Creamy Corn Salad

One of those weeks!  You ever have them?  You know the one.  Where you work full time, your husband works full time and in the evenings you have to paint your rental house - ok so maybe your weird weeks aren't EXACTLY like mine, but you get the idea.

Why am I sharing all of this with you?  It's my way of letting you know that cooking didn't happen.  Sushi and pizza happened.  Neither were homemade.  SO not much blogging will happen.  We will be lucky if there are two posts.

So while I have an incredibly weird week full of work and paint, enjoy this corn salad from a few weeks ago.

Creamy Corn Salad (Inspired by Rick Bayless)

2 cups corn
4 cups brine mixture (see below)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sour cream of low fat plain yogurt
2 T cup ancho or guajillo chile powder
2 T cilantro,chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

To make the brine, mix 4 cups cold water with 1/4 cup salt and 2 T sugar. Place corn in a bowl with the brine mixture.  If frozen, no need to thaw first.  Let it soak in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

When ready to cook, remove the corn from the bowl and drain well (do not rinse).  Heat a heavy skillet or cast iron skillet and lightly oil.  Cook the corn over medium until browned, turning frequently.  Remove to a bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool slightly.

Slice the tomatoes and toss with the sour cream and chili powder.  Add the corn while still warm and mix thoroughly.  Sprinkle with cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle lime juice over top.  This salad is great still warm, and also chilled for a few hours.

Top Chef wins Emmy Award for Best Reality-Competition Program

Top Chef wins Emmy Award for Best Reality-Competition Program - National Food Reality TV | Examiner.com

I'm terribly excited - Bo and I watch this religiously! Being up against a huge show like American Idol, I couldn't have been more surprised. If you havent watched Top Chef, there are a few weeks left for this season and you should check it out!

Wild Mushroom Lasagna

Two mushroom dishes in a week!  I feel very fortunate to have a husband who loves mushrooms as much as I do.  Mushroom lasagna is made with a creamy sauce instead of the more traditional red sauce.  Wild mushrooms with a bechemal sauce just sounded wicked and sinful!

But is wasn't!  I found this recipe from Cooking Light.  They have a great way of making a recipe taste higher in calories than it really is!  If you don't have access to or don't like wild mushrooms, button, portobello or a mixture can be used instead.

Mushroom Lasagna with Creamy Béchamel (Recipe by Cooking Light) 

4 cups boiling water
8 oz dried wild mushrooms (a nice mix)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Côtes du Rhône or other fruity red wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups 2 % milk (or if you are feeling dangerous, go for the whole milk!)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cooking spray
1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Add the mushrooms to the boiling water and cook 3 minutes.  Turn off the burner, cover and let sit for 20 minutes.  Drain porcini through a sieve over a bowl, squeezing to extract liquid. Reserve 1 1/2 cups liquid; Chop coarsely; set aside.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and green onion; sauté 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sauté 5 minutes or until mushrooms release moisture and begin to brown. Stir in wine, and mushroom liquid, parsley and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

To prepare béchamel, place milk in a 4-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH 3 minutes or until hot, stirring after 2 minutes. Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stirring with a whisk, and cook 1 minute or until bubbly, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a simmer; cook over low heat 8 minutes or until sauce slightly thickens, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread 1/2 cup béchamel in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over béchamel; top with 1/2 cup béchamel. Top with 1 cup mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers three times (dish will be very full). Cover with foil; place baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover lasagna; bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

Mushroom Crema with Roasted Poblano

photo by roolrool

Mmmmm, rich brothy mushroomy goodness.  Really, there is no other way to describe this soup.  The mushrooms release their fabulous broth, making a stock as good as any made with meat. 

The addition of corn lends a surprise to traditional creamy mushroom soup and the smoky flavor that is contributed by poblano peppers only serves to widen the scope of surprise upon first taste.

If your family likes mushrooms at all, this is the soup to make!

