Instant Love: Summer Panzanella

It's been a long time since I've written on this blog. It's been so long now I feel like what I write should be fantastic, so I've been avoiding it.  Kind of like when you meet someone interesting, and you're thinking about calling them, but then you don't for whatever reason and then too much time passes and the whole thing is just too darn stressful.  Too much time has passed! I feel the same way when I don't cook for a while - after a few weeks I don't want to make anything unless it's going to be fabulous, because now there's anticipation.  So I procrastinate (and eat a lot of quesadillas and frozen Kashi meals).

That's why I was excited when Roomie showed me her new idea for this "Instant Love" section of the blog.  It reminds me of the "Like" button on Facebook: non-committal yet effective.  Also, it's perfect for those mid-week meals that I love, but don't feel like writing out a recipe for.  The throw together meals of last-minute inspiration and cravings.

Panzanella's are one of my favorite go-to meals, especially when I just need to get myself back into the cooking vibe (say, after traveling in South America for a month). Panzanella is just a bread salad, with crusty country bed, tomatoes, onions, and whatever other veggies or greens you'd like.  You can also do sweet versions, tossed with berries and almonds and a little whipped cream/creme fraiche. Plus, it's a salad with bread.  I mean, seriously, how good is that?

All you need is some day-old bread (a half loaf usually works for me), cut or torn into chunks (you can also toast it in the oven for a few minutes to get the desired crunched).  I tossed this one with fresh tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers from the farmers market, and some chopped basil from the garden.  My tomatoes were super juicy, so I didn't need any extra vinegar for the dressing.  Toss it all together in a big bowl with some olive oil, salt, and pepper and let it sit at room temperature for few minutes before serving.  Voila!

Perfect Pasta Caprese

In theory, Pasta Caprese should be a delicious and simple dish.  You take the beloved, classic Italian trio (fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella), toss it with some al dente pasta, add some olive oil, and voila--heaven in a dish, right?  More often than not, this deceptively simple combination turns out all wrong--too wet from the tomato innards, or too greasy from the olive oil, or simply too bland, with no zing or unifying element to highlight the main flavors.

Zucchini Bonanza, Part 2: Zucchini Three Ways!

This is a long overdue post, considering this meal was prepared, photographed, and consumed more than a month ago!  It's been a busy summer and as I've prioritized other postings in the past few weeks, this one got left behind.

Here are three delicious things to do with the zucchini abundance and their flowers:

Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Smoked Farmer's Cheese

Raw Zucchini "Pappardelle" with Fresh Basil Pesto

Whole Wheat Pizzettas with Zucchini Salsa

--K, high on the abundant summer produce

Basic Basil Pesto

Here is some pesto from this batch, lovingly spooned on some raw zucchini "pappardelle" 

Everyone has their own preferred ingredients and method for making pesto.  Some people like pesto nice and sharp and salty with lots of cheese, some prefer it light and lemony, some like to use certain kinds of oils or nuts in place of the traditional olive oil and pine nuts.  I thought I'd share mine since now is a great time of year to make big batches of it and freeze it for colder seasons.

I like a complex pesto that balances the sweetness of fresh basil, the creaminess of pine nuts and oil, the bite of garlic, and the sharpness of lemon, salt, and cheese.

--K, who never gets tired of pesto of any sort

Zucchini Bonanza! Zucchini and Feta Pancakes

Zucchini pancakes are a fantastic way to use up the heaps of zucchini that mysteriously appear on people's back car seats at this time of year...(any Garrison Keillor fans?)  They're a simple and adaptable base for a variety of cheeses, aromatics, herbs, etc.; they're good on salads, sandwiches, and on their own; they're good hot, warm, room temperature, or chilled; and they freeze very well.

My dear friend Promise makes a version of these delicious savory pancakes, so whenever I make them, I think of her.  I'm fairly certain that she's partial to the Moosewood cookbook version, which involves beating egg whites and then folding them into the main mixture, which adds a lightness to the batter.  I prefer this one-bowl version for its ease, even if the pancakes tend to be hearty and dense--this works since I'm usually using them as a meatless main dish rather than as a side.

Grilled Summer Vegetable Sandwich

Sometimes when I'm working out at the gym and Law and Order is over and I need something else to watch, I flip the mini flat-screen in front of my usual treadmill to the Food Network.  Last week Bobby Flay made an incredible looking Italian-inspired grilled vegetable sandwich, and I thought--such a simple idea, and something I haven't done all summer!

This recipe is simple in technique, but it's time consuming to grill everything properly.  I suppose you could take a short-cut by purchasing plain grilled veggies from the prepared foods section of the grocery store, but that's almost too easy.

--K, happy to be back in Pittsburgh

Here are some tips and the alterations I made to Bobby's recipe:

-The garlic mayo is totally key here.  I used Veganaise instead, but don't skimp on the garlic.
-I also spread some tears of fresh basil on top of the two mayo applications.
-I added a layer of grilled zucchini in addition to the grilled eggplant.
-Another key to a successful sandwhich is that you season every component very well with salt and pepper--lube them up with some olive oil and sprinkle seasonings generously before grilling.  Then everything will come together well at the end.
-I skipped the arugula because I didn't have any, but I added thin slices of tomato.
-I roasted a yellow pepper instead of red, which added a nice sweetness and also brightened the sandwich layers with a silky pop of color.
-Use a whole ciabatta as instructed and then once the sandwich is composed, slice it to make individual servings for your lucky friends.

Delicioso.

Sesame-Soy Quinoa Salad with Tomatoes and Green Beans

Wowies...there's lots of summer catch-up posting to be done in friendly foodie land!  After my small-ish posting binge in July, I went to New York for a few weeks to do some research and visit with my fam.  And as soon as Emily got back from Peru, she started a new job here in the 'burgh, yay roomie!  Needless to say, we haven't been so great about keeping up with a posting rhythm.  That doesn't mean we haven't been making lots of tasty meals with fabulous summer produce, we just haven't translated them to digital space.

In these precious last few days of August, I will attempt to remedy the recent lag, focusing especially on delicious and simple ways to use some produce that's in tip-top shape these days: tomatoes, peaches, eggplant, zucchini, corn, green beans, etc.