Belgian Endive Salad with Olives

An easy, elegant starter for spring

Want to wow your guests without breaking a sweat? Try this full-flavored starter.

This salad looks (and tastes) like a dish that takes hours to prepare. No need to tell them that you whipped it up in under 15 minutes.

That’ll be our little secret.

Moroccan-Spiced Orange and Olive Salad

Snappy and satisfying, this makes a great dinner starter

Oranges and olives together? Don’t judge.

Sweet oranges are actually a great match for salty, briny olives. And this dish is easy to make, so you can serve it any weeknight.

But it’s also fancy enough for a dinner party. So you could say this salad is diversity on a dish.

Pasta with Cauliflower and Olives

Garlic and feta cheese liven up this easy main-course dish

Cauliflower and olives. Can they really get along?

Yup, turns out they’re a sensational together, particularly over pasta. Liven up their pairing with some garlic and feta, and a splash of quickly-made tomato sauce. Add a salad and maybe some crusty bread or garlic toast, and dinner is served.

This dish is easy enough to make on a busy weekday. But it’s tasty enough for guests too.

Two recipes in one. We like that.

Fennel and Tomato Gratin

Olives Add Zing to this Provençal Dish

When I think about the flavors of Provence, I think of sweet tomatoes, fragrant herbs, and salty olives.  Oh, there are plenty of other Provençal foods, too.  But for me, these three ingredients conjure the essence of southeastern France.

Fennel is also popular in Provence.  That isn’t surprising, since it plays so nicely with tomatoes and olives.  And the longer you cook it, the sweeter and mellower it becomes.  So it’s a no brainer to combine all these ingredients in a gratin.  Topped with flavorful cheese, they make a great sidekick for roast or grilled meat, chicken, or seafood.

This flexible dish is ideal for busy schedules.  You can make it partially ahead.  Plus, it tastes equally good hot from the oven or cooled to room temperature, so no split-second timing is required.  

And the flavor?  Well, you’ll think you’re in the south of France.  Without having to buy a plane ticket.

Pasta Puttanesca

This Classic with the “Naughty” Name is a Great Summer Dish

Although I enjoy Pasta Puttanesca year round, it always seems particularly wonderful this time of year. That’s because the dish is best when cooked for only 15 or 20 minutes — ideal when you don’t want to heat the kitchen with a long-simmering sauce.

And the naughty name? I’ll get to that.

Salade Niçoise

Serve this Summer Classic as a Main Dish or Appetizer

Salade Niçoise was born in the French coastal Mediterranean city of Nice. The original Niçoise salad reportedly was a simple affair of largely uncooked ingredients: lettuce (though some insist the original didn’t include this), black olives, sliced tomatoes, bell pepper, anchovies, and sometimes artichoke hearts. These ingredients were tossed with olive oil (no vinegar), minced garlic, and perhaps some herbs. The dish was served in small hors d’œuvre portions, often with a garnish of sliced hard-boiled eggs.

Over the years, peoples’ tastes evolved, and so did the recipe. In the United States today, Salade Niçoise is usually a substantial composed salad that may also include green beans, potatoes, and canned (or seared fresh) tuna.

In its modern form, Salade Niçoise makes a generous (but not heavy) main course, perfect for hot summer weather. With the addition of some good quality bread and a nice wine, it’s a great company meal.