tomatoes

Classic Gazpacho

August 26, 2013 by Erica

Classic Gazpacho from Coffee & Quinoa

Can we all take a moment to celebrate tomato season?

There’s not much that can top a fresh-picked tomato. If I didn’t kill everything I ever tried to grow, tomatoes would be on my short list for a garden – tomatoes and basil! As it is, I don’t seem to have any sort of green thumb, so I’ll let someone else grow them for me. I think everyone’s happier that way, especially my would-be tomato plants.

Classic Gazpacho from Coffee & Quinoa

The tomatoes we’ve been getting recently have been amazing, and I love dishes that really highlight them. Caprese salad is always a favorite, and when I’m in the mood for a hydrating tomato-y dish, I looove gazpacho.

There are a lot of gazpacho recipes out there, it’s true – everything from strawberry peach to yellow tomato and corn (yum!). But this here isn’t as fancy as all that. It’s just the classic gazpacho recipe I’ve been making for the past few summers.

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Summer CSA Salad with Red Wine Tomato Vinaigrette

July 22, 2013 by Erica

Summer CSA Salad with Red Wine Tomato Vinaigrette

Meet my perfect simple summer salad.

You two should be friends.

Summer CSA Salad with Red Wine Tomato Vinaigrette

This salad is certainly no culinary breakthrough, but when it comes to summer produce, sometimes simpler is better. And there is about to be a LOT of summer produce up in here, because this past week’s CSA box was packed to the brim:

Summer CSA Salad with Red Wine Tomato Vinaigrette

I have more lettuce than I know what to do with, along with zucchini, beets, carrots, garlic, green garlic, spring onions, green beans, apricots, and the season’s first corn. Foooooood.

I think the boxes are only going to get more stuffed from here on out. Come August and September, I have no idea how we’re going to eat it all!

For now, I think I’ll try to stuff as much of it as possible into a salad.

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Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Risotto

June 27, 2013 by Erica

Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Risotto

For me, risotto is one of those foods: the kind I love, but would rather pay someone else to make for me. Right up there with croissants, fresh bread, and pad Thai. There are some exceptions, but usually… $18 instead of stirring for an hour? Yes please!

Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Risotto

I actually have no idea how they prepare risotto in restaurants. What poor underpaid soul gets stuck stirring that stuff full-time?!

Luckily, this risotto is different. And that’s because we’re subbing quinoa for the usual risotto rice!

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Caprese Grain Salad with Spelt

June 24, 2013 by Erica

Caprese Grain Salad with Spelt

Caprese salad is one of my summertime favorites. I love how the fresh flavors somehow make red, white and green seem not at all Christmas-y!

I usually make a layered version, with big slices of vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh mozzarella sprinkled with sliced basil leaves, salt and pepper, and drizzled with olive oil. But I also have a soft spot for mini things (I think this is hard-wired into females of all species?), and little baby balls of mozzarella are no exception. So this time I decided to make a mini caprese, focusing on the awesome textures.

Caprese Grain Salad with Spelt

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Chipotle Black Bean and Tomato Quesadilla

June 12, 2013 by Erica

The Laughing Cow® provided me with the product featured in this post. However, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the brand.

I am loving the quesadilla thing recently.

Hot, crispy, cheesy, and bursting with flavor.

And how could you not love an easy meal that takes 10 minutes to get to your plate?

That’s right, you couldn’t.

Sometimes I want a quesadilla loaded down with nothing but cheese. But often, especially this time of year, I’d rather prepare something with light, fresh flavors instead of such heavy ones.

So I was very pleased when the lovely folks at The Laughing Cow offered to send me a few of their cheeses to try out. Yum! Just the thing I had in mind. One wedge was perfect for holding a quesadilla together, making it creamy and delicious, but still qualifying it as a light dinner.

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