summer harvests

Dear Kristin,

Summer is here, and its time to hit the local farmer's market & see what follows you home. Today? Squash and yes, everyone's favorite - zucchini - otherwise known as the octamom of the garden. I was happy to see these little gems, because I had just the recipe for them in my "must try this" list. Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as smoothly as they could have.

Once more, my attempt at pastry/pie crust ended in the trash, all crumbs and blobs. I tried - really, I did. The good news is, I had a trusty Pillsbury Pie Crust ready to do battle for me when my fancified friends failed me. And, boy, was I glad I didn't just throw down my apron in defeat and toss the entire dish into the garbage!

What dish, you ask? Well, it was supposed to be a Summer Squash and Ricotta Galette that I found in Cooking Light Magazine. I don't know where I went wrong with the crust - I probably didn't let it chill long enough, or didn't have enough liquid - but all I got was crumbs that avoided sticking together like a Kardashian marriage. So, I just pulled out my frozen pie dough & forged ahead.

I also changed up the filling quite a bit, hoping for a more Mediterranean twist,  so I added dill & feta, omitting the garlic and thyme that the original recipe called for.

The result is a light, summery side dish that we enjoyed with a nice rib-eye hot off the grill.

Summer at its best!



summer squash & three cheese galette

1 9" Pillsbury pie crust - let sit outside of the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before using(from the dairy section)

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices

1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4" slices

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 c. ricotta cheese (I used full milk)

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed (or use fresh, if you've got it - but you will need significantly more)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 egg white whisked with 1 tsp. water

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine zucchini, squash and olive oil in a large bowl.

Combine ricotta, Parmesan, dill weed and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

Roll pie dough into a 14" circle on a lightly floured surface.

Transfer pie crust to prepared baking sheet.

Spread ricotta mixture evenly over pie dough to within 2 inches of the edge.

Arrange zucchini and squash in circles over the ricotta, alternating slices for a pretty pattern.

Sprinkle feta cheese over the squash.

Fold dough over filling.

Brush dough with egg white mixture.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Comfy's note - the possibilities here are endless - sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions with strips of steak?

simple shawarma

Dear Mom,

I agree, simple is good.  In fact, simple is great for me right now as I've been busy trying to both enjoy my summer and study for my next licensing exam.  Unfortunately this means hours of reading the most boring study material, but fortunately I can do that outside which is a much nicer study environment than couped up in our apartment.  So time is a bit precious to me right now, and I can't devote as much time to cooking as I would like.  Its pretty hot right now anyway so the idea of standing over a hot stove isn't exactly appealing either.  What's the perfect solution?  The grill!  It's fast and keeps the heat out doors, also since the hubs loves to grill it allows us to share some of the dinner preparation responsibility.  I discovered this recipe in Cooking Light magazine a few years ago, and its been a great summer-time go to ever since.  The marinade for the chicken involves only five ingredients plus salt, the tahini sauce on the side has only four ingredients and some of it overlaps the same ingredients from the marinade so preparation is quick and easy.  Serve it with shredded crunchy romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, olives, pita bread, and any other mediterranean ingredients that you like.  Delicious, light, healthy, and of course, simple.

chicken shawarma

for the chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in to 1-inch tenders
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt

for the sauce:
1/2 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt (I like Fage 0%)
3 tbsp. tahini
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt to taste

In a large zip-top plastic bag combine chicken and remaining ingredients through salt.  Shake and massage bag until the chicken is completely coated and marinade ingredients are combined.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat grill and prepare the sauce.  In a bowl stir to combine all of the sauce ingredients.

Grill the chicken over medium, medium-low heat about 4-5 minutes each side.

Serve with the tahini sauce and lettuce, tomatoes, olives, pita and anything else you like!

kiss - keep it simply sinful

Dear Kristin,

As you know, your dad & I have been busy over the past few weeks giving the kitchen and dining room a much needed face lift . As I was packing up all of the paraphernalia that tends to collect in the two hutches we have in the dining room, I started to wonder just how much of it we really needed. Wouldn't it be easier just to divest ourselves of all of the collected clutter rather than pack it away just to unpack it again when we were done? So, yes - I finally got rid of the reindeer ears you pranced around in when you were five, and all of those half-burned down votive candle nubs that seem to miraculously multiply in the dark recesses of drawers and at the back of shelves. Take-out menus from restaurants that went out of business when Bush (the senior) was president? Gone. Cassette tapes of New Kids on the Block? History. Instruction manuals for appliances that long ago went to the great scrap metal junkyard in the sky? Mere memories.

Ahh. The simple life. That is, until it starts all over again.

But for now, things are clean and simple, and we are trying to maintain a "less is more" life style. So how, you may ask, do I segue from that into a recipe?

Simple.

Cheesecake, that is. I like my cheesecakes to be cheesecakes. Don't get me wrong - all of the fancy black-bottomed, pumpkin, caramel and coffee flavored versions are wonderful, and I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at any one of them. But my preference is for a simple cheesecake, with vanilla as the only adornment for this queen of cakes. The recipe here is the original one I got from Kraft Foods with just a few enhancements - like the cinnamon in the crust, and of course, the addition of the vanilla bean seeds.

A note on ingredients - when it comes to cheesecakes, I like to use only the best tried and true ingredients. I use original Philadelphia brand cream cheese - not a low fat or off-brand version, a full fat sour cream, and a really good cinnamon. As for the vanilla - I've been using Penzy's Double Strength Vanilla in all of my baking for the past couple of years, and this cheesecake is no exception. I just love the richness of it, and have never found it to be overwhelming. But, that's just me - keeping it simple.

vanilla cheesecake

2 c. graham cracker crumbs
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 1/4 c. sugar - divided
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 c. sour cream
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
2 tsp. vanilla*
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease sides and bottom of 9" spring form pan.

Make crust:

Mix graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 c. sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Press firmly on bottom & 2 1/2" up the sides of the pan.

Make filling:

Beat cream cheese and remaining 1 c. sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream, vanilla and vanilla bean seeds. Mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until blended. Pour filling into prepared crust.

Place cake in a large baking pan. Fill pan with boiling water about 1/2 up side of cake pan. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until center appears almost set. Turn the oven off, and let the cake cool in the oven with the door slightly open for one hour. Remove cake from oven and cool completely on rack. Once the cake is completely cooled, refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Comfy's note: The really good thing about a simple cheesecake is that you can top it any way you like. Cherry or blueberry pie filling works well, or just some fresh strawberries if they're in season.