This is one of those recipes. It seems like there are a lot of steps. It's best if you can do them over a day or two. But I promise you these are the very things that make this recipe so EASY! Because all the steps take only a few minutes of actual activity, and they can be done all at once or over several days. The cooking itself is a snap and can be made snappier with a self-timed oven.

The method of preserving the tuna is really more of an oil-poaching method. It's a wonderful method to master and can be adapted in so many ways– from salads, to main courses. I particularly like serving this tuna on toasted baguette slices with shards of red onion! So you see, it's worth the effort, because the technique will pay you back– I promise. I think I may have originally learned this method from an Alice Waters recipe. But I am pretty sure serving it with a Panzanella Salad was my idea! But don't quote me on it...

This recipe has other virtues as well. It is a great opportunity to use up that day old bread, and those less than ideal off-season tomatoes you stupidly bought. What were you thinking? Plus, it's fun to introduce new tastes to the people in your life who may take a bit of prodding when it comes to unusual or strong flavors. I consider it our duty to educate them.

I call it a Three Bean Winter Panzanella Salad with Preserved Tuna.

Sometime in our past we humans were digging around in the dirt and hit about the idea of eating roots. The world has been a better place ever since!

There are many ways to enjoy these vegetables from the underworld, but roasting is just about my favorite. Roots such as parsnips, carrots, and beets are commonly roasted because it brings out their distinctive, rustic charm, and actually amplifies their inherent richness and bolsters the sugars in these vegetables.

Which got me thinking, Radishes are a root vegetable. Could I roast a radish?

So I did an Internet search and quickly landed at The Bitten Word. These guys have a great blog, and like me they seem to like to mix up expectations. So when I saw they had already experimented with roasting radishes I knew that their insights would help put me on the right path with my roasted radishes.

 It's summer. It's hot. You may not feel like cooking. Especially in the heat of the day.

But people are still going to stop by aren't they? I have friends coming by this afternoon. We plan to beat the heat by laying low by the pool. I would not really call this sort of event entertaining because everybody will probably have his or her noses tucked inside a book. But I am still going to have to feed them aren't I?

You betcha.

So this morning I walked down to the Hollywood Farmers Market. I needed to do Market Matters post and I needed to put together a light lunch for my friends.

I picked up these sweet little summer squash. They are a bit bigger than a golf ball. But not quite as big as a tennis ball. Look how round and perfect they are.  They are a great jumping off place for the light poolside lunch I have planned. Stuffed Summer Squash di Alici.

But just because my lunch needs to be light and easy to make ahead does not mean it can't be big on flavor.

I am in a grumpy mood! Watch out…

So I am going to try a little experiment.

I am going to let a picture say 1000 words. In fact I am going to let 8 pictures say 8000 words.

So don’t expect any pithy repartee*  from me today. Like I said I am in a grumpy mood.

I am usually a very light-hearted person. I am usually the life of the party. I am usually all giggles and mirth (you didn’t buy that last one did you?)

Besides, I see the food-blogging trend. Ya’ll cruise through here at 100 miles an hour. You see a neat pic on one of those food photo type sites. Then you click on over here and move on to the next one at lightning speed.

Are these sites destroying your ability to read? Is it really just food porn you are interested in?

Should I quit writing long thoughtful posts, full of humor and pathos?

I will at least include the recipe for this Chicken Liver Bruschetta I made for a party recently (as if you even care… as long there is a pretty picture of some naked [plum] tart).

Don’t worry I’ll snap at of it. Anybody have a good Doris Day tune. That usually works…

Spicy Mustard Swordfish and Artichoke KabobsMustard. Mustard. Mustard.

We are still on the road with mustard. That sunny golden road running through the hills near my house.

We have used mustard in a sauce. We have used mustard as an ingredient. We (of course) used mustard as a condiment. We have even made mustard from scratch.

But today we are using mustard in a marinade.

What is it about food on sticks that makes us love it so? Is it the convenience? Is it that slightly exotic flair? That hint towards the mysteries of the East? Maybe it’s our genetic deference to fire. I believe grilled foods are what separate us from other animals.

But it is probably the simple fact that everyone loves a party. And kabobs scream “party”!

Kebap is Turkish for “roast meat”. But modern day “party kabobs” can be made with most anything you can think to throw on the grill.

I am choosing a nice firm swordfish because it grills so well and I know it won’t fall apart.  Plus it is Seafood Watch rated as a Best Choice. I am giving the fish a partner in store-bought canned artichoke hearts.

This is one of those recipes. It seems like there are a lot of steps. It's best if you can do it over a day or two. But I promise you these are the very things that make this recipe EASY! It's especially good if you spend a bit of time in the kitchen one day, but know you will have limited time later in the week.

Or you can accomplish a few small steps over several days. Because all the steps take only a few minutes of actual activity each. The cooking itself is very easy and can be made easier with a self-timed oven.

Besides it is an opportunity to use up that day old bread, and those less than ideal off-season tomatoes you stupidly bought. Plus, it's fun to introduce new tastes to the people in your life who may take a bit of prodding when it comes to unusual or strong flavors.

This is my entry in My Legume Love Affair from the Well Seasoned Cook. I call it a Three Bean Winter Panzanella Salad with Preserved Albacore Tuna.

I know that even the title is long and perhaps daunting. But it's a terrific salad consisting of green beans, cranberry beans, and great northern white beans. I call it a panzanella because rich, savory, toasty chunks of bread are a main ingredient. So are tomotoes.

But every one knows February is not a great time of year to eat tomatoes. That's why I call it a winter panzanella.

Because I have a trick. I am taking the only halfway decent variety of tomato you can find this time of year (the cherry or grape tomato) and roasting them slow and low in the oven. This will amplify the sweet nature of the tomato and mellow it's acidic (off-season) nature. Add them to the salad while still warm and you have a great combination of tastes, textures and tempertaures. Savory, sweet, and satisfying. Cruchy, soft and oozey. Warm but crisp!