Janet here:

First and foremost, I am coming off a week-long visit with Miss M and her caretakers and I am officially in mourning. Despite the fact that they all had colds, it was wonderful on every level possible and I am counting the days until we are all together again. (Anything longer than a month is too long in case anyone is wondering.)

But on to the food. Best part: Rachel and I got to cook together AND the Divine Miss M joined us. Best. Thing. Ever.

But when Max wasn't helping in the kitchen, the other best part was cooking for more than two and cooking new food. This leek and sage casserole was a killer side to a fish dish I made (stay tuned for that recipe). I've said it before but it bears saying again: I was a fool for presuming that leeks were the same as yellow onions for ALL OF MY COOKING LIFE UNTIL LAST YEAR. I was an idiot. If you like leeks even just a little bit, make this now. You won't be sorry.

Sage and Potatoes Gratin
serves 8

ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
4 leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 cloves garlic, crushed
about 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
about 2 pounds potatoes (I used Russet but I think you could try this with Yukon too), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped sage leaves
1 1/2 cups (or so) grated fontina cheese or cheddar if you prefer
salt and pepper to taste

method
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the leek and garlic, salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place the sweet and regular potatoes in a bowl with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss until well coated.

In a casserole dish (9X13 or smaller), create layers. First the potatoes. Then the leek mixture with cheese and sage. Then repeat, finishing with a cheese layer.

Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 30 minutes with the foil on. Then uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes. Serve.

Almond Pesto Magic

Janet here: After admitting my little magazine recipe-ripping, um, problem, I started 2012 with a new plan. I would start actually cooking some of these recipes and then, if I like them, put them in a neat little notebook. Last week I dutifully bought my notebook, complete with plastic sleeves to stick the pages in and dividers so I can organize them by categories. I was so pleased with myself.


But then it was time to attack the pile, a daunting task for sure because it is a mini-mountain by now. Happily we were having another couple for dinner so I found a new way of doing pesto, using almonds rather than pine nuts.....Result? Brilliant and a total keeper. Into its nice plastic sleeve it goes.

Enjoy!

Almond Pesto with Beans Linguine
from Food Network Magazine
serves 4

ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 cups fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
12 ounces linguine
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

method

Bring a pot of salted water for the linguine to a boil.

Make the pesto by pulsing the almonds and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the parsley, basil and Parmesan; pulse some more until the herbs are chopped. With the motor running drizzle in the olive oil until blended.

Transfer to a large bowl and add the ricotta and olives.

Cook the linguine, adding the beans for the last two minutes. Reserve one cup of the cooking water; then drain the pasta and beans. Add to the bowl with the pesto and toss to coat. Add the chopped tomatoes and as much of the reserved cooking water as you like to have the perfect combination. Salt and pepper to taste.

Leeks and Leaks

Janet here: No this isn't a homonym lesson. I'm just noting an interesting concurrence: the week in which I make a fantastic leek dish was also the week the light fixture in the bathroom at Casa de Roomie (I live in two places if you're not a regular reader) decided to become an unofficial shower as water streamed out of it one day just as I was about to head out the door to work. It was, obviously, an awesome moment.

But first some housekeeping. We are happy to announce the winners of our Blissful Bites cookbook giveaway: Carje, Vegan Wheekers and VegAn are going to be cooking up a vegan holiday storm, thanks to Christy Morgan and BenBella Books' generosity. We hope to get these in the mail ASAP but only Vegan Wheekers followed directions and left her email address so you other two need to contact us ASAP at lifetoldinrecipesatgmaildotcom so you can have an early Christmas present.

Anyway back to the leeks, which have become a bit of a vegetable fetish for me. First a confession: Until I started this blog with Rachel nearly 3 (!) years ago, I had never cooked a leek. Ever. It fell somewhere in with the thought process I had about shallots (also wildly wrong and uninformed), which goes like this: They're in the onion family, right, so really how different can they be in taste? I'll just use an onion.

That was a stupid thought process and when I think of how many years I missed eating leeks and (shallots), it makes me just a titch sad. It may also explain my using them, oh, at least once a week ever since and why I was inspired by a recipe from Not My Mother's Casseroles.

