Summer Squash Sausage Boats

Summer squash and tomatoes from the garden in this recipe. Brown Italian sausage with minced garlic. Add chopped fresh tomatoes and cook until liquid is reduced. Set aside to cool. Slice yellow summer squash length-wise and scoop out the seeds. Mix a little shredded Parmesan cheese and mozzarella with the sausage and tomatoes. Fill squash and bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes. Then run them under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp the tops. Of all the experiments with summer squash this year, this one is, so far, the best.

White Tomato Bisque

White tomatoes? Yep. I grew some in my garden this year. Each tomato weighs at least a pound. They have hardly any seeds and the citrus flavors are strong. Recipe: simmer two chopped tomatoes and let them cool. Saute chopped onion and minced garlic in a bit of olive oil and butter. Make sure the onions and garlic don't brown. Add a little chicken broth, the simmered tomatoes, and a few basil leaves. Bubble until reduced by about one-third. Press through a sieve, reserving some of the solids - but no basil. Return strained mixture to the stove-top and season with white pepper and salt. Whisk in about a 1/2 cup of heavy cream at medium-low heat. Stir in reserved solids and garnish with fresh basil.

Got Tomatoes?

Tomatoes and basil from the garden - turned into tomato-basil sauce for future dinners and cooking projects. Recipe: Pulse sliced tomatoes, basil and salt in a food processor until it becomes a chunky slurry. Saute onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until slightly browned. Add tomatoes. (I did several batches in the processor). Cook in low until bubbly and reduced a bit. Adjust seasonings (salt, pepper, basil). Transfer to a crock pot and simmer on low for 8 hours, or until the sauce turns a dark red. Cool and pour into freezer containers.

Dear Eggplant, I've TRIED to Love You...but it's Over

Another try at an eggplant dish last night - one with some yellow summer squash mixed in. I've come to the conclusion that I don't like eggplant. I salted and drained sliced Japanese eggplant, then rinsed with cold water and pressed out the excess liquid. These were sauteed in a bit of oil for about 5 minutes, then the squash was added. Three more minutes and I glazed the dish with a mixture of Thai spices whisked with a bit of soy sauce and garlic. The glaze was good. The eggplant....well, I give up. And no, I don't like eggplant Parmesan, either.

You Can't Handle the Heat

A little heavy-handed with the jalapenos, so my mouth is on fire. This is a cherry tomato salsa: red and orange cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion, salt, cilantro. 

Homemade General Tso's Chicken

This is a test run of the recipe by my husband. Very good, but a few more adjustments are needed before I share the details. Yummy experiment, though.

Beans. Pinto Beans.

Cooked up a small bag of pinto beans for bean dip. Recipe: soak the beans overnight. Rinse, add a few cloves of garlic, some salt, and cover with about an inch of water. Cook on high in the crock pot all day. Smash beans with a potato masher. Add seasonings - it's up to you. I like red pepper flakes, salt, Tobasco sauce. Stir in some sour cream before serving.