Fun Playing with Food Over Labor Day Weekend

For only the second time in 24 years, Bob and I spent Labor Day Weekend at home and not at the Western PA Mensa Regional Gathering in Pittsburgh. In 1991, we first met at this event, and we married five years later. Bob is experiencing some health issues that make travel and hotel stays difficult. so home it was. Sad as we were to miss the festivities, we did eat well.

Our Saturday breakfast was another take on Hash Brown Waffles topped with poached eggs, similar to the photo below.

Saturday's dinner was about using up some lovely peppers we'd gotten at Basketeria at the West Side Market two weeks prior, together with Farmers' Market sweet corn, and some of the last fresh Alaskan Wild King Salmon of the season, from Mister Brisket, which was fabulous. 

Stuffed Peppers with Lentils, Tomato Sauce, Onions, Cheese

Ementaler and Gruyere Cheeses complimented the salmon perfectly.

Grilled Alaskan Salmon topped with garden Garlic Chives, Grilled Corn, Stuffed Pepper

The leftover salmon became salmon salad Sunday morning, served on beautifully rustic dark rye from Lucy's Sweet Surrender at the Chagrin Falls North Union Farmers' Market and market tomatoes.

Dinner on Sunday and Monday was the same: grilled Mr. Brisket Burgers, On the Rise buns, Farmers' Market lettuce, onion and tomato, leftover stuffed peppers and corn salad made with the leftover grilled corn from Saturday's dinner:

For Sunday breakfast, the Waffle Iron Chef-ed again! I'd been wanting to make Falafel Waffles, and this was my big chance!

The recipe suggested using about a tablespoon of batter in each grid - good if you wanted falafel-ball sized waffles to stuff in pita, but not so good if the waffles would be the star, so I tripled the amount per grid after the first four. We served the waffles on the plate, with more tomato and onion, and topped it with Amir's Tahini Hummus (which was more hummus than tahini, I'm afraid, but Heinen's didn't have Amir's straight tahini), and my riff on Michael Symon's Tzadiki sauce - substituting local Anaheim Pepper for Cucumber. Since the hummus wasn't sesame-ee enough for me, we drizzled some additional Sesame Oil over all. 

As we count down the last days of summer, and the last days before Bob's surgery (to hopefully at least make a dent in his spinal problems), it was nice to pause and enjoy good food and one another. I hope your long weekend was equally delicious and that you had fun playing with your food! 

More Fun Playing With Garden Tomatoes!

These photos were taken prior to my shoulder surgery last Friday - just as tomato season was coming into its full glory!

To detract for a moment - the surgery went very well - I had a Blankart Procedure to re-attach and repair a torn labrum - you can see an animation of it here, if you are so inclined. PT starts tomorrow, and I should be slinging pots and pans again in 1-3 months. Until then, I am relegated to the computer!

So - what to do with loads of yummy tomatoes and fresh basil? Saute with a bit of good olive oil and serve with pasta and Reggiano Parmesan.





But what do you do if you also have fresh garden corn? Stuff the tomato with filling of choice (this was onion, garlic & sausage) and bake, then serve with an ear of lightly steamed fresh corn on the side!







Alas that garden season is so short here in Northeast Ohio - but until it ends, we'll keep playing with our garden goodies!

Fun Playing With Garden Bounty

When last we peeked at hubby Bob toiling in the garden, he was on his knees weeding as if the garden depended on it (and it did, too). Since then, the garden has come into its glory.

Since I've spent an inordinate amount of time showing off our meat meals lately, it seems that a post on the 2/3 of the plate given to plants is way overdue. When last we visited the garden, it was mid-July, and things looked like this:


Basil Thriving Around the Young Tomato Plants


First Planting of Corn is Taking Shape




Green Bean Plants are Growing


A Lone Garlic Scape Escapes The Pan


Horseradish Thrives


Cherry Tomatoes are Coming In

And Bob finally recognizes the value in this plant - because the fruit is smaller - it comes in and ripens faster!


Chile Peppers


The Big Boys - Mostly Heirloom Tomatoes - Are Also Coming In


Bob Weeds - As He Did For Most of July

Bob claims that the only way to get Yellow Nut Sedge out of the garden is to pull it out by hand.

And now - through the magic of technology - fast forward to August 2008. We are finally getting edibles to join the meat on our salad and dinner plates! And whatever isn't ready in the garden is readily available at the farmers' market or Heinen's or Mustard Seed.


The "Planned" Winter Squash (or should I say "Plannted"?)


Ripe Cherry/Grape Tomatoes Are Coming Ready


Tomatoes Overlook the Maturing Corn


Tomatoes! (And Thai Basil to the right)


More Tomatoes!


Chile Peppers and Eggplant


Green Beans


More Chiles - Hot Hungarians!


Corn is Ready for Eating!




The Chinese Garlic Chive Patch

Darn - these morsels didn't appear until the end of July - but with my fall in Chicago - a lot of them have bolted and gone to seed. But if you look closely, there are still some tender chives out there!




More Basil

Ok - know what you're really waiting for: what have we been eating with all the meat I've been posting about lately?


First Edible Ears of Corn




Dinner Fork Inserted for Size Perspective


Kernel Divot: Proof that this corn was grown organically (yes, a corn worm was nibbling)


"Volunteer" Zucchini

Bob and I are not big fans of this vegetable, so we don't grow it. But when Bob cleared out the volunteer winter squash, he found this behemoth buried in the patch. That is a full size dinner plate under the beast, for perspective. Despite its size, it tastes as good as . . . zucchini tastes.




Tomatoes!

The green ones fell off of the plants, so Bob brought them in. The yellow ones are a Russian heirloom we are very fond of - Azoychka. Yum. Bring on the locally grown salad greens!





We've been starting each meat meal with a big bowl of salad, and then filling 2/3 of the dinner plate with vegetables. We've gotten off bottled salad dressing in favor of a simple vinaigrette I made right before I lost my right arm. So - we are playing with Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. And praise be to gardening season!