hot dog falls apart: Toss together tomato wedges, chopped pickles, hot peppers, shredded lettuce and a few slices of broiled or grilled hot dog. Dress with a vinaigrette made with mustard (should be yellow for authenticity, but ...) and celery salt. (You could throw in freshly made croutons; inauthentic, but better than a hot dog bun.)

79. Sear a steak and move it to a cutting board (don’t wash the pan); wait a minute or two, then slice. Cut kale (preferably black, also known as Tuscan, or dino kale) into thin ribbons and toss in the pan over high heat for a minute. Turn off the heat, add chopped black olives, olive oil and sherry vinegar. Serve kale with steak on top.

80. Sort-of-Cobb salad: Choose any combination of hard-cooked eggs, chopped prosciutto, cooked chicken, crumbled Gorgonzola, chopped tomatoes, chickpeas or white beans, sliced red onion, olives. Make vinaigrette with capers and anchovies.

81. Soak sliced prune plums or figs in balsamic vinegar for a few minutes, then add olive oil, chopped celery and red onion, shreds of roasted or grilled chicken, chopped fresh marjoram or oregano and chopped almonds. Serve on top of or toss with greens. So good.

82. Cut pancetta into matchsticks and crisp in a skillet with some oil, then caramelize onions in the fat. Toss both with chopped bitter greens — radicchio, escarole or endive, for example — toasted pine nuts and halved cherry or grape tomatoes.

Recipe: Basic Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Real Ranch Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Yogurt-Feta Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Miso-Ginger Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Avocado-Basil Dressing (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Creamy Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Ginger Vinaigrette (July 22, 2009)

Recipe: Mayonnaise (July 22, 2009)

83. Toss thinly sliced Vidalia or other sweet onions with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Sear a skirt steak and let sit a minute; slice it thin. Toss salad greens with the onions, roasted red peppers, and steak; add a little more oil and vinegar if necessary.

SALADS WITH NOODLES

84. Spring rolls, unrolled: One at a time, soften a few sheets of rice paper in warm water. Drain, pat dry, cut into strips and toss with chopped cucumber, grated carrots, chopped cilantro, bean sprouts, chili flakes and chopped roasted peanuts. Dress with toasted sesame oil, fish sauce or soy sauce, and rice vinegar or lime juice. A few shrimp are a nice addition.

85. Mix lots of arugula with somewhat less cold whole wheat penne, lemon zest, olive oil and Parmesan. The idea is an arugula salad with pasta, not a pasta salad with arugula.

86. Toss chilled cooked soba noodles with diced cucumber (if they’re fat and old, peel and seed them first), a small amount of hijiki reconstituted with water, toasted sesame seeds and a vinaigrette laced with soy sauce and miso.

87. Cold not-sesame noodles: Combine about a half-cup peanut butter with a tablespoon soy sauce and enough coconut milk to make the mixture creamy (about a half cup), along with garlic and chili flakes in a blender or food processor. Toss sauce with cooked and cooled noodles, a load of mint, Thai basil, and/or cilantro, and lime juice. Shredded cucumber and carrots optional.

88. Toss cooked pasta with roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, fresh goat cheese, basil and olive oil. Corny, but still good.

89. Soak or cook rice noodles, drain and rinse; toss with cubed unripe mango, chopped peanuts, shredded carrot and minced scallion. Make a dressing of rice vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice, chili and a bit of sugar.

90. Sort of classic pasta salad: Pasta, artichoke hearts, sliced prosciutto or salami, chopped plum tomato. Dress with olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar, perhaps with some mustard.

GRAIN SALADS

91. Cereal for grown-ups: Start with puffed brown rice; toss with chopped tomatoes, scallions, a minced chili, cooked or canned chickpeas and toasted unsweetened coconut. Dress with coconut milk and lime juice.

92. Simmer a cup of bulgur and some roughly chopped cauliflower florets until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss with chopped tarragon, roughly chopped hazelnuts, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil and lemon juice.

93. Mix leftover rice with lemon or lime juice, soy sauce and a combination of sesame and peanut oils. Microwave if necessary to soften the rice, then serve at room temperature, tossed with sprouts, shredded radishes, chopped scallions, bits of cooked meat or fish if you like and more soy sauce.

94. Cook and cool quinoa. Toss with olive oil, loads of lemon juice, tons of parsley, some chopped tomatoes and, if you like, toasted pine nuts. Call it quinoa tabbouleh.

95. Mix cooked couscous or quinoa with orange zest and juice, olive oil, maybe honey, sliced oranges, raisins or dried cranberries, chopped red onion and chopped almonds. Serve over greens, or not.

96. Cook short-grain white rice in watered-down coconut milk (be careful that it doesn’t burn) and a few cardamom pods. While warm, toss with peas (they can be raw if they’re fresh and tender), chopped cashews or pistachios, a pinch of chili flakes and chopped raw spinach.

97. Toss cooked, cooled farro, wheat berries, barley or other chewy grain with chopped-up grapes. Add olive oil, lemon juice and thinly sliced romaine lettuce; toss again, with ricotta salata or feta if you want.

98. Toss cooked bulgur with cooked chickpeas, quartered cherry or grape tomatoes, a little cumin, lots of chopped parsley, and lemon juice.

99. Toss cooked quinoa with fresh sliced apricots, cherries, pecans, and enough lemon and black pepper to make the whole thing savory.

100. Mash a canned chipotle with some of its adobo and stir with olive oil and lime juice. Toss with drained canned hominy, fresh corn cut from the cob (or drained pinto beans), cilantro and green onions.

101. Cook a pot of short-grain rice. While it’s still hot, toss with raw grated zucchini, fermented black beans, sriracha, sesame oil, sake and a touch of rice vinegar. Add bits of leftover roast chicken or pork if you have it, and pass soy sauce at the table.