You might think a casserole made almost entirely of leeks would be boring or too much of a good thing. You would be wrong. This is savory and a wonderful side. And tonight the leftovers are going to be added to a little pasta with maybe a bit of sauteed broccoli and some grated Parmesan and I'm already salivating typing this. So make the casserole and then be happy you'll have some terrific leftovers too.

Lovely Leek Bake
serves 6-8

ingredients
6 large leeks
6 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 cup broth
juice of half a lemon
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used premade, but if you make your own, add some spices of your choice: garlic? a little more thyme?, more cheese?)


method
Grease 5-6 quart Dutch oven
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Trim the ends off the leeks and cut each in half lengthwise. Wash well. Pat dry. Cut into half-moons about 1/2-inch wide.

Melt the butter in the Dutch oven. Cook the garlic for a few minutes until soft. Then add the leeks and stir/cook for about 10 minutes until they begin to get golden brown and soft. Add the wine and broth. Bring to a simmer.

Then take off the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice. Stir in one cup of the Parmesan.

Sprinkle the bread crumb topping over the leeks. If you're making your own, pulse all the ingredients in the food processor first before spreading. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup Parmesan over the top and drizzle a little olive oil over it all.

Bake for 25 minutes uncovered until the topping is golden brown.

Pesto and More Casserole

Janet here:

We had friends visiting Saturday night who we hadn't seen in a number of years. In other words, the premium was on catching up, not cooking. Which doesn't mean I didn't want to serve something tasty. (In fact, I think the bar gets even higher when you're cooking for someone you haven't seen in a while don't you? Kind of a culinary version of dress to impress...)

Anyway, this casserole features orzo, which is a pasta I only discovered a few years ago but fell in love with. I'm not sure if it's the shape or size but orzo just tastes better than a lot of other pastas. And I think it also allows other flavors to come out more fully. It doesn't overwhelm.

The casserole also features pesto, which is one of my favorite sauces ever. Again, not overwhelming but totally flavorful. You can make it yourself, using Rachel's recipe) or buy some (which, I'm not gonna lie, is what I did this time).

You're going to have to trust me on how marvelous this casserole looks. By the time it came out of the oven, just a little alcohol had been consumed....and taking a photo was no longer on my to-do list.

Pesto Casserole
serves 6, more if a side dish

ingredients
1 pound orzo
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 orange bell pepper, cored and diced
1 onion, minced
2/3 cup pesto
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

method
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X13 baking pan.

Boil some water and cook the orzo until al dente. Drain. Put back in the large pot.

While the orzo is cooking, saute the onion, garlic and pepper in some olive oil until the vegetables start to get soft. Add to the orzo in the pot.

Stir in the pesto and mozzarella into the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Spread into the baking pan, sprinkle the Parmesan on top and baked for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the orzo is done. Serve it up.

Another Tasty Veggie Casserole for Meatless Monday

Janet here: I know I've been a bit of a casserole stalker in recent weeks of Faith Durand's new cookbook, Not Your Mother's Casseroles, but I can't help it. Every damn thing I make is killer. (See squash casserole here or her broccoli, cauliflower and onion one here.)

This artichoke and spinach casserole is yet another example. Thanks to the addition of ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan it seems sinfully close to eating a dinner of artichoke and spinach dip (not that I've ever considered doing that). The recipe is officially called a tian, which means nothing to me and seemed a little like the debate surrounding a fruit crisp or crumble. I did a little research, though, and it appears a tian originated in Provence and that it's a casserole that contains cheese and grains and is usually topped with bread crumbs.

The bread crumbs thing should be in this recipe but as you can see from the recipe, mine doesn't. That's because I cleverly put the whole thing together — with a lovely layer of garlic bread crumbs on top — popped it all in the oven and realized five minutes later as I was cleaning up the kitchen that, oops, the rice was still sitting on top of the stove. I quickly took the dish out and just mixed the rice in, meaning my bread crumbs were now inside the dish.

It did not ruin the taste one little bit. G, the son who for most of his young life refused to put a single green thing into his mouth, had seconds. 'Nuff said.

