Stuffed with cheese.  Breaded and fried.

Do I really have to write any more?

I’ve been eyeing these gorgeous squash blossoms for ages now, and finally decided to try my hand at stuffing them.  Lucky me, it must have been in the cards because one of my favorite growers at the farmer’s market gave me 2 baskets for the price of one!  I took it as a sign and took them home to experiment.

A simple recipe… take your favorite soft cheese (I used light Laughing Cow), some Parmesan, garlic powder and pepper mixed together and gently stuff into the blossoms.  A light dusting of flour, a dip into milk or egg, and a roll in some seasoned toast or bread crumbs.  That’s all the prep you need to do!  I fried these little flowers for a minute on each side, until golden, taking care not to brown too much.  I recommend serving these over a simple spoonful of your favorite tomato sauce with a sprinkle of Parmesan on top.  To DIE for.  Guess what we had for dinner this night??

“That’s it!  We’re outta here!”, I said to Jesse as I placed him into his stroller.  We needed to take advantage of the fresh ocean breeze and the bright sun this past Wednesday morning.

I had gotten enough of it…this summer fog that made it seem like early morning throughout the entire day.  The past month here on the Central Coast (especially in our South County area) has been cooler than normal, with far too many overcast days for my liking.

Good thing there was a sunny summer surprise waiting for us at the farmer’s market.

Who could resist this gorgeous local berries?  I was so happy to meet Jan, who has been growing these beauties since 1985.  She was kind enough to give little Jesse a plum to keep him happy on the rest of our walk, which he greedily bit into over and over again until all that remained was red red juice all over his face.

I thought he’d enjoy the berries, maybe even more.

A little vanilla yogurt and a few berries stirred in.  A good snack for both baby and mama.

Too bad these berries didn’t make it through the rest of the day…somehow they were eaten all up!

Some of the true fruits of the season!  Tender squashes during this time of year don’t need big fancy recipes to let their flavor shine through.  Who has time for big fancy recipes during summer, anyway?

This stuffed squash recipe is so simple that I won’t even type out a proper recipe~

I gently scoop out the inside of each squash half (I’ve found that a small melon baller works best for me), taking care not to dig too deep. This will give you little squash boats to fill with your stuffing.  Using a knife or pulsing food processor, chop the scooped out squash and combine with chopped onion, peppers, and whatever other vegetables you’d like.  Here I’ve also added shredded carrot and chopped parsley.  A bit of salt, pepper, garlic for seasoning, and a sprinkle of bread crumbs to keep the mixture together, (quinoa is also great in these). 

Fill your squash with the mixture and top with a bit of Parmesan, goat or feta cheese. I pop these into a 375 degree oven until slightly browned on top (20-30 minutes depending on squash size).  Yum!

If you are looking for another simple recipe for these summer squash beauties, here is my recipe for Squash Ribbons with Parmesean.

There’s something about this time of year that inspires me, maybe it comes from those sunny, beachy memories from my childhood.  Summers smelling like the last bit of chill in the morning air before it heats up, and the scent of freshly cut grass.  Hours of playing outside in the sun, the twinkly sound of the ice cream truck nearby, and picnics…

Picnics always seemed to turn any day into a special occasion, its own Holiday.  Coolers and totes filled to the brim with sandwiches and salads, and always a few treats.  The mere though of it makes me feel the warm sun on my shoulders and grass under my toes.

All of this picnic dreaming made me realize that within a matter of days, we will have the king of all Picnic Holidays ~ the 4th of July!  What is more American than potato salad on Independence Day?, I had to ask myself when I thought about the upcoming festivities.

And inspired by the thought, here is a tasty potato salad recipe to add to your holiday picnic menu!

Literally translated, the French call potatoes Apples of the Earth…pommes de terre.  It wasn’t until this year that we had eaten fresh potatoes, newly dug from the ground.  BOY oh BOY it is a different world from the store bought potatoes we have been accustomed to!  Creamy, fresh, springing with vitality… I truly understood what the French were talking about.

For my Potato Salad, I used tiny New Potatoes bought from the Arroyo Grande Village Farmer’s Market.  I added some fresh arugula to make this more of a salad, and inspired by a wonderful food blogger, Bea from La Tartine Gourmande, I added some marinated cucumbers and radishes.  A fun and colorful idea!

A sprinkling of thyme and parsley added to a light dressing, making it perfect for travel, finished off this yummy meal.  It was a hit with J and even baby J couldn’t resist some for dinner.  Perhaps we’ll have to repeat this lovely meal on our upcoming Holiday…

HAPPY 4th OF JULY, FRIENDS!!

