I cannot wait until the tomatoes in my garden make the transition from unyielding green to beautiful deep red, but in the meantime grocery store ones will have to do. I just know they're going to reach perfection when we go on vacation next week...
This was a good & zesty dinner - chicken breasts baked with lemon juice & fresh oregano sprinkled over the top - scatter some feta cheese over the top & bake @ 350 for about 40 minutes. I threw on some capers at the end, although I think it was already quite salty with the feta. Made some turmeric rice to go along side & some peas from the garden.
This time of year as the weather gets hotter we tend to start grazing rather than sitting down to 3 square meals. Strawberries & blueberries are plentiful & cheap right now so we've been eating bowls of them with our lazy summer dinners. Alex tried his hand at making focaccia this weekend & the top picture is the result - it was sublime. Lots of sea salt, fresh rosemary & olive oil brushed on top & pooled into the dimples. Just heavenly.
Here's a twist on the classic BLT (bacon, lettuce & tomato sandwich, for the uninitiated.) Instead of bacon I used an amazing substitute called Fakin' Bacon - smoked tempeh. My kids completely rejected it, but I love it. Lettuce from the garden, tomatoes & lots of mayonnaise.
I know it's almost a sin to start ripping open boxes to make dinner when there is so much bounty at the farmers' market and, after all, we're trying to eat whole foods....but this mama doesn't have time to do it all from scratch all the time. So! Last night - a box of falafel mix was made, then another box of tabouli was opened, but then I added fresh parsley, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese & lemon juice to the tabouli. We put the falafel in a pita with chopped carrots, cukes & tomatoes, then topped it all with hummus.
This was the first time I had ever cooked gnocchi & we're all converts - even the extremely picky Jack ate a whole bunch (but only after we picked off the 'green stuff' - basil.)
What a beautiful summertime meal, eaten outside on the picnic table after a long day playing in the sprinkler (the boys, not us.)
Adapted from a Vegetarian Times recipe to include chicken rather than pinto beans. Quite labor intensive because of the number of ingredients, but this was a very fresh tasting salad. I used red peppers, avocado, green onions, corn, cilantro, chicken, grape tomatoes and a chili/lime dressing.
Just when I thought I was getting burned out on chicken we made these quesadillas for dinner tonight. Grilled cubed chicken which had been sprinkled with lime juice & Wundoemus. White cheddar cheese on top of that, then cooked up in a pan. Sprinkled with some very good sweetcorn (still the frozen stuff - fresh not quite ready yet - then some Trader Joe's salsa.
Ok, so it isn't real meat - the fake stuff - but I simmered it in my tomato/basil sauce from last summer (the last of the good stuff) and threw in some bay leaves and a good splash of red wine. Not exactly July type food but it really hit the spot. Served up with some of Alex's bread and a glass of red, it didn't really need anything else.
Every single bite of this was heaven on earth. Nectarines. Baguette with goats cheese, tapenade, home grown spinach and a drizzle of olive oil. So colorful, flavorful, filling...just right for a very warm summer's evening.
Yes, we did eat an actual meal before ripping into the key lime pie, but this photo looks much more appetizing.
Every time we eat any kind of pasta tossed with pesto Jack calls it Green Noodles. This one was penne with green olive pesto mixed up with a lot of olive oil & parmesan cheese. More greens from the garden and some of Alex's bread. Delicious.
A trip to the Wednesday Farmers' Market yielded a bag full of veggies, fruit & eggs and a plan for dinner.
Not a bad start.
