The 15th of August

Yes today was a day I should have gone to church. But I did not remember this until I was at work. The fifteenth of August has always had a mystical feel to it. I remember my mom saying that they would be canning tomatoes at this time of year but on 15th of August all work came to a stop. It was a feast day. A day to rest. My sister remembers canning tomatoes and if they got them done in time they would go to see the fireworks. A couple of years ago I got to can tomatoes with my Dad.

August 14, 2010

Well back to the year 2012! The tomatoes at my Dad's are completely out of hand. I love tomatoes but really this is getting crazy. Tonight we had Rigatoni with Plum Tomatoes and Herbs. I found this recipe on La Cucina. It was a uncooked sauce and it was delicious. The onions added a nice crunch to the sauce. Of course it needed more crushed red pepper for us.

The Sauce Recipe -

Fine sea salt
2 pounds plum tomatoes
1 cup packed whole basil leaves,  large leaves torn, plus  more leaves for garnish
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Add tomatoes to the boiling water and cook 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer tomatoes to a bowl (reserve pot of water, covered and removed from heat), then peel and cut into 1/4-inch dice, removing and discarding cores, if tough (do not seed tomatoes). Transfer diced tomatoes, seeds and juices to a large bowl. Add basil, oil, onion, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and generous pinch pepper; stir just to combine. Let stand at room temperature, 30 minutes.

So what did we have for dinner a year ago?

Turkey Piccata?

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

Salad and Eggplant and Tempeh Pot Pie

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

No Post : (

Eggs in Sauce with Green Beans

Eggs in Purgatory or as we call it Eggs in Sauce with Green Beans. This is one of my favorite dinners. The eggs, the sauce and the green beans, fresh from Dad's garden. The only thing this needs is Italian bread! Of course if you leave the kitchen someone may add some cooked bacon to the pot! Nice touch. It was like bacon and eggs with sauce, and green beans.

I just realized for as many times as I have made this meal I have not described how it is prepared. This is one of those dishes that every Italian family makes and everyone has a different recipe. This is how my mom use to make it.

First prepare the sauce. I saute a chopped onion in a pot with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent and then add diced tomatoes, fresh if you have them, and if you don't either stop by my Dad's to pick some up or use canned tomatoes. I let that simmer for about 30 minutes, until the tomatoes break down.

While the sauce is simmering I steam the green beans, or even zucchini works in a pinch. After the beans turn a nice bright green they. Set them aside.

Now back to the sauce. After seasoning the sauce with salt, pepper, oregano and crushed red pepper it is time to add the eggs. The sauce should be bubbling, not boiling but bubbling. Break each egg in a small bowl and slide it into the sauce. Using a spoon cover the sides of the egg with sauce. Repeat this step with however many eggs you use. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot for 15 to 20 minutes, until the eggs poach. We like are eggs on the firm side in this dish so we go for 20 minutes.

Next add those steamed green beans. You could add the green beans to the sauce before you add the eggs. It is really a personal preference.

And yes you can add meat to this dish. As was demonstrated this evening. Chris added some cooked bacon to the pan. Hot dogs would also work. 

Now the most important step is to slice half a loaf of Italian bread. You will want to sop up every drop of this!

Tomato Pizza Rolls and Spinach Salad

When I saw the recipe in Better Homes and Garden for the Tomato Pizza Rolls I wanted to make it immediately. Today I finally tried it. Wow what a great recipe! The dough was great to work with. The tomato filling was scrumptious. Will I make this again? Yes! But next time I will roll the dough out thinner and it was suggested that "sauce" would have be a nice addition!

Then we had the Big Salad. This time it was a Big Spinach Salad. The tomatoes were from my Dad's garden. The chicken was leftover from last night's dinner. And do you know what I have the hardest time preparing? A hard boiled egg! Honestly I can't do it! Other goodies on the salad were chick peas, bacon and olives.

Spaghetti alla Norma

Let me start by saying I am so glad I did not sign up for that CSA program. Between my Dad's garden and Jake's Farm Stand I have more than enough veggies to play with.

Tonight's dinner feature's my Dad's white eggplant. This is the first year he has planted this type of eggplant. I love it. The fruit is nice and small and the taste is lighter than the purple eggplant.

We have not had a tomato sauce in some time, okay we usually have sauce once a week so this has been a long stretch for us. I found this recipe, Spaghetti alla Norma.

