Garlic Spinach Dip

Last night, weeks of helping my parents paint the rooms in their house caught up with me. Spray painting the lawn chairs yesterday must have been the last straw for my body. My arms were rubber & my wrists & even my fingers (from the spray painting).

Good thing Simply in Season came through for me again with this fresh & creamy pick-me-up.

My brother helped me modify the recipe, because our food processor has not been up to speed.

Mix: 2 tbsp sauted garlic, four cups finely chopped spinach, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup milk, salt, & hot sauce.

We dipped slices of summer squash & zucchini.

I meant to garnish with a chopped tomato but I plumb forgot. Maybe I will try that with the leftovers.

Also, such things as Monterey Jack, tortilla chips, or toasted pita wedges are optional.

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

Between the Minds- Joanna Chapman-Smith

Strawberry Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

If I were to change anything about this recipe, from Simply in Season, it would be to half the strawberries rather than putting them in whole as the last step. & that probably depends on the size of the berries.

Other than that it was superb. A bit sweet & the right emphasis on tart. & Strawberries are just the thing round-abouts now!

1) Blend in a saucepan 1 cup of sugar & 3 tbsp cornstarch.

2) Add one cup mashed strawberries & 1/2 cup orange juice. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture boils. Stir for one minute then remove from the heat & stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice. Allow to cool.

3) Fold in 4-6 cups strawberries & pour into a baked Graham Cracker Crust. Chill for at least three hours.

The Graham Cracker crust is even more simple: Combine one and one half cup crushed graham crackers, 1 cup sugar, & 1/3 cup melted butter. Press into the pan & bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

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

Julie Doiron- Glad to be Alive

A Picnic by the Lake with Orange Mint Tea

I had another meal planned for dinner tonight, but when the sun came out I decided it would have to wait. We piled up some tuna sandwiches & grabbed the Orange Mint Tea I'd made earlier in the day. We headed out.

Forgive my over-indulgence in today's post. It was all so stunning.

This tea was one of the few beverage recipes in Simply in Season, & I intend to make it as much as possible this week/summer. I was at first afraid the mint would not come out, but I must not understand mint very well.

Orange Mint Tea: Bring two cups of water to a boil. Add 4-6 sprigs of mint & steep for at least fifteen minutes. Remove the mint. Add one cup orange juice & 1/2 cup lemon juice. Sugar to taste or 1/3 cup. Fill 2 quart pitcher the rest of the way up with ice & water. Let chill.

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

Gan to the Kye- The Unthanks

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

Pesto

My only regret with this dish is that I didn't take more photos of the lovely broad-leafed basil. I was cooking at my parents' house & foolishly neglected to bring my camera. Ah, well.

This is another gem from Simply in Season, though it should be noted that I have never had bad pesto.

For every one packed cup of basil add: 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts (or pine nuts or walnuts), 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, salt to taste, & some fresh parsley.

Finely chop together in a food processor. Add olive oil slowly while chopping until desired thickness is reached. (About half a cup for one cup basil. )

We served with pasta & garnished with parsley. After dinner we finished planting our garden. Including some basil...

Then we headed to Whole Foods and picked up a bottle of Mango Lemonade for one dollar even. One of our favorite first signs of Late Spring.

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

Erland and The Carnival- Springtime

Garlic Potato Salad

We had our first grill out of the season, over at my Parents' place, last night. My brother grilled some pork chops to perfection, & some sweet corn on the cob. My Dad also provided us with root beer floats. This potato salad was my contribution.

Another smash hit from Simply in Season. Garlic, rosemary, & a pleasant undertone of balsamic.

1. Boil six diced red potatoes & set aside.

2. Chop up one cup of green onions. I used a little bit less than a cup of yellow onions instead.

3. Mince three cloves of garlic, or you can use garlic scapes. (As I am sure we will when my parents' annual crop of garlic arrives.)

4. Combine two tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, one teaspoon rosemary (or two teaspoons fresh rosemary), salt & pepper. Then mix with onion, garlic, & potatoes.

5. Chill for at least three hours before serving!

After dinner we worked hard, especially my husband, to put seventeen small squash, zucchini, tomato, & cucumber plants into planters & or the dirt. We slept deep last night. The windows open & the fan blowing.

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

Sparrow and the Workshop- I Will Break You

Also, here's some info about this group.

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