RATATOUILLE

I love ratatouille, any time of year. In the winter, I will add a little tomato paste and a parmesan rind to make it a hearty thick stew, but in the summer, typically these will be left out to really focus on the flavor and freshness of summer garden vegetables. It is up to you how you like your ratatouille in terms vegetable size. If you want a more rustic feel and look, go with larger, uneven chunks. If you prefer that the ratatouille looks a little prettier on the plate, dice all vegetables uniformly to 1/2 or 1/4 inch cubes (I personally like the smaller dice, as it looks more appetizing, blends the flavors better, and you don't end up with a gigantic chunk of braised eggplant in your mouth).

Makes approximately: 6 cups.

HEAT:
- two to three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in an 5-8 quart pot (over medium heat)

MINCE

- 5 cloves garlic

DICE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING TO 1/4 INCH CUBES

- 1/2 large onion (preferably a sweet onion)
- 2 small or one large eggplants (I remove the skin, it can be left on if you prefer)
- 3 large zucchini
- 2 small or one large red pepper (you can also use one red and one yellow for color)
- 2 14 oz. cans, drained but do not press out juice, petite cut diced tomatoes (or you can dice san marzano tomatoes yourself)

COOK

-saute the onions in the olive oil until opaque.
-add minced garlic, stir and cook for approximately another minute (do not let onions brown or garlic burn).
-add peppers, stir and cook for another two to three minutes.
-add eggplant, stir and cook for another five minutes (or until the eggplant is getting softer).
-add tomatoes, stir, lower heat, cook for approximately ten minutes.
-add zucchini, stir, cook over low heat for approximately 20 minutes.

Use your own judgement on cooking time, remember this is art and science, unlike baking (which is why I don't bake!), so there are no precise cooking times.

You don't want the ratatouille to be watery, so make sure that you have enough heat to reduce the excess liquid. It should still be moist.

add salt, pepper, olive oil to taste.
finish with minced fresh basil or any other herbs you like (parsley, thyme, etc).
if you like mushrooms, add mushrooms. I think they take away from the clean summer vegetable flavors so I typically don't put them in ratatouille.

Can be served hot or cold. Freezes well. Makes a great side for fish or chicken. Also is fantastic in a quiche, an omelette, or vegetable tart. Also works well as a filling for fillo dough if you are in need of a quick appetizer.

CHILLED SHRIMP WITH DILL SAUCE

- one pound shrimp, peeled, tails removed, cleaned and deveined top and bottom (you can use frozen costco shrimp if you like)
- prepare poaching liquid, in pot or nonstick wok type pan: 32 oz chicken stock, 8 oz water, whole fresh parsley (a few stalks), 2 cloves peeled garlic: heat on high just before boiling, remove from stove to simmer.
- once liquid has cooled, add shrimp, lightly poach just until cooked through (or if previously frozen, just until warm, do not let curl completely).
- drain in to strainer. Remove parsley and garlic.
- chill.
- mix with Dill sauce (separate recipe)
- chill in refrigerator 30 minutes or until ready to serve
- serve over arugula and cherry tomatoes lightly dressed with a lemon/olive oil viniagrette.
- can also use rough chopped shrimp and place in pita or wrap with greens, chopped tomatoes, onions, and a sprinkle of feta

DILL SAUCE

This is all about dill, and is fantastic with fish and mixed with chilled shrimp to make a nice salad. You need a great blender for this sauce, to achieve a very smooth texture.

- 2 large bunches washed and trimmed dill
- 1 bunch washed and trimmed chives
- 1 cloves garlic, peeled
- juice of one lemons
- 1/4 cup olive oil (minimum)
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- place garlic and a portion of each herb in to blender, add half of lemon juice, half of yogurt, a stream of olive oil, begin blending, add more olive oil, lemon, and herbs, until the mixture easily blends in to a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper, blend one more time. Pour in to bowl. Fold in balance of yogurt and sour cream. Chill until ready to use.

MIXED HERB SAUCE

This is crazy good fresh sauce, and works with fish, vegetables, or even for dipping roasted sweet potato fries. Really good and very green!!! You need a great blender for this sauce, to achieve a very smooth texture.

- 2 large bunches washed and trimmed dill
- 1 bunch washed and trimmed chives
- 1 bunch washed and trimmed tarragon
- 12 large washed and trimmed basil leaves
- 1 bunch washed and trimmed parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- juice of two lemons
- 1/2 cup olive oil (minimum)
- salt and pepper to taste
- place garlic and a portion of each herb in to blender, add 1/2 lemon juice, a stream of olive oil, begin blending, add more olive oil, lemon, and herbs, until the mixture easily blends in to a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper, blend one more time.

DESSERTS

It's been a while, I know. A few ideas for easy, quick, summer desserts. Not exactly my idea of true cooking, but, I don't typically make dessert, so when we need something quick for dinner guests, I typically throw one of the following together:

Faux Pavlova:
- fresh fruit in season, washed and sliced or cubed (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, plum, apricots, pluots, mango, kiwi; or any combination)
- whipped cream, lightly sweetened with brown sugar
- homemade meringues OR purchased vanilla meringues

Per person:

- lightly crush 2 meringues
- in individual trifle bowl, place a layer of meringue
- place a thin layer of fruit on top of meringue
- place a thin layer of whipped cream on top of meringue
- repeat one or two times till full, top should be whipped cream sprinkled lightly with meringue

Fruit crisp
- blend three cups of fruit (any blend of stone fruit or berries you like, I typically will do: blueberry/peach; raspberry/apricot; strawberry/plum)
- lightly grease 8 x8 pan
- combine 1/2 cup steel cut oats/ 1/2 cup flour/1/2 cup brown sugar/1 tsp vanilla/ 1/4 tsp cinnamon/ 1/8 tsp ginger, 1/2 cup butter, cut in to chunks (easiest to mush with fork or fingers)
- sprinkle topping all over pan of fruit.
- bake at 375 until bubbly and crisp
- serve with high quality vanilla ice cream or whipped cream sweetened with brown sugar or grade B maple syrup

Quick trifle (serves 10-12)
- glass trifle dish (full size or individual)
- several packages of fresh ady fingers, or two-three packages dry cookie type italian lady fingers
- 2 cups cups homemade or purchased lemon curd (trader joes or dundee's only, other brands taste like artificial lemon)
- 16 oz container of thick greek yogurt, greek yogurt cheese, or Lebne (mediterranean yogurt cheese)
- in bowl, stir together lemon curd and thick greek yogurt
- very lightly sweetened whipped cream (8 oz whipping cream before whipping)
- fold 1/2 of whipped cream in to lemon curd mixture
- fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
- line bottom of trifle dish with lady fingers, layer with lemon curd mixture, berries, and whipped cream (reserve enough cream for top of trifle). Repeat until reaching the top of trifle dish. Finish with whipped cream and fresh berries on top.
- Refrigerate until serving

MIN TARTE TATINS

I have to credit my dad for this idea, to use the single egg frying pans (non stick with metal handles, I got mine at Crate and Barrel) to make this individual tarte tatins (although you can easily feed two people with one).

Very easy, and this only makes two based on how much the apples shrink.

5 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
tiny squeeze lemon
1/8 tsp vanilla
Over medium heat mixed all ingredients and caramelize. This will take about 18 minutes. Apples should be dark brown.

Preheat oven to 400.
-divide mixture between the two pans
-cut a circle from puff pastry (either homemade or frozen), big enough to the pan (you would get three out of one sheet of puff pastry).
-Insert the sides around the inside of the pan (kind of like you are tucking it in).
-Punch with fork twice.
-Place pans on cookie sheet
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until pastry is golden
- Immediately turn on to plates, tapping bottom of pan to ensure all apples are released.
- Serve hot or cold, with high quality vanilla ice cream (Haagen Daz 5) or whipped cream sweetened lightly with brown sugar.