Eggplant Burgers

Eggplant is one vegetable I have long under-appreciated. I always thought it was an interesting enough sort of plant, but it was such a bother how long it took to cook.

This was silly. Eggplants can be cooked rather quickly if sliced up, not unlike many other bulky vegetables.

This recipe for example is easy-peasy.

Whisk together in a small bowl: 2 tbsp oil, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, salt, & pepper.

Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices, an eggplant. Brush with the oil mixture. Then cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes on each side. Or until tender.

We served ours on a bun, with a bit of marinara sauce & a sprinkle of mozzarella.

Quite satisfying.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo- Calendar

Rhubarb-Strawberry Jam

Growing up, rhubarb grew every summer in our backyard. So basically for me rhubarb tastes a lot like nostalgia.

That backyard was a magical place full of make believe. The swings, the apple tree, the row of lilac bushes, the wood pile, the a-frame, the gravel pile, the cool muddy bit underneath the deck, the willow tree (later only a stump) & catnip.

My mother would often make the rhubarb into a delicious cobbler. I did that as well last year. But this year I decided to make another one of my favorite rhubarb treats.

I looked hopefully into every stand at the farmer's market week to week, until finally I found one stand selling this prized plant. I wish I remembered which farm they were from; they gave us the rhubarb in a brown paper sack with an adorable stamp (pictured above).

We have Princeton Produce to thank for the strawberries. And straight out of a fairy tale these berries are. Dainty & fragrant & the sweetest-strawberriest little morsels you ever did have the pleasure of eating.

To make the jam you start with about one pound of rhubarb diced & one cup of strawberries mashed. Then you bring them to a boil. Add a little over one cup of sugar & boil for twenty minutes.

You do have to stir pretty much constantly, but those minutes flew by for me. The smell of rhubarb & strawberry & strawberry-rhubarb & rhubarb-strawberry & the quiet bubbling were enchanting. And I enjoyed watching the fruits slowly blend together & deepen in colour.

Standing over a hot stove on a cool day making something sweet is my idea of contentment. If it isn't for you, then this may not be the recipe for you. But if you don't try it, you're truly missing out.

The finished product is my favorite version of my favorite jam ever. & there is no small matter of pride & feeling of accomplishment involved.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Penguin Cafe Orchestra- Perpetuum Mobile

Grilled Peach Salsa

Yes, please.

Here's how it's done...

Take five large peaches, wash them, half them, & remove their pits. Then grill them. Wait for them to cool, peel them, & chop them.

Add to the peaches five chopped tomatoes & two minced jalapenos (sans seeds for milder version), & two tbsp chopped fresh cilantro.

Mix in honey, cinnamon, salt & pepper to taste.

Tastes like summer.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Lucy Ward- Summertime

Apricot Chicken

Apricot, maple syrup, ginger... these are the featured flavors in this dish. I happen to adore all of these flavors. And there's something about warm apricot that feels absolutely decadent.

Simply half the apricots and remove their pits. Then cook them in a few tsp of melted butter over medium heat for about five minutes. Then flip them over and cook them for a few minutes before removing them from the pan.

Then add onion & ginger to the pan. Cook strips of chicken breast, sprinkled with salt & pepper, in these. Then remove from the pan.

Add one half cup cider, or water, (we used cranberry juice), some orange or lime zest, & two tbsp maple syrup. Then add back in the chicken and apricot.

Serve with rice, couscous, or salad. In this case farmer's market romaine & arugula.

The bowl the apricots are pictured in was also purchased at the market from an artist named Larry Brown.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Dolphins-Cocoon

BBQ Summer Fajitas

I love fajitas & this was a fun twist...

BBQ Marinade: 1/4 cup olive oil, two minced cloves garlic, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp BBQ sauce, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, pepper, & Tabasco.

Coat meat & refrigerate at least 12 hours. Stir fry in oil until browned, then leave in pan while stir frying the four cups of vegetables.

We used red bell peppers, yellow summer squash, carrots & red onions.

We also had them with some pomegranate salsa & shredded cheddar.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Belle and Sebastian- Another Sunny Day

Stuffed Peppers

A sweet & spicy surprise. I don't usually care for bell peppers, but this one left me giddy. And it filled me up plenty. So I had another one the next day.

