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 -

Farmers' Market Frittata

Farmers' Market Frittata

• In a medium pan, sauté chopped onion with minced garlic and olive oil over medium heat.  After 5 minutes, add asparagus and halved cherry tomatoes.  After another 5 minutes, add spinach.  Season with salt and pepper and stir until everything is tender.
• Arrange the vegetables in a layer on the bottom of the pan.  Preheat the oven's boiler.
• In a small bowl, whisk 5 eggs with a splash of milk.  Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables.  Cook for about 7 minutes, or until the top is almost set.
• Place pan in boiler for 2 minutes.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend and goat crumbles) over the top and replace pan in broiler until cheese is bubbly and the top of the frittata is golden brown.
• Cool for 10 minutes, cut into slices and serve with Texas Texas Fire Roasted Serrano salsa.

- CAR -

Final sales are in the air

I braved NorthPark this afternoon to attempt to start my new work wardrobe.  It was a futile attempt until I was about to leave and decided to putz into GAP of all places... and I emerged with armfuls of perfect professional basics (plus a swimsuit) and only spent $100.

After that rewarding but long shopping experience, I came home and cooked an actual dinner for the first time in weeks.  I adapted this recipe from Food and Wine (the picture doesn't do it justice, although it isn't a "gorgeous" dish).

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

• Season asparagus and cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast vegetables in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
• Simmer 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar in a small pan for 15-ish minutes, or until reduced.  Add 2 teaspoons of honey and pepper to taste.
• Boil pasta for 13 minutes.  Drain, then add roasted asparagus and tomatoes, balsamic reduction, 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 cup goat cheese, and 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella.  Stir until blended and creamy.
• Serve over a bed of fresh spinach.

The balsamic butter was like a rich dressing and went well with the fresh spinach.  The recipe got mixed reviews on the website, but M and I loved it.

I want to go to the farmers market in West Village on Saturday and get some in-season, farm fresh produce.

And then I want to make the Blackberry Frozen Yogurt pops I pinned today from Wit & Whistle.  Last weekend was for crafting, this one is for cooking.

- CAR -

Pinterest Obsession

Last night a wonderful thing happened.  I received my e-mail invite to join Pinterest, a website that allows you to collect your favorite things from around the web and "pin" them to various "boards," organized by categories you choose yourself.  Have I ever been busy...

Simply perfect.  I love neutral white main pieces with vibrantly colored accents and accessories.

Currently obsessed with grey/citrus combination in a bedroom.  HGTV Design Star season 5 winner Emily Henderson designed this cozy nook bed.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter - what a fresh and healthy dinner from Food and Wine!

I found the perfect dessert to complete that meal...

Chocolate Chip Cookie n' Oreo Knock Your Socks Off Brownie Bars recipe from Betcha Can't Eat Just One will soon be made in my kitchen.  I won't even try to eat just one, thank you.

- CAR -

Fresh summer dinner

Made this recipe from Real Simple's blog, Simply Stated, for dinner tonight.

Quick Summer Pasta

I substituted yellow summer squash for the zucchini and shredded mozzarella for the parm.  I also added minced garlic, halved cherry tomatoes and a splash of dry white wine during cooking.  It's a winner!

- CAR -

Good morning

Thought I'd do something healthy for my body this Saturday morning so I made Crunchy Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas.  Just whipped up some oats, mixed frozen organic blueberries in at the end of cooking then added sliced banana and this new cereal I found at Kroger the other day - Uncle Sam cereal.  It's made with whole wheat oats and flaxseed so there's lots of protein and fiber.  I didn't even sweeten it which is a big deal for me.


Yesterday, after doing some work from home, I thought I would go to the HP library and then lay out at the pool.  I got to the beautiful library...

...found my books and tried to open up a card when I was checking them out.  Well, it seems like they've amped up "security" in HP public places because, long story short, I wasn't allowed to open a card with the electric bill I brought that is in the name of the girl we're subleasing from.  OK, I get that.  Made a note to next time bring a copy of our sublease with the real renter of our place.  Then I got an invite to go to another pool so I got over the library fiasco pretty quickly.

When M and I were working at the kitchen table yesterday we noticed that our arms are looking pretty identical these days (besides the tan)

Same ring, hairband, rubber bracelets (hers were a gift from moi!  Paper Source sells these Made With Love bracelets singly for 95 cents each).  It's like when couples have been dating a while and start to look alike.

Last night did not go as planned - no Ghost Bar even though we heard from an insider that Rihanna and Cee Lo Green would be there.  If only we could have pooled $800 to reserve a booth and get bottle service.  It was a night of firsts for me - first saki bomb and 5-Hour Energy!  Hence, the oatmeal.

- CAR -

Love this idea

I was doing some research for work today and I came across this wonderful idea from Shutterfly: A customized Recipe Photo Book

I want to do this for my dad, the chef, for his birthday.

- CAR -

Poor Viv

Gigantic venomous spiders form nightly resting spots on her roof, she roasts in a parking lot in 108 degree heat all day, and in that parking lot, other obnoxious and monstrous vehicles back into her poor little rump and give her volleyball-size dents.  It wasn't easy living up in Ohio where hooligans smashed out her back windshield during a blizzard and she sat abandoned in the Sunset lot for months over breaks but now this?  Maybe I just have really bad luck with this poor car... WHICH I saw a commercial for for the first time ever last night!  In searching for the right Venza commercial, I stumbled across a couple other ads I had never seen before... all of which market the car to a 30-something trendy black male.  I'll leave it at that.

After a much needed lengthy jaunt on the dreadmill, I came back to the rare full refrigerator because M and I went to Kroger last night.  I made a delicious Greek Veggie Wrap that I now wish I had taken a picture of.  Next time.  If you'd like to try it for your next Meatless Monday, here's what I did:

• Sautee chopped red onion, garlic, halved cherry tomatoes and zucchini with olive oil, white wine and herbs de provence.  After they were mostly cooked, I sprinkled some balsamic vinegar (my favorite condiment) over the veggies to let them soak it up
• Cook quinoa
• Mix cooked veggies and some raw sliced bell peppers into the quinoa
• Spread quinoa-veggie mix onto a tortilla with sliced cheese (feta or goat cheese would have been good, too)
• Spoon some tzatziki over the top, then wrap and scarf!

Ok so I linked tzatziki to a Real Simple recipe but I used the store-bought kind.  But the sauce is so easy I don't know why I haven't made it myself yet.  Meanwhile, M wrestled with what looked like an 8 pound bloody block of New York Strip and made beef fajitas.  Ehh...

Now for a quiet night of enjoying my last few days of my Netflix free trial.  Whatever shall I watch?  

- CAR -