So, what to do with the leftover leftovers? Adding cheese is always a good option for me, so that was step one. I added a good amount of shredded cheddar into the potato-cabbage mix, plus one egg, and a good sprinkling of Spanish paprika (pimenton), and dumped the mix into a gratin form. Topped with a bit more cheese, I baked it at about 375 F or so for 20 – 30 minutes. Timing depends on how much you have but basically you want the potato-egg mixture to bake through and the cheese on top to brown into a nice crusty topping.

Turns out that the smoky paprika plays very, very well with the sweetness of the cabbage, and of course potatoes and cheese go well together. My leftovers were transformed into a whole new dish; a play on a similar taste basis but taken into a different direction. Lesson: experiment with your leftovers, don’t be afraid to remix. Play a little.

For one person, collect about 1/2 pint of late summer cherry tomatoes, maybe 3-4 oz orzo (I used what was left in the pasta box but it looked like a little less than 1/2 cup or so), 2 eggs, a small handful of flat-leaf parsely, some grated Parmesan and a dash of Chipotle Tabasco sauce or maybe some smoked paprika.

Cook the orzo but err on the side of quite al dente. Meanwhile, heat oven to about 325 – 350 F, halve the largish and medium cherry tomatoes and chop the parsley. In a small bowl, whisk the two eggs with the Tabasco/paprika, a bit of grated Parmesan and maybe some black pepper.Substitute any similar nutty, salty cheese if you don’t have Parmesan.

Find a small baking dish – I love my 6 oz oval stoneware one – and butter it. If there’s a bit of butter left over, use it for the orzo. Mix the orzo (drained and cooled a bit) with the chopped parsley in the baking dish; add in the tomatoes and stir together gently. Pour the whisked seasoned eggs evenly over the pasta and grate more Parmesan over the whole thing. Bake for about 15 – 18 minutes. Depending on your oven and how runny you like your eggs, check for doneness after about 12 minutes or so.

The oven roasting adds some darker depths to the tomatoes’ sweetness, and it all melds nicely thanks to the eggs that support the pasta while supplying an echo of smokiness from the Tabasco/paprika. Just don’t forget to wait a bit and let the dish cool down from the oven to avoid burning your mouth.

I find that following Alton Brown’s method of baking the rice in the oven yields the best brown rice, so I like to take advantage of cooler days to make a large batch and have it ready in the fridge for fried rice or this salad. The amounts here really vary depending on how many people you want to feed but basically you want about an equal ratio of rice to chickpeas.  You can start with dried chickpeas and cook them yourself (don’t forget to soak them overnight first) or just grab 2 cans or so.

Mix the cold rice and rinsed chickpeas and add a bunch of watercress or Arugula, torn into smaller pieces, some pickled red pepper strips, and about 1/2 cup feta cheese, depending on the total amount of rice and chickpeas and how much you like feta.  This is a very flexible recipe, and you can vary the salad to your taste with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, or fresh red peppers, or possibly some steamed squash.

For the dressing, whisk together the juice of half a lemon, a good pinch of Ras al Hanout (a spice mix – you can substitute cumin or some curry perhaps) and olive oil. Toss rice and dressing, let sit for a bit or leave in the fridge for an hour or so. Good for a lighter dinner, pot lucks, and next-day lunches.

I thought I did not really like tonic water. I was wrong. Turns out I just did not like the HFC kind of tonic water. My first foray – breaking into one of the small bottles that make up a four-pack of Fever Tree brand classic tonic water – was with a classic gin and tonic (using Plymouth gin). Basic, pure, clean, no muss, no fuss. And lo, it was good. It was the quintessential summer drink, elevated. I understand now that I do very much like gin and tonic, and it was the previous tonics that dampened my response.

But then, after a humid, dankly warm day, I went for my rhubarb gin without thinking, and opened the big bottle of Q to mix my pink G&T (in this case Beefeaters, infused with rhubarb). Revelation. The Q Tonic allowed the rhubarb-infused gin to truly shine. It perfectly supports the pink gin, like a white velvet cushion that sets off the pale ruby to perfection. If rhubarb-infused gin is a jewel, the Q Tonic is the finely-crafted platinum setting that makes it sing.

