The Simplest (And Prettiest) Summer Salad

Isn't that just the most gorgeous salad?  I love the vivid colors of summer tomatoes, black balsamic reduction, creamy white mozzarella, and bright green basil.  When vine ripe tomatoes are at their peak, I like to turn to Caprese Salad as a pot luck dish, or an elegant side dish for any night of the week.

I made this salad for my Mom's garden party a couple weeks ago, and I'm making it again tomorrow night when Wade and I entertain my parents and two close friends of the family during our small town's annual festival and fireworks celebration.  It's a cinch to make a few hours and advance and keep in the fridge until serving time, though it is probably best to keep the balsamic reduction in a separate container until just before serving time so that it looks nice and fresh.  Red tomatoes are beautiful in this salad, but heirloom tomatoes add a nice homey touch and visual appeal

•Approximately 2 1/2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes

•1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese

•A small handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

•1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Simmer the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat until it has reduced by about 2/2 and has a light syrup-like consistency.  Set aside.

Slice the tomatoes thickly and set aside.  Slice the mozzarella cheese into thin slices and set aside.

Layer the tomatoes and cheese slices out in a fan shape on a large serving platter, alternating cheese and tomatoes.  Drizzle with the balsamic reduction.  Sprinkle the finely chopped basil over the salad and serve.

Quick Summer Squash with Preserved Lemon

This recipe is so easy it almost isn't a recipe.  I love preserved lemons and make a quart jar every winter, but sometimes it is hard to find ways to use them.  Chicken Tagine with green olives is a favorite as is rice pilaf, but they are also great with a simple baked chicken with fresh herbs.  Preserved lemons add a nice depth to sauteed squash to help mix things up in the summer when summer squash is available in abundance.

•1 Tablespoon olive oil

•3 cloves garlic, minced

•2 large summer squash- crooked neck, yellow, or zucchini, sliced

•1/4 of a preserved lemon, rinsed and finely chopped

•1 teaspoon dried thyme

•a sprinkling of kosher salt, to taste (optional, preserved lemons are a bit salty)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot add garlic and sauté until lightly browned.  Add the sliced squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and nicely browned in spots.  Stir in the preserved lemon, thyme, and salt, if using.  Serve immediately.

Moroccan Rice Pilaf

After making preserved lemons a couple winters ago I love to find tasty ways to utilize them in different meals.  The base recipe for this Moroccan Rice Pilaf comes from Put 'Em Up by Sherri Brooks Vinton, the same book where I originally got the recipe to make preserved lemons.  To spice it up a bit I used a few of the spices from the combination in the Chicken and Olive Tagine that we had a few months back.

I like this recipe because it is a great pantry recipe for times when the cupboards become rather bare in between trips to the grocery store. I sometimes serve large portions as a vegetarian meal with yogurt and flatbread on the side.  Small portions work nicely as a side dish alongside grilled meat or fish.

•2 Tablespoons olive oil

•1/2 onion, diced

•3 cloves garlic, minced

•1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed, flesh removed and finely diced

•4 cups chicken broth

•1 bay leaf

•1 Tablespoon curry powder

•1 teaspoon paprika

•1 teaspoon cumin

•1 teaspoon allspice

•2 cups uncooked white rice

•2 cups cooked chickpeas

•2 Tablespoons dried parsley, or a handful of fresh, minced

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Saute the onion, and garlic for a few minutes until the onion begins to sweat.  Add the preserved lemon and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil.  Add the Bay leaf, curry, paprika, cumin, allspice, and chickpeas. If using dried parsley add it now. Add at the end if using fresh. Simmer, covered, over medium or medium low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.  Fluff and add fresh parsley

Rhubarb Dal

Indian dals, or lentils,  are some of the simplest and most flavorful recipes around, not to mention frugal.  I make lots of dals from the recipes at Quick Indian Cooking when I am eating at home by myself because they come together so fast and they are relatively healthy.  It keeps me away from Taco Bell.  Most of the time...

A while back I commented on another lentil recipe that looks really tasty over at Ma Vie en Food.  Sarah, the author of the blog, also directed me to two other lentil recipes.  Since I have some rhubarb from last summer chopped up in the freezer I thought I'd give this recipe a try.  I don't really know what to do with rhubarb besides dessert sorts of things, and Wade and I are neither one big fans of sweet things.  The tanginess of rhubarb blends unexpectedly well with savory, earthy Indian spices.  I improvised a bit and meshed together a couple of spices and cooking techniques from other dal recipes.  This is very healthy and filling when served over brown rice with a little bit of lemon juice and chutney.

•1 cup dried red lentils
•1/2 teaspoon turmeric
•1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
•1 small onion, diced finely
•2 Tablespoons ginger, minced
•2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
•4 green cardamom pods
•4 whole cloves
•1 Tablespoon ghee, or vegetable oil
•1 teaspoon black pepper
•1 dried red chile
•1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
•1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•Salt, to taste

Place the red lentils, turmeric, rhubarb, onion,  garlic, ginger, cardamom, and cloves in a medium sized saucepan.  Cover with water by about two inches.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Continue cooking until the lentils become tender and begin to disintegrate, adding water as necessary.  Heat the ghee or oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the dried pepper, black pepper, cumin seeds, and cayenne.  Cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute.  The spices should have a pungent smell, but not smell burned.  Remove the dried pepper and stir the mixture into the lentils.  Season with a little salt, if desired.  Serve over rice with some lemon and chutney.

Winging It: Summer Squash Curry

The end of the summer is always a bittersweet time in the kitchen.  I look forward to heartier meals of winter squash, pumpkin, apples, cabbage, sausage, red meats, etc. but I also try to hang on to the last bit of summer produce for as long as possible.  


We had a ton of leftover rice from when we had beef enchiladas the other night, (I never make the right amount, there is always way too much or not enough) so we decided that we needed to use that up.  We also had a few summer squash on the counter that needed to be used before they got all shriveled.


Wade and I originally planned to make Madhur Jaffrey's recipe for Mushroom Curry, subbing out  the mushrooms for summer squash, but as usually happens when we cook together, the dish turned into something completely different altogether.  It was spicy, filling, and complex, and luckily also super easy.


•1 large zucchini, sliced
•1 large summer squash, sliced
•1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger
•1 large onion, cut into large chunks
•3 cloves garlic, peeled
•2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (or ghee, if you have it)
•1/2 cup plain yogurt
•1 medium to large tomato, chopped finely
•2 teaspoons ground coriander
•1/2 teaspoon tumeric
•1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•1 teaspoon ground cumin
•Salt and Pepper to taste
•1 teaspoon garam masala
•A handful of fresh, chopped cilantro
•Cooked rice


Pulse the ginger, garlic, and onion together in a food processor until very, very finely chopped.  Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the sliced squash just until it starts to soften.  This should only take about 3-4 minutes.  You don't want to overcook the squash. Remove the squash with a slotted spoon and set aside.  

Add the onion mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown.  Add the yogurt, a little at a time, until thoroughly incorporated into the onion mixture.  Add the chopped tomato. Add all of the spices, except for the garam masala and stir well.  Add the squash back into the sauce and heat through.  Stir in the cilantro and garam masala just before serving. Serve over rice.  

Eggplants Everywhere

This is the first year I have ever grown eggplants.  They are quite prolific.  Our two plants have given us far more eggplant than we could reasonable use without becoming absolutely sick of it.  We did the babaghanoush, eggplant parmesan, eggplant creole, grilled eggplant, tossed eggplant pasta, and some other things I'm surely forgetting.  But they keep coming.  I picked six the other day and preserved them.  Then I picked a great big one for my Mom when she was visiting.  There are about seven more that will be ready within the week.  We are getting a little tired of them now, but I know we'll miss them in the middle of winter.  So, I'd like to share with you two ways to preserve eggplants.  There aren't really recipes to either of these, just methods.  

Eggplant Preserved in Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil

The first is eggplant preserved in olive oil.  Kept in the fridge, it would make a great snack on its own or a nice addition to salads.  It could even be chopped up and added to pasta sauce for a nice flavor.  I originally found this recipe at The Slow Cook.

Take 2-3 medium to large eggplants.  Peel them and cut into bite sized slices or pieces.  Salt generously, (not too much!  I used about 1 or 2 Tablespoons of kosher salt) and place in a colander over a bowl to drain in the refrigerator, at least 12 hours.  I wasn't able to get to mine the next day, so they were draining for about 30 hours.  It didn't seem to make much of a difference.

Toss the eggplant pieces with any vinegar of your choice.  I used balsamic.  A red wine or a flavored vinegar, like pomegranate, would also be good.

Slice a few cloves of garlic very thinly.  Grab some fresh basil leaves.

Layer the eggplant, garlic slices, and basil in a glass jar until full.  Be sure to pack it all in tightly.  Top with olive oil.  This will keep in the fridge for quite a while.  I think we had ours for about a month or two.  We definitely ate it all up before it got bad.  According to the original recipe, it actually gets better with age.

So enjoy it in a few months when you are in the mood for eggplant again.

Panfried Breaded Eggplant

The next recipe is almost as simple.  Simply heat about 1/4 inch of olive oil in a shallow frying pan over medium high heat.  Prepare three plates or shallow bowls.  Put a cup or so of flour on the first plate.  Beat a few eggs together in another bowl.  Mix some dried breadcrumbs and whatever seasonings you would like together on the last plate.

Slice up the rest of your eggplants, about 1/2 inch thick.

Dredge the slices first in flour, then dip in eggs, then in the breadcrumb mixture.  Fry until golden brown on each side.  This should only take 2-4 minutes on each side.  Add more oil to the pan as necessary.

Drain on paper towels.  When they are completely cooled, place in freezer bags and freeze for several months.  Make eggplant parmesan, sandwiches, cut them up and add them to pizza or pasta, or layer with cheese and other vegetables for a meatless main dish.

End of Summer Pesto Veggie Bars

My Mom came up to make some curtains for our kitchen today.  Since I don't know how to sew I wasn't a whole lot of help.  She was going to book club in the evening and mentioned that she needed to run to the store to grab a snack to take since she didn't have time to make one. I had several yellow tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers from the garden on the kitchen counter, so I offered to whip up an appetizer for the book club. 

We decided on a veggie tart because it used ingredients I had on hand and would travel well.  With a biscuit crust, pesto cream cheese and a variety of fresh vegetables topped with parmesan cheese these veggie bars are easy to make and versatile.  You could use any combination of vegetables that you have on hand.  Sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, green onions, mushrooms, and thinly sliced carrots would all be nice additions to these bars.

•1 heaping cup of all purpose flour
•1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/4 cup shortening
•1/2 cup milk 
•1/4 cup pesto- homemade or prepared
•1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
•Assorted fresh vegetables, chopped into small pieces-  I used some fresh onion, a yellow tomato, one red tomato, some green pepper, and a small cucumber
•A few Tablespoons Parmesan cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease an 8x8 inch pan.  Set aside.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl.  Mix in the shortening with a fork until the mixture is crumbly.  Stir in the milk to form a dough.  Press the dough into the bottom of the baking pan and bake for 11-13 minutes, until done.  Let cool completely.

Mix the cream cheese and pesto together in a small bowl.  Spread the cream cheese mixture over the biscuit crust making sure to cover all the edges and corners. 

Top with fresh vegetables and freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.  Chill until serving.  Cut into small squares.

My Take on Sagg Aloo

Saag Aloo is a British Indian curry made with spinach and potatoes.  I'm completely addicted to Indian food, and this is a really simple recipe to make with ingredients that are nearly always on hand at our house.

While I originally found this recipe at one of my favorite cooking blogs, Quick Indian Cooking, I have messed around with some spices and ingredients to suit our tastes.  So, my version of Saag Aloo is probably not terribly authentic, but still tasty nonetheless.  I have added cayenne pepper to up the spiciness of the dish because the two of us can never have enough spice.  Since frozen spinach looks sort of well, blah, I added some turmeric to brighten up the color.  The addition of yogurt provides a nice texture and helps the spices blend and mellow together.

•2 tablespoons coconut oil
•1 onion, chopped
•3 cloves garlic, chopped
•1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed (can also substitute fresh spinach if it is available)
•2 tablespoons lemon juice
•2 long green chilies, chopped- I used a couple Anaheim chilies from the garden.  Serranos or jalapenos would work as well.
•4 small potatoes, diced into medium chunks
•1 teaspoon cumin
•1 teaspoon coriander
•1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•1/2 teaspoon turmeric
•1/2 teaspoon garam masala
•Salt, to taste.
•1/2 cup plain yogurt, or greek yogurt

Thaw the spinach in the microwave.  Mix together the spinach, chilies, and lemon juice set aside.  Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until golden, about five minutes.  Add the potatoes and all of the spices except the garam masala.  Cook for a few minutes more being careful to not let the spices burn.  Add the spinach mixture and about two cups of water to the pan, just to barely cover the potatoes.  Turn heat down to medium.  Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.  This took about 20 minutes. Stir in yogurt and garam masala. Salt to taste.

Saag Aloo is great served with steamed rice and nann bread, maybe with a cucumber yogurt salad on the side.