I survived the first week of school. I realized that during the many getting to know you, introduce yourself activities that I participated in during those first days of class, I always introduced myself by mentioning something about food.
What is a great book you read this summer? The Sharper your Knife, the Less You Cry
What do you like to read? Cooking Memoirs and Food magazines.
I made a coat of arms, on which in the "something I am good at" section, I drew my beloved chef's knife, a tomato, a pepper mill and a skillet.
What was a highlight of your summer break? Cooking in a professional kitchen.
If you read the "about us" section on this blog you'll notice that I stated that I don't like the term foodie. To me, it sounds pretentious. . I like the experience of making and of course eating it. Some people are really into golf, or star wars or flower gardening. I really like all aspects of food. So fine, you can call me a foodie if you want to... or maybe a gourmande...
Now that's out of the way, here's the weekly menu:
tortellini pasta salad with zucchini fries
sausage and pepper empanadas* (we are on an empanada kick!!) with salad
squash, quinoa and walnut salad
frittata with spinach, tomatoes and cheese
lentil salad with baked fish
* I have a note that says "make extra empanadas"! They are nice to take for quick lunches, or even heat up for a hearty snack.
I bought an eggplant for experimentation. I'm not a huge fan of eggplant, but am coming around to liking it... so hopefully I will have time to do something with that!
Showing posts with label zucchini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zucchini. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Growing (and eating!) Our Own Food: Summer Squash
Slowly but surely more food is coming out of the garden. The latest: summer squash. Several of these delicious yellow or green veggies have found their way into my current staple, the veggie quinoa bowl. However, for a recent dinner party with friends, I wanted to make a starter rather than a main dish. I based it on a summer food memory of breaded, fried zucchini, that I used to help my mom make years ago (Thanks MOM!).
ingredients:
1 large summer squash, cut into rounds
1-2 Cups bread crumbs*
1-2 Tablespoons grated parmesan
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 eggs,beaten
splash of milk
salt and pepper
neutral oil for frying
wash, then cut the squash into rounds (I prefer rounds based on the way my mom made them, while I found pictures on the internet of thick cut french fry shapes... )
*DIY bread crumbs in three steps:
1. save bread ends in the freezer
2. toast bread as needed
3. grind the toast to thin powdery crumbs in the food processor
Mix the parmesan and seasonings with the breadcrumbs on a plate.
Beat two eggs with a splash of milk.
Dunk each piece of squash in the egg and milk mixture, then coat it with bread crumbs. Set aside until all are covered.
Add oil and heat it in a shallow pan, so there is a small pool covering the bottom, (I don't know the measurement on this, you need enough to make the breading sizzle, but you aren't "deep frying" here.)
Starting with the thickest slices of squash since they'll need longer to cook, place squash in pan, fry until brown on both sides (approximately 3-4 minutes on each side).
Sprinkle with extra parmesan!
We ate ours with some pesto I made from basil that is also plentifully growing in our garden. You won't be surprised that I turned to Mark Bittman's recipe pesto. So simple, so delicious!!
Someone was kind enough to write up the recipe here!
summer squash/zucchini "fries"
ingredients:
1 large summer squash, cut into rounds
1-2 Cups bread crumbs*
1-2 Tablespoons grated parmesan
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 eggs,beaten
splash of milk
salt and pepper
neutral oil for frying
wash, then cut the squash into rounds (I prefer rounds based on the way my mom made them, while I found pictures on the internet of thick cut french fry shapes... )
*DIY bread crumbs in three steps:
1. save bread ends in the freezer
2. toast bread as needed
3. grind the toast to thin powdery crumbs in the food processor
Mix the parmesan and seasonings with the breadcrumbs on a plate.
Beat two eggs with a splash of milk.
Dunk each piece of squash in the egg and milk mixture, then coat it with bread crumbs. Set aside until all are covered.
Add oil and heat it in a shallow pan, so there is a small pool covering the bottom, (I don't know the measurement on this, you need enough to make the breading sizzle, but you aren't "deep frying" here.)
Starting with the thickest slices of squash since they'll need longer to cook, place squash in pan, fry until brown on both sides (approximately 3-4 minutes on each side).
Sprinkle with extra parmesan!
We ate ours with some pesto I made from basil that is also plentifully growing in our garden. You won't be surprised that I turned to Mark Bittman's recipe pesto. So simple, so delicious!!
Someone was kind enough to write up the recipe here!
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