Spinach and Artichoke Tian with Garlic Bread Crumbs
serves 6-8

ingredients
1/2 cup short grain white rice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 16-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 12-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained (I used canned instead and it was just fine)
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

ingredients for bread crumb topping
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil

method
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13 baking pan.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain. Set aside (but don't forget about it!).

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it is golden and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for another few minutes, or until the garlic is golden and translucent.

Pat the spinach and artichokes dry with a paper towel. Combine in a large bowl with the ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Fold in the drained rice, cooked onions and garlic, and then the eggs and nutmeg. Spread in the baking dish.

To make the bread crumbs, whiz the garlic, salt, pepper, bread crumbs and Parmesan in a food processor until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole and drizzle with additional olive oil.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until firm and golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Squashed

Janet here:

I know it's Labor Day and the semi-official last day of summer grilling, but it's also high squash season, so I'm offering up this fantastic recipe from Faith Durand's new cookbook, Not Your Mother's Casserole from Harvard Common Press. Faith is the managing editor of the fabulous cooking and food blog, The Kitchn, and if you haven't checked it out yet, well click here and remedy that.

Anyway this cookbook is wonderful. It's filled with over 200 casserole recipes; so far I've made two — stay tuned for number two coming soon — and they've both been fantastic. To me, casseroles are the non-slow cooker's response to putting something tasty on the dinner table without making yourself crazy. You throw a few things together, toss them into a pretty dish and voila! 30-45 minutes later you have a meal. What more could anyone want? Maybe some bread, but seriously that's it. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable and Fresh Mozzarella Gratin
serves 6

ingredients
2 small yellow summer squash
2 small zucchini
4 small tomatoes
1 large red pepper, cored
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh pepper
6 ounces fresh whole-milk mozzerella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs

method
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the baking dish with olive oil. (I sprayed mine with PAM, my new BFF in cooking.)

Slice the squash and zucchini into half moons and coarsely chop the tomatoes and bell peppers. Stir all the vegetables and garlic together in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread into a casserole dish.

Chop the mozzarella into evenly sized cubes and tuck between the vegetables. Mix the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a small bowl and then sprinkle evenly over the top of the veggies and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top is well browned. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Brunch Schmunch

Janet here:

This recipe (or my variation) was touted in the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine (I swear I am not a paid shill for this magazine; it's just that this month had a ton of inspirational recipes!) as a brunch recipe. I made it (with a few tweaks) for dinner and it was fabulous. So whatever. You decide.

Eggs with Squash
serves 3

ingredients
2 pounds zucchini, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 scallions, diced
red pepper flakes to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

method
Grate the zucchini into a colander. Toss with 1 tablespoon of salt and let drain in sink for about 40 minutes. Squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible.

While the zucchini is deliquifying, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the scallions and saute. Add the red pepper flakes and salt. Cook until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the shredded and dry zucchini. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parsley, nutmeg and pepper to taste. Cook until the mixture is slightly dry. Remove from heat and cool


Make sure the zucchini is evenly spread out in the pan. Make four little holes in the mixture. Put a little pat of butter in each hole. Crack an egg one at a time and pour into each hole. Add the grated cheese on top. Put the skillet into the oven and cooked 12-15 minutes until the eggs are cooked the way you like them.

Serve and enjoy

Meatless Monday: Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Janet here: I believe I have discovered the secret to great soup: roast your vegetables first. Seriously, I may never make soup without doing this again. While I'm sure this butternut squash soup would have been lovely without roasting the squash and red onions first, roasting them brought out the flavor so much more fully.

I also love how carefree roasting is. Just cut whatever veggies you're roasting, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and toss. Throw it in a 425-degree oven and forget about it for 30 minutes or so. Can it get any easier?

But you don't have to take my word for it. Try this and you won't be disappointed. Add a little bread and a salad and you are good to go. Enjoy!



Curried Butternut Squash Soup
serves 4-6

ingredients
1 medium red onion, cut into large pieces, maybe 1/8ths
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 or so cups of vegetable or chicken stock
1 tablespoon or so curry powder

method
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the onion, squash and olive oil in a large rectangular pan. Add salt and pepper; toss well until the veggies are well oiled. Put in oven. Roast for about 30 minutes or until the veggies are just tender and lightly browned.

