Julia's Greek Tomato Salad

It is August, and fresh, ripe tomatoes are coming out of the garden by the armful. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy them.

















Ingredients:

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves
5 Roma tomatoes
1 tbs. scallion
20 Kalamata olives
2 tbs. Pesto Presto

Wash and drain spinach. Chop roughly and place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Dice tomatoes and add, with seeds and pulp. Finely slice 1 tbs. of scallion green and roughly chop olives. Toss with spinach and tomatoes. Add pesto and mix thoroughly to distribute throughout salad.

Enjoy!

Homemade Hummus Spread

This is one of the most versatile, fantastic condiments around. It provides nutrition in a wonderfully flavorful way. We use it as a dip, a dressing, and a sandwich spread. It is great as an after-school snack with vegetables or in a pita with fresh tomatoes and lettuce. Hummus holds up great in hot weather, so it's a great alternative to mayonnaise-based dips for summer parties and picnics, too.

Ingredients:

1 can Ceci (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. tahini (sesame paste, available in the ethnic section or in the peanut butter aisle)
Water, as needed

In a blender or food processor, puree beans, garlic, lemon juice and salt, adding a tablespoon of water at a time to keep the blender from binding. Stop and stir frequently and keep blending until mixture is entirely smooth. Mix tahini if it has separated and drizzle in while blending. Finished hummus will have a nuttier flavor the more tahini you put in. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Hummus will keep for up to two weeks.

Julia's Chicken Cacciatore

I love making Chicken Cacciatore in the slow cooker. It is simple to put together in the morning, and you just can't beat the tremendous flavor that comes from simmering all day long. This fantastic dinner is best with ingredients fresh from the garden or farmer's market. It is a delight in high summer or on a cool, rainy day.

Ingredients:

6-8 pieces of bone-in chicken with skin

1 medium onion, sliced into rings

2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 large can tomato puree
2 cups whole tomatoes, skinned and seeded
10 large fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 tbs dried basil
2 tbs fresh oregano or 1/2 tbs dried oregano
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Slice onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Place in the bottom of your slow cooker. Nestle seasoned chicken on top. In a separate bowl, combine tomato puree and whole tomatoes. Crush with clean hands or potato masher. Stir in herbs, remaining salt, and pepper. Pour mixture over chicken and simmer on Low for 6-8 hours. Serve hot with garlic bread or your favorite pasta.

Enjoy!

Italian Sausage-Pepper Skillet

Yesterday we harvested the first of our bell peppers. It was fun to see my daughter hold the pepper, warm from the sunshine, against her cheek as she carried it inside. Of course, fresh peppers from the garden are a perfect opportunity to cook this easy, satisfying meal. I serve it over our favorite pasta, angel hair.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. mild Italian sausages (5 or 6 servings)
1 green bell pepper
1/4 Bermuda onion
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce (store bought or homemade are okay)

About an hour before you plan to eat, fill large skillet with 1/2 inch of water. Place sausages in cold pan, cover, and cook over high heat until water boils. Keep pan covered and turn heat down to simmer. Peel garlic cloves, leave whole and place in pan with sausages. Wash, seed, and slice pepper into thin strips. Cut onion into rings. Place onion and pepper slices into skillet and cook 15 minutes. Add marinara sauce, stir all ingredients to coat. Keep skillet covered and over lowest heat. In the time it takes to prepare the pasta (optional), the sausages will be cooked -- and your kitchen will smell delicious!

Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

This is such a fantastic condiment. I use it on fajitas (recipe below), but also as a delicious addition to summer salads. Of course, my children and husband can't get enough of it with chips. This recipe will stay fresh 2-3 days in the refrigerator -- but mine never makes it that long!

Ingredients:
3 medium-sized round tomatoes (I like Early Girl, but use what you have)
or
6 Roma tomatoes
1 clove garlic, chopped and mashed
1/4 tsp. salt
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup Bermuda onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Wash tomatoes and remove stems. Slice in half and gently squeeze over a bowl to remove seeds. Cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice. In a medium-sized bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, salt, lime juice, onion, jalapeno and cilantro. Toss gently to evenly distribute ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours to blend the flavors.

Enjoy!

