The Italian Flag Recipes

Steps:

• Beat the butter, powdered sugar, granulated sugar and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low to incorporate. Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just incorporated. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts and place them in bowls. Add 15 drops green food coloring to one bowl and 25 drops of red to another and mix well to combine.
• Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Starting with the green, pour the dough out into a long strip about 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Pour the white on top of the green in the same manner, forming another strip of the same dimensions; finish with the red. Wrap well, turn on its side so the colors are in the order of the Italian flag and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and slice the dough into 1/4-inch slices. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake until just barely beginning to brown around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Steps:

• To make the dressing: Combine the olive oil, vinegar, goat cheese, shallot, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper in a jar. Tightly close the lid and shake until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• To make the salad: Combine the spring mix, romaine, tomatoes, radishes, pecans and goat cheese in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Move oven rack into the top third of the oven.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and spread the zucchini slices into the skillet in a single layer. If they don't fit, cook them in batches. Cook until the zucchini are golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes per side, but this timing can vary greatly. Sprinkle the slices with garlic for the last few minutes, so it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and let cool. PLEASE NOTE - you can also achieve the cooked golden colour under a broiler if you wish to reduce some of the oil content. See also the 'footnotes'!
• Arrange the slices of zucchini in an 9x12-inch glass baking dish, alternating with slices of mozzarella cheese and tomato, so that the slices overlap each other in a neat row pattern, like slates on a roof. This will produce alternating stripes of green, white and red. Oh, just like the Italian flag!
• Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and basil over the dish, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• About 30 minutes before you want to serve it, bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and brown and the dish is bubbling.
• Footnotes If you wish to take a bit extra time, put the freshly sliced zucchini in a colander in layers, salting each layer as you go. Then place a suitably sized plate (or equivalent) on the top and weigh it down (scale weights are good for this -- although I have used big liter bottles of water before now and/or bags of sugar!). After 30 or so minutes, a surprising amount of water will have been drawn out. You can then dry the slices thoroughly with a clean cloth, or paper kitchen towel (careful not to leave paper behind!) and then they're ready for cooking.