Summer Satisfaction

Oh the spoils of summer... fresh juicy tomatoes, tender zucchini, and rows of spicy arugula abound. It's a short lived treat here in Michigan, so I am savoring every second of it. Call me crazy, but I am not interested in canning or saving these tasty little morsels for the dreary winter months, despite the abundance. Indulging now in the backyard harvest serves to build my anticipation over the winter. I need that proverbial carrot. That being said, I do grow more than I can eat and as a way of dealing with the overflow, I share. Not only does this feed my friends, it feeds my soul and nothing is more satisfying than that.

Zucchini Tomato Stack

Slice 1 zucchini and 1 tomato. Brush zucchini slices with oil (I used roasted garlic oil) and roast on a baking sheet about 5-7 minutes at 450 degrees. Sprinkle tomato slices with sea salt and layer with roasted zucchini in a stack on top of vidalia onion dressing. Finish with fresh arugula leaves.

Second Chance Soup

In food styling, the ingredients are the models. They are carefully selected and their every detail is scrutinized. The stem color, skin color, and shape are all taken into consideration. Once an item has the slightest wrinkle or blemish, it is cast aside. It is still totally edible, mind you, it is just not photo friendly. Needless to say, I am constantly faced with piles of produce "seconds". This includes tomatoes, several random halves of red onion, wrinkled peppers, loose cloves of garlic, and plenty of herbs that are starting to fade. This week, I decided to give these outcasts another day in the spotlight. Romas, heirlooms, and cherry tomatoes were tossed in a large stew pot along with sauteed onions, bell peppers, and garlic. After adding chopped basil and parsley with a pinch of red pepper flake, I covered the mixture with vegetable broth and let the whole thing simmer on low for about 35 minutes. A spoonful of brown sugar and a quick pass with the immersion blender and this rustic soup was perfect. Thick and hearty, it was a far cry from the canned Campbell's we all grew up on. No produce was wasted and several crew members became believers in "second chance" soup.

Inspired by Sofrito

I am fortunate to have

a friend who makes the most delicious sofrito on the face of the earth. For those of you who are not familiar with sofrito, it is a puree of peppers, onions, cilantro, and garlic... and sometimes tomatoes (depending on who you ask). It is the base of Puerto Rican cuisine and there are as many adaptations as there are chefs. My friend's version is an authentic family recipe, handed down from mother to daughter. It contains peppers and spices I have never heard of. It tastes so perfect that I would never even attempt to replicate it. I did, however, create my own take on sofrito today as a way to use up some lingering vegetables. While the traditional recipe calls for a variety of peppers, I opted for yellow bells because that's what I had on hand. I roasted them with the tomatoes, onions, and garlic before giving everything a spin in the Cuisinart. With a splash of olive oil and my pittance of cilantro, the concoction was complete. The aroma was absolutely intoxicating. While it is no where near authentic sofrito, today's kitchen creation was quite flavorful and will most certainly be the base for delicious meals to come. I can not wait to see what emerges from this culinary seed.

Tomato Epiphany

Tomatoes have never been on my favorite food list...until now.  I  just discovered the sweet and delectable yellow pear tomato.  I always knew they were a wonderfully bright prop food that added a nice punch of color to a salad, pizza, or pasta but never had the urge to actually eat one.  In my mind, they were exactly like the tasteless red globes from the grocery store...good for color, not for consumption.  Well, I was wrong.  These tiny drops of gold are super sweet and insanely delicious.  This makes me wonder, should I give all my food enemies a second chance?  Perhaps brussel sprouts are not the foul little creatures I imagine in my head.  Right now I will focus on the tomatoes.  One food revelation at a time.