Chilled Gazpacho Soup

This was a bit different than other Gazpacho I have had in the past. It was more of a soup, as the recipe title suggests, & seemed to be a bit more savory. But of course, it would not truly be Gazpacho if it did not feature the flavors of the tomatoes & cucumbers at their freshest & purest.

My summers no longer feel complete without at least one batch of Gazpacho, since the first summer I tried it. And, this recipe from Simply in Season was quite possibly my favorite version yet. Of course it helped that the ingredients were fresh from the market.

Simply combine: four cups chopped tomatoes, two cups broth, one cup diced cucumber, one cup diced green pepper, one cup diced bok choy (or celery), one half cup diced red onion, one tablespoon lemon juice, two tablespoons sugar (optionally), salt, several dashes Worcestershire, chopped chives (or green onion), & six ice cubes.

Allow to stand for thirty minutes.

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

The Wind Whistles- Good Friends

Okra Curry

Oh dear! I have been bustling & hustling to work out my anxieties. & I completely forgot how cooking a Simply in Season meal, listening to some music, and even sharing them here is some of the best anxiety-relief of all.

I have to say... I have always enjoyed okra, but I have also always had trouble cooking it. But when I found a big bag of it for a few dollars at the Farmer's Market, I was bound & determined to figure out a thing or two.

All I really did in the end was to follow the recipe, and the okra turned out great. Not mushy, but soft-crisp. Only the largest pod of all was a bit fibrous. & the sticky little seeds were like a more flavorful couscous.

I cooked the wild rice in broth & it was an excellent complement to the okra.

1. Saute one half cup of onion in two tbsp of olive oil until golden brown.

2. Add one garlic clove (minced), ground ginger, turmeric, & chili powder. Saute for a few minutes.

3. Add one pound of okra (cleaned and trimmed) & salt. Cook a few minutes.

4. Add one cup slice tomatoes & fry for a few minutes until liquids evaporate. (This took a bit longer than a few minutes for me.)

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

Laura J. Martin- Fire Horse

Zucchini Basil Pizza

For this pizza I used the following Farmer's Market delights: one whole wheat pizza crust, two medium vine-ripened tomatoes, one small portion of a rather large zucchini, one quarter cup chopped fresh basil, & one half an onion.

I also used: one quarter cup mushroom pasta sauce, a few tablespoons of basil from our own garden, & fat free mozzarella.

I garnished with some ground cayenne pepper, Parmesan cheese, & basil leaves.

I baked it at 475 for about ten minutes.

It all added up to delicious, quite filling, & surprisingly rather healthy for a pizza.

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

Megan Henwood- Making Waves

Red Wine Cucumber Salad

Last night, with our Bison steaks, I threw together a cucumber salad.

I am rather picky about cucumbers, & rather turn my nose up at most of what the grocery stores have to offer in this area. I especially cannot abide by all that wax, rendering the lovely peels inedible. So I fervently hope that our little cucumber plant, full of tiny cucumbers & flowers currently, produces abundantly in the end. In the meanwhile we will rejoice in the box of small & crisp cucumbers we happened upon in last weekend's Farmer's Market.

For this salad I combined: One large thinly sliced green onion, two small diced tomatoes, three small thinly sliced cucumbers, two minced cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup of red wine, & 4 tsp olive oil.

(All but the final two it was our good fortune to find at the Farmer's Market downtown.)

I allowed the salad to marinate for a little over an hour. It was quite remarkable with a bit of salt & pepper.

Also, if you get the chance & happen to be omnivorous as I am, do try Bison steaks some time. Less fatty & more tender than the beef counterparts.

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

Pearl and the Beard- Sweetness

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

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

Zucchini Garden Chowder

A creamy & rich soup featuring the zucchini.

Probably my favorite soup from Simply in Season so far.

This recipe could easily feed 8 people.

Melt in soup pot two tbsp butter or margarine.

Add & saute until tender: two medium chopped zucchini, one medium chopped onion, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tsp dried basil (or 1 tbsp fresh).

