Bruschetta of White Beans with Egg Yolk Vinaigrette and Tomato

Makes 8 bruschetta

This is as fast and stylish as a Fiat. Freshly cooked white beans are the scenic long route; canned beans are the rush-hour shortcut. Both roads lead to a bruschetta of an egg-enriched vinaigrette over creamy white beans.

Makes 8 bruschetta

Ingredients:

2 hard-boiled eggs, yolks minced with a fork, whites finely chopped

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed

2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into a medium dice

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 baguette slices, cut ½ inch thick on the diagonal, toasted

Instructions:

Combine the egg yolks with ¼ cup of the olive oil and whisk together. Put the beans and the tomatoes in a bowl, and pour the mixture over them. Add the chopped egg whites and the lemon zest. Toss gently to combine while adding the remaining ¾ cup olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Top each toast with a layer of white beans. Give each bruschetta a turn of a pepper mill before serving on a large platter.

Taleggio, Apple, and Pistachio Panini

Makes 4 panini

I think of this as a cheese board packed into a sandwich—there's the rich and runny cheese, the sweet and crisp apple, and the salty crunch of nuts. This is a great way to enjoy Taleggio, a full-flavored cow's milk cheese that melts into a silky tang.

Ingredients:

½ cup shelled unsalted pistachio nuts

½ crisp, sweet apple, such as Macoun or Fuji, unpeeled, very thinly sliced

4 ciabatta rolls, domed tops sliced off, rolls sliced in half horizontally

8 ounces Taleggio, rind removed, at room temperature

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

Spread the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until they are aromatic, 3 minutes. When they have cooled, roughly chop them.

Preheat a panini grill.

Arrange 4 apple slices on the bottom half of each ciabatta roll. Top with the sliced Taleggio. (This cheese will spread in the panini press, so don't go to the edge of the bread.) Top with 4 more apple slices and a sprinkling of toasted pistachios. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the top half of the ciabatta on each sandwich.

Grill the sandwiches for 3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown.

Slice each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

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