Summer Eating...

It was EXTREMELY HOT today--the heat index over 107 degrees. Ugh! So, the smart thing to do would be to eat out or have ice cream for supper, but we did neither. I figured it was too hot to heat up the house, so I asked Bob to grill out. That was pretty inconsiderate of me, but while he grilled 1/3# burgers from Pure Kentucky Beef and some type of veggie chicken for Kari, I made two great summer recipes.

The first is grilled veggies. I tossed together in a bowl a mixture of cut up raw vegetables:

      Zucchini
      Onion
      Mushrooms
      Tomatoes [Whole grape tomatoes are perfect]

      Green pepper

 Then I drizzled with olive oil and 1T or so of the following herb mix [below].  We put it in a grilling  basket and stirred every few minutes. It takes about 10 minutes.  [You can do them on a skewer if you want--if you do that grill for about 3 minutes per side.]

Grilling spice mix, keep in jar and just take out what you need:

      2T each: basil, dried crushed rosemary, dried thyme

      1 T each: garlic powder, salt and pepper

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The second quick recipe that is great as a side dish or as a vegetarian summer meal is...
PANZANELLA--which is a type of bread salad. If you like dipping pieces of good chewy bread in herbed olive oil, you will love this. Prep time about 25 minutes.

PANZANELLA

A type of bread salad.

Combine  the following and toss gently:

           

½ pound or more of day old Italian bread or any chewy rustic loaf, torn or cut into bite sized pieces.

8 oz of cubed mozzarella, provolone or sharp cheddar cheese

3 large tomatoes, chopped, or a basket or more of grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 small cucumber, chopped

1 C chopped purple or sweet onion

½ C basil leaves, chopped & fresh

½ C Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

You can top this with about ¾ C of a nice Italian salad dressing or make the following dressing below. After pouring over the salad, toss well and let stand for 10-15 minutes so the bread can absorb the flavor. Serve at room temperature. Serves about 4 or more if used as a side dish. May want to sprinkle with Asiago or Parmesan cheese.

Dressing:

½ C olive oil

¼ C red wine or balsamic vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

½-1 tsp freshly ground pepper

¾ tsp salt

We had these two side dishes, grilled burgers and some fresh cherries for dessert. Heavenly! I would love to hear any fast and delicious summertime recipes that your family likes. 

Take care and stay cool,

Jill