Ingredients

For the dip:
• 1 tablespoon Umbria nut & spice mix
• 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• 3/4 cup greek yogurt, plain
• 1 1/2 -2 roasted red peppers, jarred
• pinch of sea salt
For the okra:
• 2 lbs fresh okra
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• pinch of sea salt
• fresh basil, julienned, for presentation

Instructions

for the dip:
1. Mix together in a blender mascarpone cheese, greek yogurt, red pepper (depending upon how large they are in the jar, use 1 1/2 or 2 peppers), 1 tablespoon Umbria nut & spice mix and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, pour into a serving bowl and set aside.
for the okra:
2. Set the oven to 425°. Slice each okra lengthwise, place them all onto a baking tray and drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and then using your hands, toss them gently so the oil is distributed on all the okra. Spread the veggies evenly so they have room to bake.
3. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until they are nicely browned. The more you bake them, the crispier they get, but don't overcook them because they burn quickly. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool to room temperature.
4. Arrange the okra onto a serving tray and place the red pepper dipping sauce beside it. Sprinkle the okra with a bit of fresh basil. Sprinkle the top of the dipping sauce with a bit of Umbria nut & spice mix. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the pickled red onions:
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 red onion, sliced thin
For the salad:
• Umbria nut & spice mix
• 2 red bell peppers, roasted
• 1 english cucumber
• ½ lb grape or cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup kalamata olives
• 1 cup pickled red onions (recipe ingredients above)
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 teaspoons brine from pickled onions
• 4-6 fresh basil leaves, julienned
• parmigiano reggiano cheese, small block

Instructions

for the pickled onions:
1. Using a small saucepan, combine the apple vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a low boil and then reduce the heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and allow the brine to cool a bit. In a bowl, pour the cooled brine over the thinly sliced red onions and set them aside to marinate & pickle for about ½ hour to 1 hour.
for the salad:
2. Slice each red bell pepper in half, lay them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and Umbria nut & spice mix. Place into a pre-heated 400° oven and roast them until they are tender and browned. Remove from oven, cool and then slice each pepper. Set aside. For this recipe I used about 20 mini peppers (red, orange and yellow) instead of large red bell peppers.
3. Peel the English cucumber just a bit (see photo) and then slice in half, lengthwise. Cut the halves into half rounds (bite sized pieces) and set aside.
4. Slice each small tomato in half and set aside.
5. Slice each kalamata olive in half and set aside.
6. Using a large mixing bowl, add roasted red peppers, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, sliced olives, pickled red onions, olive oil, 3 teaspoons of pickling brine, 2 heaping teaspoons of Umbria nut & spice mix, and the julienned basil. Gently mix together to combine.
7. Place the salad onto a large serving platter or onto 4 individual serving plates. Garnish with Umbria nut & spice mix, fresh basil and thick shaves of parmigiana reggiano cheese. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

For the dressing:
• 1 teaspoon Umbria nut & spice mix
• 1 lemon, fresh (about 2 tablespoons)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 pinches sugar
For the salad:
• Umbria nut & spice mix
• 3 cups orzo pasta, cooked
• 1 ½ cups english peas, fresh
• 2-3 yellow bell peppers (or 20 mini bell peppers)
• 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons shallots, sliced thin
• 1 ½ tablespoons capers, drained
• 8 oz. feta cheese
• ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, fresh
• 5-7 basil, fresh
• 2 tablespoons thyme, fresh