Add the veggie mix to a blender in batches along with some of the stock each time. Puree and then place into a large pot. Do this until it's all pureed. Then add stock as needed, depending on how thin you like your soup. I like mine fairly thick but so it goes. Add the curry powder to taste and warm the soup. That's it!

Meatless Mondays: Burritos

Hey Rachel

I'm so glad you, John and M (vicariously or is it secondhand?) enjoyed the leftover burritos last week. First, how great are leftovers? It's so wonderful to come in the door after a grueling day at work, or in your case school, and know there is something nutritious to eat just a microwave away. I wish I had been more organized as a young working mother to figure this out. It wasn't until I started my gig in Albany (I work out of town two to four days a week creating magazines) that I started cooking ahead and making dishes that had leftovers for the rest of the week. Stuuuupid. How I would have loved to have done this in the days of juggling a job and young children. I hope you learn from my mistakes. The key to good meals during the week is smart cooking on the weekends.

Anyway on to the burritos. I don't think my burritos are particularly spectacular and they change just about every time I make them. It all depends what's in the house. These particular burritos featured black beans (a personal favorite of mine), corn, dirty rice (that I made from a box so there's THAT confession; it wasn't from scratch), chili powder, hot sauce, some guacamole, grated sharp cheddar, sour cream and salsa. Mix it all together in a bowl, wrap it in a tortilla, pop it in the oven, and voila, instant filling dinner.

I have also made burritos with refried beans, jalapenos, ground turkey and all of the above. I think that's what I like about them so much: You can do just about whatever you want within certain perameters, it's fast and it's nutritious. What are your favorite burrito fillings?

Meatless Mondays: Food for Friends

Janet here: I have a fairly new friend who I found through a shared love of music. Without going into all the details, let's just say that Jean helped reintroduce me to a part of my musical world that I had left unsatisfied for 30 years. It's been great.

Sadly, in August her husband of many years died of cancer. Jean is understandably bereft. We've tried to help a bit by playing together more frequently, but the other thing we immediately jumped to was food. Without even thinking about it, Lisa and I added bringing dinner to the musical nights out. We jumped to this without discussion, without forethought.

While of course there's no way Lisa and I can make up for Jean's loss, this whole thing has made me think again about the healing quality of food. It doesn't really matter what the food is, of course; instead it's the act of cooking for someone else and bringing them sustenance. And then it's the shared moment of sitting down together and eating. We pass the food around the table, talk of other things and suddenly, for just a moment, everything seems bearable.

We are playing together again this week. Lisa is bringing vegetable lasagna and I will bring roasted vegetable soup. We will play trios, laugh and talk, and then we will eat. And when we leave, we will leave our food behind for Jean to reheat, and she will remember once again that she is not alone.

Meatless Mondays: Heirloom Tomato Salad

Janet here: Okay, I know I'm late coming to the heirloom tomato game, but I had never tried them until putting together this little salad for Meatless Mondays. I've known about heirloom tomatoes, but figured, really, how different can they really be from "regular"tomatoes?

The answer is plenty.

There are apparently a ton of different heirloom tomatoes. I can't tell you the name of all the ones I bought here other than that the yellow one is Old German, but I can tell you without a doubt that heirloom tomatoes taste different. It's just a fact. Anyway, I served this salad with some marinated salmon and corn, and it was a lovely taste of summer. Hope you enjoy it.

By the way, if you want to find out more about Meatless Mondays, click here. The movement is growing. Spread the word!



Tomato Salad

ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
6-8 basil leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (or feta would probably work too)

method
Slice the tomatoes into 1/2 inch wedges. Mix together the olive oil, salt, sherry vinegar until well mixed. Add to the tomato wedges and mix. Add the basil leaves and fold in. Fold in the blue cheese.

Serve room temperature.

Zucchini Salad

Hey Rachel

Summer is coming to a close here in the Northeast. The days have lost their humidity, the nights are cooler and the trees are tinged at the edges with reds and oranges. But having just visited you in the Land of Perpetual Fresh Produce, I know this whole seasonal autumnal thing isn't really part of your life. I mean I saw boxes upon boxes of fresh just-picked strawberries for god's sake when I was out there. Meanwhile the freshest fruit you're going to be seeing our way starting very soon and for the coming months is apples, apples, apples.

