foodie: zucchini & tomato bake

it's tomato and zucchini season!  and i'm loving it.  the other night, i made a super simple zucchini and tomato bake for our dinner.  it was fresh, tasty and very satisfying -- plus it was a great way to use some of the many, many tomatoes and squash that have been coming our way from the csa.

here's what you'll need...

1 large zucchini (or 2+ medium)
2 medium tomatoes
1 small green bell pepper
salt & pepper
olive oil

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. slice all the veggies into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. layer the veggies into a 9x13 inch baking dish that has been coated with olive oil.  between each layer, season the veggies with salt and pepper.

2. drizzle the top with a bit more olive oil, and then back for 50 min (or so) until veggies are tender and some edges are crisped.

and that's it!!!  simple & delicious (& super healthy).

foodie: tomato & okra rice salad

last night i came home from our csa with another batch of juicy, delicious tomatoes. again, looking for creative ways to make use of them, i created this easy, healthy rice salad with tomatoes, fresh okra, and sauteed shallots -- it was simple and satisfying, and went great with the fried tempeh we had.

here's what you'll need for 4 servings...

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
3 ears of corn (kernels off cob)
1 large tomato, chopped
5-10 small tomatoes, chopped
2 okra pods, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
olive oil
herbs (i used about 1/4 cup chopped parsley)

1. as the rice cooks (i used minute rice to speed the process up), prep the veggies.

2. saute the shallot, okra and garlic in a small saute pan with a bit of olive oil until shallots are translucent and okra is fork tender.

3. once the rice is done, mix everything together, and season with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.

mangia! mangia!

foodie: bruschetta potato salad

i got back from a trip to the csa with heirloom tomatoes, a pint of potatoes, a bunch of fresh basil and a head of garlic (among other things).  inspired by the spoils of my trip, i decided to create a bruschetta potato salad -- it was delicious, super simple to make and craig told me afterwards that it's one of his new favorite dishes!  this one's a winner all around :-)

here's what you'll need for 4-6 servings...

1 pint potatoes, cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 pint tomatoes, chopped
4-5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 cup basil, cut into a chiffonade (long, skinny ribbons)
1/8 cup olive oil, plus a tad more for roasting the potatoes
salt & cracked pepper

preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

1. put the cleaned, cubed potatoes on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  roast for 30 min or until fork tender.

2. while the potatoes cook, prep the rest of the food.  toss the tomatoes, garlic and basil together.  season with salt and pepper.

3. once the potatoes are done, mix them into the tomato mixture and drizzle everything with olive oil.  season with more salt and pepper to taste.

adding the warm potatoes to the bruschetta enables them to soak up all the goodness, and the final drizzle of olive oil really seals the deal.

this dish makes for a fabulous summer side dish or works well as an entree salad over chopped romaine.

bon appetit!

foodie: roasted kohlrabi & sauteed garlic scapes

our csa veggies never cease to impress!  this week brought us kohlrabi, colorful carrots and garlic scapes, plus much more :-)



flowers from the csa

i must be honest, prior to this week i had never cooked or eaten kohlrabi before.  it's a slightly sweet yet earthy root vegetable that is great cooked or raw -- roasted or in a salad or slaw.

i decided to roast the kohlrabi along with the gorgeous carrots i got from the barefoot gardens csa.  then, i sauteed up the garlic scapes with some onion until they were buttery, soft and delicious!

veggies for two...

2 medium kohlrabi, majority of outer skin removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3-4 medium carrots, prepped and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
olive oil
salt
pepper

preheat oven to 375/400. arrange carrots and kohlrabi on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. roast for 30 minutes or until veggies are tender and begin to brown.

more veggie ideas...

1 vidalia onion, chopped
handful of garlic scapes, cut into 1 inch long pieces
olive oil
salt
pepper

while the other veggies roast, saute the onion and garlic scapes in olive oil until onions begin to caramelize and garlic scapes are tender.  season with salt and pepper.

once cooked, the kohlrabi becomes slightly sweet, while still remaining earthy and hearty.  the garlic scapes (basically baby garlic), are subtly garlicky and very buttery!  yum!

serve the veggies with brown rice and a salad for a complete meal.

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and, just to make you smile, here's a pic of olive enjoying her baby-size vanilla ice cream :-)

foodie: grilled potato packets

because of the outrageous heat waves we've been having here in the northeast, i was reluctant to cook indoors the other night.  (our tiny cottage heats up fast if the oven goes on...)  so, instead, we fired up the grill and had a vegetable feast!  one thing that i was particularly excited about was the potato packets i made, so i thought i'd share the recipe : )

here's what you'll need for 4 packets...

