Culinary transplant from the city

If Donna Smith ever wants a job in an upscale French restaurant, her resume is ready to go.

The Long Grove resident's credentials include several cooking classes in France and roughly five years worth of cooking classes at the venerable Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights.

"I took every single class they offered," she says.

So inspired was Donna by executive chef Michael Maddox, now owner, and former chef-owner Pierre Pollin that she has been volunteering in the kitchen one day a week -- except summers -- since the early 2000s.

"I became so intrigued with the way Michael cooked, the high emphasis on quality food," she says. "Pierre and Michael became my role models.

"Michael threw me recipes in grams and had me working with equipment twice my size," she says. "He challenged me all the time."

Donna's adventures in cooking, particularly with healthy foods, date back to her childhood when she promised herself she would avoid the family's obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure issues.

Later, living on her own in Chicago, she was inspired by a fellow sculptor who baked her own breads and prepared stocks and sauces from scratch.

But when she started dating her husband, Craig, 13 years ago, "that's what launched me."

Craig owned a home on six acres in Long Grove, where they decided to plant a vegetable garden.

"I was living on Lake Shore Drive, I knew nothing about planting," she says. "It just astounded me that I could throw seeds in the ground and get these wonderful, fabulous vegetables. I started looking for recipes, I started experimenting" with ways to prepare vegetables.

They raise everything organically, fertilizing the crops from their compost pile.

"I like to preserve food as much as possible in its natural state," she says. "I like fresh, from-scratch food so I can make sure what's in there."

Inspired by their early harvests, Donna and Craig eventually planted fruit trees and added more garden space, and Donna convinced her husband to tend bees.

"I was just exploding, immersing myself," says Donna. "We are now harvesting 60 to 80 pounds of honey a year. We use it in granola, dressings, sauces and in our coffee. I give it as gifts."

Nutrition remains foremost in her mind. Donna routinely plays with recipes, reducing the sugar, substituting yogurt for some of the oil, slipping in wheat flour where she can.

Exercise is equally important to Donna, Craig, and her daughter, Danielle, 14.

"We ski together, and my daughter is in cheerleading and track," she says. "I work out and play tennis, and we do all the landscaping and gardening."

During the summer, pesto is her "all-time favorite," a no-cook sauce that is remarkably versatile.

"I use it on just about anything I cook during the summer," she says. "It can be mixed with crème fraiche, mayonnaise, sour cream and even Dijon mustard for added dimension."

Today she gives us a basic pesto recipe and plenty of ideas for serving it. You won't need to be trained in France to handle any of these.

Pesto

5 cups fresh basil leaves

4-5 large cloves of garlic

1cup pine nuts

1 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

Remove stems from basil. Gently wash and pat dry or place in salad spinner. In food processor place half the basil, all the garlic, pine nuts and olive oil. Pulse until well blended, adding more basil as you work. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes two cups.

Cook's note: Use on sandwiches and paninis, add to potato or pasta salads, mix with crème fraiche for a quick sauce on fish or soup. Serve on grilled chicken, scrambled eggs or quiche. Drizzle over freshly sliced tomatoes.

Nutrition values per 2 tablespoons: 180 calories, 19 g fat (2.5ȯˆ¿Ã‚ˆ½ g saturated), 2 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 120 mg sodium.

Boursin and Pesto

1 package (5.2 ounces) boursin cheese

1/2 cup pesto

4-5 large basil leaves

4-5 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

1 pound baguette, sliced

Place boursin in center of a plate. Pour the pesto over and around the cheese. Gather the basil leaves lengthwise, roll them and slice thinly. Scatter basil and sun-dried tomatoes over plate. Serve with the baguette.

Serves eight to 10.

Nutrition values per serving: 240 calories, 13 g fat (6 g saturated), 25 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 8 g protein, 23 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium.

Pesto Capellini & Shrimp

1/2 pound cooked capellini pasta

1½ cups pesto, room temperature

1 pound fresh or frozen jumbo shrimp, cooked

Kosher salt and pepper

½- 1 cup freshly grated, imported parmesan or Romano cheese

Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Cook pasta in salted water until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

Stir in room temperature pesto to taste. Add cooked shrimp and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place on platter, top with some of the grated cheese and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Pass additional cheese. Serve with hot garlic bread and a light white wine.

Serves three to four.

Nutrition values per serving: 700 calories, 35 g fat (11 g saturated), 46 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 49 g protein, 255 mg cholesterol, 970 mg sodium.