Fruit CSA Week 3!

It just keeps getting better. This week, we had 6 varieties to choose from (clockwise, from top left):

• peaches (a mystery--since there were some white peaches and yellow peaches spread out among the CSA members)
• more Asian pears, but a different variety from last week's share
• purple/red plums
• yellow plums
• nectarines
• apples

Note that there are only 4 pears in this week's share...I may have to sneak an extra one away from the mister!

Another day, another mystery

Mystery food #2. I really have no idea what this one is...  The green top of this one reminds me of a tomatillo, but the skin is definitely tougher.  This fruit? veggie? is larger than a clenched fist, with a very smooth skin and a more lemon-yellow color.

What do you think? Figure this one out for me!

Name this fruit (I think it's a fruit!)

So, the mister and I picked up our veggie CSA this weekend and found this item.  Our farmer has grown peaches and melons this year, so our veggie CSA is not "all veggies, all the time."  However, I'm a bit perplexed about this recent arrival.

It has the stalk of a pumpkin, but is very smooth skin like summer squash. That said, it also has the color of a honeydew--my cell phone picture does it no justice.  It's a soft, butter yellow color.  We have yet to cut into this, but I wonder if my curious readers can figure this out first. 

"Did I hear a string of curses?"

Kale and zucchini in the pot

That's what the mister asked me the other night.  He was upstairs while I was preparing a meat-free dinner (I was inspired by this recipe posted on Food Inc.'s Facebook page).  We had the ingredients at home and I had the entire recipe all planned out, the greens were cut and washed and the garlic and spices were waiting in the pan.  Heck, I had even hard-boiled, cooled, peeled and sliced the eggs!

The zucchini was cooking and I was just about to add the kale...and then the cursing started.  $^#%@! *^&$#!

Many of the ingredients of this dish are Greek/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern-inspired.  Garlic, cumin, feta, lemon, olive oil...and most importantly, chickpeas (aka: garbanzo beans).  It wasn't until it was time to add the chickpeas did I realize that my cabinet was depleted of garbanzos.

Cannellini beans were a great substitute!

I have the problem of buying extra beans when I'm at the supermarket--I regularly stock up on black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and cannellini (known as a white navy bean or great northern bean).  I usually have 2 - 3 cans of each in the cabinet and then replenish when needed.  For some reason, I have neglected to buy garbanzos in some time and I was completely out. 

I started to think, "what substitute can I use?"  I have only a few items in the cabinet--clearly, I NEED to stock up this weekend--and they consist of pumpkin puree, tomato paste, rice, black beans (they are not a suitable substitute) and one small can of cannellini beans. 

Why not try the cannellini beans? They are not as "sturdy" as garbanzos and work better in soups or broth-based dishes because the cannellini break easily. However, this does have a positive side, as their starches can lend depth to the soups or stews. 

As it turns out, my mistake didn't ruin the dish. I was a bit more delicate in moving the cannellini around the pan, but it had a nice flavor.  I topped the dish with a hard boiled egg, feta cheese, and some lemon olive oil dressing. It was quite enjoyable!  Recipe is below.

Dinner is on the table!

Recipe:

• garlic, shallots, cumin, olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced, salted and rinsed
• 2 bunches kale, de-stemmed, washed, torn; handful of spinach (optional)
• cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or chickpeas if you want to follow the original recipe)
• crumbled feta cheese
• hard boiled egg (one for each dish)
• dressing:  olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, garlic (mix it to your own desired sweet or tart flavor); I keep my quantities very small and only make about 1/4 - 1/8 of a cup

In a large pan, warm up your garlic, shallots, cumin and olive oil.  Add the zucchini and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, add handfuls of kale--cover to cook, but checking regularly--until wilted and the greens get very bright.  Add the beans, cook covered for a few minutes so the beans get warmed through.  Plate your dinners and top each dish with a scoop of feta cheese and one hard boiled egg.  Top the dish with dressing to taste.

Question: Vegan burgers? Is that really possible? And tasty, too?

Answer: Hell yes!

I am a fan of veggie burgers and I have begun to keep a close eye on my soy consumption. Soy is one of those crops that has a high incidence on genetic modification (or commonly known as GMOs).  I'm no scientist, but from what I have read, GMO foods can have a negative impact on our bodies--and, it has been too short a period for medical professionals to know for sure the long term effects of GMO consumption.

