INTERNATIONAL OLIVE BAR
KEY SAGITTARIUS INGREDIENTS: Olives, all things ethnic

In small bowls, serve an assortment of olives from around the world. Suggestions include olives from:

Italy
Spain
Greece
Turkey
Syria
Tunisia
Morocco
Egypt
Algeria
Portugal

SERVINGS: separate bowls for each type
TIME: 10 minutes
 

TOMATO AND GARLIC-BREAD SOUP
KEY SAGITTARIUS INGREDIENTS: Tomato, sage

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
9 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces crusty white sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large onions, finely chopped
8 cups chicken stock
2 28-ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes, drained, crushed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 large sage leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil for garnish
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shavings for garnish

Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix 1/2 cup olive oil and 3 minced garlic cloves in large bowl. Add sourdough bread pieces and toss to coat. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet. Bake until golden, stirring once, about 20 minutes. Set garlic-bread croutons aside.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until very tender, about 25 minutes. Add sage and remaining minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Simmer soup uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add garlic-bread croutons to soup and cook 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with thinly sliced basil and Parmesan cheese shavings.

SERVINGS: makes 6 servings
TIME: 1-1/2 hours
 

Warm Asparagus & Grapefruit Salad
KEY SAGITTARIUS INGREDIENTS: Grapefruit, asparagus

Salad:
16 asparagus spears
16 pink grapefruit sections

Dressing:
3 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon honey
salt & pepper to taste

To prepare the ginger vinaigrette, combine the sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, cilantro, lime juice, ginger, garlic, honey and salt & pepper to taste in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and asparagus. Cook about 3 minutes, then shock in ice water to stop cooking process. In a bowl, add the asparagus spears, grapefruit sections and ginger vinaigrette. Toss lightly.

SERVINGS: makes 4 servings
TIME: prep time about 5 minutes; cook time about 10 minutes
 

GRILLED TURKEY CUBAN SANDWICHES
KEY SAGITTARIUS INGREDIENTS: Ethnic foods in general

1/2 cup mayonnaise, divided into two 1/4 cup portions
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as Sriracha)
1/3 cup (packed) finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1-pound loaf ciabatta bread, ends trimmed, bread cut crosswise into 6 pieces (each about 5x3 inches), each halved horizontally
12 deli slices Swiss cheese
1 pound thinly sliced Black Forest ham
6 1/4-inch-thick slices cooked turkey breast
6 tablespoons butter

Mix 1/4 cup mayonnaise and chili sauce in small bowl. Mix 1/4 cup mayonnaise, mint, and next 4 ingredients in another small bowl.

Spread chili mayonnaise over cut sides of bread. Top each bottom half of bread with 1 cheese slice, ham slices, and 1 turkey slice. Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper. Spoon mint mayonnaise over turkey. Top with remaining cheese and top halves of bread.

Working in batches, melt 2 tablespoons butter in large griddle over medium heat. Add 3 sandwiches; top with piece of foil. Place 13x9x2-inch metal pan atop sandwiches. Fill pan with 6 to 8 pounds of canned goods to weight the top and cook until bread is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove pan with weights and foil. Transfer sandwiches to work surface. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in griddle. Turn sandwiches over onto griddle. Replace foil and pan with weights. Continue cooking until cheese melts and sandwiches are golden brown on second side, about 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches. Cut in half; serve.

SERVINGS: makes 6 servings
TIME: 10-15 minutes
 

ONION SAGE TART
KEY SAGITTARIUS INGREDIENTS: Sage

2 pounds yellow onions (3 large or 4 medium), sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
4 7-inch flakey pastry tart shells

Caramelizing the onions:
Peel the onions and cut them in half from root to tip. Cut out the dense core at the root end and slice the onions 1/4 inch thick, again from root end to tip. Melt butter in a large (4-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, sugar, and salt, and cook, stirring often until they cook down by two-thirds, about 10 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons vinegar, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until the onions are an even golden brown and softened to a marmalade consistency, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the onions. Stir often and scrape up any carmelized bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. The onions need almost constant stirring near the end to prevent them from sticking and burning. They'll let you know they need attention by giving off a sizzling sound. Stir in the sage, allow them to cool slightly, then taste and season with black pepper and additional salt if needed. If the onions seem overly sweet, stir in another teaspoon of vinegar. (The onions can be caramelized up to 2 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator.)

Filling and baking:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir the cream and egg into the caramelized onions until thoroughly combined. Divide the filling among the tart shells and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Bake in the upper third of the oven until the filling is set, about 15 minutes. The filling should still be soft but not runny. Let cool slightly, then transfer the tarts to a cutting board using a large spatula. Cut each into 8 wedges with the downward pressure of a sharp chef's knife. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations:
For large tarts, prebake 2 10-inch Free-Form Tart Shells. Divide the onion mixture between them and bake the tarts until the filling is set in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Using a large spatula, transfer them to a cutting board and cut each into 12 wedges.

SERVINGS: serves 4-6 for light fare, Makes 32 hors-d'oeuvre-size slices
TIME: 1-1/4 hour
Note: you can make your own pastry or shells or use Pillsbury ready made dough. Be sure and use yellow onions, not Vidalias or others that may have too much water content.
 

SPICED RUM SAUCE BREAD PUDDING
KEY SAGITTARIUS INGREDIENTS: Cinnamon, rum

Bread Pudding:
8 large eggs
3 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1-pound loaf cinnamon challah or cinnamon-swirl bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Spiced Rum Sauce:
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons spiced rum or dark rum
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk eggs in large bowl to blend. Add milk, sugar, cream, and vanilla; whisk to blend well. Stir in bread and raisins. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pudding uncovered until puffed and golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly (pudding will fall).

Make the Sauce:
Stir brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add cream, rum, and cinnamon and bring to simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens and is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 5 minutes. Serve warm. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)

SERVINGS: makes 12 servings. Sauce makes 1 1/2 cups
TIME: 15 minutes to prep, 2 hours to refrigerate, 1-1/2 hours to bake and cool
Note: Sauce can be made ahead of time and reheated