Farmers' Market Dinner

I realize that this is my third post in a row about farmers' markets.  It will be the last one for a while I promise.  Last night, I used the produce mentioned in my last post to make a delicious, fresh, vegetarian dinner.

Smooth Tomato Gazpacho

This recipe is from the August issue of Martha Stewart Living.  My food processor doesn't have a "puree" setting so my soup, while good on its own, was even better as a sauce for the fritters.  As with all recipes I use, I altered it a bit from the original recipe.

2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved and cored

1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped

1/2 onion, coarsely chopped

1 small garlic clove

2 ounces blanched almonds, toasted

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

• Puree (or grind) tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic, and almonds, water, vinegar, oil, and 2 1/4 teaspoons of salt in a blender until smooth; season with pepper.
• Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes (the flavor is so much better after it sits in the fridge for a while).  Drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper just before serving.

Zucchini Fritters

This is another Martha recipe.  I used yellow summer squash instead of zucchini.

2 medium yellow summer squash

1 medium onion

1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (recipe called for parsley)

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying

• Grate squash on the large holes of a box grater (I roughly chopped them and put them in the food processor for about 4 pulses).  Place squash in a paper towel and squeeze dry.  Repeat with onion.
• Mix together squash, onion, cheese, flour, and herbs.  Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Stir in eggs just before frying.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, coat skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons oil.  Scoop mounds (2 tablespoons each) of the squash mixture into skillet; flatten slightly using a spatula.  Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Transfer fritters to paper-towel-lined plates to drain.

The recipe suggests serving these with plain yogurt and apricot jam, which I thought was too brunch-y for dinner, but sounds yummy.

Roasted Corn on the Cob with Cilantro Lime Butter

This one is from Food Network.  The farmers' market corn was absolutely incredible but oh how I wish we had a grill.

2 ears of corn, shucked

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1 lime, zested and juiced (or, if you have to shop at Kroger in Dallas, TX, 2 Tablespoons of bottled lime juice - don't they grow limes in Texas?)

2 teaspoons salt

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix butter, cilantro leaves, lime, and salt in a small bowl.
• Coat each ear of corn in the cilantro lime butter and wrap in foil.
• Roast until hot and steaming, about 30 minutes.

I've made Martha's homemade bread recipe and found that all of her recipes have a similar theme: they are labor-intensive (relative to most things I make) but very delicious!

- CAR -