What's for Dinner #421, Summer 2025
Comments (100)
last yearlast modified: last yearThursday night: after last night's blowout, just a pizza.
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Comments (101)Oh man, this went fast, and so much good food. It's been busy here, normal springtime stuff like planting and fixing winter fence damage. Still, we've been eating. Salad with leftover chicken, although I don't remember when we had the chicken, LOL. Steak, roasted potato and cole slaw which I canned. I was pleasantly surprised, the cabbage stayed crunchy and it wasn't too sweet, so I planted extra cabbage so I can make some more this summer and can it. Burgers and kale salad: Sheet pan black bean tacos with the rest of the kale salad: Posole from the crockpot after fixing fence: A meat "pie" from Mediterranean Island, which I found in the freezer: Cheese and tomato quiche with a tossed salad and pickled beets: Amanda, Dave and Bud came for dinner last Sunday, and I didn't take pictures, of course. I did make brownies for dessert, though, and some of the flourless peanut butter cookies. OK, I'm nearly caught up, although we did have supper and the pictures are still not on the computer! Annie...See MoreWhat to Wear, April 2025
Comments (360)We have a good consignment shop in our town, higher-end labels but not super high end (they don’t sell, say, Gap, but they have a fair amount of Eileen Fisher and some Lilly P.). I usually have a credit in their system because I bring stuff to consign, so I get ”free” stuff. That’s fun! Obviously it is very hit or miss, but I have gotten some nice things there. They have jewelry, too, and bags and scarves. I have been on a poshmark tear lately but too many things end up not fitting, or not being what I expected, so I think I am done with PM, at least for clothing. I did get some great Anthro plates, glassware, etc., though....See MoreWhat to Wear May 2025
Comments (360)I think it is the kind of dress that will be perfect for something. I just dont know what yet lol. The style is a great one for me--just not sure about the neckline. It arrives next week so I will see soon enough. :) My internet has been a pain -- not just mine, the whole town. When I was at the salon the other day, their phones, cc lines and music were all down. Anyhow, I shared this because the Natural Life site wasnt loading well -- and really, i dont need anything. I will check back though. They have some fun stuff! You're looking good, Pal! I like the blue/black combo....See MoreWhat's for Dinner Summer part deux 2025 #422
Comments (110)Oh man, I'm behind again. I really love John's yogurt bottle, though, LOL. I've been super busy here, mostly with gardening. I've made my way through a bushel of poblano peppers, all of a sudden they were happy. I took a half bushel to the food pantry, gave a 5 gallon bucket to the neighbor and then began roasting/peeling/freezing for future chilies rellenos. Also got a bushel of mixed Anaheim and Pasilla and dried about half of those, then put a tray of chopped red habaneros in the freezer for future Habanero Gold Jelly. I've canned tomato sauce and salsa and catsup and Sharon's chile sauce and I'm officially over tomatoes, even though I still have this in the backyard. Again, no takers so they will go to the food pantry. So many people here have their own gardens and fruit trees and by the end of the summer everyone has garden burnout, I guess. I've also been wading my way through the peaches, Elery and I picked 3 bushels before we both gave up and said the rest could fall on the ground. I tried hard to give them away, peaches are $60 a bushel here, but they are clingstones and no one wants to mess with them, so no takers. I froze 18 quarts, made some peach butter and peach cobbler and peach crumble bars and I'm almost done with them. In the meantime, I have actually been cooking. I made black bean sheet pan tacos last night along with queso fundido: Tonight it was country style pork ribs with roasted golden beets and kale from the garden. The Princess was home and came for breakfast and she wanted crepes with cream cheese filling and blueberry topping, and it was so. She is the Princess after all. I made burgers with our homegrown beef and roasted potatoes with fingerlings from the garden as well as a salad with everything I could find that was still crunchy in the fridge: Chicken gyros which were just OK: A chilies relleno casserole which I wasn't optimistic about but it turned out to be really good: Bratwurst with potatoes from the garden, homemade sauerkraut and some cheese bread from a small local bakery: I made apple sauce and apple butter with some