Garden Zucchini Tomato Bake

My boys and I just returned from a visit to New York to see my family. When we got home we found 4 giant zucchini and many Roma tomatoes ready to eat from our garden.

Nothing tastes quite as good as a fresh tomato, IMO. And as I've shared here before, I love zucchini for its versatility in everything from baked goods to side dishes.

I threw together this combo because it was easy and quick and we had all the ingredients on hand. How do you do zucchini?

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Garden Zucchini Tomato Bake

1 large zucchini (about 2 pounds), thinly sliced into rounds
6 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced into rounds
6 tablespoons bread crumbs, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, dried basil and dried oregano. Set aside.

Place slices of zucchini in bottom of pan. Top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of seasoning mixture.

Repeat steps to make 2 more layers. To top the last layer, use 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, then add Parmesan cheese. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until vegetables soften. Remove foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned on top.

Let cool and slice to serve. Top with fresh basil. Yum!

Katrina's Gazpacho

A few weeks ago my boys and I took a trip to New York to visit family and friends. It's been a few years since I was last in my old stomping grounds and it was nice to see how some things have changed – or not.

We took a trip into Queens to see two of my friends from high school and their families. Anne and Katrina are the kinds of friends I know I'll have for life. We spent our formative teen years together. Even if many months go by between visits, we easily pick up where we left off whenever we do see each other.

My boys were super excited to see how people live in the city. They couldn't imagine living in an apartment. They were pleasantly surprised by Katrina's Jackson Heights home, complete with a large outdoor courtyard that provided plenty of room to play — you guessed it — baseball.

Katrina went all out and made a delicious lunch, including this amazing gazpacho. People, this is one of the best things I've eaten. The cold soup is more like summer in a drink and it is just perfect for a hot day.

Lucky for me, one of my boys didn't want his serving so of course I couldn't let it go to waste! Katrina kindly shared her recipe. She started with this New York Times version and tweaked it to her liking. I made it as soon as we were back in Peoria. I was going to bring it to a gathering of girlfriends, but the husband and I slurped it down ourselves instead.

I think the key to making this recipe work is good tomatoes, preferably homegrown or locally farm grown. It's perfect for a midday meal, dinner or a snack.

Katrina's version was less pulpy than mine. I think this is because she used a small mesh strainer to painstakingly remove all of the solids from the soup. I used a larger non-mesh strainer. It definitely removed a lot of the solids, but some still made it into the final product.  If you have a mesh strainer or cheese cloth, I recommend one of those methods.

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Katrina's Gazpacho

2 pounds of  ripe red tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 cucumber (about 8 inches long) peeled and cut into chunks 

1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into chunks

1 or 2 garlic cloves

1 long, light green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large pieces (Adjust your choice based on your preferred spice level: Try an Anaheim or cubanelle. I used a Hungarian wax pepper.)

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 to 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Add tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic and pepper to a blender or food processor (you may need to work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, between 2 and 5 minutes. Stop blending and scrape down the sides as needed.

Add vinegar and salt and continue to blend. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture should become an orange or pink color. It should transform into a smooth texture like a salad dressing. If the mixture is watery, add more oil until it achieves a creamy consistency.

Strain mixture into a large bowl to remove solids. Use a rubber spatula to push the liquid through. Discard solids. 

Pour gazpacho into a large pitcher (glass is preferred) and cover top with plastic wrap. Chill overnight (or for at least 6 hours.) Pour into cups or bowls and drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Gazpacho is great for sharing with friends.

Easy Summer Recipe Round-Up

Cooking has been rough lately. I just haven't been feeling creative. Do you ever feel that way or is it just me? In order to inspire myself (yep, this is a totally selfish post), I'm going through the HDHH archives to find my favorite summer meals. 

Now let's get cooking!

Erin

Tomato + Goat Cheese Sandwich. The kids and I usually hit up the Bellevue Farmer's Market on Thursdays, and I get a Pineapple Tomato or two. They are yellow and super sweet. This sandwich will be perfect to change things up from my usual Tomato + Mozzarella situation. 

Summer Salad with Berry Vinaigrette. I'd better make this one before berry season ends! Berry time is fleeting, people. Sigh.

Corn, Tomato, and Edamame Salad. I threw this salad together last weekend, and it was just lovely. A change of pace from your usual side dish. 

Healthier Fried Rice. Because it's bathing suit season, and I still want to have an extra large bowl of ice cream after dinner.

Sausage and Mint Stuffed Tomatoes. Do you notice the tomato theme here? Can I come up with a way to eat them every day of the week?

Smokey, Coffee-Rubbed London Broil. Andrea cooks her London Broil in the oven, and I usually do, too. But since the husband loves to grill, think I could get him to cook this one for me on the ol' Weber? 

How to Microwave Corn on the Cob. This means fewer dishes. Yes, please!

Blueberry Zucchini Bread. I love a good quick bread. It makes waking up so much easier when you know you've got a loaf waiting for you. I think I have some baking in my future.

Pasta & Fresh Tomato Sauce

Last week was busy. We had extra drama performances, a spring concert, baseball practices (and games) and the school play. My mother-in-law was in town, too, for a chance to cheer on her grandsons.

Despite all of this activity, I managed to cook dinner — twice. This is one of the meals I made.

In the time it takes for water to boil and pasta to cook, you can make a fresh and light tomato sauce instead of opening a jar. This recipe uses the same method as my recipe for Halibut with Tomato, Orange and Olives.

