La Cocotte Verte

Israeli couscous, paired with juicy summer tomatoes, cucumbers, and the sprightly tastes of nicoise olives and fresh herbs makes a flavorful and refreshing salad for Summer barbecues.

Golden beets, roasted until tender, then sliced and layered with fresh goat cheese & chive filling — this stunning salad looks so elegant, guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen! But the beets, filling, candied nuts, and vinaigrette can all be made ahead of time, making it an ideal first course for a dinner party. It also makes a great lunch dish, served with crusty bread. You can use any color combination of beets: all gold, all red, or alternating colors!) as well as different nuts, such as candied walnuts or plain, toasted hazelnuts.

Shallots are small, pinkish members of the onion family, one of the mainstays of classic French cooking. They lend a delicate bite to the vinaigrette. In such a simple dish, quality ingredients make a huge difference, so use a high-quality olive oil, and a light champagne vinegar.

A tartine (tar-TEEN) is a French open-faced sandwich. Enjoy this for lunch or a light dinner.

Hazelnuts, also called filberts, have a rich nuttiness that compliments beets’ sweet earthiness. But great taste is only one of hazelnuts’ virtues: they are high antioxidants including vitamin E and vitamin A, a natural antioxidant with cancer-preventing properties. They also provide B-group vitamins, particularly vitamin B5 and B6. And hazelnuts are an excellent source of minerals, particularly manganese, selenium and zinc. What’s not to love?

Panko, or Japanese bread crumbs, are much coarser than ordinary bread crumbs and create a deliciously crunchy crust — a startling contrast to the hot, creamy cheese. The black lava sea salt adds a nice smokiness and balances out the acid and sweetness of the tomatoes.

Asparagus are one of the deliciously edible joys of Spring! Don’t skip the pickled onions in this recipe — they add piquancy and a wonderful jolt of pink to contrast with the green asparagus. Choose asparagus that are not too thin for this salad; tiny thin ones overcook very easily. The asparagus can be served at room temperature or chilled.