Hi everyone! It's the weekend, time to relax, make some delicious, fresh and healthy summer suppers straight from the farmers market!
August is harvest time for small vegetable farms....
Each week I stock up on heirloom tomatoes.
I can't get over the colors.
And inside! So sweet, so red and juicy....very little seeds, just warm rosy beefsteak for slicing thin.
Corn is a must-have too. I always want to buy dozens of ears, to celebrate one of my favorite treats! But actually corn is best fresh picked and so I restrain my enthusiasm, buy a few fresh ears each time.
Too perishable to be photographed in the hot sunshine...here on the counter I have fresh ricotta, from Brooklyn!
...homemade cheese ravioli, French sourdough loaf, more tomatoes, lemons....
One lazy weeknight I just made classic grilled cheese sandwiches with this amazing chewy tasty bread---thinly sliced tomatoes, American cheese and mozzarella, all layered with Dijon mustard, and gently grilled in a non-stick pan. Yum! Serve with a fresh greens salad and homemade pickles....
Shredded chicken breasts (I poach Traders Joe's or BJ's frozen chicken breasts in the microwave); diced Farmers market tomatoes, crumbled bacon, chopped romaine lettuce and mayo. Grind some fresh black pepper. Toss lightly. Serve it with the French sourdough bread or on a bed of more romaine.
And last, Friday supper, yummy yum yum!
The homemade Italian market ravioli...boiled for 4 minutes, drained well. Toss with juice of 2 lemons; a little butter; two yellow summer squashes, sliced very thin, steamed ahead in microwave; toasted walnut bits, a dash of Riesling, lots of pepper, herbs from the deck garden, shaved parm. Dot with a few teaspoons of the ricotta and serve hot and perfect. So good.
(So we don't waddle on down to the beach, I serve a large plain dark green salad and small portions of the ravioli dish. And the rest of the cheapo Riesling, lol.)
Oh! What did I do with the rest of the ricotta?
First let me say fresh handmade ricotta is a food for gods!
I whipped it gently with a fork, added a LOT of Splenda, vanilla extract, a dash of vodka (or rum or brandy); stir in a few chocolate chip bits, fresh but frozen raspberries/ blueberries (if you freeze them after washing and blotting dry, they don't disintegrate when stirred into the heavy cheese...). Sprinkle more toasted walnut bits on top. Chill. I serve this dessert in tiny cups witha few berries and a sprig of mint on top.
Very rich, a little goes a long way!
For dinner parties/ fancy, you can tuck a small fragrant sugar cookie in the side of each bowl.
Any summer favorites cooking in your kitchens? I hope so! Enjoy!
love
lizzy
........ gone to the beach
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