What's for Dinner, Sat., June 4, 2016

[NJCher]

Pleasant day here in the 70s and low 80s, but it's muggy. I thought this would be good:

Cold pureed soup. It's carrot/parsnip/ginger with pear. I made it the other day and the flavors are now fully blended. It's just incredibly good! Top it with Mexican crema and toasted almonds and pine nuts.

Next up a salad, which is also already made from fresh greens in my garden.

For an entree, the last piece of chicken that the RG made. A few cold asparagus spears with lemon sauce.

Dessert will be watermelon topped with mint.


Cher

[bif]

1. Maybe a surf & turf with shrimp. Or grilled salmon.

[japple]

2. Can anyone use yellow summer squash or zucchini? All of a sudden, we've

got it out the wazoo! My SIL sent over a huge bag of it. Guess I'll be making squash pickles or relish next week.

[NJCher]

4. zucchini or summer squash fritters

Are wonderful and they freeze just great. Here's my method for what I call "minimalist fritters" (minimalist because there's little flour).

Grate as many zucchini or summer squash as you want (squeeze out the water with your potato masher), then mix with a proportionate amount of kernels off fresh corn. Sprinkle with a little flour, a little less cornmeal, eggs, chives, and a bit of hot pepper.

Fry in olive oil. To freeze, put on a cookie sheet and freeze, then put between wax paper in a plastic freezer bag.

These are the greatest items to pull out of the freezer to accompany a meal. Because they're flat, you can make a ton of them and they hardly take up any space.


Cher

[japple]

5. That sounds delicious, but the corn won't be coming in until the end of July or middle of August.

A friend suggested dicing it up and steaming it for a minute or two and then freezing it (of course after cooling it down.) She said to put it in soup next winter, which will increase the volume of your soup and add some more vitamins.

[NJCher]

8. just came home from the store

and we have corn on sale at 20 cents an ear.

Also, you wouldn't have to use corn, but corn really is delicious in this recipe.

The soup idea is OK but then you have it your freezer 'til winter!


Cher

[japple]

13. I love the combination of zucchini and corn and often add tomatoes

and onions. Then there are those baked zucchini rounds you had a week ago.

[Galileo126]

3. Something to do with chicken thighs

Not sure what yet, but have plenty of time to decide. A mushroom risotto I think, too.

I do have cantelope, so that is definitely for dessert.

[japple]

6. The chicken cacciatore recipe that I tried several weeks ago was

wonderful. Everyone in my family licked their plate! I drool when I think about the sauce.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015416-chicken-cacciatore-with-mushrooms-tomatoes-and-wine?
I think this is the one:

[Galileo126]

9. Thanks!

I was never satisfied my chicken cacciatore recipe. This one (your link) has carrots, so that ought to sweeten up the sauce. Rosemary isn't something I would (personally) think to add, but then again - I said I don't like mine

OK - maybe because I use green bells in mine? (It's a brain stem thing for me.) Also, I don't add vino.

I'm gonna try this one soon, because sometimes I get stuck in my own recipe quagmire - thanks again japple!

[japple]

12. I didn't use the amount of rosemary called for in the recipe. I substituted

a blend of Mediterranean herbs--oregano, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme. The mushrooms were awesome.

[littlewolf]

7. another bowl of Italian wedding soup …. I may freeze the rest if not there is

enough for 1 more bowl

[Galileo126]

11. That's my "go to" zuppa!

I think my Ma put that in my baby bottle instead of milk.

(Which isn't too far from being sorta true - I was allergic to milk up until the age of 8.)

[greatauntoftriplets]

10. Strip steak with sauteed onions.

Baked potato and grape tomatoes.