In a large mixing bowl, dissolve 2.5 teaspoons of yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar into 2 cups warm water. When the yeast mixture is frothy, add 2 cups of flour and stir. Then add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped rosemary and two more cups of flour. Stir until blended – do not knead. Cover with a moist towel and let rise for an hour.

Flour the work surface and scoop the sticky dough out of the bowl and onto the surface. Cut the dough in half and start kneading. I usually end up adding about a half a cup of flour more to each half of dough while kneading. Form two mounds and place them on a cookie sheet that is lightly coated in olive oil and sprinkled with corn meal. Cover with the moist towel and let rise for another hour.

Brush each mound with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with more chopped rosemary and sea salt. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 15 minutes more.

Visiting Tuscany has been a dream for many years. I guess you could say it’s on my bucket list – and it’s not a very long list. In the meantime, I do tend to seek out all things Tuscan, especially in my cooking. This dish is panzanella – a summer salad from Tuscany made with stale bread and tomatoes.

Stale bread doesn’t happen very often at my house. Also since bread is the star of this dish, a tasty rustic bread should be used and it’s even less likely to be found going stale. I made two loaves of rosemary bread I believe to be a Macaroni Grill recipe. One loaf distracts the fellas in my house while I toast or grill the other in an effort to make it more stale-like.

I diced a handful of peperoncini (pickled light-green Italian peppers), a red pepper, 6 medium-sized tomatoes, a small red onion and a cucumber. I placed them in a bowl with about a tablespoon of capers and a cup of chopped Kalamata olives. I picked and chopped a handful each of parsley and basil and added them to the bowl. Then I cubed 8 oz. of fresh mozzarella. It is important to use the fresh; a hunk of processed mozzarella sold in a rectangular brick will not have the same taste or texture. Then cube about half the loaf of stale-like rosemary bread and toss it and everything else in the bowl together.

The dressing is simple. I used 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 garlic cloves smashed to a pulp (with the help of a little salt and the flat part of a knife) and 3 anchovy fillets. If you feel the need to go vegetarian, skip the anchovy fillets – but I don’t recommend it. Place those ingredients in a microwave-safe dish (like a Pyrex measuring cup) and microwave for 1 minute. Let stand for about 5 minutes.

Then smash the anchovies until they break up in the oil with the garlic. Add about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and then sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Whisk it all together, pour over the salad and toss.

The salad should stand for at least 15 minutes to let everything blend well together. It’s a light and easy dinner if you already have the tasty stale bread. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. When I take a bite and close my eyes, I feel like I’m in Tuscany.

The scorching heat has been rough on lawns and gardens. My green beans and squash are finished for the season. Luckily, the tomatoes, okra, cucumbers and kale are still going strong. Kale is a leafy green that is really underappreciated. It is not just for decorating the salad bar. Last week’s recipe utilized it in a stew and this week, I made kale chips to go with chicken salad sandwiches for Sunday afternoon.

I gathered several kale leaves, washed them and laid them out on a towel to dry. Meanwhile I chopped three leftover chicken breasts, two stalks of celery, three green onions, a handful of fresh parsley and about ½ cup of walnuts.

I seasoned with salt, pepper, celery seeds, garlic powder and paprika. I squeezed in ½ tablespoon of Dijon mustard and about a cup of good mayonnaise (never Miracle Whip!). Mix all those items together and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces and toss with a little olive oil and sea salt. Be careful not to over-salt. It is surprisingly easy to do; just remember the kale will lose volume in the oven and less salt is needed.

Spread the kale leaves in a single layer on a sheet pan and cook for 20 minutes. Let the leaves cool for about 10 minutes. If they are not crispy, put back in the oven for 5 minutes more.

I toasted multi-grain ciabatta bread and spread mayonnaise on each side. I loaded the chilled chicken salad on one half, then added slices of fresh tomatoes and mixed greens on the other.

I served the sandwiches with a side of crispy kale chips. My husband and I enjoyed them on the back porch as it started to rain, cooling off the afternoon. Life is good.

As a side note, be sure to check your teeth after eating kale chips. You may even want to floss!

My husband has a bumper sticker on his truck that reads, “I love animals. They are delicious.” As that would indicate, we aren’t vegetarians. However it is important to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I’ve seen David slice a tomato and while adding it to his sandwich, comment that he needs more lycopenes. I wonder where he heard that? He must be paying attention. This week’s dinner is a hearty stew rich with colorful vegetables and whole-grain pasta.

Brown a pound of Italian sausage in a wide pot, turning the links so they brown evenly. Remove to cool. They are not fully cooked and will go back into the pot later. Add olive oil to the pot and sauté a chopped onion, a chopped green pepper, a handful of sliced mushrooms and 2 minced cloves of garlic. When the vegetables begin to brown, add 5-6 chopped tomatoes. Fresh is best, but you can use a 28-oz. can of whole tomatoes in juice instead. Use a spoon to gently loosen brown bits off the bottom of the pot and to break up the tomatoes. Add salt, pepper and a pinch or two of red pepper flakes. Slice the sausage into bite-sized rounds and return to the pot. Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer.

Set water to boil in another pot. Clean a bunch of kale and remove the stems. Tear or chop into smaller pieces – making about 6 cups. Salt the water and add the kale when it comes to a boil. Blanch the kale for 5 minutes. Then remove with a skimmer or slotted spoon and add directly to the sausage mixture. The sauce should have a fair amount of juice – remember this is a stew. If the tomatoes weren’t juicy enough, add a cup of chicken stock.

Using the kale water brought back up to boiling, add a pound of whole grain penne or fusilli pasta. Cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and after removing the sauce from the heat, add the pasta to the sauce.

Slowly stir in about a cup of fat-free Half-and-Half. The cream will create a rich orange-colored sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let the stew sit allowing the pasta to absorb some of the liquid. Meanwhile grate Parmesan or Romano cheese and slice off a few pieces of crusty bread.

Serve the stew with cheese sprinkled on top and a slice of bread. You can eat this with a fork, but believe me, you’ll want a spoon.