1.5 lbs baby new potatoes, halved
1/4 cup good mustard (i used grainy horseradish mustard)
2 tbsp dry white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 garlic gloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
plain greek yogurt or sour cream
salt & pepper
4 1ft by 1ft foil squares coated with non-stick spray

1. in a bowl, whisk together the mustard, wine, oil and garlic.  add in the potatoes and cilantro and toss.  season with salt & pepper.

2. evenly distribute mixture between the 4 foil squares, and fold into secure packets.

3. cook over medium-heat on the grill, preferably on the upper rack, for 25 min or until fork tender.

everyone gets their own packet, and once they dump the contents onto their plates, they can top it with plain greek yogurt or sour cream...or pesto...or tapenade...

we enjoyed our potato packets with grilled spring asparagus, crisp romaine salad and grilled portabella caps topped with tangy bleu cheese : )

need a dinner idea? how about creamy butternut squash soup?!

this soup is truly divine.  it's rich, and creamy, and surprisingly healthy, too!  if you love a good butternut squash soup, this recipe can't be beat.  and, it's the perfect winter meal for a cozy evening by the fire. 

picture credit {here}

1 butternut squash (2 lbs), seeded and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 vidalia onion, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 whole garlic bulb
3 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup cream sherry
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dry)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk or half & half
salt to taste

View full recipe

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. line a baking sheet with foil. place vegetables on baking sheet and brush with oil. trim off top of garlic bulb, brush lightly with olive oil, wrap with foil and place on baking sheet with vegetables.

2. roast vegetables in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes or until they are very tender. set aside to cool.

3. after they've cooled - squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins; scrape the flesh from the squash and remove outer layer of onion. add half of the garlic, squash, onion, and carrots to the food processor. add 1 cup of the vegetable stock and purée until smooth; repeat two more times until all veggies and stock are combined.

enjoy it with some warm, fresh baked bread, and you're all set!

bon appetit!

foodie wednesday: sesame pasta

i love this pasta!  it's great as either a side or an entree, and delicious cold, warm or room-temperature!  if you bring this to a party, i guarantee you'll get several requests for the recipe : )

credit {here}

sauce ingredients:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

pasta ingredients:
1 pound pasta, such as angel hair
2 large carrots, grated
1/2 pound snow peas, strung and washed
thinly sliced scallions for garnish             

credit {here}

1. mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

2. cook the pasta in boiling water. one minute before pasta is done, add the carrots and the snow peas to the pasta pot. drain pasta and vegetables immediately, but do not rinse.

3. place pasta and vegetables in serving bowl. pour sauce over; toss well to mix. garnish with scallions.

serves 4 as a main course or 8 as a side or starter.

bon appetit!

rice with plums & feta

in an effort to use some items that definitely needed to be used - over ripe plums & leftover brown rice - i put on my thinking cap and developed this simple recipe.  the dish's mild, fresh flavor with the pungent punch of feta made for a delicious side dish to our pesto chicken last night.

here's what you'll need:

1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 plums (or 4 small sugar plums), sliced
2 cups cooked brown rice (i used "minute rice")
1-2 oz crumbled feta
1/4 cup prunes, chopped
salt & pepper
olive oil

1. in a pan, saute onions in a bit of olive oil until caramelized.
2. add plums and saute a minute longer.  season with salt & pepper.
3. add in rice & prunes and toss (rice will become a lovely blush color).
4. toss in feta and mix rice until feta begins to melt.  season with more salt & pepper.

the subtle flavors of the rice and sweet plums & prunes are beautifully balanced by the feta.  as i mentioned, we enjoyed our rice with chicken, but it would work well with fish or shrimp as well.

no plums?  why not try another stone fruit, like peaches or cherries?  no prunes?  how about raisins or dried cranberries?  no feta?  try another pungent cheese like parmesan or bleu.  get creative and keep it simple.  cooking is supposed to be fun!

simple broccoli salad

yesterday, i made a broccoli salad inspired by a recipe my mom used to make each spring.  this fresh salad has a sweet/tangy dressing and is the perfect side dish for a brunch or bbq.

2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups shredded carrots/cabbage/broccoli
1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp mayonnaise
salt & pepper

1. mix the broccoli, shredded veggies, pecans and raisins in a medium bowl.

2. in a separate small bowl, combine syrup, vinegar and mayo.  whisk.

3. drizzle dressing over veggie mixture and toss.

4. season with salt and pepper.
recipe makes 4 side-dish size servings.

this salad is best if made a bit ahead of time.  cover and place in fridge for 2 hours - overnight to let the flavor marinate.  yum!  the crunchy, tangy, sweet goodness is just fantastic.

on a different note...

i'm looking forward to my friend, cate's, wedding shower this weekend.  keep your fingers-crossed that it won't rain on sunday!  we already experienced torrential downpours the weekend of her bachelorette party... 

what are you up to this weekend?