Summer On The Tip Of Your Tongue

Joey Campanaro, this weekend's Chef on a Shoestring on The Saturday Early Show, opened a restaurant called The Little Owl in New York's Greenwich Village this summer and has already received a two-star review from The New York Times, as well as high praise in many other publications.

He is preparing a tasty meal for four on a budget of $40.

An Italian-American from South Philadelphia, Chef Campanaro studied restaurant management at Penn State, but it was during a semester studying abroad in Italy that he realized he wanted to be a chef. Upon graduation, Campanaro worked in restaurants in Los Angeles and New York, where he cooked alongside Joachim Splichal and Jonathan Waxman. He later became chef de cuisine of Universal Studios' Executive Dining Room and then the owner of his own Hollywood-based catering company.

In 2001 he was recruited by Jimmy Bradley to help open The Harrison, which was awarded two stars by The New York Times. He then went on to become executive chef at Pace, another Jimmy Bradley venture.

Here is his menu for Saturday:

Arugula and Peach Salad with Brie Toasts
Roasted Chicken on a bed of Sautéed Mushrooms, Spinach and Tomatoes
Strawberry Plum Cobbler

FOOD FACT
Almond Flour: You can buy almond flour, but it's more economical to make your own. Simply place peeled almonds in a food processor and let it run for about five minutes until they're ground to a fine flour. Chef Campanaro likes to incorporate the almond flour into his streusel topping because he's discovered that it better absorbs the butter, resulting in a more tender topping. Plus, it adds a nice flavor!

RECIPES

ARUGULA AND PEACH SALAD WITH BRIE TOASTS

Ingredients:
1/4 pound arugula
2 white peaches
1 head frissee
1/2 wheel of brie cheese
1 loaf of crusty bread
1 pint of black mission figs
1 minced shallot
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Method:

1. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the minced shallots, vinegar, olive oil and sugar.
   
2. Slice four pieces from the loaf of bread; make sure each slice has plenty of crust. Cut the brie into four chunks and place on top of the bread. Drizzle a small amount of oil over all and toast the bread until the cheese melts slightly.
   
3. Trim, wash thoroughly and dry the arugula. Slice the peach thinly and cut the figs into quarters.
   
4. Toss all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Plate the salads and serve with the brie toasts.

Ingredients:
8 skin-on chicken legs/thighs
1/2 pound mixed-variety mushrooms
1 bag of cleaned picked spinach
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 bunch of oregano
1 lemon
1 clove garlic
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 bunch Italian parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Method:

1. Remove the leg from each piece of the chicken, but don't cut through the skin — you want to leave the skin intact. Remove the inner thigh and leg bone.
   
2. Trim and clean the mushrooms and the spinach. Chop the garlic. Chop the oregano.
   
3. Sauté the tomatoes, garlic and oregano over medium heat until the tomatoes burst open.
   
4. Brown the butter and sauté the spinach in the butter for about 30 seconds. Squeeze the lemon on to the spinach and reserve.
   
5. Season the chicken with salt on the skin side and salt and white pepper on the meat side. Add canola oil to a hot skillet and carefully rest the chicken, skin side down, in the skillet. Place in a 400-degree oven for 6 minutes.
   
6. While the chicken is in the oven, sauté the mushrooms with olive oil, not shaking the pan too much in order to achieve color and flavor. Season the mushrooms with parsley, salt and pepper.
   
7. Divide the vegetables among four plates. Plate the mushrooms first, then the spinach, then the tomatoes and finally the chicken.

Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries
4 plums
1 cup Labne yogurt. Labne is the brand name of a very thick yogurt made in Israel. If you can't find this in your store, substitute thick sheep's milk yogurt or Greek yogurt.
1 cup sugar
2 lemons
1 pound butter
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 small bottle sparking apple juice (or wine)

Method:

1. Remove seeds from the plums and cut into medium-size pieces.
   
2. Next, sauté the plums in 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons sugar. Once the fruit has cooked on each side, deglaze the pan with 1 cup of sparkling juice and a squeeze of half a lemon. Allow the mixture to continue cooking until thick and syrupy.
   
3. Cut the strawberries in half and reserve in a large bowl.
   
4. After the plum mixture has thickened, pour the hot plum mixture over the strawberries and mix well. Place into small oven-ready serving dishes.
   
5. To make the streusel topping, mix the flours together with cold butter and sugar. Divide the topping among the fruit dishes and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
   
6. Mix yogurt with remaining sugar and the zest and juice from half of a lemon. Top each dessert with a dollop of yogurt.