Believe it or not, I’m still in the throes of Covid! I’m dealing with a rebound infection, so round 2, here we go! I’ll be glad when I can venture back to the farm stands with my mask on in a few days.
Summer produce is kicking into high gear, and I’d love to hear what you’re cooking RIGHT NOW, or what you can’t wait to cook soon. No tomatoes yet, at least where I am. How about you? I love to hear about your go-to summer recipes whether they are linkable (for others to enjoy) or just no-recipe recipes that you enjoy.
For those of you who have Open Kitchen, now’s the perfect time to cook my version of Giambotta (pictured above), a sort of stew-y soup-y vegetable concoction (it’s on page 193). I don’t think people realize how good this dish is, and you can use any and every summer vegetable you have. Things are cooked in stages, so that there are softer elements and bright crisp things all mingled together. It’s one of my favorite farmers’ market haul recipes that makes a great vegetarian main. If you’d be interested in getting the recipe, let me know — I will work it into a newsletter soon, if a lot of you want it!
Personally, I’m looking forward to cooking with eggplant and peppers, especially Jimmy Nardellos. I’ve got a few recipes in Veg Forward for both of these items, which I’ll be making as soon as I can!
So let’s hear it: What are you cooking in your kitchens right now? Discuss!
I am crazy busy, and I need low effort/high reward cooking. When arriving home, even 10 minutes of cook time is anathema. So the fridge is might be stocked with a tuna and white bean salad...or a Vietnamese Cabbage and Chicken Salad with that punchy dressing...
Theres always a frozen something in my freezer...German Chocolate cookies are portioned, ready for baking. A swoony Plum Ice cream with St. Germain is there for those icy cravings.
....and call me crazy or out of season, but I made a Southwestern Corn 🌽 and Tomatillo Bisque fiery with Chipotle (and yes, I like it served hot!)
So as you can see, Im ready to eat whenever the cravings attack..
I hope you are feeling better and can get back to your summer cooking and farmstead visiting soon. I'm making charred sugar snap peas with feta cheese, and waiting for corn and tomatoes in Massachusetts...
Big, make-ahead cold salads! Chicken, bean or rice base with a mix of whatever veggies look good at the market and a fresh, herb-y dressing. Keeps the fridge full for quick & easy no-cook meals.
Cherry compote, more cooked cherries cooling now for David Leibovitz’s Cherry Sorbet, Jose Andres Gazpacho and some amazing corn soup. Peaches on the counter for later this week.
I’m putting peaches in everything, grateful for the 30 seconds that they are available and amazing. Also, I’m enjoying some chopped cherry tomatoes with shaved onions, a handful of yellow raisins, a spoonful of Dijon mustard, some lemon zest, a smashed garlic clove (or 3), salt, spices, and olive oil -- let it sit for a few hours. It becomes silky and rich. Then it can be tossed with a salad or with some noodles or on a protein. Fresh and simple.
Susan - Sorry to hear about being about stuck in Covid mode. Patience... I harvested broccoli di ciccio leaves from my garden since they shouldn't be planteed near my tomatoes ;-) I sauteed them with a spring onion and it's ready to use. Also made your pickled shallot vinaigrette which was so easy and is a gift that keeps on giving.
Stopped by our local strawberry farm yesterday and they were picking my favorite - boysenberries! I grew up in SoCal and loved boysenberries from childhood. Instead of making the veggie galette from Veg Forward I made your Strubarb galette dough and will make a boysenberry galette!
Also in the throes of Covid so I feel your pain. Best wishes for a full and final recovery. I’ve gotten some great heirloom tomatoes and they have been all I’ve wanted to eat.
Savory vegetable galette annnnnd favas, favas, favas! They seem to enhance every dish I put them in. It’s currently the main ingredient to my eclectic chop salad ~ sustaining me ‘til the tomatoes arrive. Swift recovery to you.
I love favas too! We had some from our CSA last night which were so tiny they didn't even need peeling! There weren't more than a handful so threw them into the giambotta we had for dinner. Delicious!
It's so hard to cook anything in this weather. I tend to assemble more than turning on my oven. I did just buy an air fryer for smaller batch cooking. Being on low carb high protein diet is tricky. Lately I've been making herby tuna salads and charcuterie type meals.
