something wonderfully delicious

i had plenty of zucchini from the csa farm and started looking around for a new something to make. i found this wonderful recipe on smitten kitchen for a zucchini and ricotta galette. what a perfect summer treat! the crust is so good. it's really so good! (butter will do that!)

i love the ricotta filling. it's light and pairs so well with the other flavors. this is definitely a recipe to try. the pastry dough would be excellent for a fruit filled galette too. (our just bake it plain.)

fresh from the farm: week 4

i can't help but think this week's farm produce is beautiful and colorful. i was so excited to bring it all home! and what a bounty of heirloom tomatoes! this week's loot includes corn, tomatoes (and more tomatoes), zucchini, summer squash, green and purple peppers, onions, melon, eggplant, and basil.

i've made a few delicious dishes already. one of my favorites is an eggplant, tomato, and mozzarella salad recipe that was part of our csa newsletter -- courtesy of ms. martha stewart. it's a twist on the classic caprese salad. and i loved it!

when we sat down to dinner, i thought, "wow, this is a lot more salad that two people need." but i was so happy the next day to have leftovers for lunch. it's worth a try and it is easy to make. (you'll look like a culinary superstar setting this down on the dinner table. or at least that's what mr. pike told me.)


Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
From Martha Stewart.com

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 pound sliced tomatoes
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush two rimmed baking sheets with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil each. Arrange eggplant slices on sheets. Brush tops with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until eggplant is golden and tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

On a serving platter, layer eggplant with sliced mozzarella and tomatoes. Top with basil leaves and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and balsamic vinegar. Serves 6.

fresh from the farm: week 2

we're back home -- almost to our regular routine. and we've received our second delivery of farm fresh produce: spring onions, summer squash, dill, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, kale, green onions, green beans, and red leaf lettuce. lots of green. it all looks so good! fresh produce makes me happy.

and what's been on the menu this past week? tuscan panzanella, thai curry, flat bread pizza to name a few. the panzanella and flat bread pizza turned out really good. i'll share more about those recipes soon.

fresh from the farm: week 1

last friday, i received a newsletter from simply wisconsin -- my csa farm -- letting us know what we'd be receiving in our first share of the season. fresh spinach, arugula, lettuce, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, green garlic, and mint.

since then, i've been eagerly awaiting pick-up day (today!) and making our menu for the week. some of the dishes we'll be trying include strawberry, mint, and spinach salad; green garlic pesto, strawberry rhubarb cobbler, and mint chocolate chunk ice cream.

i quite excited about our farm produce -- like a kid in a toy store. i'm happy to support local farmers who are growing good food responsibly. i feel so much anticipation waiting to see what produce we'll be getting each week. and then i love that i'm getting to experiment in the kitchen with ingredients i might not use very often or at all. like mint, rhubarb, and green garlic. now i have a slew of recipes to make using these ingredients.

it makes me feel excited to cook. you can ask mr. pike. this week's menu was one of the first things i showed him yesterday when he came home from work. "mr. pike, look what i came up with today . . . ."

i'll share some of our recipe successes (or failures) throughout the summer. happy, healthy eating!