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Meyer Lemon Dressing

We use this dressing all the time. It’s great on oysters, grilled fish, chicken, and salads, or you can toss it with roasted or grilled veggies like asparagus and beets. The reduction of the orange juice concentrates the flavor and adds viscosity to the dressing. This dressing keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

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INGREDIENTS

½ cup freshly squeezed

orange juice

2 tablespoons golden (or white)

balsamic vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed

Meyer lemon juice

Grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon

¾ cup rice bran oil or canola oil

Makes 1 cup

Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan and reduce it over medium-high heat until syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes—you should be left with about 1 tablespoon. Put the reduced orange juice, vinegar, mustard, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest into a blender. With the blender running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream, blending until the dressing is thick and emulsified. Transfer the dressing to a plastic container or glass jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

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Tomato Sauce

We both have Italian grandparents and grew up in households where homemade tomato sauce was such a staple that Phil’s family, like many Italian households, referred to it as “gravy.” Phil’s mom made a good sauce, Michelle’s father also makes a good sauce, and now we make our own version as well. It’s not just for pizzas—we use it with sardines and in our bisque, and add spice to it for calamari and barbecue sauce. Its uses are unlimited—just adjust the consistency and add spice.

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INGREDIENTS

¾ cup olive oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 medium carrots, roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 small fennel bulb, roughly chopped

10 garlic cloves

1 serrano chile, stem removed

Six 16-ounce cans whole

organic tomatoes

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more if needed

Makes a lot of sauce—you can never have too much!

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic, and chile, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook slowly until the vegetables are caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Add the tomatoes (with their juice) and salt, and bring to a lazy simmer. Cook for at least 1 hour. The sauce’s red color will deepen and darken as it cooks. Basically, you’re cooking out the moisture and developing the flavor.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. Check the seasoning, and add more salt if necessary. Let the sauce cool completely. Store it in a plastic or ceramic container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Candied Meyer Lemon Zest

This candied zest is a great garnish for dishes that call for our Meyer lemon dressing, like the butter lettuce salad with fennel and Pecorino. You can also sprinkle it on lemon desserts or use it to flavor any cookie dough.

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INGREDIENTS

4 Meyer lemons

1 ½ cups sugar

Makes about 1 cup

Peel off the outer yellow skin of the lemons with a vegetable peeler, trying to get as little pith as possible. Julienne this zest into long, thin strips and place them in a small saucepan. Add just enough cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and strain off the water (you’re blanching the zest to remove its bitterness).

Add the sugar and 1 ½ cups fresh water to the zest and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the zest becomes translucent and can be cut easily with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the zest and its syrup to a glass jar or plastic container, cover, and keep in a warm part of the kitchen until needed. If you keep it in its sugar syrup, it’ll last for weeks.

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Chicken Stock

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INGREDIENTS

1 free-range chicken,

3 to 4 pounds

1 yellow onion, halved

1 carrot, roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

1 flat-leaf parsley stem

1 thyme