A big thank you to SLO Veg for the amazing produce I’ve used here:  pink and purple radishes, purple onion, cucumbers, and arugula. It’s no wonder that SLO Veg is celebrating 1 year in business with 1000% growth with such great produce and service, congrats on an impressive first year!!

Read on for the Recipe…

A New Potato Salad

1 lb. fresh, small potatoes
1 cup arugula
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

For the dressing:
1 tsp mustard
1 tbs tahini
pinch of salt, pepper and sugar
2 tbs mild olive oil
1 tbs chopped fresh thyme
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Steam potatoes for 15-20 minutes and let sit until cool enough to handle and peel.  While potatoes are steaming, thinly slice cucumber, radish and red onion using a mandolin or steady hand.  Sprinkle slices with a pinch of salt, to release excess moisture, and then marinate for 15 min (in a mixture of 1/2 vinegar and 1 tsp sugar).

Whisk dressing ingredients together, adding the oil as the final ingredient.  Assemble all of your lovely ingredients, dress lightly and enjoy!  Note:  This meal should be refrigerated, but will travel well for a picnic as there is no mayonnaise added!

Everyone needs a sweet treat every now and then (or more)!  I was lucky enough to recently win a quartet of Amy Bakes Cupcakes famous Chocolate Merlot cupcakes!   Yes, they are as fabulous as they sound.  I held myself back from eating the entire box at once in order take a few photos to share with you!

Amy has become a local fixture around the Central Coast, gaining attention for her baking skills, sunny blond hair, and super friendly and fun personality.  She takes much care in fulfilling all of your cupcake needs, whether that be a birthday treat or wedding for 200…oh and did I mention her vegan and gluten-free options?  Check our her adorable website to learn more!

And yes, I’ve been super absent from Localette lately… I’m already in the thick of the Joi Wedding Season, finishing one wedding, about to have another… who could blame a girl for a little cupcake break?

Can we chat about my latest obsession?  Bloom Microgreens have been popping up in my SLO Veg deliveries this year and I can’t get enough of these fresh and tasty little leaves!

I add them to sandwiches, on top of my morning bagel (with avocado, to die for) or sprinkle them into salads.  Microgreens are the young sprouts of vegetables and Bloom has a huge variety to choose from.  My personal favorite right now is their Rainbow mix, which includes cabbage, broccoli, chard and sunflower shoots.  The Sunshine mix is so tasty as well, and I’m looking forward to trying their Asian mix (includes wasabi sprouts!) and their selection of herb greens.

I have to add another reason for why I love these microgreens…. have you ever gotten a box of sprouts from the grocery store and tried to take just a pinch out at a time?  It’s virtually impossible and I always end up yanking the whole lot out of the box.  Bloom microgreens are easy to take out a few at a time… I don’t know, it’s the little things that make me happy!    Bloom is located in Los Osos, CA and run by Kara Wood, yet another wonderful local business to support.   Yum!

Yup that’s right…this is what I’ve been up to.  Raising an amazing baby boy, now 7 months old.  I admit it…I haven’t photographed one plate of food in almost 2 months…until today.  I miss it, as it’s my outlet and lets me have a moment that’s just my own.  Now I’m back because I need to and there are a lot of ideas running about this little head of mine that need to be explored!  Thank you to all my faithful fans (some of who’s wonderful comments I’ve erased in an editing accident!).  Keep an eye out….2010 is going to be a great year.

xoxo

Jen

Just a heads up to all you art lovers in the area!   This Saturday between 5-8:30pm SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS and come to an awesome show at the Sanitarium in SLO.  Featured artists are joey Salazar, Vincent Bernardy, Joe Tomei, Rober MAJA & Suzie Bliss.  Art, live music and wine tasting at this free, open to the public event.

This Saturday, January 30 from 5-8:30pm.  The Sanitarium is located at 1716 Osos St., on the corner of Osos and Leff in San Luis Obispo, CA.  For more info, contact Vincent Bernardy or Suzie Bliss at (805) 544-4124.  See ya there!

A Tale of Two Burgers! With rainy weather looming on the horizon, I thought I’d better share these before we all want to stay inside with a nice bowl of comforting soup or stew.  We haven’t made normal burgers in quite a while…besides the special occasion, red meat has been a rarity around our dinner table.

Our two standard burgers are now Turkey Quinoa and Eggplant.  I love adding different ingredients to regular recipes, and with turkey burgers we’ve had great luck with brown rice, shredded carrots, and my favorite, quinoa!  Great taste, fiber, protein and a fantastic binding agent all in one.