Are you East Coast Michael? We've been pretty lucky so far where I am this year, no extreme weather yet, but an air fryer is a good way to avoid turning on the oven. i've had luck cooking both meatballs and thick fish filets like salmon and halibut in the air fryer! I am a tuna fan too, it's such a great emergency meal.
Yes, I'm in Brooklyn and agreed the weather is extremely nice this season. Being in an apartment, the stove heat can be stifling. I love roasting salmon fillets in miso glazes.
Just loving the fresh, beautiful fruit so I made a big mixed green salad with fruits, veggies burrata and pepitas. I also made a spicy watermelon, feta and mint salad😋
Feel better!!! We’re making all things Swiss chard. Spinach pie, savory galettes (before the bugs get all the garden greens) and pre- camp chocolate chip pancakes.
Not really cooking cooking, but chopped vegetable salads with any and all combinations of vegetables and herbs, with and without feta cheese. Sometimes chickpeas.
I have all the ingredients to make your focaccia today, I have been wanting to make a focaccia for a long time and now I finally have a recipe I trust. I did it want to waste 5 cups of flour on a stinker recipe.
Late July, when friends deliver a trunk-load of kale and collards from their garden?
Desperation mode:
Sauteed chopped scallions in grape seed oil with crushed garlic.
Add mountains of finely chopped greens. Cook quickly!!! Cool.
Freeze in pints and quarts. Pop frozen blocks into soups, pasta sauce, rice, and
grains!
Wonderful friends...
Gifts that keep on giving!!
I am crazy busy, and I need low effort/high reward cooking. When arriving home, even 10 minutes of cook time is anathema. So the fridge is might be stocked with a tuna and white bean salad...or a Vietnamese Cabbage and Chicken Salad with that punchy dressing...
Theres always a frozen something in my freezer...German Chocolate cookies are portioned, ready for baking. A swoony Plum Ice cream with St. Germain is there for those icy cravings.
....and call me crazy or out of season, but I made a Southwestern Corn 🌽 and Tomatillo Bisque fiery with Chipotle (and yes, I like it served hot!)
So as you can see, Im ready to eat whenever the cravings attack..
Sounds pretty good for 10 minute meals!
I’d love the recipe for giambotta!! It looks good! I’m making a lot of cold radish dishes and lentil and radish salads.
Hope you are feeling better. Ratatouille, Korean chili cucumbers , tomato and bacon tart/pie.
I am, thank you! These all sound great!
Sorry you’re under the weather. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
This week, I demoed a kick-ass sparkling gazpacho and a cinchy vegan berry crumble. Summertime, and the cookin’s easy.
The food practically cooks itself!
Yes to the recipe! It looks so delicious! Lately I’m for making anything into a taco 😄 and therefore anything into a slaw for said taco.
We had it last night for dinner and it is the perfect CSA meal or fridge cleanout. I will share it soon!
I hope you are feeling better and can get back to your summer cooking and farmstead visiting soon. I'm making charred sugar snap peas with feta cheese, and waiting for corn and tomatoes in Massachusetts...
i've been filling up on snap peas too, but haven't been charring them- I think I'll do that this week!
Lancaster County (PA) tomatoes on toasted Tuscan bread with Hellman’s Mayo and sea salt... best summer breakfast
Yum!
I'm snacking on fresh peaches and cherries all day every day while I can!!
We have to get it while we can, right?
Farro salad with local farm spinach, rancho gordo beans, olives, basil, corn, celery, chives, and lots of olive oil and lemon. So fresh and summery!
I forgot to add- for those eating dairy- crumbled feta, or even better, little cubes of smoked mozzarella
Seems to be a theme here and it's making me hungry!
Big, make-ahead cold salads! Chicken, bean or rice base with a mix of whatever veggies look good at the market and a fresh, herb-y dressing. Keeps the fridge full for quick & easy no-cook meals.
YUM!!
right up my alley! Rice salad is under-appreciated!
Rancho Gordo wild rice is my current go-to. Celery & nuts for crunch, and a lot of parsley / basil / mint.
Cherry compote, more cooked cherries cooling now for David Leibovitz’s Cherry Sorbet, Jose Andres Gazpacho and some amazing corn soup. Peaches on the counter for later this week.
