Sweet, juicy, fresh-picked Placer County Mandarins …
My friend, Jonathan Ashmore, owner of Les Vignobles Gourmet Specialties, gave me some amazing mandarins this past weekend. Rumor has it that Jonathan has some special treats in mind for these mandarins. I can’t wait to try them!
Are you salivating yet?
Coming soon … Roasted Curried Vegetables … perfect for a cool, rainy day.
Later … Almost there …my home smells soo good right now … should be ready in about 30 minutes.
Voila!
Roasted Curried Vegetables
These are so simple to make. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Clean and cut broccoli and cauliflower into evenly cut large bite-sized pieces; drain well. If you’re using whole broccoli and cauliflower, you can use the stems, too. Mini or fingerling potatoes are perfect for this, but you can also use large potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces. You will want to cut the potatoes into smaller pieces than the broccoli and cauliflower, though, to ensure even roasting. Cut one onion (I prefer red) into about 1-inch cubes. Drizzle the vegetables with a good olive oil, then sprinkle generously with your favorite curry powder. Toss well to combine. Spread evenly on a baking pan. Do not crowd the vegetables – otherwise they’ll steam and not roast. Place the baking pan(s) in the middle of your preheated oven. If you’re using multiple baking pans, be sure to leave plenty of room between them and to rotate them (top to bottom) after about 30 minutes.
Depending on the size of your cuts, the vegetables will take about 60 to 90 minutes to roast.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Yams or sweet potatoes are a divine addition.
You may want to cook the potatoes or sweet potatoes separately. Sometimes they take longer to roast than the other vegetables.
Enjoy!
Don’t you wish you were here?
Heirloom cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and a grind or two of pink Himalayan salt.
... grilled zucchini ...
... and crookneck squash
The whole ensemble ... pork loin cutlets, grilled red onion, zucchini & crookneck squash.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking dish with pie crust. Cut fresh zucchini into bite-sized chunks and distribute evenly on crust. Top with fresh herbs of your choice – shown here with fresh basil. Add cheese of your choice – shown here with a sharp English cheddar and part skim mozzarella. Add sundried tomatoes.
Season to taste with pepper – I used Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning. Whisk a few eggs in a separate bowl. You might want to add a little salt, depending on the cheeses you’re using. Carefully pour the whisked eggs over the quiche fillings. Top with grated cheese – shown here with freshly grated Parmesan. Optional – sprinkle with some fresh breadcrumbs.
Bake 350 until set. This will vary depending on the size of the quiche.
Allow to cool a few minutes before cutting.Zucchini Quiche
This quiche is good served hot and reheats well for leftovers.
Enjoy!
Whoa … that’s a strong onion!
Just a little teaser for my next zucchini gratin recipe.
This one’s going to have a little kick to it.
Sweet Red Onion
The Secret Ingredient …
The Secret Ingredient ... Serrano Chile Pepper
A Tale of Two Zucchinis
It’s that time of year again. If you have a friend with a garden, there is a good chance that you’ll soon find yourself with more zucchini than you might know what to do with. Here are a couple of quick, simple, and healthy ideas for you.
Zucchini & Tomato Gratin
Slice garden fresh zucchini and roma tomatoes about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. Layer alternatively in a gratin baking dish.
Zucchini & Tomato Gratin
Sprinkle with fresh herbs of your choice (shown below with fresh thyme & chives), season with salt & pepper, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Top with freshly grated cheese – shown here with mozzarella and Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggio (parmesan, asiago, fontina, & mild provolone cheeses)
Zucchini & Tomato Gratin
Zucchini & Tomato Gratin
Sprinkle with some fresh sourdough breadcrumbs. These are so easy to make! Let a slice of good sourdough dry out a bit. Cut it into cubes, throw in a blender or food processor, and voila! Homemade breadcrumbs.
Top with a little extra fresh grated parmesan and season with pepper. I like the Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning bland ($1.99 at Trader Joe’s and worth every penny).
Bake at 325 F until it’s done (about an hour). “Done” is subjective … some will like it cooked more than others. Next time I’ll make sure to take a picture of the finished product. Sorry!
This can be served as a main course or as a side. It is lovely with fish, chicken, or lamb.
Coming soon … Zucchini Quiche …
Zucchini & Tomato Gratin
Here’s an idea for you …
Slice garden fresh zucchini & roma tomatoes about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. Layer alternatively in a gratin baking dish. Top with fresh herbs of your choice (shown here with fresh thyme & chives), season with salt & pepper, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of good quality balsamic vinegar. For a vegan treat, bake here.
For a vegetarian treat, top with freshly grated cheese – shown here with Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggio (parmesan, asiago, fontina, & mild provolone cheeses) and a little extra fresh grated parmesan and pepper on top.
Zucchini & Tomato Gratin
Bake at 325 F until it’s done (about an hour). “Done” is subjective … some will like it cooked more than others.
Zucchini & Tomato Gratin
This can be served as a main course or as a side. It is lovely with fish, chicken, or lamb.
Enjoy!
Salmon with Heirloom Tomato & Persian Cucumber Salad
I’d have to say I had a pretty darn good day today. A very productive work day. A relaxing walk at lunch. A good ride after work followed by a dinner of perfectly cooked salmon with Trader Joe’s everyday seasoning and smoked sea salt, with a refreshing heirloom tomato and Persian cucumber salad with fresh thyme & chives, freshly zested and squeezed lemon, extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground Pink Himalayan sea salt and pepper.
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