So as summer wanes, I'm passing on this really wonderful zucchini salad. We still have zucchini galore out here and I know you have them all the time. I have made this twice. The first time was for Susan and Mark after a day together at the Rhode Island shore. Susan called the next morning for the recipe so she could make it for her family that very night. Now that's a recipe worth saving. I tried to load a photo for all to see, but the internet wasn't cooperating...Hope you enjoy it.

XO
Mom

Summer Zucchini Salad
serves 4

ingredients
1 large zucchini, grated
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

method
Grate the zucchini. Toast the pine nuts lightly on top of the stove, stirring so they don't burn. Don't use any oil to do this. Mix with the grated zucchini

In a jar with a lid, mix the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. Shake well until the olive oil and lemon juice have emulsified. Pour over the zucchini and mix well. Stir in the Parmesan until just blended. Don't overmix. Serve at room temperature.

Meatless Mondays: Stuffed Peppers

Rachel here: I made stuffed peppers for the first time last night and I will definitely be making them again. While I know they often have rice or bread crumbs, I went a lighter route and just stuffed mine with veggies, tofu and cheese. It made for a nice light summer dinner, though I can imagine making a different stuffing that feels cozy once the cold weather comes.

On a different note, I've been thinking a lot about what I put in my body since M is exclusively breastfed. Avoiding anything and everything with hormones/antibiotics/words-I-can't-pronounce feels essential in terms of giving M a healthy start (ok, I just reread that and it sounds a little ummm...zealous...*sigh*) and the easiest and most affordable way to do this seems to be to eat vegetarian and vegan meals. While we can definitely get good quality reliable meat around here, it doesn't come cheap. So anyway, while my focus on meatless cooking started with this column, I guess I'm here today to say it's grown and now dominates our weekly eating. I made this entire dinner using exclusively organic and local ingredients and spent less than ten dollars to do so. Now that's a meal that's good for the planet, the body and the wallet...pretty awesome.


ingredients
3 red bell peppers, tops and seeds removed (*pick peppers that stand up!*)
1 portabello mushroom, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
2 sm. heirloom tomatoes, deseeded and diced
1 crookneck squash, diced
6 oz. extra-firm tofu, broken up
1 sprig rosemary, destemmed
salt and pepper
juice from half a lemon
1/3 c. feta cheese
mozzarella to top peppers


method
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Sautee mushroom, onion, tomato, squash and tofu with rosemary, salt and pepper and lemon juice. Mix in feta cheese and stuff peppers with this mixture. Top with mozzarella and bake until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Couscous and Tofu Salad

Rachel here: Quality and quantity are where it's at these days in our house. As we emerge from the shadows of new parenthood (ok, as we try to...), one of our focuses is on eating better. As I told my brother S in my bon voyage post to him as he prepared to leave for college, eating well--for me!--really facilitates taking care of myself in general. We also aim to be realistic, though, and know that there are definitely days in each week where either the energy to cook or the time (M reserves the right to demand to be held at any moment) might fail to manifest. This is where today's post comes in: a big, healthy salad that we ate for several days, thereby satisfying both the quality and the quantity requirements.

ingredients
1/2 c. couscous (before cooking)
12 oz. extra firm tofu
1/4+ tspn. kosher salt
1 small lemon
olive oil
soy sauce
1 small white onion
1 ear corn
2/3 of a large carrot
1/2 large heirloom tomato

method
Crumble tofu and marinate in 1/4 tspn. kosher salt, the juice from the lemon, and a few dashes of soy sauce and olive oil. Saute until crisp and let cool. Chop the onion into large pieces and saute until browned and sweet. Cool. In a large bowl, combine the couscous, tofu, onion, corn, carrot (I shred mine) and chopped up tomato. Add salt and pepper as needed to adjust the flavor. When I served it I added avocado, but the salad is good without it. If you're going to serve it with avocado, don't add it until right before serving so that it doesn't brown. Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Open-faced Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches

Rachel here: I am obsessed with eggplant (I know-it's a picture of a tomato, not an eggplant, but more on that in a bit). Until recently, I counted it as a food I didn't particularly care for. Our dear friend N came to visit and help us out right after M was born, though, and she put eggplant in lasagnas that she made us. Ever since then I've had a hankering. While my mom hates the texture, that's precisely the thing that I'm so gaga for these days. Anyway, after making stir-fry the other night I found myself with half an eggplant leftover. What to do? Simple. Buy the prettiest heirloom tomato I could find, a delicious loaf of bread and make open-faced eggplant parmesan sandwiches for dinner.