Sounds great. Cherry sorbet is the best. It was always my favorite "water-ice" flavor!
I’m putting peaches in everything, grateful for the 30 seconds that they are available and amazing. Also, I’m enjoying some chopped cherry tomatoes with shaved onions, a handful of yellow raisins, a spoonful of Dijon mustard, some lemon zest, a smashed garlic clove (or 3), salt, spices, and olive oil -- let it sit for a few hours. It becomes silky and rich. Then it can be tossed with a salad or with some noodles or on a protein. Fresh and simple.
Tomato and raisin concoction sounds really interesting! I'll have to try that!
Be patient Susan! I just baked some friselle, and tonight we’ll have with fantastic tomatoes, very good olive oil, fresh basil...
Thank you Francesca!
Giambotta, please!
Susan - Sorry to hear about being about stuck in Covid mode. Patience... I harvested broccoli di ciccio leaves from my garden since they shouldn't be planteed near my tomatoes ;-) I sauteed them with a spring onion and it's ready to use. Also made your pickled shallot vinaigrette which was so easy and is a gift that keeps on giving.
Stopped by our local strawberry farm yesterday and they were picking my favorite - boysenberries! I grew up in SoCal and loved boysenberries from childhood. Instead of making the veggie galette from Veg Forward I made your Strubarb galette dough and will make a boysenberry galette!
Yum! I'm not sure I've ever had the pleasure of meeting a boysenberry! I love black reasoner ties snd I grab those when I see them!
Also in the throes of Covid so I feel your pain. Best wishes for a full and final recovery. I’ve gotten some great heirloom tomatoes and they have been all I’ve wanted to eat.
Can't wait for tomatoes but we won't get them for a while. It's been cool snd rainy here in Long Island.
Soup weather. Heal soon!!
I couldn't reply to your other comment, but yes, I did get the paxlovid rebound, but it was mild and now I'm testing negative!
I removed it because it felt like too personal a question. Glad rebound was mild and you are testing negative!
Savory vegetable galette annnnnd favas, favas, favas! They seem to enhance every dish I put them in. It’s currently the main ingredient to my eclectic chop salad ~ sustaining me ‘til the tomatoes arrive. Swift recovery to you.
I love favas too! We had some from our CSA last night which were so tiny they didn't even need peeling! There weren't more than a handful so threw them into the giambotta we had for dinner. Delicious!
It's so hard to cook anything in this weather. I tend to assemble more than turning on my oven. I did just buy an air fryer for smaller batch cooking. Being on low carb high protein diet is tricky. Lately I've been making herby tuna salads and charcuterie type meals.
Are you East Coast Michael? We've been pretty lucky so far where I am this year, no extreme weather yet, but an air fryer is a good way to avoid turning on the oven. i've had luck cooking both meatballs and thick fish filets like salmon and halibut in the air fryer! I am a tuna fan too, it's such a great emergency meal.
Yes, I'm in Brooklyn and agreed the weather is extremely nice this season. Being in an apartment, the stove heat can be stifling. I love roasting salmon fillets in miso glazes.
Just loving the fresh, beautiful fruit so I made a big mixed green salad with fruits, veggies burrata and pepitas. I also made a spicy watermelon, feta and mint salad😋
That sounds amazing Pamela!
Feel better!!! We’re making all things Swiss chard. Spinach pie, savory galettes (before the bugs get all the garden greens) and pre- camp chocolate chip pancakes.
Thanks Sarah! Spinach pie sounds good to me right now!
Not really cooking cooking, but chopped vegetable salads with any and all combinations of vegetables and herbs, with and without feta cheese. Sometimes chickpeas.
Agreed! I love elaborate salads every day for lunch when I have time to make them!
Last night we made Hetty McKinnon’s new recipe for pan fried gnocchi with fennel and fennel frond pesto! Finally a use for fennel fronds!
That sounds good!
It was! I made it a few weeks ago too - delish!
And feel better!
Recipe for that awesome looking dish, please!
I made it last night and I will share it soon!
I have all the ingredients to make your focaccia today, I have been wanting to make a focaccia for a long time and now I finally have a recipe I trust. I did it want to waste 5 cups of flour on a stinker recipe.
I think you'll love it, but let me know!