Here’s a look into what’s been happening in my food world this week.
Zucchini Season: Nearly everyone I know has either been making or eating zucchini based baked goods this week. We were treated to some yummy cupcakes in the office from a fellow Meredith employee (which seemed similar to
this recipe from the
Pioneer Woman), and I heard word that one of my uncles was busy whipping up frosted loaves just like my grandmother used to make. I love summer for this exact reason.
Coffee Ice Cubes: There are few things more disheartening in the morning than watered down iced coffee. A friend of mine from high school (and
ReadyMade reader!)
Ryan Smith sent me a message this morning that his local coffee shop,
Water for Chocolate in Baltimore, uses frozen coffee cubes in their iced coffee so it’s doesn’t get watered down as the cubes melt. Brilliant! I'll totally be trying this at home.
Perky Popsicles: While I was searching for more about iced coffee (here's a great
recipe to make it at home), I came across this recipe for
Vietnamese Iced Coffee Pops—which sound so good I had to share! The weather forecast for this weekend in central Iowa is calling for a toasty 97 degrees on Saturday, so I'm already thinking up ways to eat as many cold and frozen foods as possible. Other ideas I have are
frozen yogurt, frozen grapes (one of my all time favorite summer snacks as a kid), and maybe a smoothie or two.
Rocket Mold: And of course you need to know where to find a good popsicle mold, so here's a nice
version for you. You can go old school and use little Dixie cups with popsicle sticks (which if you can find paper cups, will work even if you’re trying to go
without plastic like our Katherine is this week, though I believe that the ones pictured here are at least BPA free).
Mushrooms and Thyme: For the first time, I'm growing more than just basil. I've only expanded slightly (I don't have much confidence in the growing arena yet), but I also have rosemary, thyme and mint. I recently discovered that one of my all time favorite flavor combinations is mushrooms and thyme. Here are two ways that this has recently worked wonders for me:
Pasta: Saute 2 shallots in olive oil until they are slightly caramelized, add a few handfuls of chopped (and brushed off) shitake mushrooms, add salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms start to wilt. Add a small mound of fresh thyme leaves (say two tablespoons or so), a bit of water if it's dry, and let cook until the mushrooms are cooked through. Serve over spaghetti (I like this with the super thin
Barillia Plus spaghetti) and sprinkle goat cheese or feta on top.
Frittata: Preheat your broiler on low. Repeat the steps above until you've cooked the mushrooms through. Use this mixture as the base for a fritatta by combining it with crumbled goat cheese (again, or feta), 2-3 tablespoons of milk and 6 beaten eggs. Pour the entire mixture into a greased oven-safe pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until it starts to set. Put into the oven and cook until the top is lightly browned. This makes a delicious summer dinner for two!
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Here’s a look into what’s been happening in my food world this week.
Zucchini Season: Nearly everyone I know has either been making or eating zucchini based baked goods this week. We were treated to some yummy cupcakes in the office from a fellow Meredith employee (which seemed similar to this recipe from the Pioneer Woman), and I heard word that one of my uncles was busy whipping up frosted loaves just like my grandmother used to make. I love summer for this exact reason.
Coffee Ice Cubes: There are few things more disheartening in the morning than watered down iced coffee. A friend of mine from high school (and ReadyMade reader!) Ryan Smith sent me a message this morning that his local coffee shop, Water for Chocolate in Baltimore, uses frozen coffee cubes in their iced coffee so it’s doesn’t get watered down as the cubes melt. Brilliant! I'll totally be trying this at home.
Perky Popsicles: While I was searching for more about iced coffee (here's a great recipe to make it at home), I came across this recipe for Vietnamese Iced Coffee Pops—which sound so good I had to share! The weather forecast for this weekend in central Iowa is calling for a toasty 97 degrees on Saturday, so I'm already thinking up ways to eat as many cold and frozen foods as possible. Other ideas I have are frozen yogurt, frozen grapes (one of my all time favorite summer snacks as a kid), and maybe a smoothie or two.
Rocket Mold: And of course you need to know where to find a good popsicle mold, so here's a nice version for you. You can go old school and use little Dixie cups with popsicle sticks (which if you can find paper cups, will work even if you’re trying to go without plastic like our Katherine is this week, though I believe that the ones pictured here are at least BPA free).
Mushrooms and Thyme: For the first time, I'm growing more than just basil. I've only expanded slightly (I don't have much confidence in the growing arena yet), but I also have rosemary, thyme and mint. I recently discovered that one of my all time favorite flavor combinations is mushrooms and thyme. Here are two ways that this has recently worked wonders for me:
Pasta: Saute 2 shallots in olive oil until they are slightly caramelized, add a few handfuls of chopped (and brushed off) shitake mushrooms, add salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms start to wilt. Add a small mound of fresh thyme leaves (say two tablespoons or so), a bit of water if it's dry, and let cook until the mushrooms are cooked through. Serve over spaghetti (I like this with the super thin Barillia Plus spaghetti) and sprinkle goat cheese or feta on top.
Frittata: Preheat your broiler on low. Repeat the steps above until you've cooked the mushrooms through. Use this mixture as the base for a fritatta by combining it with crumbled goat cheese (again, or feta), 2-3 tablespoons of milk and 6 beaten eggs. Pour the entire mixture into a greased oven-safe pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until it starts to set. Put into the oven and cook until the top is lightly browned. This makes a delicious summer dinner for two!
