Summer Dinners - no. 10

Our kitchen garden is exploding with produce! And even if you don’t grow your own, the farmers’ markets and the local farm stands are bursting with everything this late in the summer. Sometimes, it’s a challenge just to keep up with the produce as fast as it ripens. (As I type this, there are multiple zucchini lounging on my kitchen counter.) This week’s recipes will help you with that delicious problem of what to do with all those vegetables!

Bruschetta is one of our favorite summer meals! It is summer in a bite. It’s proof that the simple things in life really are the best. The Bruschetta Platter is just a few ingredients, and is perfect for those hot summer nights. The Classic White Platter, to make all these one-platter meals easy and attractive, is available here.

Bruschetta Platter

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

6-8 basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 slice red onion, chopped

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. olive oil

kosher salt

freshly cracked pepper

1 loaf ciabatta bread

butter

In a medium bowl, toss together: tomatoes, basil, onion, vinegar, and oil. Sprinkle with generous amounts of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Set aside.

Slice ciabatta loaf in half lengthwise and then into large chunks. Butter well.

Heat grill to medium heat. Place ciabatta bread on grill, buttered side down and grill until browned and crunchy.

To eat: top each chunk of toasted bread with a generous spoonful of tomatoes. Enjoy!

This Roasted Vegetable Pizza is packed full of vegetables, but you could certainly add some meat to it. I think a bit of hot, Italian sausage would be a great addition to it. But this is a fabulous way to use up some of the squash from your garden. Best to eat these hefty slices of pizza with a fork and knife. The Pizza Peel is available here, and the Mezzaluna is available here.

Roasted Vegetable Pizza

1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped in 1/2” chunks

1 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and chopped in 1/2” chunks

6 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

2 T. olive oil

kosher salt

freshly cracked pepper

red pepper flakes (opt.)

1 ball store bought pizza dough

cornmeal

3/4 c. pizza sauce

8 oz. mozzarella cheese.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, place prepared: zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and red onion. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and (opt.) red pepper flakes. Toss with hands to coat vegetables evenly.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pour vegetables out onto parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading evenly.

Roast vegetables at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and set aside.

Place flat baking sheet on bottom rack of oven and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.

Roll/hand stretch pizza dough to 12-14” round.

Dust another flat baking sheet generously with cornmeal. Transfer pizza dough to cornmeal dusted baking sheet. Then, using cornmeal to help it slide, transfer dough to preheated baking sheet in oven. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven.

Top pre-baked crust with sauce, most of the cheese, roasted vegetables, and cherry tomatoes, Finish with a light sprinkling of cheese.

Bake on oven rack in second to lowest position for 8-12 minutes.

Makes one, 12-14” pizza.

This week’s summer dinner conversation starter will be sure to get everyone talking. Oh my. Camping memories! Someday, I will fill an email with my camping memories…more like camping disasters! I hope you have some really great memories that don’t mostly involve mosquitoes.

The other day, my daughter and I were talking about frosting. And I happened to mention that her grandpa doesn’t really like frosting, which is why he prefers German chocolate cake for his birthday. And suddenly, I was pondering the idea of a German Chocolate Popsicle! This is super easy to make. Be sure to buy caramel syrup in a squirt bottle, because it will make it even easier. The Classic Popsicle Mold with Summer Popsicle Sticks is available here.

German Chocolate Popsicles

2 - 3.6 oz. boxes Godiva Dark Chocolate Pudding Mix

4 c. cold milk (as called for in pudding directions)

1/2 c. shredded coconut

1/4 c. very finely chopped pecans

4 oz. caramel syrup (preferably from a squirt bottle)

In a medium bowl, combine milk and pudding mixes. Whisk for one minute to combine. Stir in shredded coconut.

Pour popsicle molds about 1/3 to 1/2 full of pudding-coconut blend. Sprinkle lightly with chopped pecans. Drizzle with caramel syrup. Pour in more chocolate pudding. Repeat layers, ending with chocolate pudding.

Insert sticks. Freeze.

Makes 10-12 popsicles.

I hope you enjoy all these recipes. It’s hard to believe that next week will be the last week of the Summer Dinners series. But I do believe that I’ve saved the best for last!