I was scrambling to put some dinner together. I had leftover brown rice. I had zucchini, squash and tomatoes. I decided to put it all together and see what happened. It was pretty fab!

2 tbsp olive oil

1/8 cup chopped onion

1/2 small zucchini, sliced thin

1/2 small yellow squash, sliced thin

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/4 cups cherry tomatoes

1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice

4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the squashes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until they begin to soften. Stir in tomatoes, basil, and rice. Cover and cook over medium for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until tomatoes break open. Sprinkle cheese on top and stir until it is incorporated and melted.

You can change this up adding some garlic or other herbs. It would also be good with goat cheese instead of Parmesan. The leftovers made a great lunch!

I was scrambling to put some dinner together. I had leftover brown rice. I had zucchini, squash and tomatoes. I decided to put it all together and see what happened. It was pretty fab! 2 tbsp olive oil 1/8 cup chopped onion 1/2 small zucchini, sliced thin 1/2 small yellow squash, sliced thin salt and … Read more →

We realized recently that my 14 year old son has never been to the Fair (ours is the third largest in the entire country, so it is quite something to see). He went as a baby, but doesn’t remember it. We used to go every year. My husband’s family went religiously every year for an entire day each time. They would set up camp at a picnic area and spend the entire day from morning till it closed, seeing shows, going on rides, eating Fair food, and seeing the exhibits. I went a few times as a child then when I met my husband we began going together every year. I remember being there the summer I was pregnant with my daughter and desperately craving birch beer, yet that year they had none for sale! I also remember my son losing his favorite toy there as a baby.

It was time to get my son to the Fair, particularly once he heard they had deep-fried Koolaid, so we went last night.

We saw all the animals and a pig race. There was a sheep costume contest going on that we watched for a bit (the sheep were not excited about their costumes). We inspected the award-winning vegetables, the funny things for sale, and saw a wolf show (some day I will write a post about the wolves we have gone to see over the years). We played a few games, looked at the rides, but mostly wandered around and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Of course, we had to have some Fair food. First up, my daughter needed a donut dog. This is a hot dog placed on a donut instead of a roll. The donut is griddled slightly, but it’s really sticky on the outside. She enjoyed that (they also had a donut burger but we didn’t try that!). My son had a corn dog. I had a cheeseburger. They had birch beer so we got a big cup of that to share (you can buy it bottled in stores now once in a while, so it isn’t a once a year specialty like it used to be!).

Then it was time to consider the fried foods. Fried Koolaid was

required. It was also disappointing. I had seen a photo of it in a magazine and there it looked like balls of Koolaid. What we got were squiggles of batter that tasted faintly of fruit. We also got fried cheese curds, which sounded interesting, but looked like fried mozzarella sticks (they did taste like cheese curds). The hands down winner was the deep fried cookie dough, which was warm and gooey and pretty darn delicious.

Before we left, we had some ice cream, kettle corn, and sugar waffles. All in all it was a successful Fair outing!

We realized recently that my 14 year old son has never been to the Fair (ours is the third largest in the entire country, so it is quite something to see). He went as a baby, but doesn’t remember it. We used to go every year. My husband’s family went religiously every year for an entire … Read more →

I’ve been grilling a lot of vegetables this summer. My new favorite is grilled carrots. I use the carrots from my CSA share, which are not too fat. I peel them and rub them with olive oil and put them on a low to medium grill, turning often.  They take about 15-20 minutes to cook through. This picture was my first attempt, but since then I’ve learned to lower the temp and they don’t char as much. When they’re done, I serve them with a rosemary butter and a little salt and pepper. Grilled carrots taste much like roasted carrots – sweeter – but with a nice smoky flavor that makes them really interesting.

I’ve been grilling a lot of vegetables this summer. My new favorite is grilled carrots. I use the carrots from my CSA share, which are not too fat. I peel them and rub them with olive oil and put them on a low to medium grill, turning often.  They take about 15-20 minutes to cook … Read more →

I have to admit, I’m really liking Martha’s new cookbook, Martha’s American Food (disclosure: the publisher sent me a review copy after I asked for it – I looked at it in the library and really, really liked it). I’ve got lots of pages marked. Spicy peach-glazed chicken sounded really good, and it was grilled, which is even better on a hot summer day. I left out the cayenne when I made it since I don’t like really spicy foods, but the garlic definitely gave this plenty of zing. It was quick, simple and no marinating was required which meant it worked when I realized I needed to get something on the table in an hour.