MacIntosh apples I got from a neighbor in exchange for some of my Red Delicious. They were very dark red and even were red in the center and they made awesome sauce and apple butter. I've never seen Macs go red inside, though. And, since we got our first frost a couple of days ago, I also had a bucket of sweet peppers to use, we picked them all before they froze. I dehydrated two quarts of them and put 24 in the freezer for future stuffed peppers: My next project? Cutting an 18 pound cushaw into bakable pieces, then packaging the puree for pies. They have become a favorite with several family members, and I only planted one plant. I got 3 squash, one was chewed by something, we got this one and one more about half this size. I'm sure I won't need any more, that should be about 20 pies, LOL. The garden is winding down, I still have to deal with the kale and have 3 tubs of leeks in the garage that need to be dehydrated. It's cooling off and although we are officially in drought conditions it seems better than when it was 90F for far too many days. I'll be planting garlic in the next couple of weeks, a sure sign of fall. Annie...See More
last yearLasagna with salad. I never used to put cheese through the layers but after reading US style recipes, and hearing discussions on this site, I decided to do this. Nothing fancy, just a few spoonfuls of ricotta sprinkled over the meat layer. Cheesy bechamel sauce on top. Was pretty good.
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Continuing the Italian theme ....
Saturday night and we're by the sea:
Cold seafood platter
Cozze marinara (my death row dinner choice)
Fritto misto di mare 
last yearSome really nice summer meals here. I had the urge to make caponata, and the days of buying eggplant at a good price are long gone. $4 lb, I'm not buying one.
But watermelon was on sale and the 2 I bought were the best I've had in years.
Do your cut yours like this? Easy to cut, and to eat. and lining up the sticks to trim the rind is easy.
Of course I had to make my favourite watermelon salad.
We're in a heat warning here again. Fall can't come soon enough.
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The popped corn, lol.
Watermelons have been excellent. And the best cantalope in memory.
Looking forward to a seafood Boil-Up outside now that we have fresh corn, local seafood. Was too cold to eat outside....now too hot. Or days and days of thunderstorms.
Beautiful bowl of seafood.
Challenging myself to add to my very thin Vegan recipe file. Always looking for something that fits the bill for VG, V, GF as seen on most restaurant menus now. Vegetarian is easy as is Gluten-free. We make meatless meals all the time. GF just needs some careful label checking.
Cooking for Vegan does not thrill me. Why i have been having DimSum brunches when entertaining. (we had one house guest for SuperBowl) Snow blizzard the night before. Varieties of dumplings in the freezer until steaming. Just taking out what is needed over the 3-4 hours.
Attending friends gatherings/BBQ's, my go-to is fresh spring rolls. Pleases everyone...even the meat lovers.
I've been making Japchae. (chop-chay)...again last night
Like a deconstructed spring roll.
It is a 20 minute meal including the chopping.
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I don't know any vegans, but if I did I'd probably make a beetroot tarte tatin.
Light lunch today, Tuesday. Caprese bruschetta and a glass of beer. Flying home tonight, back to the self catering grind.
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You’ve had some wonderful meals floral, totally envious. Beetroot tarte tatin sounds yummy as does deconstructed spring rolls Sleeve. As you can see I’ve served lasagna again with spinach. I had made a large dish of it as I was expecting visitors from Ireland but they didn’t show up.
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We don't know any Vegans. Just a small gaggle at work. Not close friends. We do have some 'leaners' in both families and close friends are meatless a few days during the week. My cooking group has been sharing meatless recipes for a couple years.
My SIL has long Covid and recently diagnosed with Afib. When she visited last Feb, i made 4 meatless meaty meals. Hard to give up red meat and eggs living in BBQ country SouthCarolina. Bacon, biscuits and gravy. Inherited her parents sweet tooth gene. (DH never did).
2020 i did binge a couple Vegan channels. More to get some ideas for our diet. Not the pea protein meats/seafoods.
The issue is the cast of dietary characters around us that include dairy, gluten, nuts, shellfish, beef/pork sensitivities. Halal, Kosher.