I know, I know. There should be a picture of eggplant and a sandwich in this blog post somewhere. The photos I took, though, fall into the category of epic failure, so instead I'm keeping you hungry with pictures of tomatoes and bread (personally, they're two of my favorite things). This was a really simple and delicious dinner and I don't want to turn you off with unappetizing pictures.



ingredients
loaf of your favorite bread (I bought a loaf of rustic whole wheat sourdough made by the local Acme bakery...so so good)
tomato (heirlooms just came into season here and I won't by a different kind of tomato until they go out)
basil
parmesan cheese
olive oil
eggplant
salt and pepper

method
Slice the eggplant in 1/2-inch slices. Rub with salt, pepper and olive oil. Grill. Place bread under broiler and toast (don't toast too much as you will be placing bread back under broiler later). On top of toasted bread, stack basil leaves, slices of tomato, and piece of grilled eggplant. Shred parmesan cheese generously over the top before placing sandwiches under the broiler. Broil until cheese is good and melted. Devour!

Meatless Mondays: Our First Round-Up

Rachel here: Our response to the oil spill (which started-ugh!-over 100 days ago now) was to start featuring a meatless dish every Monday. The thing is, though, that we've been featuring meatless dishes all along. Many of our best, in fact, pre-date Meatless Mondays. Though we've never done this before, today we are offering you a list of ten of our favorite dishes we've offered so far. Bookmark this page and you'll be able to access a list of meatless dishes every Monday so you and yours can join us in doing our small part to show the planet that we love it. Just click on the dish to be linked to the recipe. What's your favorite meat-free meal?

1. Acorn Squash with Wild Mushroom Cranberry Stuffing
2. Butternut Squash Flatbread with Cheddar and Pine Nuts
3. Fig Bran Muffins
4. Clementine Coffee Cake Muffins with Almond Streusel
5. Fried Goat Cheese Medallions
6. Quick and Easy Quiche
7. Mushroom and Olive Pasta Sauce
8. Homemade Pasta
9. Potato Salad
10. Spring Bean Salad

Meatless Mondays: Plum Upside-Down Cake

Rachel here: Contrary to the photos I'm offering up today, Plum Upside-Down Cake is amazing. This cake is fluffy and light and the perfect amount of sweet. Plums are everywhere around here these days and one of my favorite fruits so I'm always looking for ways to maximize my consumption of them (besides eating them raw...which I can do multiple times a day). Anyway, these photos are from the first time I made this cake, back in the days before M was even an idea...back, you know, when I made cakes for fun. I'm sure those days will return, though right now they seem pretty distant. Anyway, this cake is super easy and incredibly good and I highly recommend you make it as soon as possible. Your only problem will be sharing it.

Get the recipe (and see a better photo!) here. The only thing I did differently was add a squeeze of lime juice to the plums when I cooked them (I'm forever adding citrus to things). I totally suggest doing the same, though I can't imagine the cake isn't awesome without this addition.

Meatless Mondays: Vegetable Tian

Janet here: Today's Meatless Monday offering is adapted from Susie Middleton's fabulous new cookbook called Fast, Fresh & Green. A tian for those who don't know — and I was among them until last week — is a Provencal summer vegetable gratin. Anyway, Susie's book offers a ton of great new ways to cook veggies or enhance your veggie input. It's great for vegetarians or carnivores who want to add a little pizazz to their vegetable sides.

I have made a number of recipes from her book already and everyone was a winner. This one is no exception. Add a little crusty bread, maybe some cheese and you are good to go.