1 cup peach jam or preserves

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp cayenne

salt and pepper

4 skin on chicken breasts

4 ripe but firm peaches

Heat grill to medium. Mix preserves, garlic, oil, soy sauce, dry mustard, and cayenne and season with salt and pepper.

Brush grill with vegetable oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place skin side down on the grill. Cook about 10 minutes on each side before brushing with glaze. Cook another 10-12 minutes turning every 3-5 minutes. While chicken is cooking, place peach halves on the grill cut side down and brush with glaze and cook 2 minutes. Turn them and cook 3-4 minutes until the cavities fill with juices.

I used chicken leg quarters for this, left out the cayenne, whizzed up all the glaze ingredients in the food processor, and did not have any peaches to grill, but it was really tasty and delicious! I will definitely make this again and again.

I have to admit, I’m really liking Martha’s new cookbook, Martha’s American Food (disclosure: the publisher sent me a review copy after I asked for it – I looked at it in the library and really, really liked it). I’ve got lots of pages marked. Spicy peach-glazed chicken sounded really good, and it was grilled, which … Read more →

I must confess, I am not a big fan of squash. I try really hard to like it and make it all sorts of ways. I don’t mind zucchini in a stir fry, but I tend to find that a dish that is all squash doesn’t usually cut it for me. We got 4 small squash in our CSA bag this week – 2 yellow and 2 green. I stumbled upon this recipe for squash gratin in July/Aug Food Network Magazine and it was just what I needed! I adapted the recipe as follows:

Toss 4 thinly sliced small yellow and green squash with 1 tbsp kosher salt and let sit about 20-30 minutes. Then drain and rinse and pat dry. Chop 1/4 large onion, 1 tbsp fresh thyme and 1 tbsp fresh parsley. Add to squash with 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese and some pepper to taste.  Arrange in a baking dish and sprinkle 1/4 cup grated Swiss on top. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 or until browned and squash is cooked through.

I really enjoyed this a lot. The lemon juice gave it some brightness and the cheese, well what doesn’t cheese make better?  It didn’t taste like plain ole squash and I liked it so much I ate leftovers for lunch for two days!

I must confess, I am not a big fan of squash. I try really hard to like it and make it all sorts of ways. I don’t mind zucchini in a stir fry, but I tend to find that a dish that is all squash doesn’t usually cut it for me. We got 4 small … Read more →

We’ve often joked that my husband should be Greek, judging by how much he loves Greek food. When we eat at Greek restaurants, he always orders gyros. I prefer making my own though. It’s just about as easy as making a hamburger and I can chop up lots of healthy and tasty toppings.

I start by making tzatziki sauce:

8 ounces plain yogurt

1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped in the food processor

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

I mix this together and keep in the fridge. It lasts for days and it’s delicious as a sauce on fish, chicken and sometimes I even use it as a dressing for salad.

Then I make the gyro meat:

1 pound ground lamb

1/2 a white onion

2 cloves garlic (sometimes I substitute a handful of garlic scapes for the garlic which gives the meat a fresher, greener flavor)

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

I place all of these ingredients in the food processor and chop until everything is finely and completely ground.

I prefer to form these into patties and grill until cooked through, but in the winter I sometimes form them in little logs (about hot dog sized) and bake them at 400 for about 15 minutes until cooked through.

I serve with:

pita bread

feta cheese

halved cherry tomatoes

lettuce

Sometimes I include some sliced onion or chopped cucumbers. We like to eat it all stuffed in the pita.

We’ve often joked that my husband should be Greek, judging by how much he loves Greek food. When we eat at Greek restaurants, he always orders gyros. I prefer making my own though. It’s just about as easy as making a hamburger and I can chop up lots of healthy and tasty toppings. I start … Read more →

It was a hot day and I just couldn’t face turning on the oven to make meatballs for the spaghetti and meatballs I had planned. So I thought I would try grilling them. I made my meatballs (I use turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, worchestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, onion, garlic, ketchup and salt and pepper) and placed them on a grill pan (with holes in it) and stuck them on the grill. I let them cook most of the way through before turning them over (I was worried they would fall apart).  I didn’t have any problems cooking them. I’m not sure how I feel about the taste though. They definitely had a smoky, grilled flavor which was very different. They were drier than meatballs made in the oven, however. It was a good solution for cooking on a hot day, but I don’t know if I would do it again. Have you ever tried this?

