Scalloped Gorgonzola Potatoes

      Thanksgiving Day is almost here!  I can hardly believe it!  It seems like the kids were just starting back to school and now, here we are, just about to kick off the holiday season!  I'm not complaining, mind you.......this really is my favorite time of year!  

      But, I have to say......."foodies" have it kind of rough. So many recipes and so little time!  There are tons of new recipes I'd love to try out, but honestly, how much food can five people really eat?? That's right.....only 5!  When most of the kids are grown and living all over the country, it's hard to get everyone together.  And that's something I really miss!  

      As for those that will be here......they seem to like to stick with the tried and true, the dishes they've come to expect on such a holiday.  You know....obviously the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes....etc.  I mean, really??  Mashed potatoes?? 

      Now, don't get me wrong.  A lovely mound of mashed potatoes with a pool of butter flowing down its sides or a rich turkey gravy ladled unashamedly over the top is delicious, but couldn't we be a little more imaginative?  Couldn't we add a little something to make those spuds more interesting....maybe even something with an Italian flair....hmmm??

Roasted Fennel and Carrots with Pecorino Cheese

    What can you make with a couple of root vegetables, some garlic, fresh thyme, cheese, and olive oil?  A delicious roasted vegetable side dish, that's what!  If I haven't mentioned it before, I love roasted vegetables! Roasting just brings out their natural sweetness and develops such a depth of flavor!  As the days are getting colder, this is a great side dish to go along with a meatloaf or roasted beef or chicken. So, what are you waiting for?  Grab those veggies and get roasting!  

Green Bean Salad with Red Onion and Prosciutto

    Hi there!  Hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend.  Ours was very low-key.....just the four of us hanging around, getting a little work done and then just relaxing.  The weather was nice enough to get outside and fire up the grill, so I cooked up some burgers and, to go along-side, I made a nice Caprese Salad (fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, good olive oil, salt and pepper) and this delicious Green Bean Salad with Red Onion and Prosciutto.  I slightly adapted it from a recipe I saw in a newsletter from Cookies From Italy.com.  It's a great salad!  It's bright and fresh-tasting, and I love the addition of the prosciutto!

     The original recipe calls for regular string beans, but the beans at the nearby grocery store looked terrible, so I decided to go with Haricot vert instead.  Haricot is French for bean and vert is the word for green.  So, that's right.....these are a French variety of green bean.  They are longer and thinner than most American varieties.  And, they're nice and tender!