Mushroom Crema with Roasted Poblano (inspired by Rick Bayless

3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 large fresh poblano chile
8 ounces mushrooms (I used a mixture of wild mushrooms), sliced 1/4-inch thick (you’ll have about 3 cups of slices)
1 scant cup corn kernel
1/4 cup plain yogurt, heavy cream or sour cream
Salt
About 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish

Roast the poblano over an open flame or 4 inches below a broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes for a broiler.  Cover with a kitchen towel.  Let cool until handleable. Rub the blackened skin off the chiles and pull out the stem and seed pod.  Rinse the chile flesh to remove bits of skin and seeds.  Cut into 1⁄4-inch pieces. 

Add the garlic, broth, the mushrooms, poblano, and corn to a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil then simmer 10 minutes over medium heat.

Just before serving, scoop out about 1⁄2 cup of the hot soup into a small bowl.  Mix in the yogurt, cream or sour cream. Stir the mixture back into the pot, then taste and season with salt, usually about 1 1⁄2 teaspoons.  Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro. 

Pasta Ponza

If you read my blog with any regularity, you know I enjoy Giada's recipes.  She may not be the "ultimate" expert on an authenticity level, but her recipes are consistent, easy to make, and most fit into a healthy lifestyle. 

Plus, most are usable templates that can be made personal.  Love that!

My interpretation of this recipe is pretty close to the original.  It called for a mix of yellow and red cherry tomatoes.  I could only find red so that is all I used.  I also decided to use some tortellini I had for extra color.  I think it looks pretty!

Pasta Ponza (Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis)

• Butter for greasing
• 2 cups (12 ounces) red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups (12 ounces) yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/2 cup Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 pound ziti or other short tube-shaped pasta
• 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 ounces) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

Place the tomatoes, capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the prepared baking dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the tomato mixture. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
Place the pasta in a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the pasta. Add the cheese and toss well. Thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Kitchen Sink Frittata

"Kitchen sink" is the title I give to anything I make by using leftovers. 

One of the reasons I love eggs, besides being a inexpensive perfect protein source, is their ability to morph refrigerator leftovers into a complete meal.

My fridge contained mushrooms that were in need, red peppers that were in need, and pork sausage that was in need  Sounds like an egg night to me!

Next time you have some veggies that need to be used, use then with eggs.  Scrambled is the easiest way, but I love making frittatas.  Oh, and if your family makes a face at eggs for dinner, just ignore it.  That attitude will go away upon first bite!

Here is a rough recipe of what I made that night.  Amounts are rough estimates.

Kitchen Sink Frittata

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 lb pork sausage
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2-1 cup shredded cheese (optional - I didn't use it this time)

Preheat the oven to 400

Mix the eggs and milk and add salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Spray or oil a oven-proof. Saute the mushrooms and pepper until beginning to soften.  Add the sausage and brown.  Turn heat to low.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan, tipping it to spread the eggs around.  Cook until the eggs begin to set. 

Cover with foil and place in the oven.  Bake 5 minutes or until the egg are just set.

Serve over greens.

Quick Cook Meals: Soup

 photo by Dayna McIaasic

Quick Cook Meals: Soup

The last in the series has recipes for quick soups. Links to Tomato Based Soups and Vegetarian Soups are at the bottom of the "Soup" article. I hope you have enjoyed these and that they have made your busy life a bit less stressful!

Crab Fettuccini

 
I know this has been mentioned before, and I am sure it will be mentioned again, but I LOVE creamy pasta sauce.  Sometimes known as alfredo.

Oh, and I adore sweet crab.  So I HAD to make something combining the two.  We had company coming for dinner and this felt like a company dinner so I hatched a plan.

I began by searching.  For a light alfredo recipe, and for a seafood pasta recipe.  If I could both, I could make it work.  Of course the first place I looked was my Giada cookbooks.  I found a seafood pasta in Everyday Pasta that I thought would work, mainly to know how much crab to buy and how much pasta to cook.  After that is was easy.

Above is the finished product, below is the recipe.

Creamy Crab Pasta

1/2 lb crab meat, picked over for shells
1/2 lb angel hair or other long pasta
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half and half
1 T butter
1 T flour
1/2 cup chopped chives

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 4-6 minutes, or until al dente.  Drain and keep warm.