It was a hot day and I just couldn’t face turning on the oven to make meatballs for the spaghetti and meatballs I had planned. So I thought I would try grilling them. I made my meatballs (I use turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, worchestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, onion, garlic, ketchup and salt and pepper) and placed … Read more →

I chose this recipe for today’s Martha Mondays. I recently spent some time with the new Martha’s American Food cookbook (disclosure: the publisher sent me a copy after I requested it). This is a really great collection of regional specialties from around the country. I have marked a lot of recipes I want to try! The  blueberry crisp was very easy to put together and turned out nicely. I served it with vanilla ice cream. I modified the recipe to include cinnamon in the filling and the topping (a pinch in the topping and about 1/2 tsp in the filling) and I also increased the amount of sugar in the blueberries by about 1/3 cup. Also, as I was typing in the recipe below, it hit me that I forgot to add in the baking powder, so the recipe works even if you forget that! I loved the bit of crunch this gets from the oats. This is the perfect summer dessert. We really enjoyed this, and my in-laws whom I served it to loved it!

A note about Martha Mondays: We’re going to take a break for a couple of weeks. I was going to suggest resuming on 8/20, but Pru is taking a blogging break for August and I thought maybe everyone would like a break during the hottest part of the summer as well.  How does getting started again on Sept 3  with a pick from Megan sound?

Blueberry Crisp

For the filling:

6 cups fresh blueberries (3 pints)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp coarse salt

 

For the topping:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional – I did not use this)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp coarse salt

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Make the filling: Mix blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt. Transfer to an 8 inch square baking dish.

Make the topping: In a medium bowl stir together flour, oats, nuts, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer on medium, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir flour mixture into butter. Using your hands, squeeze topping pieces together to form clumps.

Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake until filling is bubbling in center and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

 

I chose this recipe for today’s Martha Mondays. I recently spent some time with the new Martha’s American Food cookbook (disclosure: the publisher sent me a copy after I requested it). This is a really great collection of regional specialties from around the country. I have marked a lot of recipes I want to try! The … Read more →

Frozen yogurt bars are all the rage. We first tried one on Amelia Island, Florida this winter. We loved it so much we went two nights in a row. If you aren’t familiar, the concept is simple. There is a wall of self-serve soft frozen yogurt machines. You take a cup and put in as much as you want of any flavor. Then there is a toppings bar with candy, fruit, syrups, cookies, even cereal. You pay by weight. It is the ultimate do-it-yourself sundae.

We next encountered this in Naples, Florida and after we got back, discovered one had opened up near us and now there is a second one in our general area. We’ve been to one a few times and my daughter has been to the other. Each time the flavors are different (cookies and cream, white chocolate macadamia, chocolate, mint, mango, strawberry, vanilla, tart, watermelon, peanut butter, and more).  We also love that they use compostable spoons (made of cornstarch).  You decide how much yogurt you put in the cup and you can mix and match any flavors you want. I love the topping bar because I can add two M&Ms, 3 mini peanut butter cups and two dabs of hot fudge – I get lots of different tastes without getting more than I want.

Have you tried a frozen yogurt bar?

Frozen yogurt bars are all the rage. We first tried one on Amelia Island, Florida this winter. We loved it so much we went two nights in a row. If you aren’t familiar, the concept is simple. There is a wall of self-serve soft frozen yogurt machines. You take a cup and put in as … Read more →

If you’ve been reading along, you know we participate in a CSA and also have a chicken share. Something new and exciting has come along in this same vein! The same store, Farmer’s & Artisan’s, where we get the chicken share, has started a fish share. What I love about it though is there is no commitment. They email me on Tuesday to tell me what fish they anticipate having available and I tell them how much, if any, I want of it. It is caught on Thursday and ready for pick up on Friday. They work with NY fisherman who use sustainable fishing practices. The fish is fresh and unfrozen. The prices were somewhat comparable to what I pay in the grocery store.

My first week was flounder, which I have never cooked before. And, I must admit, I only know what a flounder looks like because of SpongeBob. They are a flat fish with eyes on one side only. I ordered two pieces which were going to be about 12 ounces each. When I got to the store, they told me the fish were running small so I got 4 smaller pieces for $22.

Since I’ve never cooked flounder, I decided to just make it simple. I dipped the pieces in an egg wash then in some cornmeal I had mixed with salt and pepper. I cooked them in a little olive oil (just enough to coat the pan) and served with lemon wedges. It was so fresh tasting and the cornmeal gave it a really satisfying crunch. Everyone ate this (which is a minor miracle since my son claims not to be a big fish fan – some ketchup helped him get it down). I’m eagerly looking forward to next week’s catch!

If you’ve been reading along, you know we participate in a CSA and also have a chicken share. Something new and exciting has come along in this same vein! The same store, Farmer’s & Artisan’s, where we get the chicken share, has started a fish share. What I love about it though is there is … Read more →