True to my promise, it's raining here. Again... still... for over a week and a half and counting. I am not pleased, to say the least. But, ah - we're not here to complain, right? Plus, the muggy-but-cloudy weather is giving me an excuse to cook and bake a bit. The hot weather should return soon, and I won't want the oven on then.
Our local farmers' market has zucchini, two-for-a-dollar. This sounds like a pretty good deal, though I recall growing zucchini and begging people to take some off our hands. Here's a yummy way to enjoy summer squash; add a salad and - voila! - a delicious meal. It also works well as a side dish with flank steak or grilled chicken. Oh, and I find it's an easy meal to deliver to those friends with new babies or hectic lives, since it can be served hot or room temperature. Enjoy!
Summer Veggie Tart
Pastry:
1 1/4 C flour (white or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 C cold unsalted butter, in bits
1/2 t grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp each salt & pepper
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 T cold buttermilk
In food processor, process flour, butter, zest, salt & pepper until crumbly. With machine running, add lemon juice and buttermilk; process until pastry leaves bowl sides.
Shape pastry into a disk & chill at least 20 minutes.
Filling:
1 t olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced (we love Walla Walla or Vidalias for this)
12 oz total (about 2 small) yellow summer squash & zucchini, sliced into about 1/4 inch rounds
1 yellow or orange pepper, thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 tsp chopped marjoram
1/4 tsp each salt & pepper
1 C finely grated Parmesan, divided
1 large egg, beaten
Heat oil over medium heat in skillet; saute veggies 7 minutes or until crisp-tender; stir in garlic & seasonings. Cool (very important - hot veggies will make the crust a soggy mess!)
Preheat oven to 400^. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 13-inch round; transfer to a baking sheet. Scatter half the cheese over pastry to within 2 inches of the edge. Arrange veggies mixture over cheese; fold the edges of pastry over filling. Brush with egg.
Bake 35-40 minutes until pastry is golden. Slide onto a rack; sprinkle filling with the remaining cheese. Serve warm or room temperature.
enjoy!
-MamaToo
2 comments:
Here's where my Northwestern tendencies start to emerge. I was glad to see the rain. We haven't had rain for a week and a half solid. But it's possible that we had a little bit of rain every day for 10 days. :) Is that the same thing to you?
My dear Maria,
I read your words and think, "this is what my boys will say, too!" Yes, we've had a bit of rain, every day. Not in that fun midwestern thunderstorm-then-clearing way, either. No, it's been dripping & gray.
I'm just going to say it here: it should not be dripping & gray in July. Save that weather for the 10 months of September - June that we already get.
Yesterday felt like a poorly ventilated greenhouse here. It was very damp and cloudy, with occassional drips of moisture. There is a certain smell pervading the town when it's that humid - and it reminds me of wet dog or damp laundry. Not pleasant.
On a better note, the sun is out today & I'm much happier. :)
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