Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook by Diane Mott Davidson Page B

into the other glass pan and again mix carefully by hand so that all the vegetables are lightly coated with the oil-garlic mixture.
    4. Preheat the grill and oil the grates. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
    5. Place the zucchini slices on the grill and cook briefly—no longer than 30 seconds—on one side only. Place the zucchini slices back into their glass pan, grilled side up, and put them into the oven while you prepare the rest of the salad (but for no longer than 10 minutes).
    6. Briefly grill the mushrooms, onion slices, and corn on all sides, until they have grill marks but are not quite cooked through. Thisshould only take a few minutes. Remove the onion slices and mushrooms and set them aside to cool. Holding each ear of corn perpendicular to a cutting surface, slice off the kernels.
    7. Remove the zucchini from the oven. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini slices, mushrooms, onion slices, and corn kernels. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and carefully stir in the fresh basil. Serve immediately or chill for no more than 1 hour.
    Makes 4 servings

Exhibition Salad with Meringue-Baked Pecans
    â€” THE GRILLING SEASON —
    I first tasted a salad very similar to this in an upscale New York City restaurant. I resolved to figure out how to do it. I also just make the pecans for the holidays. They freeze well.
    Sherry vinaigrette:
    1 tablespoon best-quality sherry vinegar
    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    Â¼ teaspoon sugar
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    Salad:
    2 cups fresh arugula (2 ounces)
    6 cups mixed greens: fresh radicchio, curly endive, and escarole (6 ounces)
    1 cup Meringue-Baked Pecans (recipe follows)
    For the sherry vinaigrette:
    In a glass jar with a screw-top lid, combine the vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Shake vigorously. Remove the lid, add the oil, and shake vigorously again. Add salt and pepper to taste
    For the salad:
    Tear the greens into large bite-size pieces and place in a salad bowl. Just before serving, toss with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the pecans over the top and toss again. Serve immediately.
    Makes 4 servings

Meringue-Baked Pecans
    1 egg white, from a large egg
    â…“ cup sugar
    Â¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    Â¼ teaspoon salt
    4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted
    2 cups pecan halves (½ pound)
    1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Butter a 10 x 15-inch jelly-roll pan or rimmed baking sheet.
    2. In a small bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg white until it forms stiff peaks. In another small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Keeping the beaters running, add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time to the beaten egg white. By hand, fold in the melted butter and pecans. Spread the pecan mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
    3. Remove the pan from the oven. Using a metal spatula, carefully flip the pecan mixture one small section at a time. When all the pecans have been turned over, return the pan to the oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Watch them carefully—do not allow them to burn. Cool the pecans on paper towels.
    Makes 2 cups

Mediterranean Orzo Salad
    â€” THE GRILLING SEASON —
    Orzo is an interesting pasta, because it looks like rice but isn’t. This dish looks beautiful on the plate, always a big plus.
    1 cup (6 ounces) orzo pasta
    1 cup seeded, chopped tomato (about 3 small)
    Â¼ cup chopped celery
    3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
    2 tablespoons capers
    2 tablespoons finely chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or more to taste
    1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    1 teaspoon grainy or regular Dijon mustard
    Â¼ teaspoon sugar
    2 tablespoons garlic oil (available in specialty food shops or online)
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    3½ ounces chèvre (French goat cheese), crumbled
    1. In a large pot of boiling spring water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and allow to cool.
    2. In a