Zucchini & Summer Squash Gratin with Parmesan & Fresh Thyme

This summer has been all about squash for me. This weekend, my neighbors gave me some squash from their friend's garden that looks like it's on steriods. They are HUGE. I started brainstorming a good way to use it all up and decided on doing a gratin. I poked around on the internet and found this recipe on FineCooking.com and look forward to making it tonight. I don't have any thyme in my kitchen but I have basil so I am going to use that instead. For some crunch, I am going to mix a little panko and olive oil and spread a thin layer on top before baking.

Zucchini & Summer Squash Gratin with Parmesan & Fresh Thyme

For the onions:
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 medium onions (14 oz. total), thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

To assemble the gratin:
1-1/4 lb. ripe red tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 lb. (about 2 small) zucchini or other green summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices on the bias
3/4 lb. (about 2 small) yellow summer squash or golden zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices on the bias
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. coarse salt
1-1/4 cups freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

To cook the onions: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until limp and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low if they're browning too quickly. Add the garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes Spread the onions and garlic evenly in the bottom of an oiled 2-qt. shallow gratin dish (preferably oval). Let cool.

To assemble the gratin: Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the tomato slices on a shallow plate to drain for a few minutes and then discard the collected juices. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini and squash slices with 1-1/2 Tbs. of the olive oil, 2 Tbs. of the thyme, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Reserve half of the cheese for the top of the gratin. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. of the thyme over the onions in the gratin. Starting at one end of the baking dish, lay a row of slightly overlapping tomato slices across the width of the dish and sprinkle with a little of the cheese. Next, lay a row of zucchini, overlapping the tomatoes by two-thirds, and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat with a row of squash, and then repeat rows, sprinkling each with cheese, until the gratin is full.

Season lightly with pepper and the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Drizzle the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil over all. Combine the reserved cheese with the remaining 1 Tbs. thyme and sprinkle this over the whole gratin. Cook until well-browned all over and the juices have bubbled for a while and reduced considerably, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 min. before serving.

Zucchini & Summer Squash Gratin with Parmesan & Fresh Thyme

Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs

What would summer be without potato salad? As the 4th of July nears, think about adding this salad to your BBQ menu. It's a major crowd pleaser and guests will be prepared to splurge on their calorie intake. I like my salad cold, so keep it in the cooler or fridge just before serving. Nobody likes a warm creamy dressing on a hot day.

Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs
Bon Appetit
• 3 pounds baby red potatoes
• 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

• Bring potatoes to boil in large pot of water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 17 minutes. Drain; let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
• Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Place 1 layer of potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle with some of vinegar and salt and pepper. Continue layering potatoes with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add all remaining ingredients; toss. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs

Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings

If I lived in Portland, I would eat at PokPok once a week. This 2007 Oregonian Restaurant of the Year and a local favorite has some of the best Thai bites I've ever tried and at prices that cannot be beat.

When I travel, I do my research. So when I read about PokPok in Food and Wine and GQ in the same week, I knew this would have to be a spot we'd check out on our upcoming vacation. Six of us showed up for our reservation ready to eat anything and everything. The menu is comprised of small plates that are meant to be shared so the more people you go with the more you would get to try. And, trust me, you want to try all of it.

The star of the night was the Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings. In fact, we ended up ordering them twice since the first round disappeared within seconds. We got ours spicy and I would suggest you do too.

Thanks to the folks at F&W, I am able to share the recipe with you and make them for myself at home...yes!

Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup Asian fish sauce
2. 1/2 cup superfine sugar
3. 4 garlic cloves, 2 crushed and 2 minced
4. 3 pounds chicken wings, split at the drumettes
5. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
6. 1 cup cornstarch
7. 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
8. 1 tablespoon chopped mint

1. In a bowl, whisk the fish sauce, sugar and crushed garlic. Add the wings and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 3 hours, tossing the wings occasionally.
2. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet. Add the minced garlic; cook over moderate heat until golden, 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
3. In a large pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 350°. Pat the wings dry on paper towels; reserve the marinade. Put the cornstarch in a shallow bowl, add the wings and turn to coat. Fry the wings in batches until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a bowl.
4. In a small saucepan, simmer the marinade over moderately high heat until syrupy, 5 minutes. Strain over the wings and toss. Top with the cilantro, mint and fried garlic and serve.

Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings

Grilled Vegetable Stacks

Grilling isn't always about meat. In fact, it's really hard to beat any grilled vegetable that's been brushed with olive oil, properly seasoned and put on the grill. I love the taste or 'char' and the texture that the burnt strips give to each piece. This recipe is a great way to enjoy a variety of vegetables in their peak and will pair perfectly with virtually any meat.

