Summer Recipes

All winter long, I read recipes I want to try during the summer when we have a glut of fresh veggies. Then, summer comes and my brain melts in the heat and I'm overwhelmed with harvesting and I forget all my grand recipe plans!! I end up resorting to quick, improvised recipes I make all the time. This is a picture of one example:

It is very simple to make. While the gemelli pasta boils, I sautee the zucchini and eggplant in a non stick pan with a little olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. At the same time, I warm and melt together a few tablespoons of cream with a few tablespoons of mascarpone cheese and another little grinding of fresh pepper. When the pasta is cooked, I put it in the serving bowl and pour over the cheese/cream. I sprinkle it with some parm and toss it all to combine and coat the pasta with the nice cheesy sauce. Then, I put the veggies on top of the pasta and top them with some chopped tomato for a fresh, citrusy kick.

My basic recipes like this are tasty, but I do need some more variety! So, in an effort to be better about trying new recipes this summer, I'm actually going to occasionally list some in posts that I can refer back to.

Today, I'm focused on peppers and eggplants...

-Peppers-

One of Jeff's work friends recently suggested this recipe: Bob's Habanero Hot Sauce - Liquid Fire. We have 3 Habanero pepper plants this year, so this should be a good way to use them.

I want to make *baked* poppers to avoid excessive fats. I can use lighter cheeses too. I'll adapt a recipe like this one: Baked Jalapeno Poppers or this one: Skinny Baked Jalapeno Poppers. I'll try using both Jalapenos and Mariachi peppers.

Chicken and Jalapeno Kebabs with a honey based glaze also printed in Everyday Food Magazine Issue 83, June 2011.

-Eggplants-

I'm interested in lighter versions of Eggplant parm.

Martha Stewart's Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Jamie Oliver's Aubergine Parmigiana

One of our favorite restaurants used to make a wonderful Eggplant Rollatini. (We've hardly been since they stopped serving it, years ago now!) I want to try to replicate it at home based on this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.

And, I can't wait to make some Baba Ghanoush. It is so good. I already have a jar of Tahini waiting in the pantry. I have to think of some things to serve it on other than prepared pita chips as they are kind of salty for me. Maybe I can just toast some plain pitas? I'd guess serving it like bruschetta would work too.

If you have some tried and true pepper or eggplant recipes, please share!!!