I followed the recipe but I made one change... I roasted the eggplant instead of frying it. Yes I have said before that fried eggplant tastes great but roasting is much better for you. So I roasted. And I was glad I did. The flavor of this sauce was amazing. The only sound you heard from the table was "Yum!" Just the sauce on the Italian bread was even good. Perhaps that is what I will have for lunch tomorrow!

I almost forgot about the Spaghetti. It was Lidia's Spaghetti. New house pasta!

So what did we have for dinner a year ago?

Chorizo and Bell Pepper Saute

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

No Post  : (

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

No Post  : (

Heirloom Tomato, Ham and Fontina Frittatta

Tonight's recipe was from the William Sonoma Catalog, Heirloom Tomato, Ham and Fontina Frittatta. When I saw the tomatoes at Jake's I was so happy. They were a little pricey but I only needed a couple. The ham was a nice addition. I used the low sodium ham. And funny thing about sodium... my favorite part of tonight's dinner was the potato chips!

 

So what did we have for dinner a year ago?

Fresh Fried Soft Shell Crab

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

I apologized to my ingredients as I prepared dinner...

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

Grilled Steak, Grilled Corn on the Cob and Rice

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Golden Zucchini, White Eggplant, Red Onion, Red Pepper. All brushed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Grilled to perfection. A little Dijon, Mayo, Horseradish and American Cheese. All that on a big kaiser roll. Ah summer!

So what did we have for dinner a year ago?

Zucchini, Pancetta and Ricotta Tart

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

No Post  : (

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

Ravioli with Bacon, Zucchini and Red Pepper

Roasted Corn Soup with Tomato

 

There are certain catalogs that I look forward to getting in the mail. One would be the William Sonoma catalog. The latest one contained a couple of recipes we will be trying this week. Tonight we had Roasted Corn Soup with Tomato.

I love the corn from Jake's farm stand. When I saw this recipe I imagined how good it could taste. My imagination was spot on. The roasted corn and tomatoes had a wonderful flavor. And the chili powder really added a nice kick. I did not add the cream. First of all I forgot to get it at the store, don't you hate when that happens. And I thought it would be fine without it. I was right. But next time I just might add it.

To go with the soup we had our famous "Big Salad." Fortunately Chris had this constructed by the time I got home.

So what did we have for dinner a year ago?
Gamberi Coi Fagioli, Shrimp and Beans

 

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

Pleasant Cow Cheese and Pain de Campagne

 

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

Grilled Chicken and Zucchini

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Tart

I wish I could remember how I found this link. The recipe is on pages The recipe is on Page 66 and 67 of this link. What an amazing collection of recipes. But when I saw this tart I knew I had to make it. It was so pretty. I think mine looks pretty close to the magazine photo. Okay I need to work on my thin slicing technique and the next time I make this I will start the spiral on the outside and work my way in. And it got a thumbs up from Chris!

The chicken was just the usual. Marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and thyme.

And Happy 13th Birthday Archie!

What do you mean no cake?

So what did we have for dinner a year ago?

No post  : (

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

Sliders and Zucchini Salad

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

Eggplant Rollatini

Grilled Pork Chops, Carrot Salad and Scallion Pancakes!

Yeah that's right, Scallion Pancakes. These are one of our favorite appetizers at Zhang's. Well Zhang's need not worry because theirs are still the best but these were not that bad. There are practically none left. They were quite easy to make. And the sauce was nice, love the fresh ginger!

On to the pork. I marinated it in olive oil, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Nice. Perfectly grilled! Thank you Chris.

The salad. I found that recipe in Better Homes and Garden, Carrot Ribbon Salad. It was okay... Chris liked it so perhaps we will make it again.

So what did we have for dinner a year ago?

Eggplant Stacks with Prosciutto 

 

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers

 

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

No post  : (

Lili's Ratatouille

I found this recipe on Food 52. I had a few veggies from my Dad's garden so this was a perfect one pot meal. What I liked about this recipe was the story that went along with it.  When I was looking for a Ratatouille recipe what caught my eye was the photo of the handwritten recipe. My mom had a drawer filled with recipe cards like that. The Ratatouille was delicious. And we have enough for leftovers that went into the freezer for a later date.

So what did we have for dinner a year ago?

Interestingly the Italian version of Ratatouille!
Vegetarian Ribollita

So what did we have for dinner 2 years ago?

Grilled Pizza

So what did we have for dinner 3 years ago?

Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Really Good Corn