Instructions

For the dressing:
1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside. (One fresh squeezed lemon should be equivalent to about 2 tablespoons)
For the salad:
2. Preheat the oven to 400-425°. If you are using full sized yellow bell peppers, slice each one in half. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle them with a bit of olive oil and rub all over. Sprinkle with salt and a generous amount of Umbria nut & spice mix. Instead of large yellow bell peppers, I used 20 mini yellow bell peppers and roasted them whole. Roast the peppers in the oven until they are, soft, brown and a bit caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Take the cooled peppers and remove stems & seeds (the minis did not need seed removal), slice them into small pieces (see photo) and set these aside in a bowl.
3. Boil the orzo pasta until it is al dente. Drain & rinse, then pour into a bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the small pasta from sticking together. (1 ¼ cup of uncooked orzo pasta yielded me about 3 cups of cooked orzo)
4. Pour the fresh peas into a pot of boiling water and boil for only 1 minute, or until it is bright green. Remove from heat quickly, rinse with cool water, drain and set the peas aside to cool completely.
5. Slice the tomatoes in half if they are very small. If a bit larger, slice into quarters then set aside in a bowl.
6. Slice the shallots very thin. Chop the parsley, basil and thyme, place all the herbs into a bowl and set aside. Set aside a few whole leaves of herbs to use for garnish on top of each serving.
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled orzo pasta, peas, yellow bell peppers, yellow tomatoes, shallots, herbs and the drained capers. Pour the lemon dressing into the salad and toss it gently but thoroughly. Pour into bowls or plates to serve individually, or if serving buffet style, arrange the salad onto a large platter. Top the salad with crumbles of feta cheese, sprinkles of Umbria nut blend, and finally fresh herb leaves for garnish.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Umbria nut & spice mix
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus
• 8-10 ounces spaghetti pasta
• ½ - ¾ cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• sea salt
• fresh parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. After washing and drying asparagus, cut the tip off each stalk (about 2 inches) and set aside in a bowl. Take the remaining stalk and using a vegetable peeler, make long shreds of the entire stalk until you cannot peel any more. If there is a thick strand leftover, slice it lengthwise to make it thinner, much like the other strands. This takes a bit of patience. 🙂 After shredding all the stalks, set these aside in a large bowl.
2. Cook the spaghetti noodles in a large stock pot of very salted, boiling water until it is al dente and not overly cooked. Drain the noodles and set these aside in a large bowl with a slight drizzle of olive oil tossed in so they do not stick to one another as they cool.
3. Using the same stock pot from the noodles, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss in the asparagus tips which were set aside earlier. Add a pinch of salt and toss gently just until they are bright green but still crisp (less than one minute if the oil is hot). Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
4. To the same pot, add the 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Add in the shredded asparagus and toss gently as they begin to wilt and soften. Don't over cook them, it goes quickly. Add in the wine, the Umbria nut & spice mix, and the fresh lemon juice. Add the spaghetti noodles. Toss gently until the asparagus and noodles are incorporated then serve the pasta in individual serving bowls. Top and garnish each serving with asparagus tips, grated lemon rind, more Umbria blend, and large shreds of fresh parmesan cheese. Use a vegetable peeler on a block of cheese to yield large shaved slices. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

• Umbria nut & spice mix
• 16 pieces of chicken – mostly skinless boneless thighs and two skinless, boneless breasts cut in half
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 4 medium russet potatoes, unpeeled, cut in chunks
• 1 large eggplant, cut in large cubes
• 4 green bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced into very small pieces
• 6 medium carrots, sliced into ½ inch rounds
• 6 plum tomatoes, cut in chunks
• 1 cup of Sicilian olives
• 4 tablespoons of salt-packed capers, rinsed
• 1 bottle of red wine
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Pinch of hot red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chicken pieces in batches and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. In same pan, combine potatoes, peppers, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, olives and capers and cook until softened, but not browned, about 8 – 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add all the wine and return chicken to the pot and bring to a boil.
4. Cover Dutch oven and put in oven at 350° for 2 ½ hours. Uncover and leave in warm oven for 2 hours. Turn oven up to 200° and reheat an hour before serving.
5. Stir in half the mint and parsley. Transfer stew to large serving dish. Top with remaining mint and parsley, Umbria nut & spice mix and drizzle with olive oil. Serve!

