RECIPE: Tomato Jam

Good tomatoes and balance are crucial. You need sugar for the kind of gooey, sticky quality we associate with jam; otherwise, all you’re producing is a tomato sauce, no matter how different the flavor is from the classic. Once you add that sugar, however, you need acid, because even though tomatoes are plenty acidic, they can’t counter all that sugar. I tried lemon juice, vinegar and finally lime, deciding that I liked the last best.

• 1 ½ pounds good ripe tomatoes (Roma are best), cored and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 jalapeño or other peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced, or red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrigerate until ready to use; this will keep at least a week.

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RECIPE: Tomato-Lemon Tart

Using frozen puff pastry is the shortcut that makes this tart a new summer weeknight favorite recipe.

·       1 sheet frozen puff pastry (one 14-ounce package or half of a 17.3-ounce package), thawed

·       All-purpose flour (for dusting)

·       1 garlic clove, finely grated

·       2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for serving

·       1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds, preferably on a mandoline, seeds removed

·       1 cup torn basil leaves

·       1 pound ripe tomatoes (about 3 medium), sliced ¼ inch thick, patted dry with paper towels

·       Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

·       Crème fraîche (for serving)

·       Preheat oven to 375°. Roll out puff pastry on a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper, smoothing out creases, to a large rectangle measuring about 15x10". Prick pastry in a few places with a fork, leaving a 1" border around the edges, then slide parchment paper onto a rimmed baking sheet.

·       Combine garlic and 1 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl and brush dough with garlic oil, staying within border. Arrange lemon slices in a single layer over brushed pastry, then scatter basil over lemon slices.

·       Arrange tomatoes on top (a little overlap is okay). Sprinkle with lots of salt and a few grinds of pepper, then drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil.

·       Bake tart until edges of pastry are browned, puffed, and crisp, 30–35 minutes. Let tart cool 10 minutes before cutting into 8 pieces. Drizzle with more oil and top each with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Notes:

First, let’s start with the frozen puff pastry. You’re going to find it in the freezer aisle of your supermarket, by the frozen pizzas. They’ll usually come in a pack of two or four and TBH, this tart is as good leftover as it is hot, so make more than one! Oh, and it needs to thaw overnight in the fridge. This part is non-negotiable—if you try to work with it while it's frozen, it'll crack, and if you try to thaw it quickly it'll get weird and gummy.

Moving on. You’re preheating your oven to 375°F degrees and rolling your puff pastry onto parchment paper. IMPORTANT: wax paper and parchment paper aren’t the same thing, and you don’t want your oven to become a big old smoke box. Make yourself a drink, take a big sip, and then prick the rolled out dough with a fork a few times in the center of the dough, which will allow steam to escape and help the thing keep its shape. Combine a clove of grated garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil in a little bowl, and brush this garlicky oil onto the PP. (PP stands for puff pastry, obvs.) If you don’t have a pastry brush, neither do I. Use your fingers! It’s fun, promise.

Then, you’re going to slice half of a lemon thinly and scatter those slices—rind and all, but without the seeds!—all over your PP. Use as much as you’d like, though I prefer it a little light on the lemon and heavy on the tomatoes. toss some torn basil onto your tart. Then you’re going to cut up your tomatoes into rounds and layer that onto your puff pastry. A little overlap is good! This is a tomato tart in case you forgot. You’re going to sprinkle with a generous amount of salt, pepper and oil and throw that bad boy into the oven. It’ll probably take about 35 minutes, but just watch for browning on the edges and bottom of the pastry!  grab some creme fraiche or ricotta on the way over to dollop on top.

RECIPE: Easy Summer Salad with Tomatoes, Corn, Mint

Combine 1 big heirloom tomato sliced, raw corn sliced from the cob, crumbled Feta cheese, diced Mint, sprinkled with an aromatic nutty olive oil.  So delicious and so simple!

RECIPE: Garlicky Burst Tomato Sauce

1 pint cherry tomatoes

5 garlic cloves

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)

Dash of crushed red pepper

Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is shimmering, add the garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper.  Your kitchen should start to smell like garlic! Be careful though and watch the garlic, as you don’t want it to burn. Once the garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds to a minute), add the tomatoes to the pan, stirring occasionally until they soften and burst.

To serve:

With pasta: cook pasta 2-3 minutes shy of the directions on the package and add drained (but not rinsed) pasta to the warm sauce, along with ½ cup to 1 cup reserved pasta water and ¼ cup to ½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese.  Stir and allow the sauce to emulsify and the pasta to finish cooking in the sauce.