Stir in: 1/3 cup flour, salt & pepper.

Gradually stir in three cups of water.

Add & bring to a boil: 3 vegetable bouillon cubes & 1 tsp lemon juice.

Reduce heat & cook two minutes stirring often.

Add & return to a boil: two cups chopped tomatoes, 1.5 cups evaporated milk, & two cups corn.

Reduce heat, cover, & simmer for five minutes.

Just before serving add two cups shredded cheddar. Garnish with Parmesan.

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

The Horn the Hunt- Old Town Cow

Stoplight Salad

A festive dish. It added some zing & colour to a dreary evening. Definitely a keeper. I love corn & black beans. Especially with just a bit of citrus & crunchy peppers.

Mix together two cups each: corn, tomatoes, black beans.

Add: one medium green bell pepper & one medium red bell pepper, chopped. Also some chopped fresh cilantro.

Whisk together: three tbsp olive oil, a dash of lemon juice (or lime juice/ vinegar), salt, & one minced clove of garlic.

Pour olive oil mixture over the rest. Mix together with slotted spoon.

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

Love and some Verses- Iron and Wine

Southwestern Corn Chowder

A fresh & festive bowl of soup on a cool-pleasant eve. It suggests variants such as black beans or chicken. These both sound like they have great potential to me.

Saute: 1/2 cup chopped onion in olive oil until soft.

Add & Cook for ten minutes: 2-3 cups corn & 3 cups broth.

Chop & Stir in: one medium red sweet pepper & one small tomato.

Garnish: lime juice & finely chopped cilantro.

We sprinkled a bit of cayenne on top, & my husband had his with crumbled tortilla chips.

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

The Aliens- The Sunlamp Show

Garden Ratatouille

My husband & I cooked up this ratatouille last night, based largely on a recipe from Simply in Season but with some modifications. It was more herby than the ratatouille I've had in the past. This was a good thing, turns out.

We split up the following work pretty much in half:

1) Chop two onions. Mince four cloves garlic. Saute in 3 tbsp olive oil with one bay leaf, five minutes.

2) Chop one medium eggplant. Add to the pan along with 2 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried rosemary, salt, & 1/2 tsp dried marjoram. Cover and cook over medium heat twenty minutes, or until eggplant is soft.

3) Add two summer squash & one zucchini chopped. Stir in one can diced tomatoes. Simmer for around ten minutes.

We served over pasta with grated Parmesan cheese.

All in all a tasty recipe for the weekend when I have time to chop & a husband to help me!

& we have a particular fondness for the zucchini & summer squash. Our first summer living near each other, we would buy up a bunch at the weekly Farmer's Market, & we pretty much incorporated them into every meal every day.

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

Herman Dune- When We Were Still Friends

Creamy-Dill Tomato Soup

It seems lately a silly thing has been happening here. I have been cooking meals so simple that they seem not post-worthy. However, simplicity is the whole principle behind basically all of the recipes I post here. So I'm back. At least for now.

Simply in Season does in fact have a recipe for tomato soup. I tried it a few weeks ago. It was quite pleasant. I especially liked the kick of garlic. I recommend you try it for a straight full-bodied version:

Fresh Tomato Soup

Combine in saucepan 8 medium tomatoes & four or more cloves of minced garlic. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes are soft.

Add three cups of vegetable juice, two bouillon cubes, & basil. Bring to a boil, simmer five minutes, serve!

But I have an additional way of making tomato soup. So I want to share that here as well. It's a bit spicy & very dilly.

Creamy-Dill Tomato Soup

Combine in saucepan one quart tomato juice & two cups half & half.

Add garlic powder, red pepper, & two tablespoons fresh chopped dill.

Also add three pickle spears, finely chopped. I use zesty pickles for added kick.

(the cream balances out the spiciness to some degree.)

Bring to a boil, then let simmer for five minutes.

Today I have two favorite songs

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

alessi's ark- magic weather

&

Darren Hanlon- Electric Skeleton