• Like most natural-born chefs, Matt often relies on his gut instead of recipes to create a delicious dish. Use this as a guideline for your own version and serve with freshly baked buttermilk biscuits.

• Sliced fennel
• Small amount of sliced onion
• Equal parts sugar and Champagne vinegar
• Dash of Pernod

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until completely mixed. Put in a pot and reduce on medium heat until thick and the sugar starts to bubble. Place in a jar or covered bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use.

• Serves 6
• 1 pound okra, tops and tips trimmed

• Tomato Vinaigrette
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
• 1 cup tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped gherkins
• 3 tablespoons small capers (or large, chopped), drained

Steam okra for 5 minutes, or until just fork tender. Allow to cool. Do not refrigerate.

Heat the oil and add the shallots; cook until wilted. Add tomatoes and simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Add vinegar, garlic, wine, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until reduced to a thick sauce. Correct seasoning. Add gherkins and capers and serve warm over the okra.

From Lee Bailey’s Country Weekends

Bring cream and honey to simmer in heavy saucepan. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in brandy, cayenne and salt.

Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

Pour into a bowl or a fondue pot. Surround with sliced fruit, cubes of angel food cake and/ or Biscoff cookies.

• 3 ounces butter, unsalted
• 2 each large celery root, peeled and diced
• 1 leek, white part only, diced and washed
• 1 quart light chicken stock
• ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
• 1 ounce black truffles, microplane grated
• Kosher salt

Place a heavy bottom soup pot over low heat and add 2 ounces of the butter. When the butter begins to foam, add celery root and a little salt. Cook slowly for 4 minutes, add leeks and continue to cook slowly for another 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not allow the celery root or the leeks to brown.

Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook slowly for 40 minutes.

Carefully puree the soup in a blender until very smooth. Add the remaining 1 ounce of cold butter, all the parmesan and continue to puree until very smooth. Season to taste.

Return soup to a clean pot and heat. Add truffles and serve into warmed soup bowls.

Serves 4

• 1 ½ pounds fresh spinach cooked, drained and chopped, or 1 pound frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• ½ pound mozzarella, grated, or other skim-milk soft white cheese
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Extra flour for coating
• A little butter
• Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Drain the spinach, then puree it in a blender or food processor. Put the puree into a saucepan and dry it over the heat for a minute. Remove from the heat.

2. In a bowl, mix together the mozzarella cheese, flour, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and spinach. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. If the mixture is very soft, put it into the refrigerator to firm up for about 30 minutes.

3. Roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture in a little flour. (All this can be done in advance.)

4. To cook the gnocchi, first heat the oven to low, to keep the gnocchi warm as they’re ready. Half-fill a large saucepan with lightly salted water and bring just to a boil.

5. Drop 6-8 gnocchi into the water and let them simmer very gently for about 5-10 minutes, until the float to the surface.

6. Make sure the water does not get beyond a bare simmer, and remove the gnocchi as soon as they are ready, or they may fall apart.

7. Drain the gnocchi well, then put them into a warmed serving dish, dot with a little butter and keep them warm while you cook another batch.

8. When all the gnocchi are done, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

• Makes 4 sandwiches
• 12 thin slices of bacon
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into eight 3/4–inch-thick slices
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3 ounces Fiscalini or other super-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Arrange the bacon in a single layer in a large sauté pan and place over medium heat, working in batches as needed. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook until the edges are crispy, the bacon is pinkish in color, and the fat starts turning translucent, about 2 more minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat the process until all of the bacon is cooked. Remove the pan from the heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter to melt into the drippings.

Adjust the rack in the oven to the highest setting and preheat the broiler to high.

Brush a baking sheet with the buttery bacon drippings and brush one side of each slice of bread with the drippings. Place the bread, brushed side up, on the baking sheet. Broil until the edges start to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the bread, and brush the other side with the buttery bacon drippings. Return to the oven and toast until the edges start to brown, another 2 minutes or so.

Decrease the broiler temperature to low and move the oven rack down one notch.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 teaspoons butter. Stir in the flour and, stirring constantly, cook for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the half-and-half and bring to a boil; cook for another 2 minutes or until thick. Stir in the cheddar until melted and smooth.

Spread each toast with Dijon and a light sprinkling of pecorino. Build each sandwich with 3 slices cottage bacon and a toast on top. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spoon a generous amount of sauce over each sandwich, making sure all of the edges are covered completely with sauce so they won’t burn. Evenly sprinkle the remaining pecorino over the tops of the sandwiches and broil until browned and bubbly, about 4 minutes.

Courtesy of Nadine Bratti, The General Store

• 2 pieces ciabatta bread
• 1 chicken breast, roasted
• 1 slice provolone cheese
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Winter pesto*
• Lemon aioli (recipe follows)

*The winter pesto, made with kale and Swiss chard, comes from Storico Fresco, whose pasta and sugos I carry. If you can’t find this, a regular, basil-based pesto works just fine.

Lemon aioli

• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• ¼ teaspoon (or more) coarse kosher salt
• ½ cup good quality mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt

Mash garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl until paste forms. Whisk in mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Cover and chill.

Serves 2-4

I tend to like my kale bright green and a bit al dente. So the cooking time is at your discretion.

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large bunch kale, strip leaves from stems and chop. Should have 8 cups
• Kosher salt

In a Dutch oven or medium size pot with lid, add onions and oil. Cook over medium heat until golden. Then add kale and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Add salt and toss to incorporate onions.

Cook until desired tenderness.

Serve over jasmine rice.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup sliced yellow onion
• 4 cups San Marzano canned tomatoes
• ½ bay leaf
• 1 each thyme sprig
• 2 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup water

1. Sweat the onions and garlic slowly in oil and butter over medium heat for 10 minutes.
2. Add the tomato, bay leaf, thyme and salt.
3. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat until tomatoes soften.
4. Add water and cook another 10 minutes.
5. Remove thyme and bay leaf and puree in batches.
6. To plate: pour tomato soup into bowl and top with basil pesto and olive bread croutons.

• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• ½ pound ground beef
• ¼ pound Parma ham, cut into small pieces
• ¾ cup dried mushrooms, softened and chopped
• 1 small lamb’s brain, boiled and skinned (optional)
• Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
• ½ glass white wine
• 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese + more for sprinkling
• ½ pound peeled tomatoes, put through a sieve
• 1 pound lasagna noodles
• 4 tablespoons butter + more for the pan
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups whole milk, heated

Make the béchamel: In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter and whisk in flour. Let cook on low for a few moments to rid of flour taste. Slowly whisk in warmed milk and stir over medium heat until thickened. Season to taste with salt and fresh grated nutmeg.

Sauté onion, carrot, celery in a skillet with melted butter. When soft, add ground beef or venison, ham, mushrooms and lamb’s brain (if using). Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Add ½ glass white wine, 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese and the tomatoes. Cook until sauce thickens, then let cool. Cook the lasagna noodles in the boiling water and drain. Butter the pan and add a layer of noodles, then sauce mixture, then béchamel sauce and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Repeat. Top with last layer of noodles and cheese. Place in a hot oven for about 10 minutes.