zoo picnic

On a nice summer early evening we took this spread to an event at the zoo. Besides the tortilla chips, pita chips, pita bread and baguette we took an assortment of crudites and cheeses. We also took homemade hummus, baba ganoush, and guacamole for a lovely evening of snacking before a thunderstorm caused us to pack it in.

grilled chicken tacos & a caesar salad

Once I go through the process of heating the grill, I like to use it for many components of the meal. Here I grilled some boneless, skinless chicken thighs and vegetables to chop all that up for soft tacos (you can lightly heat the corn tortillas on the grill too). I also lightly charred some romaine lettuce on the grill - and the large bread 'croutons' for the base of a Casear salad.

pizza and salad

Taking advantage of the summer garden last month, I made a homemade pizza (well, dough and sauce courtesy of Trader Joes) with roasted garlic, prosciutto, and green chile. To go with the pizza I mixed up a bunch of colorful tomatoes with some torn up creamy burrata cheese, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

corn & crab soup, rack of lamb

Our first course was a chilled corn and chive soup, topped with crabmeat. The fresh corn was so beautiful at the local Farmers Market. Then, I oven roasted a garlic crusted rack of lamb for an easy entree. (Our Farmers Market also has a local vendor of organic beef and lamb.)

baked macaroni and cheese

Sometimes only the comfort foods will do. I mixed some broccoli into this batch of macaroni and cheese, topped it all with bread crumbs and baked it for a satisfying dinner.

creamy two bean soup

This is one of those dishes that just gets better with time. I like to make it a day in advance and then refrigerate it. Reheat and top with garnishes to serve 4-6. You just put 2 c. chicken broth, 1.5 c. garlic chipotle salsa, a 16-oz. can refried beans, a 15-oz. can (drained and rinsed) black beans, and 2 tsp. Mexican or Cajun seasoning blend into a medium saucepan. Let it come to a boil and simmer it, uncovered, for 25 minutes. To serve, garnish with crumbled tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sliced green onions.

oven poached halibut

I like the ease of cooking in parchment (or foil) packets. The main dish here is oven poached halibut with peas and asparagus. It is served over basmati rice cooked in coconut milk, with a Thai red curry sauce. I still had some garden fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella so I made a little composed caprese salad on the side.