With chicken: season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and brown chicken in a separate pan, about 5 minutes each side.  Add to the pan with the sauce and let finish cooking in the sauce.

With salmon: season salmon with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and cook in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Top cooked salmon with sauce before serving.

RECIPE: Eggplant Caponata

From https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/caponata This is a delicious and complex dish, sure to impress! Ingredients 1-2 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces\ 4 Tablespoons olive oil (2T / 2T, see below) 1 large onion, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped ¼ cup chopped green olives 2 teaspoons capers 1 large tomato, chopped 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon sugar Recipe Preheat oven to 400.  Coat eggplant with 2T olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread evenly on a baking sheet.  Roast, stirring at least once to prevent burning, in oven until brown, up to 30 minutes. Meanwhile on the stovetop, heat a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add 2T olive oil, and when oil is hot, add the onions, celery, olives and capers, salt and pepper, and cook slowly for 15 minutes.  Add ½ cup water, the sugar, and the vinegar and bring to boil then reduce to simmer until half of the liquid is gone, about 5 minutes.   Add the eggplant to the onion mixture and stir well.

RECIPE: Easy Baked Zucchini and Eggplant

Ingredients:

- 1 pound Eggplant, cubed

- ½ pound Zucchini, cubed

- Olive Oil, salt and pepper

Optionally, add any or all of the below:

- ½ pound fresh tomatoes

- 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped or smashed

- 4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

- 4 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

- 4 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 350.  Cut eggplant and zucchini into 1” cubes.  (If using fresh tomatoes, cube them as well).  

Place in a large bowl, lightly cover in olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well.  (Add any of the other optional ingredients at this time. Taste a piece of zucchini to check seasoning and adjust as necessary.)

Put the veggie mix into a casserole dish and place into preheated oven.  After 20 minutes check the tenderness of the veggies, and if you want to cook longer, cover with tin foil.

RECIPE: Succotash with Parsley Drizzle

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 ears corn, or 2 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 (10-ounce) package frozen lima beans, thawed

1 medium zucchini (about 1/2 pound) quartered lengthwise and sliced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Parsley Drizzle:

1 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons water, as needed to slacken

Directions

If using ears of corn, cut the kernels off and set aside. Discard the cobs.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the corn, lima beans, zucchini, and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.

Stir the vinegar and basil into the succotash, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve. Garnish with Parsley Drizzle.

Parsley Drizzle: Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

RECIPE: Tomato Mint Cucumber Salad

2 large cucumbers, chopped

3l arge tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2/4 red onion, chopped

1/2 c chopped mint leaves

3 tbsp olive oil

1/3 c red wine vinegar

1 tbsp white sugar

1 tsp salt

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl, toss together the cucumbers, vinegar, sugar and salt. Let stand at room temperature for an hour, stirring occasionally.

2. Add tomatoes, onion, mint and oil to cucumbers and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

RECIPE: Ratatouille

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup tomato puree. (I used Muir Glen tomato sauce)

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/2 onion, thinly sliced then cut in half. It's ok if the pieces come apart. I used a mandolin for all the vegetables, to get thin even slices.

1 small eggplant, sliced. Cut slices in half, if needed. Or you can use a smaller Italian eggplant, if available.

2 small zucchini, sliced thinly

3-4 roma tomatoes, sliced thinly.

2 small yellow squashes, sliced thinly

2 red peppers, sliced thinly. I cut my pepper in half, sliced it thinly, then used 1-4 pieces when layering.

1-2 tsp. thyme- you will sprinkle over the top

1-2 tsp. basil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Pour tomato sauce in the bottom of a round, oval or square baking dish. I used a round one to create the spiraled effect, but any type of dish would work. My dish measures 10 1/2 inches across

Add the minced garlic and one tablespoon of olive oil into the tomato sauce. Stir to blend and season with salt, pepper, and a small sprinkling of basil (approx. 1/2 tsp.)

Wash all of your vegetables, and dry thoroughly. Trim ends.

Using a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer, or a very sharp knife cut the onion, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and peppers approximately 1/16-inch thick.

In your palm or on your cutting board, layer your vegetables in a pattern. This was my pattern, eggplant, tomato, onion, yellow squash, red pepper, zucchini, tomato, eggplant...repeat.

