Summer Dinners

Moroccan Carrot Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 3 Comments

I think one of the first big family meals with Lisa and family involved this delicious carrot salad that she had made.  It was so flavorful and pretty and this was one of the recipes that kickstarted my love of cooking and recipe swapping with Lisa.  (Plus she promised it was easy to make and so I was sold!)  This is one of those refreshing salads that is much more exciting than a salad of greens (though those can be delicious as well) and pairs extremely nicely with hearty meat dishes, such as the Siniyeh that I’ve posted about.

MoroccanCarrots

Ingredients

    • 2.5-3 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal slices about ½” thick (for speed, you can purchase carrot chips)
    • ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • ½ cup Balsamic Red Wine Vinegar
    • 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
    • 4-5 large cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
    • 2T ground cumin
    • 2T sweet paprika or Spanish paprika which has a smoky flavor
    • ½ T Kosher salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cook carrots until tender but still firm
2. Whisk together all other ingredients and toss gently but thoroughly with warm carrots.

From Lisa!

Siniyeh – A Spin on Meatloaf

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

While flipping through The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook years ago after receiving it as a gift from Lisa, I came across this dish that was described as “spiced meat loaf with sesame topping.”  Intrigued, I decided to try making it and it has turned into a staple in our dinner rotations.  It’s probably not the prettiest dish, but the flavor makes up for it!  This goes extremely well with a bottle of spicy red wine, such as a nice California Zinfandel, or a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon and a zesty vegetable side, such as this Moroccan Carrot Salad.

siniyeh dinner

Ingredients

Meat Loaf

  • 2 lb ground beef or ground lamb (I generally use very lean ground beef)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 cup of finely chopped parsley
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Topping

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves

Garnish
About 3 tbsp pine nuts

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9×13″ baking dish with nonstick spray or grease very well.
  2.  In a large bowl, combine all the meatloaf ingredients, and mix by squeezing through your fingers until well combined and smooth.
  3. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the top is browned.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the sesame topping.  Put the tahini in a small bowl, and slowly add the water, stirring vigorously.  Stir in the remaining topping ingredients.
  5. When the meat loaf is browned, remove the dish from the oven and carefully drain off any excess fat that has been released from the meatloaf.  Be especially careful to not let the meatloaf fall out of the dish!
  6. Spread the prepared sesame topping over the meatloaf.  Sprinkle the pine nuts on top.
  7. Return the meat loaf to the 400 degree oven, and bake for about 10 minutes longer or until the topping is puffed and lightly browned, and the meat is cooked completely through in the center.

Makes about 6-8 servings.

Adapted from The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook, by Gloria Kaufer Greene

Green Fattoush Salad with Mint Vinaigrette

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IMAG0523This weekend in Chicago it’s in the 90’s and humid. It’s also the annual Air and Water Show so the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time slaving over a hot stove. I was at the farmers’ market and they had gorgeous fresh mint and arugula which reminded me of this wonderful green salad – full of flavors and incredibly satisfying. If you wish to make it for vegans just leave out the feta cheese. For the rest of us – buy a full-fat feta. It won’t kill you since the amount you will have is small and taste is, frankly, so much better. You can use either a sheep’s milk or goat’s milk feta for this dish. Just make sure that all of your greens are very fresh and bright. If you can’t smell the freshness please don’t buy them. Fattoush is essentially a Middle Eastern Panzanella. Since it physically hurts me to throw away bread – possibly because I love to bake bread and know what goes into making it – this is a wonderful way to use up left-over pita or lavash.

Green Fattoush Salad with Mint Vinaigrette adapted from Einat Admony

Yields: 4 generous servings

Ingredients:

1 large English (seedless) cucumber or 3 small Persian cucumbers, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds or 1/2 moons

1 ripe avocado, peeled,seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2/3 cup roughly torn fresh mint (spearmint – not peppermint) plus about 10-12 additional leaves for the vinaigrette

2/3 cup roughly chopped or torn flat-leaf parsley

3 cups torn arugula

2 cups torn watercress (Really try to find watercress for this recipe. If you absolutely can’t, just use more arugula.)

3/4 cup crumbled feta (do not buy crumbled feta – buy the chunk and crumble it yourself)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1/2 teaspoon honey (I love Greek honey, but any good quality honey will do)

Kosher salt, to taste but about 1/2 teaspoon. It will partly depend on how salty your feta cheese is.

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1.2 cup EVOO (If you have a good quality lemon enhanced EVOO you can use that. Personally I can never get enough lemon.)

