Italian

Pasta Primavera is a fresh and delicious pasta combination with summer vegetables. Primavera means Springtime in Italian and this popular dish celebrates the fresh Springtime and Summer vegetables (even better from your garden).

It might be tempting to reach for a can of prepared marinara sauce, but why not make a declicious fresh marinara sauce from scratch, especially when it is so simple and quick to prepare.

Noting is more satisfying on a brisk winter day than a bowl of hearty minestrone soup. Minestrone roughly means "the big soup" in Italian, refering to a vegetable style soup with many ingredients. There is no one correct way to make minestrone, but just be sure to include lots of vegetables.

A basic herbed balsamic vinaigrette is a versatile dressing that is great over many types of salad and fresh vegetables. I like to maintain a continuous supply of vinaigrette and always keep some handy.

Grilled Portobello mushrooms with olive oil and garlic make a great side dish. Serve over brown rice, makes a complete meal.

Bruschetta is an easy appetizer to prepare, always a crowd pleaser.