Herbs & Spices

A great cocktail snack to have on hand, these will keep for a week before serving.

The fruit in the salad can be varied with the season. In summer, add cantaloupe; in winter, oranges are good.

You can fry this sausage in patties, stuff it into casings, or use it as an ingredient in other recipes that call for sausage. I use it in stuffings, in biscuits, smoked in links for gumbos, and as a breakfast meat. Use the recipe as a guide only. The wonderful thing about making your own sausage is that you can season it to taste.

For a sophisticated touch, crumbled goat cheese is sprinkled over the fennel and broiled until just beginning to brown.

Serve these atop rice, and offer cherry tomatoes tossed with ranch dressing on the side. Purchased peach tarts wrap it up.

A typical Israeli breakfast selection would include this salad (either already prepared or with the vegetables available), the pita bread, and Za'atar along with fresh goat's — or cow's — milk cheeses, yogurt, hummus, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and avocados (in season).

Watch how to fillet fish and sharpen your slicing and chopping skills with our technique videos.

Adding fleur de sel at the end transforms this tart into a delicious cross between a cheese course and dessert.