About 1 cup of toasted pita chips or lavash (You can make your own or buy store bought)

1/4 teaspoon sumac (optional) If you choose to buy sumac (and you can get it at Middle Eastern markets or online at Nuts.com you will find lots of uses for it, especially in Mediterranean cooking. It looks a bit like paprika, but it has a wonderful fruity, citrusy flavor and goes great with chicken.)

Directions:

  1. In a large salad bowl, toss everything that is green together. This can be done ahead and covered with a damp towel. If left in a cool room, it can be left out for several hours. If you have room in your fridge, you can store it there in a plastic bag. (DO NOT ADD avocado if making ahead. Only add it when ready to eat along with the feta.)
  2. If using feta cheese, add it when you are ready to serve  the salad.
  3. Make mint vinaigrette: In a blender, puree the mint leaves that you set aside earlier with the lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt and garlic until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the EVOO and process until emulsified.
  4. Toss salad with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens. (Save any left-over dressing in a glass jar in the fridge for use within 2 days.) Toss in the toasted pita or lavash. If using sumac, sprinkle it over the top.

Hot Days – Cold Soup

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IMAG3431When I was growing up we didn’t have central air conditioning. No one did. Instead there was one window air conditioner in the bedroom I shared with my sister and when the mercury rose,  we took the mattress off of the box spring and our brother came and slept on the floor. Being the youngest, I got the box spring. Even having this air conditioner was considered quite a luxury. So when the temperature hit the 80’s, my mother – Matthew and Frances’ “Nana” – made her Gazpacho. If we had guests, which was often since everyone loved to come to our house and my mother was a wonderful cook, Nana would also make paella.

I now have central air conditioning, but I still love to have cold soup when the temperature rises. I came across this “green” version while watching the Cooking Channel’s show Extra Virgin. It’s very different from the Andalusian Gazpacho that Frances made and the tomato-based version that Nana made – both wonderful. All of these soups make an elegant first course or a light supper served simply with crusty bread, maybe a salad and a crisp white or rose wine.

IMAG3420 (1)

Green Gazpacho Adapted from Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar

Ingredients

6-8 first course servings/ 4 dinner servings

4 cups seedless green grapes

6 scallions, white and light green parts, roughly chopped

2 Large seedless cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cloves of garlic

1 large bunch of flat-leafed parsley, leaves only

1 medium avocado, cut into chunks

1/3 cup EVOO

3 Tablespoons light white vinegar (I like to use Champagne vinegar or Rice Vinegar. If I use rice vinegar, I like to do 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar and 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar. If you don’t mind the sweetness, you can use all rice vinegar.)

Kosher Salt and cracked pepper to taste

1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Directions

Using a heavy-duty blender or food processor, combine the grapes, scallions, cucumbers, garlic , parsley and avocado. You may have to do this in batches, depending on your blender. Pulse and while the machine is blending, add the olive oil and vinegar.  I like my soup fairly thick and creamy but if you prefer a thinner consistency you can add a little ice water.

Season with salt and pepper (for this much soup, 1.5 teaspoons is about right for the salt and about 5-6 cracks of a good black pepper.)

Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours and serve topped with the toasted almonds. I like this even better when made a day ahead. It will keep in the fridge for at least 3 days, but why wouldn’t you just eat it right up?!

Salmorejo: Andalusian Gazpacho

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On a summer trip last year to Southern Spain, also known as Andalusia, we discovered some delicious soups that were the perfect respites to the hot, dry summer heat.  After visiting cities such as Seville, Cordoba and Granada, we quickly learned that this menu staple was a sure way to feel both full and refreshed, and were eager to try to make it again once we returned home.  Described as the “Andalusian gazpacho” it was much, much creamier, and always served in small tapas sized bowls (we were often jostling spoons to get every last drop!)

Salmorejo

2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
8 plum tomatoes, cored, halved, and seeded
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 baguette (about 10 oz.), cut into large pieces
1⁄2 small yellow onion
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
1 1⁄2 cups finely chopped Iberian ham or prosciutto (optional)

  1. Place salt, tomatoes, garlic, bread, and onion in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for 1 hour.
  2. Drain vegetables, reserving 1 cup soaking liquid; place in blender.
  3. Squeeze water from bread; place in blender with reserved soaking liquid, oil, and vinegar.
  4. Purée until smooth; season with salt and pepper, and chill (for at least 3-4 hours, best overnight)
  5. Pour into serving bowls; top with eggs, ham, and a drizzle of oil.

Recipe adapted from Saveur.

Better than a restaurant and in under an hour

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So this summer my herbs have been growing like crazy and I decided I really should do a bit of trimming. Of course I couldn’t just throw out perfectly good, fresh herbs. On the other hand, it has been REALLY hot and the last thing I want is to spend hours by a hot oven or stove.