All in all, an upgrade to top-shelf tonic that is well worth it. I’ll be sticking with both Fever Tree and Q for all my future G&Ts. Next up: Hendrik’s G&T with cucumber (and if I can get some rosemary, I’ll try this, now that I have Q Tonic in my fridge). Cheers.

4 small zucchini, about 1 pound, julienned

1 clove garlic (or more, if you love garlic), red pepper flakes, vermouth (or white wine)

ricotta, salt and pepper, mint leaves (fresh)

1 can of diced tomatoes (8 oz), I’d recommend ones with jalapeno or similar add-ins, or fresh tomatoes (2-3, depending on size), diced

Start the garlic in a warm pan with olive oil – not too hot so the garlic doesn’t burn. Let the garlic infuse the oil a bit then add the zucchini, sauté for a bit, then add splash of vermouth. Let things meld a bit and the liquid cook down somewhat, then add the tomatoes and Parmesan. Allow things to cook down a bit more. Add ricotta/mint mixture and stir until combined. Serve with bread and white wine, or just as is. Count one coup against the mound of summer squash.

You’ll need: about half a box of linguine fini; 2 strips pancetta, a bunch of thin asparagus (green), a splash of sherry, Parmesan, some heavy cream (optional), pepper, and maybe some red pepper flakes.

Roast asparagus spears, tossed with some olive oil and sea salt, at 400 F for about 15 to 20 minutes; cut pancetta into small bits and fry in cast-iron skillet until the fat is rendered and the pieces are deeply crispy; cut asparagus (now cooled a bit) into small pieces; meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; on a whim, add splash of sherry to pancetta, let reduce; add asparagus to pan, toss; add pasta to pan, toss to coat thoroughly; pile pan contents in bowl (if cooking for one; if more, divide); grate desired amount of Parmesan over pasta; if you want to be truly decadent, add cream (not too much but enough to coat everything); toss pasta to distribute cream and Parmesan evenly throughout; add pepper and maybe red pepper flakes (or add those with the asparagus).

Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour as you enjoy sophisticated spring dinner; consider also having a refreshing mojito or a basil-lime gimlet or similar drink to lighten things up a bit.

I found a post on rhubarb gin, two ways that discussed both hot and cold infusion. Starting form those ideas, I opted to toss my rhubarb pieces with some brown sugar and then warm them in the microwave for a bit before adding them to a bottle of Beefeater’s. Over a week, the gin turned a nice reddish color and took on a definite rhubarb aroma.

After straining out the rhubarb and letting the gin get cold in the fridge, I followed the gin and tonic proportions recommended by Billy’s blog: 1 part gin, 3 parts tonic, 1/2 part simple syrup. Instead of simple syrup, I used my own basil simple syrup (to echo a lovely rhubarb-basil cocktail I had last spring). The end result was a well-balanced gin and tonic with a delicate pink blush that was very refreshing. Lightly sweet with just a hint of sour from the rhubarb and tonic, this is an excellent way to toast spring.

Spinach enchilada (variation): grated Colby Jack cheese, mixed with chopped fresh spinach, between pita halves; proceed as with a classic grilled cheese sandwich: start with one pita half in a hot, oiled cast iron pan, layer on the spinach and cheese, top with second pita half; after about 5 minutes or so, once the bottom pita has crisped and browned, flip the whole thing and let the other side brown.

Tuna melt or vegetarian chickpea of the sea: on a pita, layer spinach leaves (young), tuna salad (or chickpea version), cheddar or Colby Jack and place the sandwich under the broiler until the cheese is melted.

Chicken and caramelized onion sandwich with melted cheese: prepare chicken breast following this method – moist and tender chicken breasts – but start the pan off with sliced onion (1 medium onion) in butter and olive oil; let onions soften, then follow the chicken-breast cooking method, stirring onions and leaving chicken in the middle of the pan, surrounded by onions. This will cook the chicken breasts and give you nicely browned and caramelized onions. Then toast the pita half, smear with mayo, pile on onions; leave chicken in pan, add on cheese slices (cheddar or similar), cover pan; maybe fire up the stove again for 30 sec to ensure enough heat to melt cheese; wait about 1 minute; place chicken breast on onions, top with second pita half (also mayo on that, if you want); eat delicious, messy sandwich, perhaps with roasted potatoes on the side.

Personal twist: instead of simple syrup use basil-infused simple syrup to heighten the basil-ness of your cocktail.