(2023) Poolside Sesame Slaw

Down below is a recipe from Smitten Kitchen (one of those Northeastern writers) for Poolside Sesame Slaw. That’s the first thing I’ll do with part of our cabbage (and a cucumber, and a pepper or two). I have just been craving sesame this summer – so the toasted sesame oil and tahini in the dressing are very appealing to me right now.

(2023) Summer Skillet Corn, with Peppers, Eggplant, Tomato and Za’atar

I am tempted to just chop everything up and make a big salad with a little of everything in it – yes, raw corn, and YES, raw okra. And that will be dinner tonight. But eventually we’ll want something else, so I’ve got three ideas here – two from my go-to New York Times (cold noodles with tomatoes!) but one that was demonstrated at the Decatur Farmers Market. I have to say that I truly miss restaurant chef demos at local farmers markets. At once time that was a mainstay of the markets and always a source of creative inspiration … now they’re extremely rare, but the Community Farmers Market folks have local cooks who do demos most every week, and their recipes are perhaps a bit more practical and maybe easier to pull off.

So here’s the loosely written recipe for “summer skillet corn, with peppers, eggplant, tomato and za’atar” that was demonstrated at the Decatur Farmers Market. We don’t have eggplant in this week’s box, but you’ve got everything else and if there’s no za’atar at your house, just use whatever seasoning mix is on hand.

(2023) Corn and Celery Stir-Fry

I am tempted to just chop everything up and make a big salad with a little of everything in it – yes, raw corn, and YES, raw okra. And that will be dinner tonight. But eventually we’ll want something else, so I’ve got three ideas here – two from my go-to New York Times (cold noodles with tomatoes!) but one that was demonstrated at the Decatur Farmers Market. I have to say that I truly miss restaurant chef demos at local farmers markets. At once time that was a mainstay of the markets and always a source of creative inspiration … now they’re extremely rare, but the Community Farmers Market folks have local cooks who do demos most every week, and their recipes are perhaps a bit more practical and maybe easier to pull off.

(2023) Cold Noodles With Tomatoes

I am tempted to just chop everything up and make a big salad with a little of everything in it – yes, raw corn, and YES, raw okra. And that will be dinner tonight. But eventually we’ll want something else, so I’ve got three ideas here – two from my go-to New York Times (cold noodles with tomatoes!) but one that was demonstrated at the Decatur Farmers Market. I have to say that I truly miss restaurant chef demos at local farmers markets. At once time that was a mainstay of the markets and always a source of creative inspiration … now they’re extremely rare, but the Community Farmers Market folks have local cooks who do demos most every week, and their recipes are perhaps a bit more practical and maybe easier to pull off.

(2023) Sesame Tomato Salad

There’s another idea for using those tomatoes below, a Sesame Tomato Salad from the New York Times (yes, my favorite source for recipes) which I loved because I would never have thought to combine toasted sesame oil with tomatoes, and it’s delicious.

(2023) Melted zucchini pasta with lemon and ricotta

Last week’s squash – both yellow and zucchini – ended up in a no-recipe pasta dish. I roasted all the squash together and cooked some frozen tortellini. Then tossed everything together. It’s the kind of thing my husband considers comfort food and an awful lot of squash was consumed with no complaint. It was a shortcut dinner (with leftovers for at least two days) on a day when I didn’t really have lots of time to cook.

Today I have a little fancier version from Hetty Lui McKinnon. We have some leftover ricotta here from testing Osteria 832’s lemon ricotta pancakes (best pancakes ever) so that’s probably another reason this recipe appeals to me.

(2023) Oven-Baked Country Bacon & Collard Egg Rolls

From “Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea: Asian Inspired, Southern Style” by Natalie Keng.

“Yay” for collard greens in today’s box (at least in ours). I’ve been wanting to try the recipe below for baked collard green egg rolls from the new cookbook out from Atlanta sauce maven and author Natalie Keng. It won’t use all the collards, but it will use some of the cabbage I have stored in the refrigerator and that last green onion from two weeks ago. I love peanut sauce on anything, and while we love egg rolls here, I’m anxious to try these baked egg rolls which I think will be so much easier than frying. Not to mention healthier.

(2023) Stir-Fried Lettuce (or Swiss Chard)

If you’re ready to do something else with lettuce, although I think I’m just going to enjoy the pretty red lettuce we got in a few big salads, then there’s a recipe for a lettuce stir fry from “Tenderheart,” but you could also use it for the Swiss chard. Adapted from Hetty McKinnon’s “Tenderheart.” This should work well with all kinds of tender greens.