I got to the Farmer’s Market late today, and there were slim pickens. Swiss Chard must be plentifully growing on everyone’s farm/plot, since the tables were laden with it. There was even a swiss chard cooking demonstration going on at one booth. It was too crowded for me, but I could hear the chef say something about adding a splash of either red wine or balsamic vinegar just before serving. I’ll have to try that next week. I picked up some peppers and some tomatoes, and on the way home decided to stuff the peppers and serve them up for dinner. They can be served either as a lite main course or as a side. Either way, they’re a great summer meal.
I’ve been waiting to post this recipe until I could find fresh peas at my local Farmer’s Market, and today was the day.
Maybe I’ve just come too late to get them, but I’ve been to the market each week for the last month, and no luck.
Since my mom has been cooking out of Frances Mayes’ book The Tuscan SunCookbook which I got her for Mother’s Day, she’s been raving about the recipes she’s tried. I’m still trying to catch up to her, and I thought I’d start with this one. I think you’ll enjoy them 🙂
So, are you one of the lucky one’s who presently have zucchini coming out their ears? Zucchini are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, and they are prolific at this time. If you aren’t growing them yourself, don’t worry. They are in abundance at a farmer’s market near you 🙂
This easy recipe is sure to please. Just a few ingredients and simple steps make short work of turning a fair amount of zucchini into a tasty appetizer.
This past weekend, I tried this recipe with some friends over to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph. As I sometimes do, I made some changes to the original, and since the weather was nice (but cold), I decided to cook them on the grill.
They were fantastic, and, even though the rest of the food was good, they would have preferred if I just kept making this little pizzas.
Last night, I was asked to do some dorm room cooking for the students at Mc Daniel College. March is National Nutrition Month, and I wanted to make some simple dishes that the students could make cheaply, easily, and deliciously. Success 🙂
Lately, it’s been too hot and humid to sit outside in the evenings. I guess I’ve just gotten too used to air conditioning:( Last night, the weather being nice, I had the chance to have dinner under my pergola with some friends. Just about everything we ate came from my local farmer’s market, and it was all delicious. The red wine was a gift from a previous guest. It complemented the food perfectly.
As I was contemplating becoming a vegetarian, I worried that I would never eat good food again. I thought that I would get bored really quickly and go back to eating meat. As everyone who follows my blog knows, this decision was as much spiritual as it was health-related. That it was the right decision for me I have no doubt.
When you go without something you like, I think you savor what you do have even more. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the baby eggplants I found on one of the farmer’s tables. I’m just sorry I can’t remember the name! They were lavender in color, just about three inches long and about an inch wide. I cut them down the middle, doused them in olive oil, and sprinkled some garlic powder all over. They cooked on the grill quickly, less than two minutes on each side. I served them as an appetizer, and let me tell you, they were fantastic. My dinner companions enjoyed them as much as I did. What fun to try something new and unusual.
Yesterday, I was out visiting some blogs dealing with diabetes, and there was some excitement about a new venture, D-Feast Friday’s. Bloggers post their favorite recipes that are great tasting and diabetic friendly. Since it seems like the Zucchini-Corn Quesadillas I’ve been making lately have become quite a hit, I thought it would be a great recipe to contribute. It’s also a tasty way to incorporate some of the local produce that is so abundant right now into our daily diets.
Zucchini-Corn Quesadillas
makes two quesadillas
3 tb. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini cut into 1/2 inch cubes (2 cups)
1/2 cup (I used Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn)
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tb. lime juice
chili powder for sprinkling
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
4 Low Carb Wheat Tortillas (I used Wrap-itz Tortillas only five net carbs per tortilla. Trader Joe’s also has a good product).
Directions
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute 7 minutes. Add zucchini and corn, and saute 7 minutes more. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.
Heat pan/grill. Spray cooking oil lightly on tortilla and place in pan/on grill.
Spoon one cup of zucchini-corn filling onto tortilla, add cheese. Top with second tortilla. Spray top tortilla lightly with cooking spray (do not spray directly into flame). Cook for 2-3 minutes. Using spatula, turn gently. Cook additional 2-3 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Cut into quarters and enjoy. (Original recipe and nutritional info from Vegetarian Times)
I had three college students over to my house tonight to try out some vegetarian food. One suggested I make Mexican food, so that’s what was on the menu. The Zucchini-Corn Quesadillas shown above were, I think, the hands down favorite. They were really, really good. I’ll post the recipe under appetizers by Saturday. Maybe you’ll try them out on the 4th?
I’ve been blessed to know these guys for several years, and its exciting to me to hear them talk about their desire to take better care of themselves and eat healthier. Without a doubt, if they can get a handle on their health now while they’re young, they will enjoy a long and happy life. Sadly, I blog all the time about what happens if you don’t.
As they were leaving, one young man mentioned that someone he knew was told by his doctor that he needed to cut way back on his meat intake because his cholesterol was so high. I’m sure that same recommendation is made literally thousands of times each day in doctor’s offices all over our county.
The time is right for you to make an attempt to improve your health. Don’t worry about what you could have done, should have done, would have done if you had known, etc. That’s now in the past, and you can’t dwell on it.
But tomorrow starts a new day, filled with potential and hope. I pray that you give yourself that fresh start you need, and that each passing day will bring filled with blessings.
