Today, a simple basket of gray-green Romano beans caught my eye at the farmers market and made me smile. Memories. Mama Rita Ferro, an amazing Italian home chef, introduced me to them several years ago when she taught me how to make her Torta di rizo con fagioli (rice and green bean torta) and patate fagioli (green beans and potatoes with pesto).

Always innovative and frugal, Mama Rita believes in using every scrap of food to create tasty and nutritious meals for her family. Stale bread becomes fresh breadcrumbs. Leftover rice or potatoes, combined with Romano beans and a few simple ingredients, becomes culinary magic. You’ll never hear, “leftovers again?” at her table.

Mama Rita demands the best-tasting ingredients for all her dishes. She gave me a few pointers for selecting these flat, stingless beans that are so plentiful and economical in the early fall. Measuring five to seven inches in length, Romanos are local fare for me, grown at nearby farms in Brentwood and Fremont, California. Always select beans with good color and texture that snap in half when broken. Reject those that are dull or have brown spots—especially at the ends. Avoid overly mature beans that show bulges on the inside, as they are tough and flavorless.

Now, let’s get cooking.

Torta di Rizo Con Fagioli (rice and green bean torta).
Mama Rita told me that I’d love this budget-friendly torta, but who knew it would become one of my family’s favorite meals. Leftovers? They never suspect—and I’ll never tell. This dish is sensational hot for dinner, warm for lunch or cold straight out of the refrigerator at midnight.

Patate Fagioli (green beans and potatoes with pesto)
Day-old steamed or boiled potatoes can be the most boring thing on the planet… unless you combine them with Romano beans and dress everything with pesto and olive oil. Top with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese and green onions and voila—a dish worthy of center stage at your table. Mama Rita often varies this with whatever she has on hand: halved cherry tomatoes thinly slice onions, even a can of drained Italian albacore tuna.

Both of these favorites are truly delicioso—and the very essence of creative, frugal cooking. Of course, Mama Rita’s secret ingredient in all that she cooks is love. No wonder she can make magic from leftover potatoes.

Print the recipes and how to’s for your convenience.

How To Make Torta de Rizo Con Fagioli (Rice and Green Bean Torta)

How To Make Patate Fagioli (Italian Green Beans and Potatoes with Pesto)

There’s a whole lotta delicious goin’ on in this bowl of butterscotch pudding. Supremely creamy, its brown sugar flavor is deepened with bourbon, then dressed up with whipped cream and a decadent peanut brittle topping.

Here, take a spoon and give it a try. Close your eyes and savor the moment. That’s the best butterscotch pudding on the planet (in my opinion). And that’s a lot from someone who considered the box stuff one of childhood’s greatest treats.

How can it get any better?

Spoon the pudding into a tall soda glass, grab two spoons and share it with a special friend.

Now that’s a whole lotta lovin’.

Print a copy of my Butterscotch Pudding for your convenience.

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On a cold, foggy Sausalito morning, a knock at the door brings instant sunshine! My friend George, down from the farm, has brought me a glorious flat of just-harvested tomatoes: heirlooms and reds all sorts. Oh me, oh my, I do love late-summer tomatoes and their endless possibilities.

We had lots to catch up on, so I made lunch for us—starring tomatoes, of course! A quick look around the kitchen and I soon gathered all the ingredients for insalata caprese. This simple Italian classic salad combines best-quality buffalo mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh basil leaves—and if you like, a healthy drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

It all comes together quickly, especially when you use a serrated knife to cut the tomatoes and soft, somewhat squishy cheese into ¼ to ½-inch slices. I arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella in alternating overlapping slices on a large platter, but you could easily plate them as individual appetizers.

Color is key so I like adding a handful or two of halved red, orange and yellow cherry tomatoes over the slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. How you cut the fresh basil leaves is up to you—chop, tear or my own personal preference: stack 4 or 5 leaves, roll them and cut into ribbons.  Toss the basil randomly over the top and breathe in the intoxicating fragrance. Let the flavors meld for 20 minutes at room temperature and serve. Add some crusty bread broken into hunks for dipping into the oil and balsamic and you have a perfect meal.

Ours was a simple celebration of a shared harvest, work we love and the latest family news. So good.