Many of the veggie burgers sold in supermarkets have GMO soy in them.  The best way to avoid this is to make your own veggie burgers with only organic products. We have friends that are vegan, so I like to make a batch of these burgers without any egg. The easiest egg substitute is 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed combined with 3 tablespoons of water. It replicates an egg in any recipe.  The veggie burgers are best made using a Cuisinart mixer. 

As you can see, the ingredients are pretty simple:

• onion, small
• full bulb of garlic
• can of kidney beans, rinsed
• can of black beans, rinsed
• olive oil
• 1 cup uncooked oatmeal
• herbs and spices to your liking--cumin, garlic, curry powder
• 3 cups of shredded carrots

Combine the first four ingredients in the Cuisinart.  Pulse a few times until combined.  Give a few glugs of olive oil and pulse. Add the uncooked oatmeal in small amounts; pulse after each addition. Add the herbs and spices to your liking--I always add cumin, fresh parsley, and dill.

The mixture will have the consistency of plaster. Fold in the 3 cups of shredded carrots.  To form the veggie burgers, moisten your hands with cool water. Form the mixture into patties and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Parchment paper is very helpful when making veggie burgers! You will freeze these veggie burgers for an hour or so before baking at 425 degrees for 15 minutes on each side. Keep the burgers on the parchment paper--it will prevent it from burning or sticking to the cookie sheet.

Once cooked, I will re-freeze for dinners at a later time.  To use for leftovers, remove from freezer and put the patties in a toaster oven at 425 degrees (do not defrost) for 15 minutes on each side. Broil for a nice finish.

Noodle-free lasagna

We had quite a few eggplants in our CSA share this week, along with a bounty of tomatoes.  I wanted to make something a little bit different than grilled veggies and/or sauteed over pasta.  I found a recipe that included some eggplants, tomatoes and a lovely amount of mozzarella.

As much as I say, "bacon makes everything better." I feel the same way about mozzarella cheese.  Cooked, chilled, solo or with tomatoes and basil...mozzarella can do no wrong.

Tonight's recipe included the following:

• 2 eggplant, sliced
• 2 -3 lbs. medium to large tomatoes (red or yellow)
• fresh basil, onions, garlic
• mozzarella (shredded or sliced)
• a shake of nutmeg and garlic powder
• pecorino cheese

I sliced and salted the eggplant in a colander. While that was resting, I began chopping my tomatoes and putting them in a large bowl.  I heated up my Le Creuset pan with olive oil, onions, and garlic.  I gave the eggplant a good shake to remove the excess moisture and added it to the pan.  I gave it a nice grill, until the eggplant developed small amounts of brown on the skin.

I removed the eggplant from the pot, and layered an oiled baking dish with it.  I then tossed the tomatoes and some fresh basil into the pot.  I gave the tomatoes a shake of garlic powder and nutmeg.  I allowed that to simmer, and allowed for some of the liquid to cook off.  The colors were gorgeous!!!
Once the moisture began to cook off, I poured the entire pot of tomatoes into the baking dish (I did make a mistake; I should have spooned the tomatoes into the baking dish...too much liquid was transferred).  I gave a sprinkle of pecorino cheese on top.
I then sliced some mozzarella and covered the entire baking dish and placed in the toaster oven at 425 degrees. The dish hung out for 25 - 30 minutes and then I turned on the broiler to get the cheese browned.

I used a slotted spoon to serve dinner, so as not to overwhelm my dish with whatever tomato liquid did not cook off.  It was pretty darn good. 

I scream, you scream, we all scream for...

ICE CREAM!

On Friday evening, I tried my hand at making ice cream.  Problem is, I don't own an ice cream maker. I had heard on the radio that you can make ice cream with two Ziploc bags.  I did a little more searching, and came upon a recipe that used the ever dependable Cuisinart!!

It really was the simplest of recipes: half and half, sugar, frozen fruit and vanilla extract.  Since I am more likely to be inspired by a recipe, than to follow one, I tweaked the recipe to include the following:

Before the ice cream "set"

• 3/4 cup organic half and half
• 1/4 cup organic skim milk
• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 "splashes" of bourbon vanilla extract
• 2 cups frozen rasperries
• 2 peaches, sliced
• a few frozen blueberries for good measure

I added the first five ingredients and pulsed the Cuisinart several times.  I then added the peaches and the blueberries.  It resembled a bowl of melted ice cream, but it had a really good taste. I put it in the freezer, until it got a little bit more "set."  It was even better (and more scoop-able) the next day.

Fresh from the ice cream scoop.

