The idea for this came from and old Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery that we’ve had since we were first married. As usual, it has been modifies for our taste and for ease of preparation. These are nice, light, summer sandwiches that we often take to Ravinia, an outdoor summer music theater that is known for on-the-lawn picnics. Natalie makes up the filling and we put it in the cooler. We split the bread on-site and spray it with olive oil and put in the filling, thus avoiding soggy sandwiches.
Smoked Salmon, Basil and Zucchini Appetizer
This is a quick, delicious, summer appetizer that I came up with. We’re always looking for new uses for zucchini. I will usually make this from the first zucchini off the vine and it celebrates the beginning of the summer bounty.
Quantities are approximate and of course it all depends on the size of your zucchini and how much salmon you have. Seasonings are of course to taste.
Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Hummus
This recipe has been very popular to those who have tried it, so I feel compelled to add one more Hummus recipe to the website. I’m not sure that it is technically Hummus as it is made from Cannelini beans and not Garabanzo beans, but I’ll leave the arguments to the connoisseurs of correctness. The Rosemary gives this Hummus quite a different flavor than the traditional ones and we like it especially with vegetables even though it is very good with Pita bread. Another selection for my growing list of vegetarian friends.
Avocado Toast
I’m always looking for healthy breakfast alternatives. Most American breakfast foods are laden with fat, sugar and refined carbs, and oatmeal with fruit gets a little old after a while.
Avocado toast is a quick, healthy breakfast that uses fresh ingredients. There are a lot of variations and it’s easy to come up with your own. This is one that turned out particularly well and is easy to make. Enjoy!
Char’s Zucchini Pancakes
About August we are looking for as many ways as possible to use up the zucchini that is overtaking the garden. Our neighbor, Charlotte Welch, came up with this recipe for zucchini pancakes. It’s the best we’ve ever found. They can be served for breakfast or brunch and even as a side for dinner. Personally, I like them with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce or red pepper jelly, but you can serve them with butter or butter and syrup.