Zucchini & Okra Frittata

The okra has started producing. I am especially happy about that this year; for a while I thought I would have no okra crop. Why? Well, I planted the okra in two places in the garden and they started coming up very nicely. That was before I left on vacation in June. When I came…

Baghali Polo – Persian Rice with Lima Beans

File this one under “I can’t believe I just made something this delicious!” Yes, I often make really tasty and flavorful food, but not typically on my first try making something I have never tasted before, using a lot of improvisation and guess-work. And, according to my Persian food expert (my Iranian husband), this was…

Yotam Ottolenghi’s Fried Tomatoes with Garlic

First there was tomato sauce, then sun-dried tomatoes. Last year I discovered tomato confit, and now this year it is Fried Tomatoes with Garlic. There seems to be no end to the deliciousness of simple preparations when fresh, home-grown, heirloom tomatoes are used! And don’t forget the home-grown garlic. Such a simple dish, just take…

Vegetarian Chili

Chili was something my mother never made, it was something I only discovered in college.  Since I was vegetarian, it was vegetarian chilis from the start.  I later came upon Cincinnati chili, but vegetarian chilis are my favorites.  This one uses summer’s bounty of zucchini and squash (sadly, not from my garden), and both red…

Summer Squash and Egg Skillet

Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini…time yet again for a zucchini dinner.  Tonight’s is a variation on the other egg skillets I have shared that include zucchini.  In this one, the zucchini and yellow squash are the stars, serving as the base upon which the eggs rest. I bought these beautiful green zucchini from Beechwood Orchards at the farmers…

Our Rosh Hashanah Dinner with Israeli Za’atar Salad

I traditionally make my Honey Orange Roast Chicken for Rosh Hashanah, but now that Lauren is a pescatarian, I made  poached fish with romesco sauce for our main dish.  It was a colorful table, with the brown Date Challah, green and red ‘Never Say Never Again’ Lima Beans, orange romesco sauce, golden honey, and multi-colored Israeli Za’atar Salad.  We…

Pasta with Tomatoes, Green Beans and Feta

The string beans (Trionfo violetto) are still producing like crazy! I am harvesting several pounds every other day. I have been “gifting” string beans whenever I can, even if we ate them every day, we couldn’t eat nearly as many as my plants are producing. This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks Mediterranean…

Date Challah for Rosh Hashanah

Last year, I saw a post on The Smitten Kitchen for Fig, Olive Oil & Sea Salt Challah that simply captivated me. It sounded wonderful and looked absolutely beautiful.  I decided to try a variation on it for the High Holidays this year using dried dates (since I still have so many from our trip…

Joojeh (Chicken) Kabob

Lunch is one of my favorite things when we are in Iran. Most days it means kabobs; and for me that is joojeh, or chicken, kabobs. So simple, yet so tasty. The red powder on top is sumac, what a wonderful flavor that adds! There is also a grilled tomato and some pickled olives on…

Almond Date Energy Nuggets – Back in Training

My distance training break has ended and I am back to building up for the Amsterdam Half Marathon.  While I was on “break” I decided to have some “fun” and do speed drills.  If I wasn’t going long, I would go fast.  I was focused on increasing speed without injury – the two often had…