After taste testing with the mister and our friend, we all agreed that the frozen raspberries probably had a little too much "freeze" to them, which gave the ice cream more of a water ice aftertaste, but it was great, nonetheless. 

An avalanche...

...of cherry tomatoes has overtaken our refrigerator.   I guess the summer of 2011 has been a good year for this crop--no mention of tomato blight this year.  I'm even having great luck with the cherry tomatoes that are growing in my containers.

What the heck am I supposed to do with all of these cherry tomatoes?  I know...roast them!  Roast them for the later months, when I'll be pining for a taste of summer.  So, on Saturday, I de-stemmed those that had them, tossed them in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary.  I baked them on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees until they started to split open.  I let them cool in their juices and then stored them in the freezer. They'll be hanging out there until I get a hankering to make tomato sauce or tomato soup...

Week 2 Fruit Share

Week 2 Fruit Share, a photo by Local Food Lady on Flickr.

I know it is going to get better week after week, but I am terribly excited for our first taste of Asian pears.

From the top left and going clockwise, apples, pears, nectarines, peaches, and Asian pears.

Asian pears stay crisp like an apple and make some of the most tasty cider and fruit butter. I love this stuff.

Via Flickr:
Asian PEARS!

Coming up on the horizon....

I was a busy food lady over the weekend. There are many pictures to upload and recipes to post, but here's an inside look at what is to come:

• I made ice cream on Friday night...and I don't own an ice cream maker
• We received our first batch of Asian pears in our Fruit CSA this week!
• An entire tray of vegan burgers are hanging in the freezer, waiting to be cooked tonight
• Two massive batches of gazpacho will keep lunches easy this week
• I've gotta figure out something to make with the fennel I received in my veggie CSA

Do you want your pasta wit or wit out?

I try to eat as local as possible, but the word on the street is that in addition to my weekly Farmer's Market visit, I also shop at a supermarket (oh, the horror!!!).

But, you are a savvy reader and already figured it out.  Yes. I am a supermarket shopper. There are items that I consume that I just can't get at my farmer's market--like organic skim milk. Organic coffee (our local roaster--Kimberton Coffee--is available at the supermarket). Sustainably fished canned tuna. There are also household goods that I need from time to time--like paper towels, toothpaste, and tooth brushes!

One of my favorite supermarket items is the whole wheat organic pasta I find. I have been regularly been buying penne, but I thought that I'd try a new style of pasta (same brand); Bionature Gobbetti.  For me, this was a nice change. For the mister? This was a big, fat fail.

We decided to have pasta for dinner with some green beans. I like to mix my veggies and pasta, but the mister likes to keep his dishes separate. He also requested "red sauce" for his pasta this night and I decided to use some goat cheese.

So, the good news is, my new pasta was excellent topped with goat cheese and green beans.  I added just a touch of grated pecorino cheese and garlic scape pesto for some extra flavor.  My pasta dish was great "wit" this cheese combo. It was excellent, as you can see below!

New pasta with goat cheese and pecorino!

So...the bad news...the mister's pasta was pretty lame. Because the pasta was very "twisty," his tomato sauce did not stick to the pasta. It just accumulated at the bottom of the bowl.  It wasn't terrible, but it was "wit-out" any sauce. No big deal, I didn't knock it out of the park.  Evidence is below.  This time, it's a fail by the Local Food Lady!

A bit of a fail.

Sometimes a salad and a side are just fine

It was a weeknight, and sometimes I'm just not in the mood for cooking. This night was one of those nights, so I figured that a salad and a side would be enough and would not require a ton of work and I wouldn't need to use the stove.

What comes to mind when you hear the term, "side dish?"  Potatoes? French fries? Cole slaw? Green beans? Spinach? 
How about some cucumbers with hummus?  That's mykind of side dish.

Even though I do most of the food preparation in our house, the mister is VERY helpful.  Knowing that I wasn't up for cooking much, he did some prep work for me--washing, peeling and cutting of vegetables.  As I was getting ready to prepare dinner, he confessed that he accidentally cut up some zucchini thinking that it was cucumbers. No big whoop, I knew what we were going to have salad for dinner and a side...so, I just cooked up the zucchini and enjoyed that instead.

The mister was nostalgic for his mom's tomato cucumber salad, so he chopped up some cucumbers, added some red and yellow tomatoes, topped it with salt and pepper and miracle whip. 

