From The Mediterranean Dish here.
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 ounces Fontina cheese or mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- ½ medium yellow onion, minced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush a 9-inch pie plate with olive oil and set it on a baking sheet.
- Whisk the eggs and cube the cheese: In a large bowl, aggressively whisk together the eggs and milk. Cube the Fontina cheese and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables: Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the skillet. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms shrink and the onions are translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes depending upon the size of your mushrooms. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and stir, cooking for another minute or two. Add the spinach, stir until wilted, this should take about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Combine: Add the cooked vegetables to the pie plate, sprinkle with the cubed cheese, and pour the egg mixture over the top. It should be full up to the rim. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven.
- Bake: Set the timer for 35 minutes and bake until the center is set. Let cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
7/10/2024 – This recipe makes a unique potato salad that is mayo free and very flavorful. It was inspired by the recipe at Southern Living here combined with Lauren Miyashiro’s Dad’s secret ingredient (pimento stuffed olives) here. Serve warm.
Ingredients
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- 1½ lbs. baby red potatoes, halved
- ¼ cup plus 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1½ tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 6 scallions, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 4 slices cooked bacon, roughly chopped. Save the drippings.
- 4 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil from the garden
- ½ cup approx. chopped pimento-stuffed green olives
Directions
- Prepare oven and baking sheet: Heat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roast potatoes: In a medium bowl, toss together the potatoes and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Evenly spread the potatoes out on the prepared sheet. [Try using the bacon drippings.]
- Bake 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Turn and continue to bake until light golden and tender, about 10 minutes more. Let cool to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with the mustard and vinegar.
- Combine potatoes and dressing: Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooled potatoes, scallions, celery, bacon, bacon drippings, tarragon, and parsley, and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Let the salad come to room temperature before serving then warm in the microwave.
7/9/2024 – We again made tomato salsa with tomatoes from the garden that have been ripening on the butcher block for a week or so. This time was like the others this year with roasting in the convection oven. We did try one batch in the Recteq smoker that is posted here. All of them were made with a blend of tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, etc. as listed below. They all turned out great and this recipe should be used again and improved. We collected the flavorful liquid left in the sheet pan and made soup that was also frozen.
Continue reading6/27/2024 – This was the second prep. What was done in the first is shown below on 6/23/2024. This prep also turned out well and the quantities are identified a bit better. The tomatoes used were fully ripe and hence the salsa turned out a bit sweet. The jalapenos did not provide any noticeable heat.
Ingredients per Half Baking Sheet
- half-baking sheet of tomatoes cut into 1.5-inch chunks
- 2 large jalapeño peppers quartered, seeded, and laid on top of the tomatoes
- 1.5 medium-sized red onions, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 4 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- kosher salt to taste
Directions
- Preheated Recteq to 220°F. Smoked tomatoes and jalapeños in a baking sheet until somewhat collapsing, about 1 hour. Turned up the temp to 350°F for about 30 minutes.
- While smoking, place onion, cilantro, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until chopped but not fine. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Place tomatoes, jalapeños, lemon juice, and salt in the food processor; process until slightly chunky. Transfer to bowl with onion mixture; stir to combine.
6/23/2024 – This was good and was inspired by the recipe here.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. plum tomatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 1 medium-sized red onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Directions
- Preheated Recteq to 225°F. Smoke tomatoes and jalapeños, in a baking sheet until somewhat collapsing, about 1 hour. Turned up the temp to 300°F for about 30 minutes.*
- While smoking, placed onion, cilantro, oregano, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Place tomatoes, jalapeños, lime juice, and salt in food processor; process until slightly chunky. Transfer to bowl with onion mixture; stir to combine. Cover; chill at least 45 minutes before serving.
Next time:
- * After an hour, raise the temp to 350 to roast the tomatoes and peppers.
- Try mixing in corn, ripe avocado, black beans, (smoked) bell peppers, and more.
6/24/2025 – This made a great soup with tomatoes from the garden inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe here. Mary made a double batch to give to friends who do not like “spicy” foods.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Croutons, for garnish
Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste,basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat,and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.
- Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that’s left.
- Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.
