Summer Eating

Round about October when the Autumn weather turns a tad chillier I'm in the mood for stews and thick soups and things that bubble in the crockpot all day.  By the time Winter is in full swing I want to put everything in the oven, cover it with cheese and bread crumbs.  I enjoy things roasted and toasted and served with something deep and rich to drink like a hearty red wine.

Awwww........but in the Summer it's a different story.  I want to eat things full of color, crisp and vibrant.  If it can be cooked on the grill outside it will be.  Whenever possible we pluck a few things from the garden, just minutes before we prepare the food.  The meals are lighter, but we linger over them.  We often eat outside.

Homemade pizza on a whole wheat crust.
Goat cheese with tomatoes and basil straight from the garden.

Homemade pizza on a whole wheat crust.
Goat cheese with fresh grilled corn and jalapenos.

I make a lot of pie in the summer. 
Here's an unbaked blueberry and strawberry pie
with a crumb topping.

Grilled lamb steaks.
Millet Salad
(millet, yellow bell peppers, green onions,
cucumbers, and feta with a lemon and basil dressing).

What to eat after church when everyone is so hungry
and you only have a few minutes to throw it together?

Caesar Salad (romaine, anchovies, kalamata olives,
artichoke hearts and Parmesan Romano cheese)

Cheese toasts

Am I the only mother whose children beg her to buy brussel sprouts?

Served with grilled dill salmon

Most people I know who hate brussel sprouts have only had some strange version of frozen or canned and reheated.  I wouldn't like them either in that case.  We eat them a variety of ways, but here is a simply way that I bet you'll like:

Lightly steam the brussel sprouts until they are a vibrant color, but not soft.  Heat oil in a wok or large skillet until quite hot.  Carefully, dump the hot steamed sprouts all at once into the oil and toss until they are all dark and toasty on the outside.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

My most recent obsession: Jalapeno Poppers. 
Seriously, I've been eating these several times a week!

These are stuffed with Port Salut and wrapped in uncured applewood smoked bacon.

Puttanesca and Herb Green Salad

If you've never tried Puttanesca, I highly recommend it. A welcomed break from marinara and alfredo, which seem to be the only two pasta sauces with which Americans are familiar.  Although it does have tomatoes in it, it is really nothing like a marinara, which is sweet and heavy.  Puttanesca is bitter and briny and wonderful.  Quite oily and perfect with a crusty bread!  Gana much prefers it to other tomato based sauces.  There is a very decent recipe here: Puttanesca I.