Cucumber salad

 

Close up

My salad

Something to think about

I receive a weekly email from the Mother Nature Network and in this week's edition, the lead article noted the following: 

Are you torn between local lettuce and foreign fennel? Can't decide on farm-to-table or plane-to-plate? Let MNN clear the air with this beginner's guide to what being a 'locavore' or 'globavore' really means.  

Click on this link to see an enlarged image. I appreciate the honesty of both the pros and cons to either side. 

I had dinner in a cornfield

Over the weekend, the mister and I were joined by two of our friends for a very cool, farm-to-table dinner.  In fact, our meal was enjoyed in the middle of a cornfield, under a tree.



Before I start romanticizing the scene any more, I will tell you that we were under the tree trying to escape a quick-moving rainstorm. 



Last year, a neighbor friend of ours told us about the French and Pickering Trust's Homegrown Harvest.  It is an outdoor dinner with foodstuffs made by or supplied by local farms and restaurants.  We attended last year's event and had a blast. First of all, the surroundings are gorgeous...the event is held outdoors, atop a hill overlooking the cornfields and marshlands that surround us.

There are tables setup everywhere, topped with wild flowers in Mason jars for decoration. There is a live  bluegrass band playing in the background (I love bluegrass music) and the aromas have your mouth watering.  The dinner is completely all self-serve, so you can enjoy and try a large variety of foods.  Everything from the appetizers to dessert are carefully created using local products or employing the donations of local businesses.

We bought tickets for this year's event and felt raindrops falling just before we got in the car.  But, we knew that the rain was predicted to be fast, so we headed out to the Homegrown Harvest.  Even with a few passing showers, the event was a ton of fun.

This year's menu included: Frank Spera's roast pig, Eden Valley Farm's beef burgers on brioche rolls, Henry's Cafe's cold borscht soup, Amani's BYOB's heirloom tomato gazpacho, Yellow Springs Inn's blueberry soup, Becca's tomato-mozzarella napoleons, grilled spicy lamb sausage, grilled pork sausage, grilled The Farmer's Daughter new potatoes, grilled corn on the cob from Yeagers Farm Market and Pearl's Market, Kimberton CSA Zucchini tart, Sweet onion tart,  Corn and bean salad, Kimberton CSA eggplant pomegranate salad, roasted beets and lima beans with Seven Stars yogurt and feta, Kimberton CSA cucumber salad, wild greens salad, Maysie's Farm CSA potatoes with tomatillo-poblano dressing, corn jalapeno muffins.



I didn't get a chance to sample everything--that would have been too much!  Between the four of us, I am pretty confident that we tasted everything from the menu.  I'm glad that I saved room for dessert, since I had a taste of strawberry-rhubarb pie (never had rhubarb before!), peach cobbler, and fresh whipped cream.  After enjoying this amazing food in gorgeous surroundings, we all went home and went to bed early, because our bellies were so full.

I'm already looking forward to attending next year's dinner. 

This dish sends out the Bat Signal to one of our friends

When we first began participating in our vegetable CSA, there were items that I had never cooked with or even tasted!  Kale was a top one on that list; never ate it, never tasted it. I have never looked back after having my first kale dish.  Anyway, I'm rambling...this post is not about kale...there will be one in the future, I promise!

Getting back to foods that I was not used to preparing...cabbage was one of those foods.  I have a no-fail dinner recipe that is only 4 or 5 ingredients. Of course, this dish is made better with BACON.  We have a friend that has a tendency to "stop over" whenever I'm preparing this dish.  It's like the Bat Signal has been activated and he's usually in the neighborhood.

This cabbage dish is also very adaptable for a large gathering and can be made vegan, if you omit the bacon. 

Cabbage and Apples
Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 slices of bacon
• 1/2 of an onion (red or white), diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 3 - 4 cups of shredded/sliced green or red cabbage
• 2 apples, cored, and sliced into bite-sized pieces
• Splash of red wine vinegar
• Caraway seeds
• Pierogi (optional)

In a large pot, begin sauteing your garlic, onions, and bacon. Cook on low heat, so that your bacon doesn't get too crispy before the onions and garlic get a chance to cook nicely.

Bacon getting down with onions and garlic

Add the cabbage and cook on low to medium heat. Make sure the cabbage gets to take on the flavor of the onions, garlic and--most of all--the bacon!  Your cabbage (red or green) will be cooked enough when the color begins to get very bright!

This is the right time to add your apples.  I only cook the apples until they are warmed through; or you run the risk of getting mushy apples.  Add a few splashes of red wine vinegar and shake the caraway seeds throughout the dish.  If you want, you can also top the cabbage and apples with pierogi.

