summer's over ?!?

first off let me apologize for the time away from my blog--sometimes life just gets crazy. but, i am back to blog.

so, for those of you who live on the east coast, more specifically the nyc area, you are already aware of the strange summer-like weather we have had in the first few weeks of fall, which seem to come intermittently between cool fall days. i am thrilled about the crisp smell of autumn, the colors of the changing leaves, and of course the food that fall brings. (speaking of which, i found a wonderful apple crisp recipe from glutenfreemommy: glutenfreemommy.com). check it out!

but i am somewhat saddened by the passing of summer, or at least the food and the fresh summer produce the local farmers' markets bring. so this entry is to pay homage to the local farmers' markets, the brightly colored produce that paints the backgrounds of these frenzied venues, and the food that the summer brings. I’m sharing some of my favorite recipes of the summer, to say goodbye to the passing season and remind everyone to visit your local farmer’s market in its' closing weeks.

the recipes come from the kitchen of my aunt jane, who came to visit a few times these past few months, joining me from outings in the city to yoga in the park, always armed with food. i chose three of her salads to share that we enjoyed during our picnic in hoboken. thanks for all the food and great recipes!!


Chick Pea Salad
1 can chick peas
1⁄2 red pepper more or less
1⁄2 green pepper- more or less
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
your favorite mustard—1/2 or 1 teaspoon
olive oil – 1 tablespoon, more or less

*Combine the oil, mustard and garlic in a bowl and mix well. *Add remaining ingredients and toss together. * Substitute any kind of beans you like—kidney beans, black beans etc. ** Get creative here. If you don’t have, or if you don’t like red or green pepper, add diced cucumber, tomato, celery, radish, and even frozen corn, or corn taken off the cob. Freshly minced cilantro is good, too. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over it all for an extra zippy taste.

Roasted Eggplant Spread
1 eggplant
1 bulb of garlic
Olive oil ( to your tasting)
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

*Slice eggplant lengthwise and place, cut side down, on a foil lined roasting pan or cookie sheet, or any oven –proof dish that you have. *Place bulb of garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle some olive oil over it. Wrap in foil and roast in oven. *Roast in oven or even in a barbeque grill at 350 for about 45 minutes or until the eggplant is completely softened, and the garlic is soft. *Scrape the fleshy eggplant into a bowl. Discard the skin. *Add a few cloves or garlic, to your taste. Mash together. *Add olive oil, lemon juice and salt to taste.

Yummy Lo Cal Cole Slaw
1⁄2 of a small cabbage, shredded
—or 1 pkg. salad bag of cole slaw
Shredded carrot
Shredded red or white onion

* Dissolve 1 pkg Sweet & Low or 2 pkg Splenda in 2-3 tablespooons rice wine vinegar. Add to cabbage and mix well.

the second set of photos ( tomato from the garden & zucchini dish) come from another trip home to NH to visit my family. the dishes are a combination from my sister roe and my mother "myglutenfreemom". (recipes to come).

we sat outside one warm summer evening in my parents' backyard with the whole family in toe, including our youngest members, my 5 and 6 year-old nieces, who picked the vegetables that made our dinner so delectable. among the food in our feast, we enjoyed a tomato green bean salad with a hint of lemon, and fresh baked zucchini with chickpeas. the flavors in these two dishes were so fresh and distinct-- the perfect summer sides.



I hope you enjoy my pics.
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