The herb in question here is sage.

I happen to love sage with butternut squash ravioli and brown butter or with eggs, but my husband is not a huge fan. I was undeterred. I had some beautiful fresh sage leaves and I was going to use them. I also happened to have some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and a package of La Quercia Speck Americano (Prosciutto or Jamon would have worked as well) in the fridge. I ALWAYS have several good cheese options and in this case it was an Asiago Fresco. (A good Mozzarella, Pecorino, Cubadu etc. would also work.) My pantry ALWAYS has a good bottle of pasta sauce – in this case a simple, but delicious marinara with basil – some kind of pasta (spinach fettuccine nests). The key is not to get bogged down in finding the exact same ingredients that the recipe calls for but to let yourself work with what you have or is easily available. I really, really hate when a recipe calls for 2 Tablespoons of something that I have no other idea how to use and then I am stuck having spent a fair amount of money on a single ingredient that I don’t even know if I will like. Soooooooooooooooooo while I will always, always advocate for using great quality ingredients, you can and should not feel like a slave to a recipe.

Have I mentioned yet what I decided to make?? Chicken Saltimbocca a la Lisa. This is a recipe that really doesn’t require a lot of careful measuring. I used a large rectangular baking dish (12″ x 9″ x 2.5″). Mine is stoneware and makes clean-up a snap. I also gave in a year ago and treated myself to a really nice meat pounder. It’s round with a handle and has a nice heft to it. The meat doesn’t get torn up and it is highly recommended for getting rid of any aggression you may be feeling.

I preheated my oven to 375 degrees F. I pounded my chicken breast as flat as I could between two pieces of plastic wrap. You could use parchment or waxed paper too. I then generously salted (Kosher salt only) and peppered (cracked black) both sides. With what would have been the skin side facing up, I began my assembly. I took some finely chopped fresh garlic (a generous 1/2 teaspoon for each breast) and spread it across the top. I then took several sage leaves and lay those over the top of each breast. On top of that went one slice of Speck and several thin slices of my Asiago Fresco. I poured about 1/2 of the large jar of pasta sauce in the bottom of my baking dish and carefully laid the chicken on top of the sauce in a single layer. I drizzled a bit of EVOO over everything and I popped it in the oven uncovered for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, I turned the broiler on high and let the cheese brown for five minutes. Watch it, though, since all ovens are different!

While the chicken cooked, I made my pasta al dente and after draining it, I mixed in the remaining pasta sauce and added some freshly grated pecorino. I could have added some fresh basil or used a different kind of pasta, but this is what I had. When the chicken was finished and the cheese was bubbling, I plated everything and served it with a simple salad. This took less than an hour and was full of umami goodness. The chicken was tender and all of the flavors were present and accounted for. People will think you slaved over a hot stove and you will smile (not too smugly) when they are thanking you for this glorious dinner.  Buon Appetito!

Quick and elegant pasta

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Image result for trufflesSometimes you want (well, okay – LOTS of times) something wonderful for dinner, but you don’t have either the energy, time or inclination to spend hours working on a great meal. There are many ways to tackle this problem and from time to time, I will, but here is one delicious and elegant way. I’m not promising that it is the least expensive dinner you could produce, but it still beats the price of a pizza. I’m just sayin’.

I always try to keep on hand the fixings for  some kind of pasta and this summer I also am growing some wonderful herbs on my windowsill (and occasionally taken out to my terrace for fresh air). I happen to really like truffles, but there is no way (none, zero, zilch) that I am going to put down the money for actual truffles. I have learned that doesn’t mean that I can’t still enjoy them at some level. I’m sure that true truffle aficionados will tell you how there is nothing like shaving a real truffle over your pasta and I will gladly concede that likely they are correct. And if someone else is paying, call me up and I will happily come on over to eat it. But for the rest of us, well there are some pretty good (and much less expensive) ways to get your truffle fix.

I look for truffle butter on sale and you would be amazed at how far 3.5 oz. of truffle butter goes. (It will also last quite awhile in the fridge if unopened.) I can get it in my local Whole Foods for $9.99 (not on sale) or through Peapod for $5.99 any time. Same brand. I also have Frances to thank for a bottle of white truffle oil, which you can also pick up in many grocery stores or you can order it online along with that Meyer lemon EVOO. I pick up LOTS of mushrooms (different varieties if I can get them) at the grocery store or farmer’s market, market mushrooms along with two big shallots or some onion if shallots aren’t available. I sauté the mushrooms and shallots in the truffle butter with some EVOO until still meaty, but tender and the shallots are translucent. Towards the end of the cooking, I add some finely chopped garlic. I like a lot so I add about 2 teaspoons. If I happen to have some white wine open, I splash some in too. Then I add Kosher salt and lots of cracked pepper to taste and a good handful of fresh herbs. I happen to have lemon thyme and parsley and basil so in they went. It’s really to taste. Remember that the taste of fresh herbs is not as concentrated as that of dry, so don’t get scared off – use plenty. Just as the pasta (use any kind you like but one that has some substance is best) is finishing cooking, take 1/3 cup of that wonderfully starchy pasta water and add it to the sauce. If you are feeling really decadent, throw in some heavy cream at the end.

