Summer Corn Salad with Smoked Ricotta Dressing

A couple summers ago, I discovered the "Best Corn on the Cob Tip Ever" and I must admit, it is rather life-changing.

For those of you who need a reminder, here you go:

1) Put two unhusked ears of corn in the microwave for 6-8 minutes, depending on microwave.
2) Remove the corn from microwave and cut off the bottom part of each ear (about a 1/2 inch or so).
3) Hold the ear at the top of its husk and give it a little shake. The corn should slide out easily.
4) Alternatively, cut about 1 inch off of both ends of the cooked corn and peel off the husk.
5) Add butter and salt, and enjoy!

I had some gorgeous local vegetables, including some bi-color corn in my recent organic box delivery and while buttery, salty corn on the cob is a delight in itself, I decided to use my summer bounty to make a tasty salad.

 

 

So, I prepped the corn per the above trick and let it cool. Then I sliced the corn off the cobs into a large bowl. After the corn went some gorgeous cherry tomatoes, which I cut into quarters, some sliced zucchini, and some minced cilantro. For the dressing, I whisked together some lime juice, olive oil and a bit of smoked ricotta, along with a pinch of chili powder and smoked sea salt.

I tossed the veggies and the dressing and adjusted the seasonings. The salad was absolutely delicious -- like having summer on a plate! It would also be great as a topping on tacos, or in a salad with avocado, grilled chicken/shrimp and greens. So good!

I can't wait to make this again.
This is my favorite time of year to cook/eat! Hooray for August!

xoxo

End of Summer Bounty

See ya, Summer!

I'm sorry to break it to you, but this summer was not that great, and I will be very happy, thrilled even, to see Autumn take its place next week. The weather was horrible and very un-summerlike here on the East Coast. It was muggy and cloudy for days, and then there was a heatwave or three. It also rained quite a bit, usually on the weekends. (Of course!) We didn't make one trip down to the shore this year, which is sad because it's a short drive away. But, we'll always have Paris, so I can't complain too much. And, if there is one good thing about this time of year, it's that my favorite kitchen staples like eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes are plentiful and delicious, which means I can make lots of great meals without a lot of fuss.

From mid-August through the end of September, Chez Gourmess is home to heaping plates of ratatouille (my favorite summer dish); thick slices of toasted homemade bread topped with goat cheese and a flavorful summer vegetable spread; stuffed to the brim casserole dishes of rich summer lasagna with layers of eggplant, zucchini, shredded chicken and mozzarella; bowls of pasta tossed with a summer veggie sauce, olives, and Romano cheese; and tasty homemade pizzas topped with basil from the garden, roasted eggplant, and tomatoes.

Ratatouille was one of the first dishes I learned to make
when I was teaching myself the FCI textbook in 2010.
I've been making it ever since -- even on TV!

Now that we've hit the prime time for these treats, every week or so I fill my dutch oven to the top with minced herbs (parsley and basil from the garden), diced eggplant, zucchini (yellow and green), half a dozen ripe tomatoes (seeded and peeled), colorful bell peppers, a few cloves of garlic (minced) and olive oil (1/4 cup or so), and cover/let it simmer for about an hour or so, stirring every once in awhile. When it's done, I season with a bit of salt and pepper, and it's ready for use in all of my favorite dishes. I can add chicken broth for a lovely vegetable soup; blend it into a creamy dip/sandwich spread; top pizzas; fill lasagnas; stir into pastas; add to scrambled eggs; brighten up burgers -- you name it. And, if there's any left, I just eat it right out of the container, using a piece of crusty bread as my fork. Dee-lish!

And for that, Summer, I salute you.

Some Recent End of Summer Treasures:

Lasagna with layers of the eggplant/pepper/zucchini/tomato mixture, shredded chicken with chopped basil, and a cheesy filling of Greek yogurt (instead of ricotta), shredded mozzarella, garlic and herbs.

A tasty dip of my eggplant/pepper/zucchini/tomato mixture blended with mustard, vinegar, red pepper flakes, fresh herbs, and a wee dollop of mayo. Great on sandwiches, too.

