Which now includes a BLT. Hold the mayo, of course.

Oh, BLT, where have you been my whole life?

While in Arkansas last week, we had peeled, sliced, fresh, ripe, red tomatoes on the table every evening for dinner. Because we were in the south, and that’s what you do in the south. There, and at my Grandmother’s house and Aunt Allyn’s house here. But I digress. Anyway, one day we were planning for lunch and I thought… tomatoes, bacon, toast, lettuce – that sounds delicious! And by George, I was right.

You see, I used to be averse to raw tomatoes. I’m not sure what was wrong with me, really, but I couldn’t stand the taste. Then they started sneaking into my salads, but only if they were chopped very finely. Once I had mastered the small chopped tomato, I didn’t so much mind bigger chunks. Then pico de gallo and bruschetta became my amigos, and all of the sudden last week I was putting a sliced tomato with salt on my plate and gobbling it up.

So, listen, BLT. I’m really sorry I stiffed you all these years. It wasn’t you, it was me. I hope you’ll forgive me and we can remain friends for a long, long time.

Grilled Zucchini
Fried Zucchini
Zucchini Bread

That’s about as far as I got on my own.

Then I ran across a zucchini salad  recipe in Real Simple and thought – a ha! I can make that! So with a few adaptations here is a delicious, fresh, and light zucchini salad perfect for getting rid of at least two medium sized gourds. (Original recipe is here.)

Zucchini Dill Salad
2 medium zucchini
8 oz. orzo pasta (half a box/bag)
1/4 cup chopped dill
1/2 cup chopped pecans
8 oz. Feta cheese (crumbled)
3 T olive oil
1 lemon, juiced (and zested, if desired)
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a pot, bring water to boil. Cook orzo according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, quarter zucchini lengthwise, then cut into thin slices. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, dill, olive oil and lemon juice. Allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes. When pasta is finished, drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Combine with zucchini mixture and add feta cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve. (This is a great dish to make ahead!)

Enjoy!

Chicken Green Chili Soup
2 C. rice
8 C. chicken broth
2 C. water
2. C. chicken, cooked and chopped or shredded
1 can Ro-Tel (or other diced tomatoes with green chilies)
1 small can green chilies
Juice from 2 limes

2 Avacadoes, chopped
1/2 C. cilantro, chopped

In a soup pot, cook rice according to package directions. Add in chicken, chicken broth, water, Ro-tel, chilies and lime juice. Cook until simmering.

While soup is heating up, chop avocado and cilantro. Then admire your handiwork.

Spoon soup into bowls, and add avocado and cilantro just before serving.

Enjoy!

The places on our property that get the best light also happen to have the worst soil, so we settled on a raised-bed garden rather than a row garden, which is by far the most common way of operating in our neighborhood.

And so we set out to work. I don’t know about you, but I still find it nothing short of a daggum miracle that you can plant a tiny seed in some dirt (not even great dirt, at that!) and out pops a plant that will produce the most delicious vegetables your mouth ever laid… eyes(?) on.

We’ve been weeding and watering when it doesn’t rain, and checking the vegetables regularly. I’ve had my eyes on a couple of banana peppers and today one looked big enough to pick. So I brought it up and sliced it up and the kids and I had a few bites of the first bounty of our garden. I am thrilled. I can’t wait to show you what we end up with out of our humble little raised beds. And I can’t wait to cook and freeze and can some of the stuff!

I mean, come on, I LOVE to bake, so most of the time if I want a dessert, I just make it. But there are a few available at your everyday chain restaurant that are worth the calories. So – my humble list of favorites.

Tiramisu from Olive Garden. I know this Tiramisu recipe is likely as authentic as the numbered menu at your local Mexican restaurant, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious in my opinion. Light fluffy cream over espresso-soaked ladyfingers with a dusting of bitter cocoa to top it off. Mmm.

Walnut Blondie with Maple Butter Sauce from Applebees. The inspiration for this post, a warm, moist walnut blondie served on a hot skillet with the most decadent maple butter sauce. And, of course, ice cream.

Torta di Chocolate from Olive Garden – Touted as their “no sugar added” option. HA! This is a joke – it is one of the most calorie and fat-laden dessert items on the menu, so don’t feel healthy for ordering it, ok? But do feel good for making an incredible dessert choice. Smooth, creamy dark-chocolate torte served with a vanilla creme sauce and strawberries. Yes, please.

Ice Cream Taco from Chili Willie’s – I realize this isn’t a chain at all. In fact, it’s a pretty delicious one-off local restaurant. But the fact is, their ice cream taco is so good, I would be remiss if I left it off my list. If you live in or around Huntington, WV, or are just driving through, do yourself a favor and eat here. And order this. You will thank me. A cinnamon-sugar taco shell filled with sweet cinnamon ice cream, topped with real whipped cream, honey, almonds, and chocolate chips. Oh, and a cherry.

Cookies and Cream Milkshake from Chick-Fil-A – I do not eat fast food frequently. With one exception – Chick-Fil-A. Also known as Yum-Yum-Yum. And of all the fast food dessert options, Chick-Fil-A’s milkshakes are to-die for.