I top the pasta and sauce with this wonderful Pecorino with Truffles that you can find at Whole Foods or other gourmet stores. A little goes a long way. It’s definitely worth the splurge, in my opinion. If you don’t have that then shave or grate some good Reggiano Parmesan or a good Pecorino on top. Sprinkle with a bit of chopped parsley (flat-leaf, of course) or basil and mangia! Some crusty bread, a bright green salad, a crisp white wine that can stand up to the earthiness of the mushrooms and truffles and you have a meal fit for guests or that special someone. And it took less time to make than it took me to write about it.

Summer’s Berry Bounty

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blackberries

I eat berries all year long, but I go a little crazy during the peak summer berry months. And other than a great apple pie, I love nothing more than a berry pie. But sometimes I want to try something a little different so I have been making crisps, crumbles and a Blackberry Buckle. I admit it – the name just tickles me.

I found a recipe at Food52, a fun food blog with recipes and one-of-a-kind items for purchase. The author of this cornbread buckle is Janeofmanytrade, a pastry chef out of Williamsburg, VA. The recipe intrigued me because I had never thought of adding cardamom and rose water to my berries. Now I am the kind of person who actually keeps things like pomegranate molasses, rose water and orange blossom water on hand. However, I am also the kind of person whose pantry gets disorganized from time to time. Okay, if I’m being really honest, it only gets ORGANIZED from time to time. For the life of me I couldn’t find the rose water so I substituted orange blossom water instead. The result was wonderful! And it was easy to make. The first night I served it with some vanilla ice cream, but after that – once the flavors became even more pronounced, I didn’t want anything (even great vanilla ice cream) to get between me and my blackberries – all purple and dimpling the cake.

Here’s how I made it.     Blackberry Buckle

Blackberry Buckle

Makes one 10 x 10 inch pan and easily serves 9-12 people

For Cake

4 cups of blackberries

1/2 cup of sugar

zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon rose water (I used orange blossom water)

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

6 ounces of unsalted butter, softened

1.5 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1.5 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups yellow cornmeal

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk you can add a teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to any kind of milk and let it sit for about 10 minutes. You could also add some plain Greek yogurt to regular milk)

Oatmeal crumb topping

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 rounded 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons COLD unsalted butter, cut into cubes

With your fingers, work the ingredients for the crumb topping until the butter is pea-sized and well coated with everything else.

Directions

  1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl, tossing the berries gently.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lavishly butter and lightly flour your pan. Use a pan that has a good weight to it. Cream the butter, sugar,vanilla and salt until creamy. I used a heavy duty standing mixer, but this could be done by hand.
  3. Add eggs one at a time and scrape the bowl as you go. Sift the flour, cornmeal (as best you can) and the baking powder over the batter and gently fold it in. Slowly add the buttermilk and mix through until no streaks show.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and even out the top.
  5. Pour the berry mixture on top and spread it evenly over the batter.
  6. Sprinkle the oatmeal crumb mixture evenly over the top and bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the cake part. Depending on your oven, this can take between an hour and an hour and 15 minutes.
  7. You can turn this out of the pan after about 20 minutes flipping it over onto a plate, but I couldn’t see the point. I cut it in the pan and served it from there, still slightly warm from the oven. It was wonderful. This will last about 3 days if you can manage to not eat it. I dare you!

Farmer’s Market Bounty

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

market pickles   market herbsmarket mushrooms

One of the many nice things about summer in Chicago is the Farmer’s Market. I live and work downtown and there is a market on both Tuesdays and Thursdays near my office. It’s not as spectacular as some markets, but there is always a lot of hustle and bustle. The difficult part for me is to remember that I actually have to carry home what I buy, which means walking or the “L.” I sometimes get carried away….

After purchasing gorgeous strawberries, asparagus, kohlrabi and arugula, I knew that I had to do them justice. Farmer's bounty

The lemon thyme and basil plants are from a previous farmer’s market visit. We’ll see how long it takes me to kill them!

