Ingredients

6 cups fresh baby spinach
2 small cans of mandarin oranges
2 fresh avocados
½ cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup Blood Orange Olive Oil
1/3 cup Blackberry-Pear Balsamic Vinegar (or a sweet balsamic)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper

Preparing Salad
Clean the spinach and set aside to dry. Cube the avocado and add to the salad. Add the 2 cans of mandarin oranges and set 2 tablespoons of the leftover juice aside. Add salad dressing (see below) and almonds and toss just before serving.

Dressing
Combine blood orange olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and left-over mandarin juice together and whisk/shake vigorously until thoroughly mixed. Shake again prior to serving and pour on as salad is being tossed and served.

Fettunta

This is a traditional snack prepared in Italy during the olive harvest. It's an amazingly tasty dish and there are only 4 ingredients! We recommend this as an appetizer on a chilly day, followed immediately by soup or salad.

Ingredients:

One loaf of Ciabatta or Italian Country Bread (or any of your favorites)
Two garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Cut bread into thick slices. Grill until surface is golden and crunchy and the interior is still soft (the bread tastes better if you grill over an open flame). Rub the grilled brad slices with a garlic clove. Pour as much extra virgin olive oil as you like (we suggest, enough to coat most of the bread). Sprinkle sea salt over the bread to season lightly. That's it! You'll be amazed at the flavor this combination imparts. Serves 8.

There is nothing better to do when it's tomato season than make a fresh tomato salad and savor the flavor. This is an easy-to-make salad that is perfect for the summer lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. cherry tomatoes
1/4 lb. fresh feta cheese (in large chunks)
3 tbls. finely sliced basil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 - 4 tbls. balsamic vinegar

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and put in a large salad bowl. Mix with the feta cheese, onions and basil. Pour the olive oil over the cheese and salad mixture. Splash on balsamic vinegar (to your taste) just prior to serving.

One bite will take you and your friends on a quick trip "back to the Italian countryside."

Ingredients:

1/2 cup low-salt chicken stock
1 large eggplant
5 tbls. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic, slivered
1 lb. Pasta of your choice (penne works well)
3 cups fresh arugula or baby spinach
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut small slits in the eggplant with the point of a sharp knife, and insert garlic slivers into them. Cover the eggplant with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the aluminum foil and cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Scoop the pulp and garlic slivers into bowl for mixing (or a food processor). Discard any bitter liquid that seeps out of the eggplant.) Mix with 1 tbls. olive oil.

In medium saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat, whisk in eggplant paste and let simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water, drain and immediately return to cooking pot. Add arugula to pasta and toss so arugula starts to heat and wilt.

Add eggplant sauce and parsley and mix well. Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Buon Gusto!