The cabbage warming up

This is one of my simplest dinners and a go-to in both warm and cool weather.

Ring the dinner bell! It's time to eat!

Drumroll, please...

I am happy to report that the fruit CSA has commenced!  It begins without too much fanfare, but I have been anticipating this day since I mailed our check back in the freezing, dark days of February.  We have opted for the 15-week fruit share and will enjoy several pounds of apples, peaches, pears, plums and other excellent fruits that are grown on an orchard in Cochranville, PA. We just head down to our farmer's market (as is our usual Saturday event), get our bag of pre-selected items and begin to enjoy!

This morning, I had an email from Northstar Orchard which outlined the goodness that was going to be in this week's share.  Farmer Lisa is very descriptive in her emails, so I am going to let her words speak for the wonderful products they have available:

• John Boy Peaches (red and yellow; yellow flesh). Simply delicious...give 'em a few days to soften up. 
• Sansa Apples - Sweet, crunchy, and fruity! Something particularly noteworthy with Sansa is they don't really turn brown when cut, so they are a nice variety to use as slices on a fruit/veggie plate or in a salad without needing to add lemon juice. 
• Imperial Epineuse Plums (blueish purple) - Sweet through and through, these are a famous French variety. Can be eaten firm or soft. 
• Summerbeaut Nectarines - I LOVE nectarines...they have all the flavor of peaches without all of the fuzz! Plus the texture of the skin is fabulous. I hope you like them as much as I do! 
• Delight Pears  - sweet, luscious flavor in such an early pear! Melt-in-your mouth texture. You'll be amazed! But be patient, these may take several days to most of a week to soften up. In the meantime, you'll have gone through your peaches and plums...so no rush!  

As you can tell, Lisa is very enthusiastic about their fruits. I have not yet enjoyed any of this week's fruit CSA, but by the time you read this, I'm sure  I will have already sampled a few bites.  I hope to also have a few items featured in blog postings this week.

Week 1 Fruit

Just look at our veggie CSA this week!

I will let the pictures speak for themselves! This was a very good week!

Support your local [home-, micro-] brewer!

Sly Fox's Black Raspberry Reserve

So, it's no secret that I'm a fan of local foods--items grown locally, raised locally, dishes created locally! I am also a fan of beverages that are brewed locally!

The Southeastern Pennsylvania region has quite a variety of microbreweries. Sly Fox, Victory, Appalachian, Fegley's, Philadelphia Brewing Company, Yard's, Iron Hill...and these are just the ones I could come up with off the top of my head. There are many, many more!  These breweries represent small businesses that can employ just a handful of people to hundreds and can be the starting point to revitalizing a neighborhood or a downtown.

There is also a very strong home brewing community in this region. The mister and I have not ventured into this creative outlet, but we have a few friends that home brew.

So, if you are in your town and get word that a new microbrewery is opening, give it a try.  Or, if you know of one currently operating in your town, but have never stepped in to try their creations, give it a whirl!  You never know, you may find a new beverage that suits you just fine!

ps: some microbreweries also brew their own root beer (suitable for the under 21 set)!

Just call me the "Leftover Food Lady"

So, over the weekend, I made several batches of foodstuffs. The mister was incredibly helpful by peeling and shredding 1,001 carrots so that I'd have large amounts at the ready for my recipes.  In my Whole Grain Goodness post, I talked about making quinoa and how the grain can be adapted for many different flavors.  I cooked more than 4 cups of the stuff and left some of it plain in the refrigerator for later batches. 

The mister sometimes accuses me of making enough dinner for three people--enough for the two of us to enjoy, and then a batch for me to enjoy the next day at my desk.  I am very guilty of doing this. ☺  

Leftovers for Lunch

Well, I made such a large batch of my Mexican-inspired quinoa, that I had plenty leftover for lunches.  I brought this dish with me twice this week. And, I confirmed that it had a nice extra "kick" with the addition of Cholula Chipotle hot sauce.

Here's the recipe for the Mexican-inspired quinoa:
Ingredients:

• 2 - 3 cups cooked organic quinoa
• 1 can of organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 - 4 scallions, cut very small
• 1 cup of shredded carrots (thanks to the mister!)
• 1/2 cup fresh corn
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• fresh parsley and cilantro
• dressing ingredients: canola oil, juice from 1/2 a lime, lime zest, ancho chili powder, honey and the requisite garlic powder, salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients, dress with about 1/3 cup of the dressing. The longer you let the flavors marinate, the better. You can also add goat cheese just before serving for another layer of flavor.

