Zucchini Gratin

Hi guys!  I hope you have been having a fabulous September.  The wedding was amazing and I hope to be able to post some professional pictures when Lauren and Kevan get them back.  As for me, work has been pretty busy the past few weeks.  I have been buried in spreadsheets and marketing plans as we are in the process of budgeting and planning for 2014.  Jeez, this year flew by!

I actually have been cooking quite a bit and have seven new recipes to post!  The pictures are all finished but the writing of the recipes still needs to be done.  Please do stay tuned and check back because there are some really good ones...

And this one is a really good one as well.  I'm sure you all have had potato gratin before which is equally delicious but I am a sucker for zucchini. It tastes good in everything.  Especially when you layer it with cheese and bread crumbs and garlic and cream and spices!        

Drizzle some olive oil into a 9x13 baking dish and and set oven to 375 degrees.

Check out this gorgeous striped zucchini.  They are in season right now.  Try to slice them about 1/4 inch thick.

When I say parmesan cheese, I only use parmigiano reggiano cheese.  It is the king of all parmesan cheeses.  Buy a large block of it for $10-$20 and grate as needed. When you get down to the rind, save them to flavor your homemade tomato sauces.  

Lay the sliced zucchini in the baking dish.

Top with about 1/2 cup of cheese.

Then with 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs.  For these homemade bread crumbs, I used half of a loaf of rustic olive oil bread we had gotten from the farmers market. Simply cube it up, place in a food processor with the blade attachment and pulse until crumbs form.

This is the top layer. Mine went like this: zucchini, parm, crumbs, zucchini, parm, crumbs, zucchini.  You will still have some parm and crumbs for the top, but hold off on putting them on until the end.  You will now need to make the cream mixture to pour over the zucchini.

It starts with garlic.

Then some onion.

Then cream.

Then some eggs.  (Please note that I put two eggs in but after tasting the final product, I realized that one would be enough)

Whisk together.

If you can, use fresh nutmeg.  Buy a jar and it will last you forever.  Use a microplane to freshly grate into sauces for awesome flavor.

Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.  Mix.

Pour over the zucchini.

Top with bread crumbs.

And remaining cheese.  Drizzle with olive olive oil, salt and pepper.

Zucchini Gratin
2-3 small or 1-2 large zucchini, sliced thin
2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
2 c. fresh bread crumbs
3 cloves garlic, minced and smashed into a paste
1/4 small onion, diced
2 c. heavy cream
1 egg
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1/4 t. nutmeg
pinch of cayenne

preheat oven to 375 degrees

Drizzle a little olive oil into a 9x13 glass baking dish.  Slice zucchini into discs about 1/4 inch thick. Lay the slices down in the dish, slightly overlapping each other.  Top with 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and then with 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs.  Repeat one time and then top with zucchini.  Hold off on the remaining cheese/bread crumb topping until after you have poured the cream mixture into the dish.

In a large bowl, add garlic, onion, cream, egg, salt, pepper, ,nutmeg and cayenne.  Whisk together until combined.  Pour over zucchini.  Finally, sprinkle remaining cheese and bread crumbs on top.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with a pinch of each salt and pepper.

Bake for 45-60 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Fresh Herb Panzanella Salad

A few weeks ago, Amy at A Healthy Life for Me made a roasted eggplant and tomato salad and it literally made me want to jump right into her blog and try a bite! It totally inspired me to make this dish.

Our garden is bursting at the seams with tomatoes, herbs and eggplant!  You could omit the bread from the recipe for a lighter version but why on earth would you do that?  The toasted bread just soaks up the fresh tomato juice and makes this salad that much more over the top.

This salad is the epitome of summer and probably one of my new favorite dishes.  Each bite just oozes summertime garden freshness

(on a side note, this is the last you will see of our arugula.  Our lawn guy brought a new guy with him last week to weed wack and he aniahlated our arugula patch.  I was on the verge of tears when I found out.  Who am I kidding, tears were actually shed.  I loved that arugula... so much!)

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Fresh Herb Panzanella Salad
preheat oven to 450 degrees
2 eggplants, cubed
2 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
5 tomatoes, chopped into large pieces
1 french baguette, cubed
2 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
10 fresh basil leaves
1 sprig of thyme
1/4 c. fresh arugula
handful of fresh chives
1/3 c. ricotta salata, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Place chopped eggplant on a cookie sheet lined with either foil or a silpat.  Drizzle with with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Reduce oven to 375 degrees

Chop the bread up, place on cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Once oven has cooled, place bread in and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Remove bread from oven and cool.  Transfer into a large serving bowl.  On the same cookie sheet, scatter pine nuts.  Bake in the 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.

Chop the tomatoes and throw them in the bowl with the eggplant and bread.  Chop up the basil, thyme, arugula and chives.  Add herbs to the bowl along with pine nuts and crumbled ricotta salata.  Toss gently and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Kevan and Lauren | September 7, 2013

Today my brother Kevan is marrying his best friend, Lauren. On their first date, Kevan tried to teach Lauren how to drive a stick shift in his Jeep and Lauren crashed it! Don't worry, not too much damage! They were set up by friends for Lauren's Junior prom and have been together since... and that was 10 years ago!

These pictures are too beautiful not to share.  Last September, Kevan proposed to Lauren at Mapleside Farms.  He painted the pumpkins, found the perfect tree in the apple orchard and even hired a photographer to capture it all (Kayla with Full Bloom Photography did such an amazing job)!

Words can't even begin to describe what a lovely couple they are.  Life brings the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and Kevan and Lauren have been through the entire spectrum... being there for each other every minute of the way.  It is so comforting knowing that your brother is marrying someone who truly loves him with all her heart, flaws and all.

This wedding is a long time coming and our entire family is looking forward to celebrating them today.  Here's to Kevan and Lauren and the beautiful future and memories that lie ahead of them!

The Most Delicious and Moist Cornbread... EVER!

I was at a restaurant a few weeks back... a nice/new/cool/hip restaurant .  Everything was amazing... except the cornbread.  They brought it out in a tiny cast iron skillet and at first glance, it looked delicious.  After tearing off a piece, it all just crumbled in my hand and basically turned to breadcrumbs.  Yuck!

I don't know about you but I am a sucker for great cornbread.  That is why I was ecstatic when I found this recipe online a few years back. Since then, it has never even crossed my mind to look for another since this is hands down, the best.  

I listed the mandatory ingredients but where this really gets fun is when you jazz it up with ingredients that compliment the meal. Throw a slab of ribs on the grill, serve this with them and I promise you will have everyone begging you for this recipe.  It really is a keeper! 

The Most Delicious and Moist Cornbread... EVER!
preheat oven to 375 degrees
3 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 t. salt
1 T honey
8 oz. creamed corn
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix

Optional: shredded cheese, chopped green chilies, chopped chives, bacon.... mmmm, bacon!

Lightly butter a 9x13 pan. 

Beat eggs until light, then add the oil and the salt. Continue to mix this together and add the honey, creamed corn, sour cream and finally, the muffin mix.  

Next, add any optional ingredients you wish.  I added 1/2 cup of shredded jack cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped chives.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan, place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes, slice and serve.