simply the best

 

Have you joined a CSA? Is your share starting to include juicy tomatoes? Have you created your own backyard garden? Are your tomato plants overflowing with red jewels? Or can you just not walk past these bright beauties at the grocery store without putting a few in your cart? In any case, if you are like me this time of year is one of your favorites - when tomatoes taste like tomatoes.

Sure thanks to modern farming you can get them year round, but there really is no substitute for the real thing in the summer. I could eat them straight like apples. Or, another southern staple - the tomato sandwich - is a big hit around here. If you are unfamiliar, it involves thickly sliced tomatoes, white bread, and not much else. That's because, in the words of my father, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

So, if you have your hands on a few of these fresh fruits let me suggest you keep it simple. Try this real quick recipe. Slice your tomatoes thick. Pair them with large sections of red onions. Coat these with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Top with a few oregano leaves (from your herb garden). And enjoy the real taste of summer in its purest form.

menu ideas:

I made this on a muggy summer night recently when the carnivore was grilling chicken. We had our secret summer squash pasta and fried okra as sides.

rustic

I'm not a gal who likes things that are too fussy, too perfect. I admire people who can created a three tiered cake and decorate it with flawless basket weaved icing. But, as my carnivore recently commented about wedding cake, "if I have to pick between a dessert that looks good or one that tastes good, it's not hard." That's why we like this rustic tart. It is easy, it is super sweet, and even if it isn't the prettiest dessert you ever serve, it maybe one of the tastiest.

To make it gather the following ingredients:

several small peaches and nectarines (I used what came in my CSA that week), about 3-4 cups, sliced

3 tblsp of brown sugar

4 tblsp of butter

1 refrigerated pie crust

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then remove your pie crust from the fridge. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil. Next peel and thinly slice your peaches and nectarines (this is the only time consuming part). In a bowl, mix the fruit and 2 tblsp of brown sugar. Toss and let set for about 3 minutes. In the meantime, roll out your pie crust on the parchment paper. Pour the fruit mixture in the center and fold the edges of the crust in. No need to worry about making them perfect, just create a barrier. Then dot the fruit with the butter. Dust the crust with the remaining brown sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes. If the crust begins to brown too early tent with aluminum foil.

When the carnivore and I had our large portions of this summer fruit dessert we served it with a scoop or two of all natural vanilla ice cream. Tangy sweet fruit combined with the creamy ice cream was melt in your mouth dreamy.

P.S. I have created a new category to help give you ideas for how to use your CSA goodies. Simply click on the CSA creations link on the right to see more.

secret agent man

I had to make confession to my carnivore the other night in order to share this recipe with you. See, this is not your ordinary mac and cheese. It has a secret ingredient. One that my carnivore allegedly doesn't like. And, if you think the fact that he has eaten heaping helpings of this super side dish would mean he wouldn't immediately stop from eating it, you would be wrong. He went on a decades long strike against baked beans because he found out they had a minute amount of mustard. Lucky for me, even after revealing the truth he went back for seconds. (Whew!)

So what is this undercover agent? Squash. Finely grated, yellow summer squash to be exact. As you know I am always trying to get my meat eater to have more veggies. And what better way to hide them than coated in cheese and baked in pasta? Hey, don't knock it. At least he is getting the wonderful benefits of squash (like vitamins A, C, beta carotene, and iron). Combine that with his recent switch to whole grain pasta and its at least a semi-healthy side dish.

To make your own batch, gather the following:
1 box of whole grain pasta (I like rotini or cremini best, but elbows will do, and you don't have to use whole grain)
2 cups of organic milk
1 bay leaf
a dash of nutmeg
4 tblsp of organic butter
1/3 cup of flour
2 cups of shredded cheese (I like about half cheddar and half Italian - provolone, mozzarella, etc. - but just use your family favorite.)
1 cup of grated summer squash
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Seasoned breadcrumbs for dusting

First finely grate the squash. Place it in a colander in the sink and let any excess liquid drain. Then, boil a large pot of water with salt. Cook pasta til almost al dente (remember it will get a second cooking in the oven). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large sauce pan, heat the milk and bay leaf over a low flame. Do not boil or scold. In the meantime, melt the butter in a small pan. Add in the flour until well combined. Remove the bay leaf from the milk and add in the butter mixture. Whisk til smooth. Add all but 2 tblsp of the cheese and melt completely. Stir in the squash. Flavor with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer and thicken til pasta is ready and drained. Return pasta to the pot and coat with cheese mixture. Place the cheesy pasta in an oven proof dish. Dust with more shredded cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for twenty minutes, until bubbly. Let stand for five minutes before serving.

So, if you joined a CSA and just got a ton of squash or if you have even grown your own, give this side dish a shot. You may even trick your carnivore, or your kid for that matter. I mean, who would ever think there are veggies in all that cheesy pasta? Just don't tell...

tired all the time

So, I usually have some sort of story behind what I make or how it relates to my family life, but I'm just gonna be honest with you readers - my brain is tired. I'm six and half months pregnant; I chase around a one year old all day; and the heat index has already hit the triple digits here in Memphis. All four of my animals have decided to shed every last hair on my wood floors in a seemingly endless cycle and my husband and child can't seem to kick their colds (that means I have two babies to take care of). Throw in a couple of summer trips that have played havoc on our schedule and I just can't think of anything clever to link in with this recipe. It's not the food's fault. This is a great dish. In fact, it is a really good thing to make when you are really tired. It is simple and satisfying. And, well, here it is...

You will need the following:
1 package of slice portabellas
1/4 white onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tblsp of olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
grated parmesan, optional

Add the oil to a large skillet (I love my green pans personally). Saute the onion and pepper for about 3 minutes over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms. Cook until they darken and soften, about 5 minutes. Add in tomatoes, salt and pepper. Continue to cook until tomatoes char a bit and wrinkle, about two minutes. Pile it on a plate and serve while piping hot. Top with the cheese if you want. It is almost like a pizza deconstructed.

menu ideas:

I served this alongside some creamy polenta and garlic green beans. The carnivore had a big juicy steak as his main dish.

switcheroo

I am proud to say my carnivore has been making some more healthy choices lately with his eating habits. (Please note, he refuses to call this a diet - instead it is a "lifestyle change.") The results have been fantastic. He has more energy, has had to have his tailor take in several pairs of pants, and has dropped over forty pounds!

One of the simplest switches he has made is to whole grain pasta instead of the regular white stuff. As you might imagine, I being the more healthy eater to begin with had no problem trading in the brown spaghetti for the usual when I made our dinners. And yes, I know it tastes different, but there are so many benefits to eating whole grains - everything from lowering your chance of diabetes or the number on the scale to reducing your risk of breast cancer or childhood asthma. The list goes on. You can read more about them here. So, I suggest you try this simple switch yourself with this healthy dish.

To make enough for you and your carnivore  to eat on for a few days you will need the following:
1 box of whole grain thin spaghetti
20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
several small zucchini or squash (I used our CSA goodies), sliced
1/2 large tomato, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tblsp of olive oil
1 tblsp of butter
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese, optional

Start by boiling you water and cooking the pasta according to the directions until al dente. At the same time prepare two skillets. In one heat two table spoons of olive oil. In the other heat the butter. Add one minced clove of garlic to each. Heat on low until fragrant. In the pan with the olive oil, add in the tomato and most of the zucchini. In the butter pan, add in the rest of the zucchini and the shrimp. Salt and pepper each to taste. Saute until the veggies are tender and the shrimp is pink. Once the pasta is ready, drain and toss with the remaining olive oil and more salt and pepper. Separate the pasta into two large mixing bowls. Add the ingredients from each pan into their own bowl. Toss thoroughly until the ingredients are combined. Serve a generous portion while hot and top with parmesan cheese if desired.

So there you have it. A super simple switch that can help you be more healthy. Even my carnivore can get on board with that...as long as he doesn't have to give up pasta all together. (Remember, it is a "lifestyle change," not a diet.)

mother of necessity

I am a full time mom now and with this new job comes a few perks. For example, I get to wear flip flops all the time. I get to hang out with (in my opinion) the cutest little guy in the world. And, I get to make a fresh lunch everyday. This is a great thing most days, especially now that I am pregnant again. I get to indulge in my crazy cravings without anyone else raising an eyebrow.

On some days though, it just seems like more it will take more energy than I have to even think up a lunch, much less make it. Chasing a one year old around while six months pregnant in the summer heat can be exhausting! I was having just one of these days a few weeks back when I came up with this salad. It was thrown together from a bunch of leftovers from the baby's big birthday fiesta. You know what they say about the mother of necessity being invention...well, this mother was hungry and this is what was in the fridge!

You will need the following:
white corn tortilla chips, enough to layer the bottom if your bowl
romaine lettuce, chopped coarsely
1/4 medium tomato, diced
3 heaping tblsp of refried beans
1 tblsp of white queso dip
1 tblsp of sour cream
1 tblsp of mild fresh salsa
1/2 sliced avocado
black olives, just enough to top the dish

Simply heat the beans and queso, then layer on the rest of the toppings. Start with the chips, then the lettuce. Next add the beans and salsa. Drizzle on the queso and dollop on the sour cream. Scatter on the olives and tomatoes. Finally, top with the avocado.

It had filling protein and fresh veggies. The creamy queso and sour cream balanced nicely with the spicy salsa. Plus, you can't beat the crunchy chips at the bottom. In short, this salad was so satisfying I ate on it for days. No need to re-invent the wheel after all.

fiesta salad

Last month our baby omnivore turned one. Since he was born on Cinco de Mayo we had a Mexican fiesta. We had everything from mariachi rubber duckies for the little ones to hand squeezed margaritas for the big people. It was a blast. And whther it was taking swings at the pinata or swigs of Negro Modelo, young and old alike had a good time. We even got everyone in a sombrero for some fantastic photo ops.

I also had lots of good food, of course. There was fresh guacamole, lime and cilantro chicken drummies, several kinds of quesadillas - from grilled flank steak to sauteed veggies, and Mexican chocolate cupcakes (dark chocolate with cinnamon) from our favorite local bakery. But one of the best menu items in my opinion, was this fiesta salad.

You will need the following:
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bag of frozen corn, steamed
1/4 of a red onion diced
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
3-4 medium radishes, cleaned and sliced
the juice from one lime
several sprigs of fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Simply toss the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let set over night. Stir again before serving and top with more cilantro. I have tons in my herb garden. I also got the green onions and radishes from my CSA bag that week. The are optional, but I think they add a bit of festive color to the salad.

The guests gobbled the salad up. And the baby and I enjoyed the leftovers, the little that remained. Party on!