Summer Vegetable and Tomato Tian with Parmesan Bread Crumbs
serves 6

ingredients
1/2 cup plus teaspoon olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 smallish zucchini
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, about five
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 heaping teaspoon dried parsley

method
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a shallow 2 quart gratin dish with a little olive oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. (She also adds 1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint, which is probably fine but I didn't have any and mine turned out fine.) Slice the zucchini thinly, add to the bowl and toss. Core and slice the tomatoes crosswise a little thicker than the zucchini, arrange them on a large dinner plat and sprinkle with 1/4 cup salt. Let both sit while you're cooking the onions or at least 15 minutes. Toss the zucchini in the marinade occasionally.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pan. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until they become translucent and start to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the gratin dish and spread in one layer. Let cool.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs (Susie, of course, makes her own. I don't) with 2 tablespoons of olive, two tablespoons of Parmesan, parsley and a pinch of salt.

Drain the juices off the tomatoes and zucchini. Starting at one end of the gratin dish, arrange the veggies in rows with the slices slightly overlapping. Maybe alternate one slice of zucchini with one of tomato or whatever you want. Sprinkle cheese over the zucchini slices as you go. Sprinkle any leftover cheese over the veggies. Drizzle the remaining olive oil and spring the bread crumbs over the top.

Bake until well browned all over the juices are bubbling, about 60-70 minutes. Susie says in the intro to this recipe that her secret is cooking this long enough for the juices to reduce and carmelize. I think you could make this with whatever summer veggies you like as long as tomatoes are one of them. At least that would be my vote. Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Grilled Veggies

Janet here: I'm back from visiting the divine Miss M! and trying to get back in the swing of things. Rachel will begin to weigh in again as she starts to re-enter the world of the parenting and living, although I have to say, she and John have enough food to last at least another week thanks to the cooking I did while there. :)

Anyway it's Meatless Monday and you need to just ignore that piece of chicken on the plate. I had planned to make this fabulous vegetable tan but then I realized that I forgot to buy zucchini because I'm still getting settled back on the East coast after a day of flying. I will have this dish for next Monday, though, I promise.

In the meantime, you can make a whole meal of grilled veggies with a variety of sauces. This asparagus took about two minutes to grill, and then I just tossed it in some brown butter with pine nuts and lemons. It was terrific.

To make the entire meal meatless, just add some other grilled veggies, some rice or orzo and you are good to go. The amounts here are for just the asparagus, so if you add other veggies, you'll need to add more butter and pine nuts. Pick veggies that have a little oomph so they can hold up to the grilling. Some good options are peppers, eggplant, string beans, zucchini and mushrooms. Enjoy!

ingredients
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch of asparagus
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon juice

method
Heat the grill.

Lobster Salad Anyone?

Janet here: Rachel and I had a whole debate about whether or not Meatless Mondays should be solely vegetarian or if we could include seafood. I clearly lost. Killing is killing, the new mother said to me even though I thought our point about Meatless Mondays was about eating in a smaller footprint, ie not supporting large beef industries and long travel time for food. (See post here if you're interested in how this got started.)

Anyway, Rachel is annoyingly right dammit so I put off the lobster salad post to today. I think you'll find it worth the wait. I actually served it as an appetizer with endive when friends came for dinner over the weekend. But the next day, I plopped it on my salad greens and had myself a delicious lunch. It would also make a lovely summer meal on a hot day on a toasted hot dog bun with some greenery. Enjoy!



Lobster Salad
serves 2 or 3 if a salad
makes about 12 appetizers if an appetizer

ingredients
3/4 pound of cooked lobster (I'm lazy and I have a thing about killing lobsters myself so I bought mine cooked. If you're a hunter, go for it.)
1/2 cup or so diced celery
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon capers to taste
pepper to taste
1 plus tablespoons dill weed (less if you're using dried)

method
Dice up the lobster and celery. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Chill and serve.

Rachel here: So, obviously one of the best things about this post is the fact that a dominant theme in it is that I'm right. While my mom and I are certainly bffs, we also share a propensity for loving to prove the other one wrong. I've never made anything with lobster, though I've certainly eaten my fair share. A few years ago John brought two live lobsters home and cooked them up for dinner. It was delicious and I bragged to all my friends about how awesome my boyfriend was. Though my mom (understandably!) opted not to kill her own lobsters, this salad still looks scrumptious. I will definitely have to make it sometime and, when I do, I'm thinking I'll pursue the appetizer route with it.