If you’ve been around long enough, you may have noticed things are getting a bit green in here, what with a salad and a broccoli rabe-heavy spaetzle as my last two recipe posts. Green just seems like the thing to do in the middle of February. Maybe it’s a subconscious thing to counteract all that V-day red we’ve been seeing, or maybe I’m jumping the gun into March. Either way, it just feels right.

These recipes were inspired by the simple pear, basil and parmesan salad I made for L.A.’s Stir It 28 event for Haiti last weekend (that of which I adapted from Leite’s Culinaria). People really seemed to like the combination of pear and basil.

For those not familiar with Stir It 28, read the rundown here. A handful of dedicated and super-friendly food bloggers, caterers and chefs descended on Greg/SippitySup’s lovely Hollywood Hills kitchen in the name of Haiti. (I’m compelled to mention here that Greg has excellent taste in knives. Shun, baby.) We cooked for an estimated 75 guests, all whom donated to the Stir It 28 Haiti fund. For more coverage of the L.A. event, visit the Duo Dishes, The Food Addicts, Uncouth Gourmands, South Bay Rants n Raves and Domestic Divas. (I’ll add more links as they come in!) If you didn’t attend the event, you can still donate to the cause by visiting Flanboyant Eats or CocoCooks and clicking on the logo. All proceeds benefit Share Our Strength and Yele Haiti. Donations will be accepted until Feb. 28.

So back to the recipe: The pesto portion of these recipes can be doubled, tripled – quadrupled even – to suit your needs. And if you have more than an hour on your hands, I suggest cooking the onions down until they’re really browned — not just a golden brown. The darker they are, the sweeter they will be.

PEAR AND PESTO CROSTINI
Yield: 2 to 3 servings (or if you’re me, 1 serving)

• 1/2 loaf French bread
• 2 cups packed basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano
• 3 tablespoons your best olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Bosc pear

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice French loaf into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and brush (or spray, if you have one of those nifty Misto things) with olive oil. Place slices on baking sheet and toast in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until edges are a deep golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. While those are in the oven, make your pesto. In a food processor, combine basil leaves, garlic clove, pine nuts and Romano cheese. Pulse until pesto is coarse in texture, like coarse sand. Add in olive oil and process until fully incorporated. Taste. Add salt and pepper, if needed. Scrape pesto into a serving bowl or dish and set aside. (You should have about 3/4 cup.)
3. Cut pear into thin slices and place on a platter with crostini and pesto. To assemble: Spread pesto over crostini and top with pear and fresh ground black pepper, if desired. (Click on “Read the rest of this entry” for skirt steak/caramelized onion recipe.)

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Hey guys, here’s a chance to eat in the name of charity: Stir It 28 is a nationwide food blogger event organized by Bren from FlanboyantEats.com, Chrystal of The Duo Dishes and Courtney at Coco Cooks. On Sunday, Feb. 21, there will be events in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Manhattan, with all proceeds benefiting Share Our Strength and Yele Relief for Haiti. If you’re in Southern California, please come to the event! I, along with other local food bloggers, chefs and caterers, will make sure you’re well-fed. Did I mention there’s alcohol and free valet parking, too? Here are the deets: 

• When: Sunday, Feb. 21 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. 
• Where: At the lovely Hollywood Hills home of Greg from SippitySup.com. (You’ll get the address once you purchase the ticket.)
• Why: To raise money for Haiti Relief! And to meet your fellow food bloggers in an afternoon of deliciousness. 
• How much: Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. All proceeds go to charity.  

Who: Sample some dishes from: 
Gisele, Small Pleasures Catering
Austin, Austio’s Catering
Barrie Lynn, The Cheese Impresario
Chrystal & Amir, The Duo Dishes
Michael, Southbay Foodies
Diana, Diana Takes a Bite
Cathy, Gastronomy Blog
Andrea, L.A. Easy Meals
Esi, Dishing Up Delights
Greg, Sippity Sup
Patti, Worth the Whisk
Erika, In Erika’s Kitchen
Cynthia, Furey and the Feast (that’s me!)
Krissy & Daniel, The Food Addicts
Josie, Daydreamer Desserts
Jennifer, Domestic Divas
Nastassia, Let Me Eat Cake
Nancy Goodman, Food Art LA
Anisha, Food Is My Nish
H.C., L.A. and O.C. Foodventures
Mary, The Food Librarian
Craig, Hipcooks

Grey Goose vodka and LA brand attaché Christophe Namer partner with Natalie Bovis-Nelsen of TheLiquidMuse.com. They will create a signature cocktail called “Hearts for Haiti.” The Liquid Muse’s wine bar will have sangrias featuring Fre Alcohol-Removed Wine and Sutter Home Wine and the Sparkling Pomegranate Snowflake “mocktails.” Additional sponsors include Trader Joe’s, Ralphs and Party City. (Click on link below for ticket information.)

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My apologies for the light posting today. I can barely keep my eyes open — let alone attempt to say something with wit — because of all the meds I’m on right now. All I can offer you is this salad, and if my memory serves me well, it was a good one at that.

This peppery salad is the last thing I could taste before a nasty sinus infection set in and rendered my taste buds useless. But it could have been worse. The last thing I ate could have been something awful, like Brussels sprouts or a bowl of frozen peas. I thank my lucky stars.

It’s been a few days and I still can’t taste anything, but the memory of this simple salad still lives on. I loved the crouton-sized roasted sweet potatoes, which lent a sunny vibe to an otherwise wintery salad. (Click on “Read the rest of this entry” for recipe.)

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