And if you haven’t tried an Eggplant Burger…OH MAN, you are missing something in life!  Talk about an economical way to feed a crowd….for the cost of one eggplant you can get 8-9 servings.  Healthy and cheap…that’s my kind of meal.

Did I forget to mention a beautiful BBQ Sauce that we made ourselves for the first time?

I really should mention that…  I put this Homemade BBQ Sauce in everything, from using it as dry-burger-prevention mixed into the turkey patties, to a glaze on the eggplant slices, and pretty much anything else I could slather this on.

Go ahead and give these a try…I promise they won’t disappoint.  Maybe they’ll just shoo that bad weather away!

Recipes after the jump!

Jen’s Turkey Burgers

Mix 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey with 1/4 c Homemade BBQ Sauce, 1/2 c cooked and cooled Quinoa and 2 tbl breadcrumbs.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc, to suit your taste.  Hint: If the mixture smells good to you, you probably have the right amount of seasoning. If the burgers seem too dry or too sticky, adjust ingredients.  Gently yet thoroughly mix ingredients with a fork.

Shape into flat patties by hand, and finish by pressing a slight dimple into the center of each to prevent the burger from puffing up too much.  Heat grill on high, oil and after setting patties down to cook immediately turn down heat to medium-low.  Close lid on grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on your particular grill.  Serve with all your favorite toppings!

Eggplant Burgers

Choose an eggplant with the diameter similar to the size buns you will be using.  Slice into 1 inch rounds and soak in a large bowl of cool water for at least 30 minutes.  Place a small plate on top of the slices to prevent them from floating to the surface.  (Soaking the eggplant slices will take the bitterness from the peel out.  You can also make these without the skin…the only difference we’ve seen is that they are more fragile on the grill and take a more gentle hand to cook.)  Once removed from the water bath, dry on paper towels for 10-15 minutes.

When ready to grill, lightly brush the eggplant slices with BBQ Sauce and place on an oiled, medium-low grill.  These will cook faster than the Turkey Burgers, so keep an eye on them to prevent burning.  Grill about 2-3 minutes on each side depending on your particular BBQ, flipping immediately after grill marks have developed.  Serve right away with your favorite toppings, anything you would put on a normal burger!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

recipe to come after the hubby comes home….!

]]> http://www.localette.com/?feed=rss2&p=1662 http://www.localette.com/?p=1643 http://www.localette.com/?p=1643#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:23:43 +0000 admin http://www.localette.com/?p=1643 January 7, 2010

“It always takes me by surprise!”, I told J over and over during these past few days.  “Do you mind if we BBQ again?”  Do you really need to ask a guy that?

Just when I had gotten used the chilly temps of a Central Coast winter night, here comes New Year’s and the inevitable heat wave.  Don’t get me wrong… I’m not saying I don’t enjoy these toasty 75 degree days (though it must have hit 80 in my neighborhood), the balmy evening sunsets and grilling outside every night.

But I needed something different.

Our solution to the Hot Weather Grilling Blues?  Cold Noodles!  Our standby recipe consists of a Sesame Peanut Butter sauce, but I had to try something new tonight.  A can of light Coconut Milk from our cupboard provided all the inspiration we needed!

Add tender baby Bok Choy, Sugar Snap Peas and a bright squeeze of Lime, and we found our tasty meal for this summery night.  I call this Thai Coconut Noodles… and please don’t be intimidated by the Thai name, I have a few short cuts that may not make this authentic, but can resonate a balmy tropical evening if you just close your eyes and have a taste…

Recipe after the jump!

Thai Coconut Noodles

In a saucepan, combine and warm:

1 can light coconut milk
1/4 tsp chili garlic sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 flavor pack from Ramen noodles, Shrimp and Lime flavored
1 tbl grated ginger

Prepare:

2 packs Ramen noodles, cooked and drained
1 c cooked and finely sliced pork, chicken, or beef; cooked shrimp or diced tofu would be great too!
1 baby bok choy, chopped
1 c sugar snap peas, shells split
1 c bean sprouts
1/4 c bell pepper, finely sliced
1 1/2 limes, cut into wedges (zest of lime can be used as well)

To serve:

With a serving of noodles in your bowl, add which ever veggies and protein you desire and top with a ladel’s amount of coconut sauce.  Finish with a squeeze of lime and enjoy.  Serves 4.

That said about grilling…stay tuned for a new take on burgers before these warm days are gone!

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