1) Cut 1/2 inch off the top of four bell peppers & remove the seeds. Then steam the peppers for 5-8 minutes.

2) Saute 1/3 cup chopped onion & two minced cloves of garlic.

3) Then add 2 medium chopped tomatoes, one minced jalapeno pepper, parsley, oregano, cumin, salt & one bay leaf. Cook for five minutes.

4) Add two cups corn & two cups black beans, then simmer for ten minutes.

5) Stand peppers up in dish then stuff with mixture, removing the bay leaf.

6) Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella or Parmesan. Bake at 350 for twenty minutes.

It was a cooler sort of evening so we strolled over to a nearby park & went for an explore. The world seemed bright, but the vision of these bright red veggies kept floating into my head.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Chris Garneau- Fireflies

Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken

I'm loving all these cool crisp salads from Simply in Season. I'm also loving the abundant fresh greens this summer. This salad has some frisee from Whole Foods, arugula from the same place, & (best of all) greens from my Mother-in-law's garden. We also have some red lettuce from the farmer's market to have as a side salad tonight.

The Grilled Chicken salad is made by the wonderful oregano & garlic flavors, as well as the tender chicken.

For the dressing mix: 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, one tsp dried oregano, salt, pepper, & two minced cloves of garlic. Reserve two tbsp.

Toss eight cups mixed greens, tomato, & two slices red onion separated into rings into the rest of the dressing.

Brush one pound chicken breasts with the reserved dressing. Grill for about five minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through. Then cut into slices to put onto the salad.

Garnish with feta cheese & olives.

We had ours with a bit of farmer's market baguette! Thanks to Le Quartier Baking Company.

It was our first farmer's market of the year, & it was quite a festive affair. There was a man there playing the accordion & singing in French, accompanied by a man on the guitar. It was quite good music. My husband said he was not from France & probably had a Cajun accent. Apparently he was right, as I have discovered today they are a group called the Prairie Gators.

So today's music is from them. Though, I couldn't find a video of him actually singing.

This is still worth a view.

Nicoise Salad

This salad was made by it's interesting combination of toppings & the fresh mixed greens.

A satisfying mix of crisp red lettuce, bitter-nutty frisee, & peppery arugula, though of course any mixed greens are called for. The egg, tomato, tuna, & nicoise olives played out well together.

The dressing was a pleasant balance of sweet mustardy acidity.

Whisk or shake well together: 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, & 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Then toss 4 cups of greens with the dressing.

Top with: 5 ounces canned tuna (drained), 3 boiled & quartered small potatoes, 2 hard-cooked eggs in wedges, one medium tomato in wedges, & at least ten Nicoise olives.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Charles Bradley- The World is Going up in Flames

Greek Tomato Salad

Refreshing cool salad. As a bonus we trimmed our basil plant which is now over a foot tall to use some fresh basil for this recipe. Nothing better than fresh basil.

Combine in a dish: 8 medium tomatoes (peeled & sliced), one medium thinly sliced onion, & one chopped cucumber.

Mix & pour over the vegetables: 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, one tbsp olive oil, one tbsp balsamic vinegar, & one clove chopped garlic.

Toss lightly. Salt & pepper to taste. Garnish with one half cup of crumbled feta cheese & Kalamata olives.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

The Phoenix Foundation- Buffalo

Strawberry Ice Cream

1) Chill all ingredients: three cups mashed strawberries, 2 cups whipped cream, one can sweetened condensed milk, 3 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, & salt.

2) Beat all ingredients together.

3) Pour into 9x13 pan & freeze until mushy, 3-4 hours.

4) Pour back into mixing bowl & beat until smooth but not melted.

5) Return to pan & freeze for another 3 hours.

This ice cream is rich & creamy. So many strawberries! For the same cost of the store-bought versions, plus a little bit of time, you get about twice as much.

I can't wait to try it again with peaches later this summer.

It was the perfect ending to an evening spent with my husband celebrating our second wedding anniversary.

He gave me two handmade marbles, blue & white, in a little cotton bag. He offered them up with such humbleness, but I truly find them amazing.

Also, check out that lovely cloth under the cup of ice cream. A present from my sweet parents!

Thank you to everyone who thought of us & sent gifts &/or love!

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Angus & Julia Stone- Bella