Once I had a sizeable stack, I placed it on its side in my dish. The purple side of the eggplant should be up. I started on the outside of the dish and worked my way in.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to the size of your baking dish and tuck in the paper around the edges. This will help seal in steam.

Bake for 35-45 minutes.

Notes

We sometimes top with mozzarella cheese and call it dinner! You can also use a hard cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano. Spoon over cous cous, rice, or quinoa for a heartier meal.

RECIPE: Classic Wedge Salad

Ingredients

Iceberg Lettuce, cut into wedges of desired size and additional mixed greens if desired

1-2 large Cucumbers, cut in quarters and sliced

1 medium Red Onion, diced

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, cut in halves and quarters

4-6 strips of Bacon, diced and rendered in a pan, optional

Crumbled Blue Cheese

Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Method

1.      Combine blue cheese, olive oil, the juice of one lemon and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix with a whisk until combined and creamy dressing begins to form.

2.      Rinse and chop vegetables according to the directions above.

3.      Arrange iceberg wedges on top of mixed greens (if using) and scatter cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes and bacon on top.

4.      Dress with blue cheese dressing.

RECIPE: Zucchini and Basil Slow Cooker Fritatta

10 eggs

2 small or 1 medium-to-large zucchini

handful of chopped or torn basil leaves

1/4 cup almond or dairy milk

1/2 tsp of dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

parchment paper

optional add ins:  greens, tomatoes, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella...the list goes on!

1. Chop the zucchini in half, then into quarters.  The slices should be about 1/4" thick.

2. Lightly oil a skillet and sautee the zucchini and dried oregano for ~ 5 minutes, until lightly done.  If adding greens or other vegetables, sautee them as well.  Set aside and let cool.

3. Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper til frothy.

4. Line a slow cooker with parchment paper for ease of removal and ease of clean up.  If not using parchment, generously grease the sides of the cooker.

5. Pour egg mixture into the slow cooker.  Add the vegetables and any other mix-ins.

6. Add basil to the top.  Ensure that it's semi-submerged in the egg mixture.

7. Cook on high for 2.5 hours or until it looks set on top.  

8. Remove from cooker using parchment paper.  Let rest on a cooling rack until desired temperature.

Serving notes: Make it a meal by adding a simple green salad.  Also makes great pack-ahead lunches and breakfasts!

Vegetable Chili

Vegetable Chili

Makes 8 Portions

Ingredients

• ¾ cup olive oil
• 2 zucchini, cut into ½-inch dice
• 2 onions, cut into ½-inch dice
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 large red bell peppers, cored and cut into ¼-inch dice
• 1 can (35 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 ½ pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons good-quality chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1 cup canned dark red kidney beans, drained
• 1 cup canned chick-peas (garbanzos), drained
• ½ cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 scallions (green onions), white bulb and 3 inches green, sliced on the diagonal

Preparation

1.Heat ½ cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, and sauté until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a large flameproof casserole or dutch oven.

2.Heat the remaining ¼ cup oil in the skillet over low heat. Add the onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Sauté until just wilted, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the casserole, along with the oil remaining in the skillet.

3.Place the casserole over low heat. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, the fresh tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, pepper, salt, fennel seeds, and parsley. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 30 minutes.

4.Stir in the kidney beans, chick-peas, dill and lemon juice; cook for another 15 minutes. Stir well, and adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve with bowls of sour cream, grated cheese, and sliced scallions alongside.

Quinoa Tabuleh

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced or run through a garlic press

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1-2 large cucumbers or 2-3 persian cucumbers, cut into ¼ inch pieces

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or larger tomatoes chopped

2/3 cup parsley, chopped

½ cup fresh mint, chopped

2 scallions, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

Freshly ground black pepper

Bring quinoa, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, and scallions to bowl with quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining dressing over.

Summer Succotash

Summer Succotash

Ingredients

Tomatoes, about 1 lb diced or cut in half and quarters if using smaller varieties - Assorted varieties and colors make the most visually pleasing results

1-2 large Cucumbers, cut in quarters and sliced

1-2 ears of Corn, husked and kernels cut from cob

1 small Red Onion, thinly sliced

Chopped Cilantro, if you do not like

cilantro you can use parsley

Lime Juice

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper, optional

Method

1. Prepare vegetables. To cut corn

from cob, place a small bowl

upside down inside of a larger

bowl. Stand the corn up on the

small bowl and cut from top

down to remove kernels from

corn.