DH is my tester. Having a dozen 'mains' rather that depending on those sensitive relying on side dishes like restaurants used to do. Vegetable and porchini risotto comes to mind. Tomato and beetroot tarte tatin starter?
I do have an acceptable vegan parm and cashew miso cream 'bechamel' that is ok but would rather not. (lol)
We love any lasagna. I've made this one a few times. Added a base vegetable layer, then spinach....need more food value. Lots of mushrooms.
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After a few meatless meals i made a locally caught polock bake to-the-table.
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Have you seen a recipe for tomato and beetroot tarte tatin? I haven't and I don't think it sounds like a good combo. I think the flavours would clash. And the tomatoes would be too wet. The idea is to get a sweet caramel around the beets.
I don't use a recipe but this one sounds ok. I add thyme and/or star anise too. I use rounds rather than wedges.
Red onion and beetroot tarte tatin - Recipes - Hairy Bikers https://share.google/3iYXnfsA9d2G8PP0n
For this one I didn't include onions.
For this one I did.
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Love the crusted pollock looks delicious and floral both of those beetroot tarts look so good.
Steak and frites with mushroom sauce and salad and Yes the steak got well and truly well done from lack of attention… darn it… thankfully it was still tender.
We hate waste so therefore we eat our mistakes if possible.
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My issue is with toast. No toaster here or any counter appliances so i use my oven. It makes perfect toast if i pay attention....
(do not leave the oven while toasting)...Alexa helps.
Sunday dinner....
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Saturday night:
Duck breast, sort of braised potatoes, runner beans and, of course, greengage sauce.
last yearHaven’t cooked in weeks! Just not felt like it, all subsistence here.
But SWMBO is home after a month away, so out of practice or not, cooking was done.
Made a mahi mahi, slow pan cooked in butter, lemon juice, brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, rosemary. Mostly butter. This tasted good, but I overcooked it a little. I was using a new-to-me pan, a big Griswold, from when cast iron pans were milled and polished smooth, brought from Los Angeles.
Also a mahi mahi - hey, it was on sale - baked with a minced fig, balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, Dijon glaze/sauce. It was served heaped with sliced figs. This needed a bit more sweetness, next time I’ll use more honey and brown sugar. 375F with 80% steam in Giselle.
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I like the fig wedges. And the sweet stops there. (just put a couple pounds of figs in my shopping cart)
Grazed Saturday afternoon. Big salad, watermelon/feta.
Pumpernickel rye toast
and about the fith batch of squash blossoms....my market is selling them for a buck each! yikes. I could pick a dozen or more a day.
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I spelled prosciutto wrong. Need to use the i-before-e rule. Fixed it on my end.
The 'holy trinity'. Egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad. Love them all.
NYTimes keeps doing this to us. Posting fab sandwiches, salads and soups year round. A thousand plus recipes combined. Since the NewYear we have been having brunch SoupSaladSandwichSaturdays. Usually all three.
I've made all of these and then some. Not all sound so good like the Greek Salad Sandwich. Rather just have the salad. - last year
It has been only by association with this forum that I discovered tuna melts some time ago. I do like them very much.,
I made leek and mushroom risotto and I really like this flavour combination.. . Apologies for blurry photo.
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Sunday: Ham hock stuck with cloves and brown sugar. Monday: risotto using to the leftover ham. Tuesday: pasta with courgette sauce and spinach balls.
Experimental pudding based on Summer Pudding but made with greengages and with layers of custard through it. Needs work.
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Planned is soup and sandwiches. Last night's loaf--the sandwich--is amazingly good. I was fighting the low pressure front sleepies, but got it kneaded and rising--half a huge Anaheim pepper and a big plump jalapeño, minced mixed veg, plus a handful of blueberries which had partially dried in the fridge and a bunch of starter discard. Then, I fell asleep do to said Low. It over-rose, ao I tried again and it seemed fine, but took an extra ten minutes to cook, and didn't get much over spring. And it turned out ugly. Turns out, it's super delicious with an airy, delightful texture. :)
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Such good baby limas. RanchoGordo. I gave up the bean club a couple years ago. Purchase once or twice a year and oder what we like.I've been soaking and cooking a full pound at a time and freeze the rest. This pound made 5 half pints for the freezer. Fall sucotash.
