Herb-Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Man oh man I just L.O.V.E. summer produce!  There is something about the fresh abundance of colors, flavors, shapes, and sizes of summer foods that I can't seem to get enough of.  I honestly think that I could eat fruits and vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all summer long and not get sick of them in the least.

HM...HMMM...GOOD!

Last night Bo and I headed over to a friend's house for a dinner party.  I was in charge of bringing a salad.  I'm not sure, but I suspect that the hostess was expecting a salad filled with the the traditional mixed greens, tomato, carrots, celery, etc.  But you know me, I had something totally unique in mind (go figure)!  Instead, there wasn't a piece of lettuce in sight, and in its place was a regular cornucopia of rainbow-colored vegetables, dried herbs, and a tangy-sweet vinaigrette.

Honestly, who wants to eat the same ol' boring dinner salad anyways?!

If you have a plethora of summer produce ripe and ready to be eaten, this salad is for you!  My kitchen was overflowing with squash, mushrooms, asparagus, and tomatoes - so that's what I used - but feel free to substitute any of the ingredients with what you have on hand.  Zucchini, green beans, and/or potatoes might be wonderful exchanges or additions.   Whatever vegetables you use, DON'T FORGET the herbs!  The sweet pine and citrus flavor of the marjoram is a must, and you can never go wrong with a little basil and thyme.

Herb-Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad
Serves 2-4

3 small crooked neck squash, cut into half moons
3 tomatoes, cut into cubes
1 packet of mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends removed and cut in half
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3T EVOO, divided in half
1T apple cider vinegar
1T Dijon mustard
1/2T lemonjuice

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Place the squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, salt, pepper, marjoram, basil, thyme, and 1 1/2T EVOO into a large mixing bowl.
• Toss to coat.
• Pour onto a large baking sheet.
• Roast for 30-35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2T EVOO, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemonjuice.
• After the vegetables have finished roasting, pour over the dressing and toss to coat.
• Refrigerate until chilled.

I'm not sure, but I think my photography may be getting a teensy bit better.  What do you think?  Can you see any improvement?!


Question of the Day:


What are your favorite herbs to use in the kitchen (by the way, salt and pepper don't count as herbs)?


I tend to use a lot of basil, thyme, and oregano; but I also LOVE to experiment with new herbs...they really can take a so-so dish and change it to out-of-this-world status!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Zucchini and Mushroom Flatbread with Homemade Tomato Dipping Sauce

Like many people, but perhaps more than most, I am a creature of habit.  

For example:

Since all of my yoga classes are taught either in the morning or in the late evening, I am almost always home between the hours of noon-5:00PM.  As a result, from 3:00-4:00PM I watch back-to-back episodes of Giada at Home, and from 4:00-5:00PM I watch back-to-back episodes of the Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics.  As you might expect, I frequently get ideas for new recipes from their shows.  Just the other day Giada made this Zucchini and Olive Flatbread.  Since we had been craving Italian cuisine - especially pizza - for a few days, I thought that this recipe might just fit the bill...

The problem was, although I find them delicious, Bo really dislikes olives.  Therefore, I couldn't simply remake Giada's recipe.  No, instead, I would need to rework it to suite our tastes (not to mention what we had on hand in the refrigerator/pantry).

After gathering up some mushrooms that we bought at the farmer's market this past weekend, as well as a few additional spices and concocting a homemade tomato dipping sauce, I knew that I was onto something good!

With its thin crust and herb-infused flavor, this flatbread is one of the many perfect ways to enjoy summer's most beautiful vegetables.  As a suggestion, don't smother the delicate flavors of the zucchini and mushrooms by drowning them in cheese.  Instead, sprinkle on just enough to complement the freshness of both the vegetables and the herbs.  You will leave the dinner table satisfied - but not stuffed - with ample room for dessert! ;)

Zucchini and Mushroom Flatbread
Serves 4-6

All-purpose flour for dusting
1 lb. homemade pizza dough (or pre-made from your grocery store or local pizzeria)
2 T EVOO, divided
3 small zucchini, sliced into half-moons
7 portabellini mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
4 oz. shredded organic mozzarella cheese (or cheese substitute)
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into a thin, large rectangular shape.
• Transfer the dough onto a greased baking sheet.
• Prick the dough with a fork, and drizzle 1T of EVOO on top.
• Arrange the zucchini and mushrooms on the flatbread.
• Drizzle the other 1T of EVOO on top of the vegetables.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.
• Pull the flatbread out of the oven.  
• Sprinkle the oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cheese on top.
• Return to the oven to bake for an additional 5-7 minutes.
• Allow the flatbread to cool for 5 minutes.
• Serve alongside Homemade Tomato Dipping Sauce (recipe below).

No surprise here, but I love a little tomato something-or-other with my Italian cuisine.  As good as the Zucchini and Mushroom Flatbread was, it seemed to be calling out for some tomato-based pairing.  Since I didn't have any canned pasta sauce on hand, I decided to use what I did have to whip up something homemade.  And whaddya know but my tomato sauce experimentation turned out better than any canned sauce I have had in a looong while!

