Last weekend, I ran tests on a batch of Black Spanish wine from last year’s harvest. The color is rich, it smells nice with just a hint of cinnamon and I declared the taste to be excellent. I’m looking forward to getting that bottled. It’s good when nine months of tending produces success.

So that afternoon, in a really good mood, I decided to play in the kitchen. I wanted to try a rustic Italian dish, and I settled on chicken piccata. Piccata is a preparation in which meat is sliced, coated, sautéed and served in a sauce. The sauce is usually made with a wine reduction and finished with lemon juice.

Chicken Piccata with Capers and Artichokes
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
flour for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 onion, sliced thinly
3 artichokes cleaned and sliced thinly
1 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken stock
1 lemon, juiced
2-3 Tbsp. capers

Slice each chicken breast along its width (as though to butterfly, but cut all the way through) and then pound between sheets of plastic wrap until 1/4 inch thick. Heat olive oil in a frying pan while dredging the chicken in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Working in batches, saute two pieces at a time at medium heat until golden brown. Reserve on a paper towel-lined plate while preparing the sauce.

Using the same frying pan, melt butter and cook garlic, onion and artichokes until lightly browned. (A drained jar of marinated artichokes or thawed frozen may be substituted.) Add wine and chicken stock, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. The residual flour from cooking the chicken will help the sauce thicken.

Add lemon juice and capers. Place chicken pieces back into the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is warm. Serve over angel hair pasta and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

That dinner was excellent. With the leftovers, I made a rustic pizza the next day. First, start with a simple pizza dough.

Pizza Dough
1-1/2 c. hot water
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. yeast
4-1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Combine hot water, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl. I use my mixer with a dough-hook attachment. When the yeast blooms, add half the flour and begin the mixer. Once that flour is incorporated, add the rest of the flour, salt and olive oil. Continue mixing with the dough hook for about 5 minutes. I have also kneaded by hand, and that takes about 10 minutes.

Once the dough is smooth, remove the hook and cover the bowl with a towel. Let rise for about 30 minutes. I made 6 pizzas from the recipe. Divide the dough and roll out on a floured surface.

Using a cast-iron skillet with about 2 Tbsp. of olive oil on medium-high heat, I fried each pizza round until golden brown on each side. Then I smeared about 1/2 c. ricotta on two of the pizza crusts. I sliced the leftover chicken from the piccata and distributed it over the crusts, followed by the sauce. I topped with strips of provalone cheese.

Heat the pizzas in a 400-degree oven until the toppings are warm and the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. I placed the 4 remaining crusts in a plastic bag and refrigerated for another dinner.

Last Sunday, I worked on a meat lasagna recipe. There are lots of good recipes for lasagna out there, but it’s important to me to make it my own.

At my winery, I usually serve appetizers. In addition, I want to create a special order menu for events by appointment. I have a birthday party appointment later this week and I am excited to debut the latest menu item.

Della Terra Farm’s Meat Lasagna
1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage
1 large onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 large carrots, diced (about 3/4 of a cup)
2 ribs celery, diced (about 3/4 of a cup)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped, divided
1/4 c. fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
28-oz. can San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
12-oz. can tomato paste
2 c. Della Terra Farm’s Sweet Ruby Red wine
12 oz. ricotta cheese
12 oz. goat cheese
2 pasture-raised eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated, divided
12-15 lasagna noodles
1/2 c. prepared basil pesto

Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage. Add onions, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.

Then add 1/4 c. parsley and the rest of the herbs, canned tomatoes and paste. I prefer to buy whole tomatoes and crush them by hand myself. A higher quality tomato is canned whole, while lesser ones are canned crushed. Add wine, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.

Cook noodles in water. I always add salt and a drizzle of olive oil to the water. When the noodles are tender, but not quite done, drain them and cover with cold water. The cold water stops the cooking process, keeps them from sticking and makes them easier to handle. Just give each noodle a little shake before using it.

Combine ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, pepper, remaining parsley, grated Parmesan and half the mozzarella in a large bowl.

Prepare a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish. Then layer 1/3 of the noodles on the bottom, half the meat sauce and dollops of half the cheese mixture. Repeat. End by layering the last of the noodles, spreading the pesto and finishing the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the top is lightly brown and the sides are bubbly.

That lasagna took time to prepare, but with the first bite, I knew I had a masterpiece.

A Tibetan proverb states “The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure. I’m pretty sure I walk double. I usually have funny thoughts, so I tend to laugh a lot. I couldn’t say anything about love, I’ve never measured that. So then I guess I love without measure. It’s the eating half that I struggle with the most.

If food didn’t taste good, I suppose I wouldn’t have trouble eating only half. Yesterday at the Leader office we all brought a salad. I tried to only eat a half portion…of each. It ended up being a lot.

Deb’s Light Chicken Salad
5-6 Chicken breasts, seasoned with salt, pepper and dried thyme
1/2 c. light mayonnaise
1/2 c. fat-free yogurt
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. celery seeds
1-1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
5 green onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 c. dried cherries chopped
2 Tbsp. parsley chopped
1/2 c. pecans chopped

Sear the chicken breasts on each side in a hot oven-safe skillet. Cover and finish cooking in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, salt, pepper, celery seeds and vinegar together in a large bowl. Add onions, celery, cherries and parsley.

Once the chicken cools, chop it into 1/4-to-1/2-inch cubes. Add to the bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors will meld. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top before serving.

Lea’s Sour Cream Potato Salad
5-8 medium red potatoes, boiled, peeled, chopped
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1-1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 to 1-1/2 tsp. salt

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, dill weed, mustard, seasoned salt and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine potatoes, celery, onion and eggs in a large bowl. Fold in sauce. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to let the flavors meld.

Hill Family Pimento Cheese Salad
1-1/2 lb. American cheese, grated
2 small jars chopped pimentos with juice
10 fl.-oz. jar sweet pickle relish
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2-3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (more or less until the right consistency is achieved)

Combine all ingredients. Like other salads, the longer it sits in the refrigerator, the better it gets.

Nancy’s Tuna Salad
12-oz. can solid white albacore tuna (preferably wild)
1/2 c. onions, chopped
3/4 c. grapes, quartered
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1/4 c. Miracle Whip, or to taste
1/2 c. chopped pickles or prepared sweet or dill relish

Mix together and serve in sandwiches or on a bed of lettuce.