Petite Vanilla Bean Scones from Starbucks. Little bite-sized bits of fabulousness. Perfect with a hot latte, and the perfect size for a sweet little bite without breaking the calorie bank.

Honorable Mention: Olive Garden’s Lemon Cream Cake – the underdog of the Olive Garden dessert lineup, this cake is surprisingly light and de-licious. Chick-Fil-A’s Lemon Pie – made with a flaky crust and real meringue.

So what did I miss? What are your favorite restaurant desserts?

These apples were, if I do say so myself, probably my favorite. I hope you enjoy them as well.

Buttered Pecan Apples

3 T butter
1/4 C. chopped pecans
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 T. honey
1 pinch salt

In a medium frying pan, melt butter and add pecans. Toast for 2-3 minutes. (Resist the urge to add in heavy cream and throw in an ice cream churn. Yum.) Add honey and salt, then apples. Stir to coat. Cover, and cook over medium for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep apples from burning. Enjoy!

Blackberry Sauce
1 pint blackberries
1 T. sugar
2 T. fruit juice (I used cherry, but whatever you have on hand will work).

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and turn on medium-high until boiling. Bring heat down to medium-low, and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If berries cook down too much, you may add a tablespoon of water and wisk it in to restore moisture. Also, you may want to add a bit more sugar, depending on how sweet your berries were, but we like ours a little tart.

Enjoy.

You use gelatin instead of eggs (so it isn’t a custard) which means it’s nearly impossible to mess up. I garnished mine with fresh strawberries, but feel free to use chocolate sauce, caramel, or any other topping you think sounds delicious. Also: I served mine in ramekins, but traditionally the dessert would be turned out onto a plate. I’ve heard that silicone muffin pans work best for this method, so give it a try if you’re feeling up to it.

Vanilla Panna Cotta
2 C. milk
1 3/4 C. heavy cream
1/2 C. Milk, set aside
1 1/2 packets of unflavored gelatin
3/4 C. sugar
2 1/4 t. vanilla

In a small bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup milk (try to use skim or 2% here – not whole) and gelatin. Set aside. In a large saucepan, combine cream, remaining milk and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and bring just to a rolling boil. Add in the milk/gelatin mixture and stir well. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and add in vanilla extract. Pour into ramekins (or muffin pan) and let cool to room temperature uncovered. Cover and chill for at least four hours. Enjoy!

Anyway, for my mother-in-law’s birthday we took another cooking class, and this is one of the dishes they concocted. You can substitute brussels sprouts for the cabbage (have tried it – very good), green beans or spinach (haven’t tried those, but I will). Give it a go. You might be surprised at how good cooked cabbage can be, with a little help from its friends.

Braised Cabbage
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 medium onion (red or yellow – whatever you have), diced
1 clove minced garlic
2 C. shredded cabbage
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Fry the bacon to just about done (chewy and turning crispy), then add in the onions. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Stir in garlic, then add cabbage and cook for 3-5 minutes. Eat immediately. Enjoy!

“What is that?”
Me – “It’s homemade bread.”
“You can make bread?”
Me – Well, yeah!
“How do you make bread?” (Like she’d never seen such a thing in her life. I got a kick out of it.)

Back in the fall, when I took the bread class here, one of the breads we learned to make was an herbed focaccia. The best thing about this bread is that it’s totally versatile. It’s not too airy, not too dense. It can be made without the herbs and used as a pizza crust (which I’ve done) or can be made with vegetable oil instead of olive oil and used for cinnamon roll dough (which I’ve also done). But when it’s made this way, it’s totally delicious on its own. Or as rolls for sandwiches (which I’ve done). So you see, you need to try this bread if only to have a few tricks up your sleeve with a truly versatile dough.

Also: I know that traditional focaccia is formed into a disk and often topped with a variety of ingredients (rosemary, onions, cheese) rather than formed into loaves. I’m just called it what the chef that taught our class called it, ok? I think it was named such because it contained olive oil in place of water only or other fats. Who cares. It’s tasty, and super easy.

Herbed Focaccia
(or just plain ole’ Herbed Bread if you want to call it that)

5 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 t. salt
2 T garlic powder
2 T dried thyme
1 T dried basil
2 C. warm water
2 T dry yeast
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. olive oil

Combine the flour, salt, garlic, thyme and basil in a mixing bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the water, yeast and sugar. Let rest for 10 minutes. After the yeast mixture has rested (and it should have a creamy/foamy film on top – if not, grab some more yeast and try it all over again). Add the yeast/water mixture into the flour mixture, and add the oil. Knead by hand until a soft dough forms. Transfer to a working surface and knead until the dough is nice and smooth. Or use a dough hook in your stand mixer for the mixing/kneading.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for 1 hour. Punch down the dough and form into desired shape (rolls, loaves, disks, etc.) Place on an oiled baking pan cover, let rise for 30 minutes. Bake in a 375 degree oven until slightly brown.

Note: This recipe makes a large batch of dough – enough for 5-6 medium loaves. Feel free to half the recipe, or transfer part of the dough to the refrigerator or freezer after the first rising to bake later.