I had bought some Copper River Sockeye Salmon the day before and decided to simply bake the fish with fresh lime juice, Kosher salt, cracked pepper, paprika a few Panko crumbs on top and a drizzle of EVOO. If the fish is good – and really, why buy it if it isn’t? – I like to keep the cooking simple to taste the fish. I prepared my asparagus by lightly peeling and trimming the stalks. I made bundles of 4 asparagus each and wrapped them in a slice of speck (prosciutto works just as well). I then sprinkled Kosher salt, a few cracks of black pepper and a good drizzle of EVOO. roasted asparagus

I roasted them at 420 degrees F for about 18 minutes.

I then prepared my kohlrabi. I had three kohlrabi in my bunch. Try to pick the bulbs so they are not too ginormous and not too tiny. Like Goldilocks – just right.

I just peel them, thinly slice them (I used a knife but you can use a mandolin. Just be careful! I bare many mandolin scars. I squeezed the juice of two limes (or lemons would work) over the slices, generously sprinkled cumin, Kosher salt and cracked pepper. I then added 1 tsp. of crushed garlic, sprinkled some Hungarian sweet paprika and a good drizzling of Meyer lemon EVOO on top. (A good quality regular EVOO is just fine. I mixed the pieces of kohlrabi with the dressing and let it sit while dinner cooked. On to the freekeh. I love that name!

Freekeh is  a cereal food made from green wheat and is big in Middle Eastern cuisine. I buy mine from Nuts.com, which is a fabulous source for nuts, dried fruit, spices and all kinds of treats. It’s family-owned, they couldn’t be nicer and they have the funniest shipping boxes I have ever seen.

I Googled how to cook the freekeh which is pretty easy. You lightly toast it in a dry pan to release the aroma of the wheat. Then add 2 cups of water to one cup of freekeh and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring this to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the water is almost gone. Turn off the heat, remove the lid and cover the pot with a clean dishtowel and replace the lid for 10 minutes to steam the grain. Remove the lid and let sit for another 8-10 minutes. Then it’s up to you. You can herb it up, add garlic, fresh scallions or shallots, lemon juice and it hot or you can let it cool and throw in some chopped tomatoes, mint and parsley. Leftovers (assuming you have any) are great with diced grilled or roasted chicken or shrimp. Get creative. You can do pretty much the same things with faro – another great grain.

So my fish and asparagus were ready and I dished everything out and served it with a Truett Hurst 2013 Zinfandel Rose. Frances and Matthew introduced us to this wonderful winery on one of our trips together and everything is good, but their Zins are great!

And here’s dinner. Not bad for a Tuesday!

salmon dinner3         salmon dinner2

It’s sooooooooooo hot outside! What’s for dinner?

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

The last thing I really want when it is hot and humid out is a heavy dinner. I don’t want to cook it and I certainly don’t want to eat it. My husband and I love a beautiful salad with some crusty bread and a lovely rose or crisp white wine. If there is even the slightest breeze, we might just take our dinner outside to our terrace to watch the sun set and those poor devils stuck on the “L” still on their way home. Here is my take on a caprese salad.Caprese

There is no real recipe but here’s what goes in it.

On a bed of arugula (I just picked some up at the farmer’s market and I had forgotten how wonderfully peppery good arugula really is!) I slice heirloom tomatoes (there was such wonderful produce at the farmer’s market – who needs to cook?). Before I add anything else, I drizzle some Meyer Lemon infused EVOO (or just good EVOO) on top with a sprinkle of Kosher salt and a few cracks of fresh black pepper). If you have a fruity vinegar (I am currently crazy about fig vinegar that Frances sent me as a gift) or a light Sherry vinegar, drizzle that on top. I then add some thinly sliced Seedless English Cucumber or the little Persian Cucumbers, some black oil-cured or Kalamata olives (any good olive of choice works, but these are particularly good), thinly sliced onions (Vidalia or Red onion are my favorites). I give this a light splash of the EVOO and Vinegar, salt and pepper. I then top it with slices of a good fresh mozzarella (Buffalo if it is in your budget but Bel Gioioso is fine) and lots of fresh basil leaves. I finally got a big plant (yes, at the farmer’s market) since I go through so much basil and the stuff you buy in the packages NEVER lasts. A little more, salt, pepper, EVOO and vinegar. Eat it with your crusty bread and soak up every bit of goodness in the dressing with the sliced, warm bread (oops, I guess you would use your oven here) or just fresh bread (no oven!) Wash it all down with a lovely rose or crispy white. If you are feeling very ambitious, you could slice some melon for dessert. Delicious and no oven was harmed in the preparation!