2. Mix tomatoes, cucumbers, corn,

red onion and herbs together

gently.

3. Season with salt, pepper and

crushed red pepper, if desired.

4. Dress with olive oil and lime

juice.

5. Serve with grilled shrimp or

fish.

Caprese Salad

Ingredients

Assorted Tomatoes – Thinly sliced Heirloom Tomatoes make the best Caprese, but any kind of tomatoes will do. If using smaller varieties, cut in halves and quarters

Fresh Mozzarella – Allow cheese to come to room temperature and slice with a serrated or dull knife to create shreds of different sizes

Basil – Keep basil leaves whole or chiffonade into thin strips

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The best you can find.

Salt and Pepper

Method

1.     Layer sliced tomatoes on a platter. Season with salt and pepper.

2.     Spread mozzarella evenly over tomatoes. Drizzle a good amount of extra virgin olive oil over tomatoes and mozzarella.

3.     Spread basil leaves over tomatoes and mozzarella. Serve immediately.

Alternate: Mix ingredients with fresh lettuces for a greener Caprese Salad and dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Pasta With Seared Zucchini and Ricotta Salata

Pasta With Seared Zucchini and Ricotta Salata

½ teaspoon salt, more as needed

½ pound pasta, preferably farro pasta (or CSA pasta!)

2 small, slim zucchini (about 3/4 pound), trimmed and quartered lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

6 sprigs fresh thyme, more for serving

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges

2 ounces ricotta salata, more for serving

 Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook farro pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, cut zucchini into 1 1/2-inch lengths.
3. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and let heat for 30 seconds. Add zucchini in one layer and cook without touching or moving for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme, flip the zucchini and cook 3 more minutes while stirring occasionally.
4. Add tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until tomatoes start to break down. Stir in the al dente pasta, lemon zest and crumbled cheese. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and serve garnished with more fresh thyme, ricotta salata and lemon wedges.

Bruschetta 5 Ways

Bruschetta is a general term for a classic Italian dish with endless styles and variations. We often think of Bruschetta as tomatoes on bread, but really anything put on thick, grilled bread, and even the bread itself is considered to be Bruschetta. Often eaten during the day for lunch, or as an appetizer to dinner, the fresh flavor of the vegetables and crispy bread is the most simple and fantastic way to start a meal or enjoy your summer harvest.

All Bruschetta starts with good bread. Rustic bread in big, thick slices, brushed with olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper and lightly grilled until the outside is crispy with grill marks but still soft and tender inside. Slice the bread too small, too thin, grill or bake it too long and you’ll end up with something more like a crostini and that’s not what this is all about. Rub the grilled bread with the inside of a clove of garlic, brush with a little more olive oil and you’re ready to pile on whatever. Or just eat it like that…

Tomato

Assorted Tomatoes – Dice tomatoes if you’re using big ones; halve and quarter if you are using smaller varieties

Olive Oil – A good amount, enough to coat tomatoes

Balsamic Vinegar – 1 teaspoon, optional

Yellow Onion or Shallots – Minced optional

Herbs – Chopped parsley or basil chiffonade, optional.

Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix gently. Season to taste.

Mushroom

Assorted mushrooms – Any kind of mushrooms will do. They don’t have to be assorted but it’s nice if they are. Sliced or roughly chopped to your preference

Olive Oil or Butter for sautéing – I prefer half and half

Herbs – Chopped parsley, tarragon or thyme. You can also sauté the mushrooms with a sprig of sage and remove it when they are done

Salt and Pepper

Sauté mushrooms until brown. Remember, don’t crowd the pan!

Season to taste. If using herbs, add just before removing the mushrooms from the pan. You can skip the herbs if you don’t want to overpower the mushrooms. Add a drop of cream or a drizzle of truffle oil to bring it the next level.

Zucchini

Assorted Zucchini – Green, yellow or a combination of both, sliced thinly lengthwise.

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper, optional

Herbs – Chopped parsley, optional

Rub sliced zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill on high until zucchini has grill marks and is beginning to fall apart. Shred grilled zucchini lightly with two forks. Season to taste, add herbs if using and a good glug of olive oil.

Eggplant

Assorted Eggplant – Any kind will do, sliced thinly lengthwise

Olive Oil – A lot of olive oil, otherwise the eggplant will be dry

Parsley – Chopped, optional

Garlic – 1 clove through a garlic press, optional

Salt and Pepper

Rub sliced eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill on high until eggplant has grill marks and is beginning to fall apart. Shred grilled eggplant lightly with two forks. Season to taste, add herbs if using and a good glug of olive oil.