Notes

Ingredients

For the homemade ketchup:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5-7 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sambal chili paste
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire
• sauce
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons mustard powder
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, 28 oz.
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
For the fries:
• Umbria nut & spice mix
• 3-4 russet potatoes
• 3-4 sweet potatoes
• 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• olive oil
• sea salt

Instructions

homemade ketchup:
1. In a large stock pot, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned but not completely caramelized. Add the chopped garlic and brown lightly. Stir in the canned tomatoes and then all the remaining ingredients. Let this simmer on low, covered, for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and let the tomato mixture cool a bit.
2. Once it has had a chance to cool, puree the ketchup in a blender until completely smooth. Transfer to airtight glass jars or containers and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. I usually fill one jar and place it in the refrigerator, then pour the remaining ketchup in glass jars and freeze to have on hand for future use. Should yield about 3-4 cups of ketchup.
fries:
3. Set the oven temperature to 450°. Wash & dry all potatoes. Prepare a baking sheet (I used one for each of the potato types) and line each with parchment or aluminum foil. Cut each potato into sticks. I like to leave the skins on for better nutrient value and I like the rustic appearance of having skins on. Lay across each baking sheet and drizzle the potatoes with olive oil.
4. Chop the fresh rosemary very small and sprinkle over the potatoes. Add a generous pinch of salt to each as well as Umbria nut & spice mix. Toss gently to coat the potatoes with oil, herbs & spices. Layer them flat on the baking sheet trying not to overlap too much. This will help brown them more evenly.
5. Place in a hot oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until they are nicely browned and crispy. I like to turn the broiler on at the last moment to crisp the tops. Remove from oven, add more salt (to taste) and more Umbria blend. Serve immediately alongside fresh homemade ketchup.

Ingredients

For the soup:
• 2 teaspoons UMBRIA nut & spice mix
• 3 lbs fresh tomatoes (mix of cherry, vine, plum, etc.)*
• 2 small yellow onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 cups chicken stock
• *fresh tomatoes can be substituted with 42 ounces of canned tomatoes. Drain tomatoes before using.
For the crostini:
• 1 tablespoon UMBRIA nut & spice mix
• 1 heaping cup finely grated gruyere cheese
• 1 baguette, sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Wash tomatoes. Core, deseed, and cut the tomatoes into halves (cherry tomatoes can remain whole). Spread tomatoes, garlic, and onions onto prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, 2 teaspoons Umbria, and smoked paprika. Pour over tomatoes, garlic, and onions. Gently stir to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown in places.
3. Place roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic and any juices from the pan into a large stockpot. Add chicken stock. In batches, place mixture into a blender and blend until very smooth. Return to stockpot and place over medium heat. Let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
4. While soup thickens, make the crostini. Preheat the oven broiler. Stir gruyere and the 1 tablespoon Umbria together in a bowl. Place crostini slices on a baking sheet. Toast slices in preheated oven until just beginning to become golden on the edges, about 1-2 min per side. Remove from oven, and top with spice and cheese mix. Place back in the oven, and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 1 more minute.
5. Serve soup warm with crostini.

Ingredients

• Umbria nut & spice mix
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 large box grape tomatoes
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked
seasonings:
• olive oil
• sea salt
• fresh herbs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, cleaning out the inner cavity. Slicing a squash can be difficult, especially if it is a large one, so use a large chef's knife and work slowly & carefully. Using your hands, oil the entire inside cavity of the squash with a drizzle of olive oil. Place face up on a parchment lined (or foil) baking sheet. Season with salt and Umbria nut & spice mix. Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the flesh is lightly browned and the squash strands flake easily with a fork. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
2. While the spaghetti squash is baking, arrange the tomatoes (can use grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or heirloom) on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with a sprinkle of sea salt & Umbria nut & spice mix. Place in the same oven and roast about 15-25 minutes. Remove and cool.
3. In a large bowl, mix together spaghetti squash, tomatoes and cooked brown rice. Add fresh herbs (I used fresh oregano but basil, thyme, parsley or chives would also be great). Taste and add additional seasoning if needed. Top with a generous sprinkle of Umbria nut & spice mix and serve.

Notes