In the meantime, melt the butter and add the garlic, cooking gently for 1 minute.  Whisk in the flour until smooth, then cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, taking care not to burn.

Slowly add the half and half, whisking to remove any lumps.  Bring to a slow boil on medium then turn down to a low simmer.  (NOTE: do not rush this by turning the heat to high.  It will cause the cream to scorch)  Add the crab and bring back to a simmer.  Cook until the sauce becomes slightly thick.  Remove from heat.

Toss the warm pasta with the tomatoes in a large serving bowl.  Add the cream sauce and mix gently.  Sprinkle the chives on top.  Serve warm.

Quick Cook Meals: Why Serve Pasta?

Quick Cook Meals: Why Serve Pasta?

More recipes from the fall-is-crazy-back-to-school-series,  Quick Cook Meals.  This time it is PASTA!  The bottom of the article links to several of my sauce recipes. 

Spanish Style Mahi Mahi

Do you ever make spur of the moment meals?  Inspiration coming from your fridge.  Or pantry.  Or both.

Well that is how this recipe evolved.  I knew I was making mahi mahi.  I knew I wanted to do something sightly different, not just the olive oil-salt-pepper combo.  So I looked around and saw:

• Garlic (always in our house)
• Salt and pepper
• Paprika
• White wine

And a fish was born. 

Spanish Style Mahi Mahi (by Kim De)

2 Mahi Mahi filets
2 large (or 4 smaller) cloves of garlc
1 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil

Peel and gently crush the garlic.  Carefully rub the open garlic over both sides of the filets.  Put the filets in a shallow dish or large zip-style bag.  Pour wine and 1 T of oil over the fish, turning to coat both sides.  Add more wine if your filets are large and not covered by the wine.  Toss in the garlic cloves.  Marinate at least 2 hours in the refirgerator.

When it is time to cook, mix the salt, pepper and paprika.  Remove the fish from the marinade. Rub paprika mixture on both sides of the fish.

Heat a skillet and the remaining 2 t of oil to medium heat.  Add the fish and cook 2-3 minutes, or until beginning to brown.  Turn over and cover, continuing to cook another 2-4 minutes or until flakes with a fork

Serve over wilted greens.

Note: Lemon juice can be added to the wine mixture, but not until the last 15 minutes of marinating.  Adding it too soon will begin to cook the fish.

Quick Cook Meals: Beans

 More from the "quick cook" series, the ever magical bean.
Quick Cook Meals: Beans

Cocoa-Oatmeal Brownies

Pretty, huh?  I certainly think so! 

I have been searching for a brownie that includes oatmeal for quite some time.  Not so difficult until you realize the amount of butter in many of the recipes - then the search becomes a bit more difficult.

Luckily I'm a patient person.

If you grew up in the '70s chances are your mom made those chocolate/oat no-bake cookies.  These are eerily similar in flavor and texture.  Except they are fudgier and richer.  But just as good!  Tip - they freeze well and even taste good straight from the freezer (with a nice red wine...)

look at that beautiful oatmeal detail

When you are finished with the cocoa, try it in this fabulous Mocha-Frappuccino Mask from Crunchy Betty.  Your face will love you!

Chunky, Chewy Cocoa-Oatmeal Brownies (Inspired by a Bumbles and Light recipe)

5oz unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats (not the quick kind)

Preheat oven to 325F. Line a loaf tin (9 1/2 x 5 inches) with parchment paper, or lightly grease.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, remove from the heat when just melted and stir in the sugar. Add the cocoa powder and stir well until the lumps have disappeared and it is well combined. Add the vanilla, salt and eggs, mix well.

Gently fold in the flour until just combined, don’t overmix! Stir in the oats and pour mixture into the loaf tin.

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin. Once cooled, cut the brownies. Refrigerate to store.

Quick Cook Meals

Quick Cook Meals

With back to school time upon us, I figured it was time for some simple weekday meals. Try one of these this week and stay tuned for more!

Wild Wednesday "Fried" Green Tomatoes

 please excuse the frazzled flour - I wanted to do this quick 

and eat them while hot!