Cooking the tomatoes yourself is an easy way to dish up a healthy topping for pasta. A little lemon juice brightens up all those fresh flavors.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Pasta & Fresh Tomato Sauce

3/4 pound pasta (any shape; my son Sam picked out rigatoni)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 pints cherry or grape tomatoes (I like a mixture of red and yellow ones)
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Fill a large pot with water and 1 tablespoon oil and set over high heat until it boils.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until onion just starts to get light brown. Add tomatoes and let cook for a few minutes.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook per package directions. Place in serving bowl after draining.

Continue to cook tomatoes, stirring occasionally. They will begin to burst. You can also gently press down on the tomatoes to release their juices. Cook until all tomatoes have burst and sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes total.

Add lemon juice, parsley salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Pour tomato sauce over pasta and gently mix to coat all of the pasta. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese or your favorite Italian cheese.

I served my pasta as a side dish with grilled baked halibut and asparagus. It makes a terrific main dish, too, along with a nice green salad.

Apple, Lemon & Tomato Chicken

When I was growing up, my mom would leave notes on the kitchen table for my brother, sister and I to find when we got home from school. Usually there were instructions on what to start getting ready for dinner. The dish we made most often was baked chicken with paprika and garlic.

When I got my first job, I wanted to expand the chicken recipes I knew how to cook. I came across 365 Ways to Cook Chicken in a local bookstore and have been using it ever since. (I got my Mom a copy, too.)

This one-pot meal is full of fall flavors and is easy to make. Be sure to thinly slice the lemon so that the rind softens and you can eat it along with everything else in the dish. Now that I have kids, I serve this with egg noodles, but it tastes just delicious on its own, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Apple, Lemon & Tomato Chicken
Adapted from the 365 Ways to Cook Chicken cookbook

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
4 thin, skinless, boneless chicken breasts (you can pound out thicker breasts to make them thinner)
1 medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large lemon, thinly sliced
2 apples, cored and sliced
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
8 ounces egg noodles cooked to package directions (optional)

In a bowl combine tomatoes, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Toss onion slices over chicken. Pour tomato sauce on top. Lay lemon slices over everything.

Bring to a boil. Then cover pan with a lid and lower the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add apple slices. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes, until chicken is tender.  Remove chicken and apples to a platter and keep warm.

Add dissolved corn starch to sauce in pan and turn heat up to high. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring until sauce thickens. Spoon sauce over chicken and apples.

Serve with egg noodles if you like.

You can find the 365 Ways to Cook Chicken cookbook on Amazon.

Hearty Egg Casserole

If you've never tasted a farm fresh egg, you haven't lived.

I didn't know this until my former co-worker Kevin started raising chickens. He often shared extra eggs with those of us on staff who wanted them. The flavor is so good that there is no need to add  anything — the eggs can easily stand on their own.

It's like the difference between a tomato from the garden and one you buy in the grocery store. No comparison. Fresh eggs from chickens that eat a varied diet and roam free pack a richer punch to the palette.

So I didn't think it was possible to get farm-fresh taste from grocery store eggs. Not so! The folks at Blue Sky Family Farms asked us to give their free range, organic, humanely raised eggs a try.

These beauties are the real thing. The shells are harder, the yolks are a deep orange color and the flavor tastes like eggs should.

We tried these brown eggs by themselves in scrambled and fried versions. The eggs are light and fluffy and simply delicious. They'd also be perfect for Soft Boiled Eggs or Spring on Toast.

My brother Greg happened to be visiting when the Blue Sky Family Farms eggs arrived, so we decided to use a dozen in a casserole, We wanted to see how the eggs hold up when baked with cheese, potatoes, sausage and tomatoes. Greg is always experimenting in the kitchen and gets the credit for this recipe. You can serve this egg bake at breakfast, lunch or dinner, with toast, fruit or even a green salad.

Finally, if you're not raising your own chickens or don't have access to farm fresh eggs, you can find Blue Sky Family Farms eggs at many grocery stores in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Hearty Egg Casserole

1 15 ounce can sliced white potatoes
1 dozen eggs
2/3 cup half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 to 1 cup cooked sausage crumbles
1 brick of Gruyere cheese, sliced (between 1/2 pound and 1 pound)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

Place sliced potatoes in a singe layer in bottom of pan. Sprinkle sausage on top of potatoes.

Crack eggs into a medium bowl, add half and half and salt and pepper. Whisk together until yolks are broken and incorporated into mixture. Pour eggs into pan over sausage and potatoes.

Lay slices of Gruyere evenly in pan.

Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place in oven on middle rack and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until casserole is puffed and light browned on top.

Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Blue Sky Family Farms free range eggs are packaged in the pretty carton above.

Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad

When the farmer's markets and grocery stores are bursting with fresh summer produce, this salad is pure perfection. Sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, and creamy avocado...what could be better?

And here's a plan-ahead tip. Next time you're making corn on the cob, cook up a few extra ears and make this salad with the leftovers. You won't regret it.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad
Inspired by Therese's Corn & Tomato Salad
Serves: 4

4 ears corn (or substitute 2 cups frozen corn, thawed)
2 avocados, diced
1 large tomato, diced (or substitute 1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

Bring a large skillet of water to a boil. Add corn and cook for about 4 minutes, until it's just tender. Allow corn to cool and cut kernels off the cob.

In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, avocado, tomato, and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.

P.S. Sometimes I have help taking pictures for the blog.