SPROUTED SPRING SANDWICH FROM AQUILA & PRISCILLA'S This grilled panini is Aquila & Priscilla's most popular sandwich. They make their own artichoke pesto spread, but use a sweet bottled cilantro lime vinaigrette. Owner Eric Smith says the order in which you make the sandwich is important: Drizzle the vinaigrette over the sprouts, so you have more surface area to trap the flavor. Smith says they don't measure amounts anymore, so when making your own artichoke pesto spread or building your sandwich, just wing it. They use provolone cheese on this sandwich, but Smith says it would be especially good with muenster or dill havarti. Per sandwich: One ciabatta roll Sliced avocado Thinly sliced turkey breast 4 slices of cucumber "hefty serving" of alfalfa sprouts Provolone cheese slices Bottled cilantro-lime vinaigrette Artichoke pesto spread (recipe follows) ARTICHOKE PESTO SPREAD (makes enough for several sandwiches) 12 oz. artichokes in water 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. pine nuts 2 tsp. chopped garlic 6 oz. mayonnaise 1 oz. grated Romano cheese 2 oz. fresh basil, chopped Pinch of salt Combine all ingredients in food processor until smooth. To build the sandwich: Slice the ciabatta roll. Place the sliced avocado on top and spread the artichoke pesto on the bottom. Layer the turkey, cucumber and sprouts on the bottom bun. Drizzle the cilantro lime vinaigrette over the sprouts. Top with the sliced cheese. Place the top bun on the sandwich and grill in a panini press until toasted and heated through.     TOBACCO ONIONS FROM DAVIS' RESTAURANT AND BAR Tobacco onions are both a topper for the Davis' house-ground burgers and a popular side dish on their own. This amount of seasoning mixture can accommodate a dozen or so onions; for less onions, use less seasoning mix. The unusual name refers to the onions' finished color and not to the inclusion of tobacco in any form in the recipe. The Davis' chef and kitchen manager Cory Brader says, "This highly addictive item has raised more eyebrows and sparked more conversations than almost anything else on the menu." Approximately a dozen sweet yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandoline or rotary slicer 3 cups all purpose flour 1 cup smoked paprika 1/4 cup dark chili powder 1/4 cup light chili powder 2 tbsp. cayenne 2 tbsp. garlic salt Combine dry ingredients in bowl. Lightly dredge onion rings in flour mixture. Shake excess flour from onions and fry in 335-degree oil for approximately 30 seconds until colored and fragrant. Drain on paper towels and enjoy!     ORZO PESTO WITH ASPARAGUS FROM CAPELLA MARKET Jana West, Capella's kitchen manager, suggests using 16 ounces of quartered artichoke hearts when asparagus is not in season. 1 lb. orzo, cooked in water with 1/4 cup olive oil until al dente. Drain and let cool. 1/4 bunch parsley, finely chopped, rinsed in cheesecloth 1/2 cup pesto (recipe follows) 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil, julienned 1 cup Kalamata olives, halved 1/4 lb. Greek feta, cubed 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/2 lb. asparagus, blanched, bias cut Pesto 1 cup toasted pine nuts 1/2 cup garlic cloves 8 cups basil leaves, packed 2 cups extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 1 cup grated Parmesan Process pine nuts and garlic in food processor until smooth. Add basil and puree. Add olive oil, cheese, salt and pepper to food processor and pulse until incorporated. Combine ingredients with pesto and orzo, making sure pesto is evenly distributed.     GAZPACHO FROM CARTE BLANCHE SOUP CART & CATERERS Carte Blanche Soup Cart & Caterers is celebrating their 10th year in business. Flavorful, chilled gazpacho — one of the cart's 80 varieties of soup — is a perfect choice for summer. Carte Blanche's owner, Mark Stern, stresses to use beefsteak tomatoes in this recipe, not Roma or other sauce varieties. Yields 2 quarts 3 cups French bread (stale baguette, torn) 4 cups diced beefsteak tomato 1 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. white pepper 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup parsley, minced 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, diced small 1 red bell pepper, diced small Tear baguette into small pieces and process in a food processor until it becomes small bread crumbs. Add tomato and process until smooth. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes and oil in a stream until smooth. Put in a container. Stir in all other ingredients. Chill 2 hours. Serve chilled.     SEKANJEBAN FROM POMEGRANATES Julie Lenox-Sharifi, Pomegranates' co-owner, offers this refreshing summer drink, a sweet and sour mint cooler. She suggests grating a cucumber and adding a spoonful to each glass as a cooling variation. 2 cups water 6 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups vinegar 2 stalks mint (or a few drops mint flavor) Combine the water and sugar in a pan and let boil over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add mint and let cool. The consistency should be like syrup. If using fresh mint, remove sprigs after the syrup has cooled. Mix one part syrup to two to three parts cold water; serve over ice.