 I have had fried green tomatoes before, always in the same basic format - stacked with creamy flavored goat cheese and drizzled with a red pepper sauce.  Very good!

However with the abundance of tiny green tomatoes I find at the market, I decided to look for different way to prepare them.  Enter "fried" green tomatoes.

If I can take something traditionally fried, bake it, and (pay attention because this is the important part) have it taste great, I'm in!  So with a bit of trepidation, I entered in to this venture.

Surprise, they were fabulous!  The coating stayed in place and they were crispy.  Served with a touch of spicy mustard and they were a fabulous side dish.

Oh, and please preheat the pan as suggested.  I honestly believe that is the secret!

Before we get to the recipe, the time has come to pay homage to the Farmers Market.  I bet you thought this day would never come - the day we reach #10, our final reason to buy from the farmer.  Wild Wednesday has been fun and I look forward to next summer!

Reason #10 to buy from the Farmers Market

Local food is about the future. By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow so that future generations will have access to nourishing, flavorful, and abundant food.

"Fried" Green Tomatoes (Adapted from Cooking Light)

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoky chili powder of cumin
Buttermilk (or sour milk - 1 cup of milk mixed with 1t white vinegar or lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes)
1 bunch of cherry or pear green tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400F. Place a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes to get it plenty hot. Spray it with cooking spray.

Mix the flour through chili powder in a shallow container, adding the buttermilk to another.

Slice the tomatoes. Once the baking sheet has been preheated, work quickly. Dip each tomato slice into the buttermilk, then into the breading. Arrange on the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the slices over. Bake another 10 minutes or until cooked clear through. Serve hot.

Shrimp with Pancetta Chimichurri

Shrimp is one of our favorite foods.  I honestly don't ever get bored with a basic recipe of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Grill or cook in the cast iron, then eat.  But every once in a while, I come across a recipe that is worth a second look, and a taste.

And this was one of these recipes.

Beautiful pancetta cooked to a crisp lend a nice salty component to an otherwise "normal" chimichurri.

The original recipe was for chicken and shrimp with the bright green sauce, but I just couldn't wrap my head around diluting the effect of the crustacean with chicken, so I abstained and provide for you the recipe as I made it.

Shrimp with Pancetta Chimichurri (Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling

Chimichurri
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 cloves garlic
1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat a grill pan or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring constantly until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, parsley, oregano, vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Stir in the pancetta.

Season the shrimp with the dried oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.  Grill the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until pink and cooked through.
Arrange the shrimp on a platter. Drizzle with the chimichurri.

Salad Dressing Recipes

Salad Dressing Recipes

Homemade salad dressings are one of my favorite things to make.  Quick, easy, and never the same thing twice.  Click the link to check out some of my favorite recipes!

Brown Rice "Mac and Cheese"

Homey and inviting are two words I used to describe this recipe offering, created by my foodie friend Canice.  Casseroles sometimes get a bad rap as low-brow, high calorie food only good when you need comfort

But that needn't be the case.  Take away the minute rice, the condensed soup and the processed cheese, and replace them with "real food" and suddenly you have an easy meal, great on a budget, and full of nutrients.

I mean look at the yummy specks of colorful veggies!

Bo and I could have easily handled more veggies, but if you are just trying to get a few into your family, this is a great way to do it!  And if they love macaroni and cheese, all the better

Brown Rice "Mac and Cheese" (Recipe by my friend Canice)

3 cups cooked brown rice
1 T oil1/4 cup chopped onions

2 cloves garlic2 cups chopped vegetables (bell peppers, peas, zucchini etc)

6 oz mushrooms, choopedsalt and pepper1/2 T butter, melted
1 T flour
1 1/4 cup whole milk (I didnt have whole, so I used 1 cup skim whisked with 1/4 c plain yogurt)
1 t Dijon mustard
1 cup sharp Cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup of your favorite cheese (I used goat cheese), shredded or cubed

Heat oven to 350°.  Coat a casserole dish h with canola spray and set aside.

