2 T unsalted butter
2 T olive oil, plus more for brushing the bread
4 oz Masseria Mirogallo Mushrooms in oil, trimmed and sliced if needed
1 T chopped green onions, plus more for garnish
4 1-inch-thick slices of crusty, rustic-style bread
4 large eggs
Paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms are warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the chives. Remove the mushrooms from the heat and keep warm.

Preheat the broiler. Brush one side of each bread slice lightly with olive oil. Place the bread under the broiler for about 1 minute per side to toast lightly. Set aside while you cook the eggs.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs into pan and cook 2-3 minutes. Cover with a lid and cook an additional 2 minutes until whites are set, then remove the skillet from the heat. Place one egg on each toast, then top with the mushrooms and chives. Season with  salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika, and serve warm.

Everyone has a favorite sandwich, whether it’s mom’s homemade grilled cheese, a leftover Dagwood pulled together from kitchen scraps or a mile-high hoagie. Inspired by Saveur magazine’s April sandwich issue, Datz has decided that we want to know what you think is the best thing since sliced bread.

So, here’s the deal: Create a recipe for your own ideal sandwich, take the best photo you can (this is as much a photo contest as a recipe contest!) and then email the photo and recipe to heather@datztampa.com. Up to six semi-finalists will be picked by the Datz culinary team in the next issue of Datz4Foodies (coming in June), after which you will have the opportunity to vote on your favorite. The winner – who will be announced via facebook on June 30 – will have his or her sandwich recipe featured on the summer lunch menu, and the photo featured on the website and newspaper!

Around the globe different cultures have  unique New Year’s food traditions thought to ensure good luck. Spaniards eat grapes as the clock strikes midnight to predict whether the year will be sweet or sour. Austrians decorate their table with marzipan pigs to celebrate progress and  Germans place a few fish scales scraped from the prosperous carp in their wallets for luck. And in the South, it’s all about Hoppin’ John, a steaming bowl of beans, rice and pork. There are a number of seemingly-valid explanations for why beans symbolize good luck: Some attribute their magical properties to childhood lore a la Jack And the Beanstalk; others call it a fertility symbol; and still others say the black-eyed pea saved the South from starvation during the Civil War. No matter what you believe, one thing is true: it’s darn good eating. Happy New Year!

Hoppin’ John Recipe
1 # blackeyed peas, rinsed and picked through
2 large Spanish onions, one peeled and halved through the root, one medium diced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
4 bay leaves
kosher salt to taste
8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
5 cloves of garlic, or more, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
One 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes

Put the black eyed peas, the halved onion, the carrots and 3 bay leaves in a large pot.  Cover it all with about three inches of water (you’ll need about 2 quarts). Put the pot over high heat, bring it to a simmer, then turn the burner to medium low and continue to cook until the beans are tender, about 60 to 90 minutes. Add two or three teaspoons of salt midway through the cooking. Strain the peas (reserving two cups of the cooking liquid); discard the onion, carrots and bay leaves.

While the peas are cooking: in a pot big enough to hold the beans cook the bacon over medium low heat  until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook over until the onion is softened and translucent and beginning to brown, five or ten minutes. Add the cumin, pepper flakes and black pepper, turn the burner to medium and stir to combine the seasonings with the onion.  Add the tomatoes and all the juices from the can. Add the last bay leaf.  Bring this to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or so to thicken the sauce.

Stir in the black eyed-peas, and cook to heat through. Add some or all of the reserved bean liquid to make it as soupy or stewy as you would like. Then taste and season, whether that be more salt, pepper, or around here, more red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Maybe even siracha. Serve immediately with rice and cornbread.

Lunch Box: Summer Salads

Ingredients:

· 1 C vegetable or chicken stock
· 1 C brown and/or wild rice mixture
· 1 C dry French green lentils
· 1/4 C Leblanc Almond Oil*
· 1/4 C BR Cohn Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
· 1/4 C BR Cohn Raspberry Vinegar*
· 2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed
· 3/4 C finely diced red onion
· 1 C dried cranberries
· 1 C chopped almonds, toasted
· Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

· Combine 1 cup water and the stock in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover and simmer over medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.

· Meanwhile, place lentils in a saucepan over medium heat and cover with 11/4 cups water. Simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool. In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked rice and lentils.

· Prepare a vinaigrette by whisking together the walnut oil olive oil, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the lentils and rice. Add the red onion, dried cranberries and slivered almonds. Season with salt and pepper as desired.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

* These products are available for purchase at Datz.

Have some fun while you eat lunch and learn how to cook something new! Sign up for a Lunch Box lesson this week. You can find registration information on our website at www.datzdeli.com.

From Lunch Box Monday July 26: Homage to Jacques Pepin

Ingredients

• 1/3 C Lucero Mission Extra Virgin Olive oil*
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Les Moulins Mahjoub Harissa*
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• One 5-# seedless watermelon, scooped into balls with a melon baller or cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (10 cups), chilled
• 1/2 # feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
• 1 1/4 C pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 small red onion, cut into slivers
• 1 C mint, coarsely chopped

Method

• In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt, harissa and pepper.
• Add the watermelon, feta, olives and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the mint and serve.

* These products are available at Datz

Cook’s Note: For a fun serving suggestion, reserve the scooped out watermelon rind and use as a bowl for the salad. Great for picnics!

Be sure to sign up for one of our weekday Lunch Box lessons. You can find more information and register on www.datzdeli.com.