Print a copy of Insalata Caprese for your convenience.

Nothing screams summer like ice-cold watermelon on a blistering hot day. Tonight I’m making my favorite Mediterranean salad that pairs sweet watermelon with mild, salty feta cheese, black olives, thin slices of purple onion, and a generous sprinkling of freshly chopped mint. A simple dressing of fresh lime juice and extra virgin olive oil tops it all off. It’s at once sophisticated, easy to assemble and delicious. And if you’re feeling creative, you can halve and hollow out several small, round watermelons and slice the bottom off to stabilize them on a plate. Fill each with salad and decorate with a mint sprig. It’s pure summer on a plate.

As simple as this salad is, it requires best-quality ingredients, especially a perfectly ripe watermelon. I don’t know about you but searching though huge bins of these beauties at the market always overwhelmed me in the past. After all, how was I supposed to know which ones were ripe? There was no scent, and color offered no clues. I hate to tell you how many times I ended up with a mediocre pinky-white, flavorless melon. Then I learned the secret of selection.

First be brave; walk right up to the bin and look for a couple of potential favorites. Reject anything that is damaged or has soft spots.

Now put both hands on one, like you’re going to give it a shoulder massage. If it “gives” or springs back slightly, it’s ready.

But let’s be doubly sure. Pick it up and hold the watermelon in one hand and run your thumbnail across the top of the melon. If the green “peels” slightly, it is ripe. This is because the rind starts breaking down when it is ripe and beyond. A “green” or unripe watermelon will not peel when scratched.

Back in the kitchen, I grab a—sharp—chef’s knife and cut into the watermelon. Oh the thrill when I see that it’s a beautifully ripe, pinky-red melon absolutely perfect for my salad. Cutting watermelons is easy when you know this technique:

1.  Place the watermelon on its side and slice away the top and the bottom.

2.  Stand the melon upright and halve it from top to bottom. Depending on how large the watermelon is, you may find it easier to complete one side first and then the other.

3.  Cut each half into equal lengthwise sections.

4.  Run the knife between the rind and the flesh from end to end.

5.  Slice downward to the rind in equal segments, forming slices of your desired thickness.

6.  Continue cutting if needed to produce chunks or bite-sized pieces.  Done.

Let me share a couple of other tips that help make this watermelon salad memorable. First, use real Kalamata olives, not the bland canned offerings. There is a difference. Next—and this is a deal breaker—use a mild feta cheese. Pass on the strongly flavored varieties as they overpower the sweetness of the watermelon.

Tonight, dinner is this simple delicious salad served by candlelight on the old garden table.  Good food, lively conversation and a warm summer breeze. Life is good.

Print a copy of my Watermelon, Feta and Kalamata Olive Salad and How To Slice Watermelon for your convenience.

Grab a spoon and join me at the refrigerator. I made a fresh batch of velvety lemon curd  and it’s well chilled and calling me wildly.

This hard-to-resist citrus custard is simple to make and amazingly versatile. I spoon it on toast and use it as a filling in white layer cakes. It also makes a wickedly good lemon tart and mixes beautifully with freshly whipped cream for an instant lemon mousse or creamy trifle filling.

On the practical side, curd is a great way to use up leftover egg yolks when making a recipe that calls exclusively for egg whites. In my case, it was an angle food cake. Tonight, I’ll top the cake with berries, but tomorrow each slice will get a large dollop of the smooth yellow curd. Between all these possibilities and my busy spoon it probably won’t matter that curd keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks.

As you review the recipe, notice that freshly squeezed lemon juice is a key ingredient, but curd gets much of its intense flavor from the oil-rich outer skin or “zest” of the tangy fruit. I prefer using a microplane to remove the yellow zest quickly without picking up any of the bitter white pith below. You could also use a sharp knife, traditional zester or vegetable peeler.

The most important requirement for perfect curd is patience. Like all custards, this must be cooked slowly over a low heat and stirred constantly to prevent burning. Don’t cheat and up the temperature or you’ll get scrambled eggs. Always strain the custard to remove imperfections and any curdled lumps.

Now, pardon me while I dig in and make a pig of myself.

Get a printable Lemon Curd recipe and How To Zest Citrus.