Later in the week, I used the plain quinoa to make a Mediterranean-inspired dish for dinner. The mister and I enjoy quite a bit of it and...surprise...I brought leftovers for lunch. This dish uses feta cheese; we have been on a feta kick recently. Well, it's been a longtime kick--going on several months.  The Mediterranean dish uses herbs and flavors well known to food from that region of the world. 

Mediterranean quinoa salad

Mediterranean-inspired Quinoa
Ingredients:

• 2 - 3 cups cooked organic quinoa
• 1 can of organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• fresh parsley
• dressing ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, juice from 1/2 a lemon, lemon zest, fresh dill, honey and the requisite garlic powder, salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and dress with 1/2 cup of dressing (I like to use more dressing on this dish b/c there are fewer ingredients).  Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

In the case of both dishes, if you omit honey and the cheese, you will have a completely vegan dish.

I'm going to say it: I made a kickass dinner

I feel like I've been giving the mister too many sandwiches for dinner. Sure, they've been varied (BBT, pulled pork, eggs), but I haven't pulled out the stops on a weeknight dinner in awhile.  So, last night, I hit up the Fair Food Farmstand to get some tomatoes.  I already had the rest of my ingredients at home for a varied dinner: peaches, bacon, corn, carrots, mozzarella.

We received ORGANIC corn in our CSA this week and I was able to stock up on some peaches at the Farmer's Market. As an aside, it's only a few more days until our Fruit CSA begins--it's like 15 weeks of birthday presents! I decided that I was going to grill corn on the cob for the first time, grill peaches with bacon and basil (I have done this before) and make stuffed tomatoes (a new one for me).

I began preparing the stuffed tomatoes first, since they would take the longest to cook.

Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients:

Before the mozzarella

• Two large tomatoes
• Shredded carrots
• Bread crumbs
• Basil
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Mozzarella

Begin by cutting the tops off the tomatoes and slicing a small amount off the bottom in order to allow the tomatoes to stand upright in the dish.  Remove the core and hollow out the tomatoes, reserving the tomato "meat" and liquids in a side dies. Chop up basil and garlic and fold into the tomato mixture. Add about a cup of shredded carrots and enough bread crumbs (about 1/2 cup) to absorb the liquid.  Re-stuff the tomatoes with the veggie "stuffing" and drizzle with olive oil.  Cover with foil and bake in a toaster oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, take the dish out, uncover it and add a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and slightly brown.   The mister and I realized that a sprinkle of pecorino cheese would have added to the stuffing, so we just put some on after the fact.

This dish is vegetarian and can be made vegan if you remove the cheese. 

Corn grilling in process

Grilled Corn on the Cob
Ingredients:

• Shucked corn 
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper and other fun herbs

Turn your grill onto medium heat. Cover the corn with olive oil, salt, pepper, and other herbs to your liking (garlic, Old Bay, cumin).  Place the corn directly on the grill and turn every 2 minutes until the kernels begin to brown. After 10 minutes, remove from heat. Add more olive oil and spices and enjoy.  It is really that simple. 

Totally vegan. Add butter, then you lose the vegan certification. 

My final and favorite "pull out all the stops" dish was my grilled peaches with bacon and basil. I've enjoyed this before and the mister REALLY loves this stuff.

Grilled Peaches with Bacon and Basil

Before grilling

Ingredients:

• Peaches (2 or 3)
• Basil leaves
• Bacon (2 or 3 slices)
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar

Cut the peaches almost in half. You will find that the stone does not allow you to cut it in half like an apple, so you have to be resourceful--try to cut around the stone or separate the peach like an avocado. The more ripe the peach, the harder it is to separate. These were quite ripe, so I just cut around the stone, leaving two large halves of the fruit and two smaller slices. Place one basil leaf on the inside of the fruit and lay the bacon on top of the basil. Get some bamboo skewers or metal ones and skewer the peach so that the bacon stays on.  You can probably get a whole peach on one skewer.

Bacon side up first

Drizzle the peaches with olive oil so they don't stick to the grill. Heat on medium heat for about three minutes per side. I usually put the peach on the grill with the bacon side UP first. That way, you don't risk it overcooking and getting stuck to the grill.

Once the bacon is cooked to your liking, remove from the heat and allow the peaches to mellow for about 3 minutes (the bacon will continue to cook and the sugars in the fruit will, too).

Remove from skewers and put on serving plate. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Ready to enjoy