Yield: 5 to 6 servings
From Southern Living here. Skip the canned soup and make a fresher version of classic tuna noodle casserole. By Jessica Harlan | Updated on May 5, 2024
6/21/24, 9:28 AM southernliving.com/tuna-noodle-casserole-7113556
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 8 oz. wide egg noodles
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 (5 oz. each) cans chunk light tuna, drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 16 butter crackers, such as Ritz (about half a sleeve)
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish; set aside.
- Cook the egg noodles to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. When it foams, add the onion and cook
- until softened, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has a nutty smell. Slowly whisk the milk in, a little at a time, to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.
- Stir the Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper into the milk mixture. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and stir until the cheese is melted. Stir in the tuna and frozen peas, then add the cooked noodles, stirring to make sure the noodles are completely coated with the sauce.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 15 minutes.
- While the casserole is cooking, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave. In a medium bowl, crush the crackers with a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and the garlic powder to the crushed crackers. Drizzle the mixture with the melted butter and toss to coat.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle with the cracker mixture, then bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the topping is browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
6/21/2024 – Recipe below turned out good made with chips. Inspired by the one at Southern Living Test Kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (10-oz.) can Rotel diced tomato and green chiles
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 pinches garlic powder
- 2 pinches ground black pepper
- 12 corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces or restaurant-style unflavored chips
- 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
Directions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté bell pepper and onion 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and the next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.
- Layer one-third of the corn tortillas in the bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of the chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
6/13/2024 – This was the second time Mary made this great salad that was inspired by the recipe here. Mary says it is the best potato salad she has ever had.
Ingredients
For the Potato Salad:
- 3 pounds small yellow potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 tablespoon salt. [This time put in 2 heaping spoonfuls with the little wooden spoon on the kosher salt container. The final prep was salty enough.]
- ½ cup chopped red onions or shallots
- 3 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped Italian parsley leaves – Left out as did not have on hand.
- ½ cup chopped dill or one 0.75 oz. container of dill from Publix with stems removed
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, halved
For the Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Next time try at least double.
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the (unpeeled) potatoes and one tablespoon of salt. Reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer. Simmer the potatoes until they are fork-tender when poked, about 15-20 minutes (the time will depend on their size). If the potatoes vary in size, remove in batches, starting with the smallest, until they are all cooked through.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while still whisking, until all ingredients are well combined.
- Gently drain the cooked potatoes and set aside until just cool enough to handle.
- Cut the potatoes into 1 to 1½-inch cubes, and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the red and green onions, parsley, dill, and olives. Whisk the vinaigrette one more time, then pour it over the potatoes. Gently toss to combine. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Serve while still slightly warm or at room temperature.
6/5/2019 – The recipe below was inspired by the “Easy Sweet and Spicy Bread and Butter Pickles” recipe at PinchAndSwirl.com. We liked it a lot and will make it again.
6/12/2024 – Made this recipe and on 7/17/2024 tried it and found the pickles to be GREAT.
Continue reading6/11/2024 – We have been giving away yellow squash but it still has accumulated and must be used. Mary found on Southern Living’s website an Easy Squash Casserole. We had 4.5 lbs. of squash so we added 50% to all the quantities below. This dished was thawed and heated normally. It was very good.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. yellow squash from the garden, sliced
- 5 Tbsp. butter, divided
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. sugar – Original recipe calls for 2 tsp.
- 1 tsp. salt. Used kosher so should have used 2 tsp.
- For topping some day when thawed – round buttery crackers, crushed
Directions
- Cook squash in boiling water until slightly tender–not limp.
- Drain well and spread on baking sheets to let steam and dry out some. [The original recipe cautions against excess moisture in the final dish and calls for drying the individual pieces. They steamed off enough moisture IMHO.]
- Melt butter in the enameled cast iron stock pot over medium-high heat; add onion, and sauté until translucent.
- Remove pot from heat; stir in squash, cheese, and next 4 ingredients.
- Put into containers with tight lids to freeze.
- Some Day
- Thaw
- Make cracker topping
- Stir together melted butter and crushed crackers; sprinkle evenly over top of casserole.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until set.
The 4.5 lbs made only 4 small casserole dishes that were 4×4 inches to 6×6 inches in size.