Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes(10)

TIP: If chipotle chilies aren’t available, substitute a chopped jalapeño pepper.

SPRING

Chopped Chicken Cobb Salad

A perfect option for a springtime dinner party: a make-ahead, main-dish salad.

Serves 6

Dressing

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry or red-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

Salad

6 strips bacon

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Salt and black pepper

1 small head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 bunch watercress, trimmed and chopped

3 hard-boiled eggs, diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 avocado, diced

2 ounces blue cheese, or another favorite cheese

For dressing:

In a medium bowl, preferably one with a spout, whisk all dressing ingredients until well blended.

For salad:

1. In a large heavy skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain; crumble. Drain most of the drippings from the skillet; place the skillet on medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to pan and cook 6 minutes per side, until cooked through. Let cool slightly; cut into cubes.

2. On a large platter, toss lettuce, water-cress and about half the dressing to coat. Arrange chicken, bacon and all remaining salad ingredients on top of the lettuce, setting them in rows. Just before serving, drizzle the remaining dressing over the entire salad.

TIP: Use extra-virgin olive oil for uncooked dishes, when you can really taste the oil. In cooked dishes, less expensive regular pressed oil is fine.

SPRING

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble Bars

These bars feature a rich shortbread base, a sweet-tart fruit layer and a crunchy crumb topping. They make great picnic or bake sale fare.

Makes 16

Filling

1 medium rhubarb stalk (about ¾ pound), thinly sliced

⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Cinnamon stick

1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup light-brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces, plus additional to grease the foil

Crumble

¾ cup old-fashioned oats

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup light-brown sugar

½ cup walnuts, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces

For filling:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine rhubarb,

sugar and cornstarch. Let it sit 10 minutes to release juices. Add the cinnamon stick and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 8 minutes, until softened. Remove from heat; let cool slightly. Stir in strawberries.

For crust:

1. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with foil; grease foil. In a food processor, pulse flour, brown sugar and salt. Add butter; pulse until mixture comes together. Press dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack. Spread filling over crust.

For crumble:

1. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and salt. Add butter chunks and mix with your fingers or a fork until mixture holds together in pea-sized chunks. Sprinkle evenly over filling. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until crumble is crispy and fruit is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack.

TIP: If you use frozen rhubarb, make sure to thaw and thoroughly drain it.

SPRING

Lattice-Top

Peach Pie

You’ll be the talk of the town when you bring this luscious—and gorgeous—

peach pie to the church social or your company picnic.

Serves 10

Double crust

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus additional for sprinkling on crust

Pinch of salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

¼–½ cup cold water, as needed

Milk, for baking

Granulated sugar, for baking

Filling

6 large, ripe peaches, peeled and thinly sliced

⅓ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup brown sugar

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

TIP: For even baking, use an all-glass pie plate. Its angled sides prevent crusts from sliding down and it neatly fits store-bought crusts as well.

For crust:

1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Slowly add cold water, a little at a time, just until dough comes together into a craggy mass. Turn dough out onto a floured countertop; divide dough in half. Form each half into a thick disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

2. Remove dough from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before rolling out. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured countertop to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a glass pie tin. Press dough to fit the tin; flute edges. Refrigerate the crust in the pie tin while making the filling.