I realized recently that comfort food didn’t have to come in the form of a casserole or laced with chocolate (although for me personally those are way up there on my list). And that chicken soup didn’t have to include noodles for it to warm your soul. Mexican Chicken Soup has become a comfort food staple for my family. Every time we have it, whether at our favorite Mexican cantina or at home, we’re reminded how wonderfully delicious this soup is. With a short list of ingredients, starting from scratch, you can have it on the table in 15 minutes or less. A wonderful Monday evening bonus!
Tomatoes, tomatoes everywhere!! Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa is so quick and easy to make and oh so much better than the jar variety. Fresh from the garden tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, sprinkle of cumin, salt & pepper….where are the chips?!
“Chowda” was something we grew up on in New England. Corn, Clam, Oyster… they were all favorites and my mom made them all from scratch. After college, when I was ready to move into my own apartment, she wrote out some “simplified” versions of basic recipes for me. Chinaman’s Pie, Meatloaf, and Corn Chowder were all included.
While the recipe is delicious, I have since discovered a much easier and equally tasty version. Check out my Easy Baba Ghanoush recipe here.
Eggplant was the abundant ‘on sale’ item in the fridge today. I had bought two varieties at the Farmers’ Market but had yet to come up with a plan.
While fresh picked eggplant is one of the most beautiful fruits of the garden, once cooked….is not always as good looking. I did a quick Internet search for ‘pretty images’ of eggplant recipes and came across several for Baba Ghanoush. I’d heard of it, maybe even enjoyed it in a restaurant, but certainly had not made it from scratch. I decided to try the recipe by The Pioneer Woman and only adjusted it slightly to taste as she suggested.
A pattypan squash is the perfect delivery vehicle for one of my favorite food groups, Stuffing. We will stuff these beauties with wild rice, fresh veggies, sage, and sausage. Baked Pattypan Squash with Wild Rice, Sage Brown Butter & Sausage Stuffing. So while this post started out to be much more about my love of stuffing than my new found fascination with pattypan squash, I think it’s interesting to share a bit of history on the White Scallop Summer Squash aka Pattypan.
Every booth at the Farmers’ Market yesterday was bursting with tomatoes and squash, and I just can’t say no. I even tried to buy just 3 ears of corn and the lady next to me said who does that….get a dozen, I did. So after visiting with 10 or so farmers, I had more than I could carry or possibly eat this week. No worries, with an office full of veggie eaters we’ll just share the love.
Day old bread, heirloom tomatoes, red onion, shaved Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, oil & vinegar, salt & pepper. Ta-done!! Layers of flavor. Thank you summer sun.
Today marks the 100th birthday of the witty and talented, Julia Child. She is being celebrated across many food sites today I’m sure. While I remember watching The French Chef on PBS and being captivated by Julia’s quirky voice and clear love of cooking, it wasn’t until I was reintroduced to her character in the hit movie Julie & Julia that I fell in love with her. I’m sure there are many forums that have addressed this movie’s effect on food blogging. It certainly captivated me….though I had no thought of writing about food at that time.