Place cooked rice in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan.  Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and vegetables, cooking until they begin to form a crust anbd the mushrooms have released all their juice.  Mix them with the rice the place in prepared casserole

Put a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm pot and add butter. Melt butter and add flour, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring, one minute until flour is golden and cooked out. Slowly stir in milk, whisking constantly. When milk is incorporated, bring to a boil and boil one minute, whisking. Reduce heat and stir in mustard. Simmer, stirring constantly, two minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in cheeses. Stir well until cheese is melted and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over rice mixture. 

Pour into prepared dish and bake, covered, 30 minutes. Remove foil and finish baking 10 minutes.  Let rest five minutes and serve.

Wild Wednesday - Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

Yup. I said corn SOUP!  In Summer?  In this 100 degree heat?

Well every year about end of July or beginning of August I get a hankerin' for fall.  I mean badly.  So every year I make a couple of traditional "autumn dishes" to tide me over.  So watch for a few more.

Besides, corn is in season right now.  And sweet, and tender and just plain amazing.  Add to it the crookneck squash I also picked up from the market, and it is bountiful meal!

The #9 reason to buy local

Local food supports a clean environment and benefits wildlife. A well-managed family farm is a place where the resources of fertile soil and clean water are valued. Good stewards of the land grow cover crops to prevent erosion and replace nutrients used by their crops. Cover crops also capture carbon emissions and help combat global warming. According to some estimates, farmers who practice conservation tillage could sequester 12-14% of the carbon emitted by vehicles and industry. In addition, the habitat of a farm – the patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds, and buildings – is the perfect environment for the many species of wildlife.

 

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder (Adapted from Cooking Light)


2 slices applewood-smoked bacon
3/4 cup sliced green onions, divided
1 pound yellow summer squash, chopped (zucchini would also work here)
1 pound farm fresh corn (yes, you can use frozen, but try not to!)
2 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
1 tablespoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add 1/2 cup onions and the squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
 
Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside.

Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan with the chives and bacon. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon cheese.

Best Lasagna Recipes | Bestcovery

Best Lasagna Recipes | Bestcovery

Do you love lasagna?  I do. Bo - not so much - so I rarely get it.  But if you are more fortunate and make lasagna frequently, check out some of these "Best" recipes!

It's National Farmers Market Week

It's National Farmers Market Week

You KNOW I am excited abut this! Please support your local farmers this week!

Proscuitto, Fresh Mozarella and Date Pizza

I would have NEVER in my wildest dreams thought of putting these ingredients together, and especially not atop the bubbling crust of a pizza.  But I heart Alton Brown and when he made it on his show, I knew it had to be a must-try.

I'm never afraid of new flavors, but I was a bit worried about how Bo would feel about the dates.  He tends to keep his sweet and savory separate.  Completely.  I mean never the twain shall meet.  But he agreed with me. The sharp saltiness of the prosciutto cut into the sweetness of the dates providing them a perfect place for a first meeting.

Now I see other previously banned flavor combos in our future!

Proscuitto, Fresh Mozarella and Date Pizza (Inspired by Alton Brown)

One recipe of your favorite pizza crust (I used this one)
Proscuitto (Our pizza was 6  inch so I used 2 oz)
A handful of dates, sliced (I imagine figs would work too)
Several slices of fresh mozzarella (You can use the processed shredded kind, but the effect will be different.)

Prepare the crust for the grill by stretching it to a perfect circle - just kidding.  Mine are always lopsided.  Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper sprinkled with flour or cornmeal and put in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Heat the grill to high (or heat the oven to 550).Chop the proscuitto and dates then slice the mozzarella.  If grilling, brush olive oil on the top of the crust then flip that side on the hot grill.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, pull off and flip over so you are dressing the already cooked side.

Sprinkle the meat and dates on the crust (Don't worry if you have extra dates - they taste good out of hand!).  Lay the cheese on top and add back to the grill for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is soft.

If using the oven, dress the dough on the parchment.  Slide the pizza and parchment on a baking sheet or use a peel to slide it on a pizza stone.  Bake 7-8 minutes or until the cheese is soft and the crust is a light brown.

Let sit 3-5 minutes prior to slicing.