(2023) Crispy Potato, Egg & Cheese Taco

With potatoes arriving for so many weeks (I promise, I am not complaining!) I thought I’d do something different with this week’s and make the Crispy Potato, Egg and Cheese Taco (recipe below) from Ali Stafford of Alexandracooks.com and her book “I Dream of Dinner.” I have some “artisan” tortillas in the refrigerator and this is a great way to use them up – perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Her note about the recipe: “You only need 1/2 cup of grated potato, so if you are shopping, look for small potatoes. Even a 3-oz potato will give you more potato than you need for this recipe. The key to success here is to not use more than 1/4 cup of lightly packed grated potato per taco — it will be tempting to use more. Try to refrain.”

(2023) Eggplant and Bean Chili

I have been craving eggplant and peppers so was delighted to see both in today’s box, although only one pepper. But for the eggplants … eggplant and bean chili (see recipe below), eggplant dal with your favorite lentils (your own recipe), eggplant with garlic and scallions (just sauteed eggplant flavored with chili and green onions)? Those are a few ideas from the New York Times food e-newsletter last Sunday devoted to ideas for eggplant.

(2023) Watermelon Chaat

And that watermelon? Since I haven’t cut into last week’s, this one will be cut up and frozen for slushies like the one we have the recipe for here. I hear I’m not the only person doing that. Last week’s melon is being cut up tonight and will also go to tomorrow’s dinner party, as Watermelon Chaat. Recipe (from my standby The New York Times) below.

(2023) Fresh Corn Polenta

My other two ears of corn will be used for the Corn Polenta recipe below. A fresh version of a comfort food favorite from my childhood – creamed corn.

(2023) Victory Sandwich Bar’s Watermelon Salad  

So, so happy to see more melons this week. Cantaloupe and watermelon for us, alongside a spaghetti squash, red potatoes, slicer tomatoes and Kirby cucumbers.

I’ve got the perfect salad for two of those items. A watermelon and cucumber salad. Salads combining those two are not new, but I’ve never seen a recipe with a dressing like the one at Victory Sandwich Bar. AJC will be publishing this recipe Sunday and it will be online August 16, but down below is a sneak preview. So delicious! Substitute, or add, cantaloupe to the salad.

(2023) Tomato Tonnato

And I leave you with one tomato recipe from “Salad Pizza Wine” by Janice Tiefenbach, Stephanie Mercier Voyer, Ryan Gray and Marley Sniatowsky. Delicious. And not as complicated as it might seem, but a very impressive dinner dish. It’s just a tomato salad with a few delicious extras.

(2023) Lentil Soup

We’ve returned from a ten day road trip to the Madawaska Kanu Centre (MKC) in Ontario. In addition to a week full of daily paddling instruction, their kitchen kicks out homecooked meals three times a day. I grabbed some of their recipe cards from the gift store. 

The boys have chosen the following recipe for this week. Looks easy, uses that single old leek, celery, and the tomato from yesterday that was a little bruised, and can get served with leftover rice and pan-fried okra tossed in cornmeal, my favorite okra treatment.

NOTE: The leftover lentils were delicious in a salad with Ceasar dressing, and mixed into ground beef for burgers and meatloaf.

(2023) Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing and Croutons

We’ve returned from a ten day road trip to the Madawaska Kanu Centre (MKC) in Ontario. In addition to a week full of daily paddling instruction, their kitchen kicks out homecooked meals three times a day. I grabbed some of their recipe cards from the gift store.

MKC puts their freshest produce forward by serving cut fresh veggies with a dip at every lunch and dinner. The recipe cards didn’t include my favorite dip from the week, but this Caesar salad dressing can be served with the sliced peppers, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes from this week’s box.