Roasted Peppers

Bell Peppers – Red, yellow, orange or a combination of the three

Olive Oil

Garlic – A few cloves smashed

Parsley – Chopped, optional

Salt and Pepper

On a gas stove, place peppers directly on flame and turn until charred all over. Place charred peppers in paper bag and let steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove stem and core and rinse peppers under cold water until most, but not all, of the charred skin is removed from the flesh. Small pieces of the charred skin add to the character of the dish. Dry and slice into thing strips. Add smashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper and herbs if using. Drizzle a good amount of olive oil and mix gently until combined. If you desire to store in fridge for a longer period of time, place peppers in mason jar and cover with olive oil.

Bruschetta is great for the summer. It’s refreshing and makes a great lunch, whether you are home or going on a picnic. It’s also a great way to start a dinner or party. Having the bread grilled in a basket and the vegetables set up in bowls lets your guests make bites to their own tastes. Serve alongside thinly sliced soppressata, prosciutto and capicola rolled and stacked. Some baby arugula gives the option for a little spiciness. Don’t forget a big piece of mozzarella or burrata and a harder cheese like provolone or scamorza. A jar of pesto and some good extra virgin olive oil with a little balsamic is a nice touch. Assorted olives, stuffed hot peppers, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes round out the antipasti and make the perfect Italian lunch.

Greek Salad (three other ways!)

Greek Salad

Ingredients

Tomatoes, about 1 lb diced or cut in half and quarters if using smaller varieties - Assorted varieties and colors make the most visually pleasing results

1-2 large Cucumbers, cut in quarters and sliced

1 medium Red Onion, diced

Kalamata Olives, pitted and roughly chopped

Oregano, fresh or dried

Feta Cheese, crumbled

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

Method

1.      Rinse and chop vegetables according to the directions above.

2.      Mix in a large bowl. Add oregano, olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

3.      Crumble desired amount of feta cheese on top of salad and mix gently before serving. Crumble more cheese on top if desired.

Greek Salad 3 Other Ways

The above recipe can be used in a number of different ways.

1.      Add above recipe to greens for a leafier option.

2.      Cook 1 cup of pearled barley or farro in 2 ½ cups of water or stock until done. Mix cooked barley with vegetables before dressing. You may need to use more olive oil and red wine vinegar than when just dressing the vegetables.

3.      Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 1 ½ cups water or stock and mix with vegetables prior to dressing.

4.      Mix with 1 lb cooked pasta of a small variety. Add additional dressing or squeeze of lemon as needed.

Impossibly Easy Zucchini Pie

Impossibly Easy  Zucchini Pie

Ingredients

1

cup chopped zucchini

1

cup chopped tomato 

1/2

cup chopped onion 

1/3

cup grated Parmesan cheese

2/3

cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix

3/4

cup fat-free (skim) milk

2

eggs or 1/2 cup fat-free cholesterol-free egg product

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

Directions

·        1 Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease bottom and side of pie plate, 9x1 1/4 inches.

·        2 Sprinkle zucchini, tomato, onion and cheese evenly in pie plate.

·        3 Stir together remaining ingredients with fork until blended. Pour evenly into pie plate.

·        4 Bake about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

sweet and sour cabbage

Serves 4 to 6 (I often make half this quantity with a half a cabbage head)

3 TBSP olive oil

½ cup thinly sliced onions

1-1/2 lbs. cabbage, cut into ¼ inch strips (about 8 cups)

3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 TBSP wine vinegar

2 tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 TBSP sugar

Optional: 12 – 16 oz. extra firm tofu (press it for 20 minutes)

In a heavy 10 to 12 inch skillet, add the onions and olive oil and stir constantly over moderate heat for 2 or 3 minutes until transparent but not brown.  Stir in cabbage, tomatoes, a few grindings of pepper. Simmer uncovered, stirring for 20 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Then stir the sugar and vinegar into the cabbage and cook a minute or 2 longer.  Serve in a heated dish (also tastes good cold) as a side vegetable to accompany a fish or meat course or – for vegetarians – add tofu to this dish at the point that you add the cabbage and the tomatoes (I press my tofu for 20 minutes) and it is a lovely vegetarian main dish!