Tag: Salad

Grilled Summer Salad Pizza

Grilled Summer Salad Pizza

Salad Pizza. If I had even suggested such a thing when I was a teen, my parents would have looked at me as though I had two heads. Pizza is crust, sauce, cheese, heat. Now, however, as an adult who appreciates healthier and more colorful adaptations of food classics, I think salad on a pizza sounds divine. Lettuce and cucumber? Not so much. Try spiralized zucchini and tomato with just a hint of cheese. Summer fun (or work, in my particular case) tends to cut into one's meal prep time, even if we rely on easy grilled dishes. Summertime saps...Read More
Back to Basics: Homemade Croutons

Back to Basics: Homemade Croutons

I grew up on store-bought croutons from a box. I sprinkled them atop iceberg lettuce in a turquoise Tupperware bowl and doused the mess with bottled French dressing. The rest of the family was content with homemade 'Russian' dressing: mayo, ketchup and sweet pickle relish. Isn't that kinda like Big Mac sauce? I haven't had a Big Mac in years! I'm guessing, though, that like everything else made today, they're not as big as they used to be. Except hearts... hearts are as big as ever and filled with much love. Case in point: The Boy After a particularly rowdy...Read More
I’m Seeing RED!

I’m Seeing RED!

And yellow and pink and green zebra-striped and black-ish and purple and golden-pink and.... that brings me to tomatoes and pasta Caprese. It's about damn time. General consensus is lots of green tomatoes around in people's gardens, but none are turning red. Well, this week, they started turning. I picked up a block of fresh mozzarella at the market the other day and, like a good FarmGirl, I have basil growing in a planter on my deck. This bounty, along with the colorful and perfectly ripe tomatoes I picked, made the most amazing dinner. Pasta Caprese is the easiest thing...Read More
Don’t Fear the Zucchini or… Eat it Before it Eats You?

Don’t Fear the Zucchini or… Eat it Before it Eats You?

The very first zucchini flower that springs out from the plant always gets me all a-tizzy.  I fantasize about stuffing the flowers with goat cheese and herbs and baking them quickly after a shower of olive oil.  Sometimes I crave deep-fried squash blossoms.  Dipped in a basic tempura batter and salted immediately after removing from the oil, these babies are so good they don't make it out of the kitchen.  The anticipation of the sweet fruit sauteed until golden brown, perfectly seasoned with salt, pepper and loads of chopped garlic, makes my mouth water. Seriously, I'm a total food snob...Read More