Fajita Lime Chicken

We love this recipe in the summertime. It is a great filling for fajitas, but I also like it on a green salad with fresh salsa. This is also a great recipe for grilling. Just keep the chicken breasts intact to cook and slice when ready to serve.
Ingredients:

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Juice of 3 limes
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 1/2 tbs. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. canola oil

Rinse the chicken breasts and trim of all fat. Place in a ziploc bag. Combine the next four ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour over chicken breasts and seal bag with little or no air inside. Move chicken around to ensure marinade is in contact. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat 2 tbs. canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and discard bag and liquid. On a plastic cutting board, slice chicken across the grain into 1/2 inch slices. Cook quickly in skillet until flesh is opaque and chicken is completely cooked, but still moist (about 3-5 minutes per side). Serve with heated tortillas and fresh salsa.

Enjoy!

*Note: if you have less time to marinate the chicken, but still want to make this dish, slice the breasts across the grain into 1/2 inch slices before you marinate. The chicken will be able to absorb flavors more quickly -- about an hour on the countertop should give you a flavorful result.

Garden Green Beans with Onion

Fresh green beans from the garden are such a delight. Their flavor is buttery and their texture is perfect. Here's a simple preparation for one of Summer's perfect foods.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh green beans
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. minced white onion
2 slices bacon, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Wash beans and trim stems. Drain. In small saucepan, saute bacon and onion over medium-low heat until onion is translucent. Add water, beans, and salt. Turn up heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Stir once and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Taste before serving and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Enjoy!

Summer Squash Salad

In the summer, the best dishes are the fresh ones. This salad is beautiful to look at and even better to taste. It works just as well with a steak from the grill or poached salmon. This salad is also great for outdoor parties, because it can be served at room temperature. In our family, it is a summer favorite!

Ingredients:

2-3 medium yellow summer squash
2 medium zucchini
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tbs. snipped scallions
10-12 fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slice summer squash and zucchini in 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. In groups of 10-15, drop in water, boil for 45 seconds, remove, and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Once all are blanched and cooled, drain well. (I use a salad spinner.) In a large bowl, combine squash/zucchini slices, tomatoes, scallions, and fresh basil. In separate bowl, prepare dressing by whisking vinegar, oil, salt, garlic, and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss.

Enjoy!

Athenian Chicken

This recipe is one of my family's favorites. It is a very clean taste and very easy to prepare. It works well in the oven, or (if the weather is hot) on the grill. These days, you can get whole packages of any cut of chicken -- all drumsticks, all thighs, chicken quarters -- at the grocery store. Watch for them to go on sale, and prepare what your family likes best!

Ingredients

5-7 chicken pieces, bone-in, with skin
Juice of one lemon
1 1/2 tbs. dried oregano
1 tbs. fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

In a gallon-sized ziploc bag, combine lemon juice, dried and fresh oregano, salt and pepper. Add chicken pieces. Seal bag, move chicken around to ensure marinade has good contact with the meat. Marinate on counter-top for one hour or in refrigerator for 3-6 hours. 30 minutes before cooking, remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Place marinated chicken on a cookie sheet lined with non-stick foil. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Enjoy!

Joe's Rosemary Chops

These are the best grilled pork chops around. We usually buy a whole, boneless pork loin when you can get it on sale (sometimes as low as $1.79/lb.) and cut chops to the thickness we prefer. Also, I keep a small herb garden beside our house. If you want to cook with fresh herbs, it's the most cost-effective and flavorful way to go. (Plus, no running to the grocery store!)

Here's the recipe:

2-4 boneless pork chops, center cut
1 small handful fresh rosemary leaves, stripped from stem
Balsamic vinegar
Peanut oil (or Canola, if you prefer)

Lightly chop the rosemary leaves or crush with a mortar and pestle to release the oils into your marinade. Mix 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar per chop, 1 tbs. oil per chop, and the rosemary in a gallon-size zip-lock bag. Place chops in bag, squeeze out the air and seal. Move the chops around to ensure the marinade is in contact with all surfaces. Marinate in the refrigerator 3-6 hours or on your counter top for 1 hour. Remove refrigerated chops to counter 30 minutes before cooking so they can come to room temperature. Fire up your grill. Grill chops 4 inches from the heat, 7 minutes. Turn and complete cooking until interior temperature reaches 170C/77F. Rest the chops for at least 10 minutes before cutting to retain a juicy texture.

Enjoy!