Homemade Tomato Dipping Sauce
Serves 4

1 can diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

• Pour the diced tomatoes into a small saucepan warmed over medium high heat.
• Immediately add the minced garlic cloves.
• Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to low and use a potato masher to crush the tomatoes and garlic.
• Add the garlic powder, oregano, basil, and cayenne pepper.
• Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken.
• Serve with homemade bread sticks, flatbread, or on your favorite pasta!

Question of the Day:


Do you usually follow recipes "by the book," or do you experiment and tweak them as you go along?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Saturday Fun

This morning Bo and I woke up and decided to do something we had been planning to do for weeks...go to the Riverside Art and Farmer's Market!  Looking back on it, I don't know what took us so long, but whatever it was, we shouldn't have let it hold us back because this farmer's/art market is seriously awesome!

The Riverside Arts Market is "Jacksonville's Premiere Outdoor Arts & Entertainment Venue [and is] located ...under the canopy of the Fuller Warren Bridge."

Here's a panoramic view of part of the market located underneath the bridge.  

Pretty cool, huh?!

As we began to meander our way up and down the markets' first aisle, whaddya know but a little birdie wanted to let me know that he was overhead.

What, exactly, does that mean - you might ask.  

Well, let me enlighten you. 

It means that a bird pooped on my head!

I mean seriously...what are the odds?!

Thankfully my hair is light enough that you couldn't tell too much.  Bo used one of our re-useable grocery bags to try and pull most of it off of my scalp, but I couldn't perform proper damage control until we got home.  Oh well, I don't think anyone except Bo and I actually noticed.

With that said, now I know that birds pooping on people's heads isn't just something you see in the movies...lucky me. ;)

With the birdie-poop-incident behind us, Bo and I decided to concentrate on the abundance of produce around us.  In addition to the produce being absolutely beautiful, I was particularly thrilled that every fruit and vegetable in the entire market had been grown within two hours of Jacksonville, FL!  It doesn't hardly get more local than that!

And I have to say, buying produce that is locally grown leaves your feeling really good as a customer.  It feels so - I don't know...right?! - to know that you are funneling money right back into the community you call home.

Bountiful ears of corn.

Handmade bars of soap in dozens of flavors.  

I think that these would make great gifts.  At the very least, I know that I would love to receive something like this with which I could pamper myself!  Christmas presents perhaps?!

Sweet potatoes. Eggplant. Zucchini.

Just look at the colors!

Eggplant, zucchini, and crooked-neck squash by the bucket full!

What's red, yellow, and green AND tastes juicy and delicious?!

No. Obviously it's not a stoplight...

...it's a tomato!

These gorgeous portabello mushrooms had me envisioning a mushroom spaghettini right away...

...recipe to (hopefully) come soon!

Citrus of all kinds: lemons, grapefruits, and oranges.

In addition to all the food and art vendors that were selling their goods, there were also a number of food stands that were offering baked goods for breakfast (scones, muffins, turnovers, and doughnuts), hot coffee, freshly squeezed lemonade, raw juices, and one fusion cuisine station that REALLY caught our attention!

Let's just say that the next time we come to the Riverside Arts Market we are coming closer to lunch time AND with empty stomachs!

To top it all off, there was LIVE music to boot!

Next time I envision that, after we have bought our goods for the day, we will grab a bite to eat from the alligator, cop a squat in front of the band, and enjoy a peaceful and relaxing lunch to the sounds of live music and community.  Honestly, what better way is there to spend a Saturday?!

Once we got home, I couldn't wait to spread out all of our purchases on the breakfast table.  I couldn't believe how much we ended up walking away with!

All together now.

I could hardly believe it, but our total haul only cost us $35.00!  

Just in case you can't tell from the pictures above and below, here is a list of all the produce we brought home with us:

• 1 bunch kale;
• 1 bunch arugula;
• 1 basket of green beans;
• 1 basket of portabello mushrooms;
• 2 beets;
• 2 avocados;
• 2 cucumbers;
• 4 tomatoes;
• 4 pears;
• 5 peaches;
• 2 banana peppers; and
• 2 baskets of strawberries. 

It didn't take me long to come up with a delicious use for our farmer's market goods! 

For dinner, to go along with Honey-Roasted Carrots and Bo's Dijon-Basted Chicken Breast, I whipped up an amazing salad that had both of our taste buds dancing!

Farmer's Market Arugula, Strawberry, and Avocado Salad (ASAS)
Serves 2

1/2 medium bunch of arugula, roughly chopped
7 strawberries, sliced
1 avocado, diced
1/8 C sliced almonds
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 T EVOO
1 T Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried crushed mint
1 tsp honey

Directions:

• Add the arugula, strawberries, avocado and almonds to a medium salad bowl.
• In a small Mason jar, combine the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, EVOO, Dijon mustard, mint, and honey.
• Shake well.
• Pour 1/2 to 3/4 of the dressing over the salad.
• Toss to coat.
• Chill until ready to serve.

Like eating summer on a plate, this salad is light, sweet, and peppery!  I am telling you, the next time you pick up fresh strawberries MAKE. THIS. SALAD.!  It really is delicious.  And if you aren't a fan of cooked carrots (although you should be...if you know how to cook them correctly!), you could make this salad a meal in and of itself my simply topping it with baked chicken or broiled tofu.  Done and done.

Question of the Day:


Is there a farmer's market where you live?  If so, do you visit it regularly?  What is your favorite thing to pick up while you are there?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo