Tag Archives: tomatoes

recipes, Suggested Servings, summer

Suggested Servings: Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella Pasta

Most nights I throw together dinner based on what’s in the refrigerator and the pantry, cooking by the seat of my pants without a recipe. Sometimes these are the best dinners I make, and I want to share them with you. There are no proper recipes for these dinners and what I share is merely a suggestion. If the idea appeals to you, run with it and make it your own. Share your variations and the unique spin you put on it, and have fun in the kitchen, cooking without a book. 

We’ve been getting a lot of eggplant in our CSA this summer, which initially presented a bit of a challenge. Sean has never been a big fan of eggplant, so I had to find a way to make this sometimes tricky vegetable appealing to him. I’m pleased to say, I think I’ve succeeded in making him, if not an eggplant fan, at least a passing acquaintance. And this pasta might have had something to do with it.

Continue reading Suggested Servings: Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella Pasta →

recipes, summer

Grilled Pizza with Eggplant and Pesto

2 Comments

Grilled Pizza on a Cutting Board

Pizza night is the best. A round of crispy dough topped with melting cheese and salty meats and fresh, just-cooked vegetables? It never fails to bring a smile to my face. I went through a period a few years ago when I might have been a tad bit obsessed with making the perfect pizza. I was obsessed enough to crank our oven up to 550 degrees in the middle of a Boston summer, making our apartment basically uninhabitable. I did not care. It was all in the service of pizza.

We might not be dealing with record temperatures and humidity here in the Bay, but I’m still wary of forcing the oven to its highest limits in the summer. But pizza on the grill? Totally do-able. I’ve been wanting to try making grilled pizza for ages, but…gah, it seemed so finicky. Pizza dough can be insufferably sticky, and visions of grill grate disasters plagued me. I was worried for no reason. Pizza on the grill is way easier than you might imagine. And fun, besides.
Continue reading Grilled Pizza with Eggplant and Pesto →

recipes

Millet Salsa Salad

2 Comments

Bowl of salad with millet, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions

Our cupboards are overflowing with grains. Sean and I went on a bit of a bulk aisle shopping spree, and we’re fully stocked up with millet, spelt, kamut, barley, kasha, rice…it’s a good thing I love grain salads so much. It’s going to be a whole grain kind of summer.

Last I week I was inspired by the tomatoes and jalapeños that came in our Full Belly Farm box. I thought about making salsa, but I’m trying to stop pretending that tortilla chips are health food. Then I had a sudden salad brainstorm. I’m so glad I did. This salad tastes exactly like summer. I served it with some grilled salmon and little smidgen of chipotle crema, and it was the most standout dinner of the week, hands down.
Continue reading Millet Salsa Salad →

recipes

Summer Tomato and Feta Salad

Tomato Salad with Feta

Do you ever do that thing where you buy tomatoes before it’s really and truly time, because you just want it to be summer so badly, but you end up sad and disappointed because they’re inevitably mealy and flavorless? Yeah, I did that a few months ago. It was a bummer. So when tomato season hit for reals, I knew I had to make up for that earlier sad scene. I had to showcase these beauties in a way that was deserving. This salad is so deserving.
Continue reading Summer Tomato and Feta Salad →