And finally, an idea for your okra. It comes from Mark Bittman, also of the New York Times, and he says: “If you like okra, which is in season now, you’ll probably like this recipe for okra stew, because, well, it’s okra. If you hate okra, you’ll also probably like this recipe for okra stew, because the okra practically disappears.”
I turned last week’s squash into a Mexican casserole layering steamed squash with corn tortillas and a spicy sauce I had made from tomatoes and peppers. (Did you try Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce recipe from last week? It’s genius! I’m a total convert.)
This week I’m going to try this variation on a recipe from Martha Rose Shulman who writes for the New York Times. I think it ran in 2010. Any rice will do, or you can leave out the rice and substitute more breadcrumbs (adding some to the squash mixture and still sprinkling some on the top). You just need the rice or some other starch to help hold the slices together.
I like this idea from Splendid Table, a chutney of tomatoes and mangoes. There are lots of ideas for fresh chutneys around, almost as many as there are salsa recipes, but it’s been a while since I thought about tomatoes for a fresh chutney. If you look through Indian cookbooks, you can find cooked tomato chutney recipes as well. The folks at Splendid Table offered this idea as an accompaniment to grilled burgers, but I’d love it with any grilled meat or Indian-flavored stir fry. Use all tomatoes if you don’t have fruit on hand.
I’ve seen lots of variations on the classic tomato caprese salad as people are mixing all kinds of fruit with wonderful fresh mozzarella. Here’s an adaption of one from Southern Living. The original recipe called for a mix of peaches , melons, strawberries and grapes. That was a little too much variety for my taste, but if you have any late summer peaches on hand, they’d be a delicious addition.
This recipe came from King Arthur Flour. If you still have an onion from earlier this season, you’re golden. If not, Vidalias will still be at the market for a few more weeks.
Here are two recipes from “Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini” by Elizabeth Schneider (HarperCollins, $60).
And this recipe is from “The Apple Lover’s Cookbook” by Amy Traverso. It makes 9 cinnamon buns and not a hint of yeast to be found.