Pasta with Summer Vegetables & Bacon

I didn't grab a photo of this, but the recipe was requested...and it was mighty tasty, so I should remember it. Makes use of lots of healthy summer vegetables, and then we throw in some bacon, cream and cheese - because everything in moderation!

- 4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut in ~1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise & cubed
- 2 ears corn, kernels stripped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt, pepper & Penzey's Black & Red (or cayenne + more black pepper)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- couple handfuls grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 box short, chunky pasta
- fresh basil
- grated parmesan cheese

Cook the bacon pieces in a large skillet until crispy, then remove & drain on paper towels. If there's a lot of grease left, drain some of it off, but leave some to cook the vegetables. Add the red onion and saute until softened.

Add the zucchini and saute until starting to brown, but still firm. Add corn kernels & garlic. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of black & red. After a couple minutes, reduce heat to low and add cream. Cook over low heat for a couple minutes, then add tomatoes. Toss in a handful of grated parmesan and some fresh basil, then add in bacon pieces. Add cooked & drained pasta and toss well.

Serve with more parmesan.

Chopped Greek Salad with Lemon Dressing

No joke, this salad has been keeping me alive this summer. It's cheap, super easy to make (no cooking), tasty and a refreshing but substantial meal when it's too hot to cook. Also makes a great potluck dish (bring the toppings separately for vegan & GF options). If you don't feel like making the dressing you can use whatever bottled vinaigrette you like, or just drizzle some olive oil, vinegar, salt & pepper. If you have fresh herbs like basil, they would be great here. This yields maybe 3-4 large servings. Easy to double - it keeps in the fridge for awhile.

Salad:
- 1 large cucumber, quartered lengthwise & chopped into bite-sized pieces (peel if waxy, scoop seeds if you want. With the long wrapped English cucumbers, usually not necessary)
- 1 container grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 green onions, sliced - or 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

Dressing:
- 1 lemon
- small dab of dijon or stone-ground mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup, honey or agave
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (ish) olive oil

Optional but recommended toppings:
- crumbled feta cheese
- croutons
- olives, if you're into them (I'm not)

Combine the salad ingredients in a large storage container. For the dressing, microplane the lemon zest into a bowl and then squeeze the juice (I do this over a strainer to catch the seeds). Add the mustard, sweetener & spices and whisk. Then whisk in the olive oil slowly. I eyeball the amount and then taste and see what it needs.

Add the dressing, toss well and chill for a little while if possible. Mix in toppings just before serving.

Pasta with Cauliflower "Cream," Garlic Brussels Sprouts & Parmesan

We decided to take a break from our CSA this year. We felt like we were still letting too many things go to waste with how busy we were, we had to miss a bunch of weeks last year due to traveling, and the weekly pickup - even though it's relatively close by - started to feel like an inconvenience sometimes. This year the CSA started offering a bunch of changes like being able to skip a week, semi-customization, and getting a half share. So we seriously considered keeping with it, but ultimately decided to give it a break.

We have a few friends who do Hungry Harvest and like it, so we've been trying it out for the last couple months. It's a weekly delivery of "rescued" produce - too "ugly" for grocery stores or oversold - and they also donate to hunger programs. For $17 (incl. $2 delivery fee) we get a mix of veggies and fruit; around the same amount as our split CSA share - but I like that you get fruit as well. We would only get an occasional melon with the CSA, but with Hungry Harvest we've gotten all kinds of fruit. I also like the mission in general, the convenience of delivery, and that you can easily pause your deliveries. After getting an email with a list of what you're going to get that week, you can customize your box for a small fee if you want to substitute anything (though you can also make a "Never List" and they will substitute something no charge if a Never item is on the list). You can also add on eggs, fancy bread, coffee and some other things.

Though we've liked it, I'm putting it on pause for the next month as we still feel like some things are going to waste. Either we just don't have time/motivation to cook it all, or some of the fruit goes bad quickly as it's at peak ripeness. Plus I still keep meaning to visit our local farmer's markets. And the other not so great thing is that we're getting things like hard squash, cauliflower & Brussels sprouts - all of which I like, but like cooking in the oven...and ain't no way I'm turning on the oven in this heat.

The heat index is in the 100's, and I'm staring down this head of cauliflower from last week and a bag of Brussels sprouts from this week. I like cauliflower roasted to the point of almost being burnt...but yeah, that ain't happening today. I'm not a particular fan of this whole cauliflower trendiness where it's turned into "rice," pizza crusts or various other carb substitutes. I like my carbs! But realizing I could microwave cauliflower in order to puree it, I thought that would be a good solution.

I looked up recipes for mac & cheese with "hidden" cauliflower, and cauliflower "cream" sauces, and made up my own thing. Then I sauteed the Brussels sprouts in a good amount of olive oil, and they got pretty browned; comparable to roasting. The cauliflower puree will never compare to a real creamy Alfredo sauce, but it does emulate the creamy texture somewhat. Would also be good as a vegan pasta without the cheese (maybe some nutritional yeast?). It is also totally NOT photogenic, but it tasted good. So, here we go:

- 1 head cauliflower, cored & cut into florets

- salt, pepper, garlic powder

- 1 lb-ish Brussels sprouts, trimmed & quartered

- olive oil

- 4 cloves (or more) garlic, minced

- 1/2 box pasta (rotini, penne, etc)

- grated parmesan cheese

Put the cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe bowl (I used my microwave popcorn popper!) with about 1/4 cup of water. Cover and microwave until soft. Mine took about 10 minutes, but I would check after 5 and see how they are.

Let cool slightly, and dump the cauliflower & water into a blender. Blend until very smooth. You may need to add some extra liquid - I added some half & half, but you could use any type of milk product, broth or even water. Add salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste, and blend again.

Heat up your pasta water & cook your pasta. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet on medium high and add about 1/4 cup olive oil. Add quartered Brussels sprouts & let cook a few minutes undisturbed, til they get browned. Toss and keep cooking until they get some good color. Turn heat to low, add garlic and cook briefly. Add the cauliflower puree, and some pasta water to thin if needed. Add most of the parmesan.

Add drained pasta & serve with additional parmesan.

I still have to deal with an acorn squash from a couple weeks ago, but maybe it'll last long enough for this heat wave to pass...