The posole is on the stove this morning. Not a favorite so searched for some ideas. Seems used mostly for soups and stews. The one using poblano and tomatillo sounds good. I see Ina has one. - last year
Last Sunday i listed meals based on my freezer stash. Stopped at 22 without and re-peats. I do that about once a month while starting a grocery cart. (delivery this morning)...ordering about every 5 weeks.
I also finally got around to making a greens produce soup base using Andy's recipe as a starting point. My market sells a local caterer's soups. Usually 12-15 varieties at any given time. Using simple clean ingredients. Also gave some good ideas.
The owner of LadleOfLove soups was making soups for her community....pot lucks, the elderly.9-11 she got some friends together and made soups for the recovery effort. So popular she started a catering business, then opened a local coffee shop....soups, saalads, snadwiches.
Six concentrated half pints for the Fall freezer.
...and some re-stocked flavor cubes.
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Green SoupBase was the missing link to my ChowderBase and TomatoBase.
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Sunday: roast chicken, roast potatoes, chard, carrots
Blackberry and apple crumble and ice cream. - last yearlast modified: last year
We like a Sunday roast...rack of lamb, ribs, chicken. Wanted a birthday boil-up. Lobster prices dropped thursday from $21lb to $13lb. Sold out fast. NewYorkers had a feast except us.
....next weekend.
I've been bingeing Fallow restaurant in London...their Sunday dinner roast
LINKFallow
We will have a nice chowder tonight
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Colds and flu like nasties have seen cooking taking a back seat… cheese on toast, soups and take out. However tonight we had nice pork chops and cabbage and bacon with zucchini and stewed apples
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Yikes. Nothing worse than waking up and realizing "here it comes", knowing the next 5-7 days will be miseable while it goes its course. And sometimes longer will secondary issues. Nice to be on the mend.
Usually early Spring here can be miserable with cool temps in the 40-50ºF rainy and damp. Freezing snowy weather is dry and not so bad.
I was planning to use a chowder base, SummerTonic, a fish corn chowder-ish. Did a 180 and made something up making a fish stock with one of the smaller heads and a collar. (butter, white wine, leek, celery, shallot) Fish stock is a quick 30-45min. Broth was epic with the miso-ginger-lemon-wakame-hijiki Tonic.
Poached two of the larger collars in the broth 8-10 min and into our bowls under the noodles.
(collars are full of tender meat)
Shared at the table between us...
Larger head and two collars food savered for the freezer. A pint of cubed fish, (tuna, salmon, halibut) and two collars. Future chowders.
Seasoned glass noodle was an excellent choice.
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I've mentioned a couple times that i binge/follow some chef content.
Not sure who decides FoodNetwork content, but often un-watchable. CakeWars and now HaloweenWars. Competition everything.
Chef content is excellent. I always learn something new!.
I follow a few professional chefs...
excellent menu from Fallow
Their smoked cod's head...
And the video being made...
Big junior high crush on Jack...Will is adorable as well. Jack comes on-board at about the 5 minute mark....
Oh wait, Jack is married. Oh well, so am i.
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Tuesday: chicken pie and salad, nectarines in red wine.
For those who once said they don't like the idea of leftovers. The chicken and wine were left from Sunday. The nectarines were three bashed fruit too far gone to eat alone.
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That chicken pie looks very good floral, is that a hot water pastry?
Getting back to cooking again. Stir fry vegetables with noodles and bought duck dumplings. I made up the sauce using oyster sauce, soy sauce a touch of ginger and some chili.
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Wednesday: leftover leftovers
Remaining chicken pie stretched out with hummus and a sautee of carrots, chard, turmeric and a spoonful of double cream left from Sunday's blackberry and apple crumble.
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neely