Farro Piccolo and Avocado Salad with Pistachios and Celery

Another award winner from Yotam Ottolenghi. Had the whole family for dinner tonight and made this lovely little salad which paired very nicely with lamb shoulder, mashed potatoes and roasted carrots. It had a very citrus dressing which was nicely toned down with the cool avocado and then complimented nicely with the toasted pistachios. I will definitely be making this again! Bon appetit!

http://www.ansonmills.com/recipes/597?recipes_by=grain

Southwest Pepper Jack Salad with Creamy Avocado Salsa Dressing

Got this delicious hearty salad recipe from my vendor, Ellen. HOW did you know, Ellen, that this would speak to me on many levels? It is a salad, but unlike most salads, the lettuce is almost an afterthought. Did I say hearty? Filling for almost anyone. Full of fresh chopped ingredients and smothered in a delicious creamy avocado dressing. The recipe says that the dressing is great to drizzle on burritos. I concur. I could eat this dressing on almost anything! Topped with corn chips and warm grilled chicken, it was a great weeknight meal. Got my little sous chefs busy chopping and we had dinner ready in under an hour. Bon appetit!!!

http://carlsbadcravings.com/southwest-salad-creamy-avocado-salsa-dressing/

Venison Tenderloin

Yes, I am a city girl, soon to become a country resident, and venison has found it's way into my kitchen. Now, I don't think I could ever hunt the meat, but I do have friends who, on occasion, come with their prize meat as a peace offering (or maybe they just want me to cook for them) and I am always trying to find new ways to prepare it. My good friend, John, has shared some tenderloin with me the last two years and I decided to make two totally different recipes tonight, one a little tangy and one a little sweet. Both were delicious. Thanks, John, for sharing the best part of the animal with me. You can't make this stuff taste bad if you tried! Super tender, full of flavor and very versatile, as evidenced by these two recipes on complete opposite ends of the culinary spectrum. I can't remember how I cooked it last year, but I believe I used more of a caper, lemon kind of sauce which was totally awesome as well. Both recipes paired well with mashed potatoes. Happy belly here! Bon appetit.

http://www.wideopenspaces.com/top-6-venison-tenderloin-recipes/

Venison Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce
Venison Medallions with Whiskey, Mushroom and Horseradish Cream Sauce