Other Favorites:

Farfalle pasta with eggplant, zucchini, tomato and smoked mozzarella make this easy, smoky dish one that you'll want to keep handy all year.

Pizza! Pizza!  Eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes make the tastiest toppings ever. Add some cheese and a drizzle of olive oil, and you're done. 

What are you making with the late summer bounty?

xoxo

Do You Want Fries With That?

French fries just might be the perfect side dish. Crispy and salty on the outside, fluffy and a hint of sweet on the inside. I mean, is there anything better than a burger and fries? (Steak frites, maybe?) And what about all of the different kinds of fries? Shoestring? Steak fries? Curly fries? Hand-cut? Skin on? And fries topped with chili and/or melted, gooey cheese? The favorite in our house: Disco Fries (mozzarella and brown gravy over steak fries). Yum.

But, when one is hankering for fries and doesn't have any potatoes in the house, what does one do? She makes...zucchini fries! Before you get all upset, please note that in no way am I advocating that you replace the beloved french fried potato with zucchini, but in a pinch, zucchini fries are a delicious, healthy-ish alternative. And, zucchini fries are better than no fries, am I right?

In all seriousness, these are quite tasty. I added some of my favorite seasonings to the bread crumbs for a bit of zing, and I whisked in a couple tablespoons of seltzer with the eggs for a lighter coating. These are super simple to prepare, and they'll be devoured in less than 5 minutes. Feel free to play with the recipe -- use your favorite spices instead of mine. (Try adding a tablespoon or two of grated Parmesan and a couple teaspoons of Italian Herb mix to the bread crumbs and serve with a side of marinara sauce. Or, use garlic powder and ginger powder with the bread crumbs and add a dash or two of soy sauce to the egg mixture, then serve with hoisin for dipping.) Whatever you choose, I think you'll agree that this is a terrific veggie side dish. 

Zingy Zucchini Fries

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray

2-3 medium zucchini

2 large eggs

1-2 TBS seltzer

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1-2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 TBS smoked paprika

Kosher salt

Minimal MESS/ingredients/clean-up: Category 1

To Do:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line baking sheet with foil and coat with olive oil spray.
• Wash/dry zucchini and cut off the ends.  Slice each in half lengthwise, then slice each half lengthwise again into 3-4 equal slices, depending on size of zucchini. Then, cut those slices in half (into long strips about an inch or so wide), and finally, cut those strips into 4-5 inch pieces and set aside.

• In a large pie plate or other shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and seltzer until foamy. 
• In a similar sized dish, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and a couple pinches of salt.

• Take each zucchini piece and coat in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off before coating in the breadcrumb mixture, them place on the foiled baking sheet.

• Spray lightly with the olive oil cooking spray then bake for about 20-25 minutes until browned and crunchy on all sides.

• Sprinkle with a bit more salt and transfer to a serving plate. (Line with paper towels if you want easier clean-up.) Serve with your favorite condiments/dips. Greek yogurt mixed with a pinch of paprika, garlic, and herbs works well.

xoxo

Farfalle with Eggplant, Zucchini, Tomato and Smoked Mozzarella

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child

I found myself with an overstuffed refrigerator and decided to use up some of the vegetables that were languishing in the crisper.  I was thinking ratatouille, but didn't have any peppers on hand, and wanted something a bit more substantial, so I put a pot of water (w/ a handful of kosher salt in it) on the stove to boil some farfalle pasta and in the meantime, diced some eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic and red onion.

I put the onion and garlic in a skillet with some olive oil and sweated until soft. Then, in went the zucchini and eggplant and a pinch of salt.  When they started to soften, I added in half a can of peeled plum tomatoes (no sauce) crushing them with my hands before adding to the pan.

This all simmered for about 10 minutes more, then I tossed in the mushrooms, some ground black pepper and 2 TBS of balsamic vinegar (optional).  After five more minutes, I added the cooked pasta to the pan, stirred everything together and threw in about 1/2 cup of diced smoked mozzarella and 1 TBS of fresh parsley. The smoked mozzarella made all the difference.  Chris even liked this and he is not a huge fan of eggplant or mushrooms.  

Terrific!

xoxoxo