Grilled Vegetable Stacks

2 medium eggplants
Salt
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium zucchini
2 medium tomatoes
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing
vegetables
2 1⁄2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup diced red bell pepper (or hot chile, such as
serrano)

1. Slice eggplants into 1⁄4"-thick rounds, sprinkle with salt, and layer in a colander. Weigh down with a plate and set aside to drain for 20 minutes. Brush salt off eggplant. 2. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill (or place a stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat). Slice squash and zucchini into 1⁄4"-thick rounds and slice tomatoes into 1⁄2"-thick rounds. Lightly brush all vegetables with olive oil, then grill, turning once, until tender and slightly charred, about 30 seconds per side for tomatoes, 2–3 minutes per side for eggplant, squash, and zucchini.

3. Whisk together 1⁄2 cup olive oil, vinegar, parsley, and basil in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. To assemble, place 1 eggplant round on a plate and stack on top a tomato round, a second eggplant round, and squash and zucchini rounds. Drizzle with dressing and top with diced red pepper.

Grilled Vegetable Stacks

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cheese and Lime

Summer is around the CORNer so that means it's time to start shucking! This popular street food snack found in Mexico can be made in your backyard with ease all summer long. The person that came up with this classic combo is after my own heart. Mayo...check. Cheese...check. Citrus...check. Viva Mexico!

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cheese and Lime

• 4 ears of corn in the husk
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise, (You can sub sour cream if you want to keep it on the light side)
  
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 3/4 cup shredded cotija or feta

• Accompaniment: lime wedges

Prepare grill.

Soak corn in husks in cold water 10 minutes. Drain corn and grill on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until husks are charred, about 10 minutes. Shuck corn and grill until kernels are browned in spots, about 10 minutes.

While corn is grilling, in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise and cayenne. Using the small teardrop-shaped holes on a four-sided grater grate cotija.

Brush mayonnaise mixture onto hot corn and sprinkle with cojita.

Serve corn on the cob with lime wedges.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cheese and Lime

Italian Kale with Walnuts and Parmesan

I've really grown to love Kale. This winter veggie is in the cabbage family and is related to some of my other favorites including broccoli, brussels sprout, cauliflower and collard greens. People (such as my mom) cannot stand any of these veggies but I think that's just because they have a bad reputation. The veggies don't require much and are quite versatile. You can boil, saute, steam, roast, bake and broil them. They can be used in delicious soups and add texture as any side dish. Go on and give them another shot.

In this case, I sauteed and broiled kale to make as a side for our Harrisa Chicken and Cheese Grits for an easy weeknight dinner.

Kale with Walnuts and Parmesan
1 bunch of Kale (green or black) chopped
1/2 cup of walnuts (I used fresh ones from our ranch) Add more if you'd like
1/4 cup of Parmesan
3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to season

Turn oven to broil.

Add olive oil and kale to pan on medium heat. Saute for 6 minutes. Add walnuts and stir for 1 minutes. Remove pan from heat and put kale mixture in a baking pan. Cover with Parmesan cheese and place under broiler until golden brown about 45 seconds.

Italian Kale with Walnuts and Parmesan

Perfect with Roast Chicken

I'm trying to cook a little healthier for us this month after our month of gluttony (which is why i haven't been posting, I've just been eating. Non-stop) so I've been making lots of different vegetables to spice up our meals. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm in loooove with plain, roasted cauliflower. Toss those babies with some olive oil and kosher salt and into the oven for 30 minutes or so? Yum! Very few make it to my plate, instead landing in our bellies straight off the roasting pan. To spice it up a little, I tried this combo, though, which was fantastic. A tad too spicy for Jamie but he did manage to eat his whole serving with one bite of this, one bite of roasted chicken. I'd highly recommend it.

Okay, clearly by now we've established that I don't really follow recipes all that well. I have a bit of a short attention span, so generally I just scan to get the gist, and go from there. It's also because my chronic disorganization (the bane of my loving and incredibly organized boyfriends existence) means that 9 times out of 10, I'm missing some ingredient by the time I get home. Sometimes, I wing it, sometimes said boyfriend has to run to the store, which is across the street thank god.


So... I didn't have any potatoes. Or coriander. Or jalapenos (thank god). I made everything else just as it should be, and while it was a teensy bit soupy, it was still great. The potatoes would probably suck up that soupiness. Which is probably why they were in the recipe to begin with. Oops.



Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

Gourmet, February 2004

1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water
Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.
Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.
While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Makes 4 side-dish servings.

Perfect with Roast Chicken