Roasted Red Peppers

Prep Time:  15 min

Inactive Prep Time:  30 min

Cook Time:  35 min

Level:  Easy

Serves:  4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

4 large red or yellow bell peppers,

2 tablespoons good olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters. Remove the peels and seeds and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected. Discard the stems, peels, and seeds. Pour the oil over the peppers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-red-peppers-recipe/index.html

Caprese Corn Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

You can use raw corn if time is short. Also, this salad is best made fresh and eaten immediately.

INGREDIENTS

5 to 6 ears of sweet corn (still in husks, do not shuck)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
3 cups roughly chopped, seeded tomatoes, or halved cherry or sun gold tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced scallions, including light green parts
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup to 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

METHOD

1 Prepare your grill for high, direct heat. Place the corn cobs still in their husks directly on the grill. Cook for 15 minutes or so, turning every few minutes, so that the husks get completely charred. The corn will steam in the husks. There is no need to soak the corn in water first if the corn is fresh. If you want some char on the corn itself, remove a few of the outer corn husks first, so there is less of a protective layer around the corn. Once the husks are completely charred, remove from the grill and let cool for a few minutes. Then remove the husks and silk. To remove the corn from the cob, stand the shucked cob upright in shallow baking pan or rimmed dish. Hold the cob steady in one hand, and with the other hand use a sharp knife to make downward strokes on the cob, separating the kernels from the cob.

Alternatively, if you have frozen corn kernels, you can use them for this salad (4 cups). Just heat a large cast iron pan on medium high to high heat. Put a layer of frozen corn directly on the pan, do not defrost first. Once the corn has browned on one side, stir and let the corn brown some more. Then remove to cool.

2 In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Adding sugar will depend on how sweet your corn or tomatoes are, so you may want to withhold sugar until the end and add to taste.

3 In a large bowl, toss together the corn, tomatoes, scallions, Mozzarella, and the dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste. Let sit for 10 minutes.

4 Right before serving, stir in the freshly sliced basil.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8.


http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caprese_corn_salad/

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille

Servings: 8 (freezes well)

INGREDIENTS:

2 onion, sliced into thin rings

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium eggplant, cubed

2 zucchini, cubed

2 medium yellow squash, cubed

2 green bell peppers, seeded and cubed

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 chopped red bell pepper

4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

4 sprigs fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 ½ 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the zucchini in batches until slightly browned on all sides. Remove the zucchini and place in the pot with the onions and garlic.

3. Sauté all the remaining vegetables one batch at a time, adding 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet each time you add a new set of vegetables. Once each batch has been sautéed add them to the large pot as was done in step 2.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme and cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the large pot, cook another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

6. Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasoning.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/summer-vegetable-ratatouille/

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Total Time: 50 min.
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 30 min.
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups chicken stock
1 pint sour cream, room temperature
2 teaspoons Hungarian hot paprika, for garnish


Directions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add asparagus and sauté another 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until asparagus is very tender. *Carefully transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan, stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to serving bowls. Dust with paprika and serve.


*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cream-of-asparagus-soup-recipe/index.html

Vegetable Soup

3 cups tomato juice
2 cups water
1 can chopped tomatoes, or 4 chopped fresh tomatoes (save as much of the juice as you can)
4 or 5 carrots
3 or 4 medium potatoes (red, gold, purple - your preference)
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
4 or 5 stalks of celery
1 medium yellow onion
4 large cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or Soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Wash all the vegetables. Slice the zucchini and squash. Slice the potatoes, then quarter the slices. Chop the onion, celery, and carrots. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a stock pot or large (~4qt) sauce pan. Sauteé the carrots, onions and garlic until the onions are translucent and the carrots are bright orange, about 2 or 3 minutes. Be careful that you don't let the heat get too high and burn the oil. Add the potatoes and stir. About a minute later, pour in the tomato juice and water, and turn the heat to maximum. Add all the veggies and spices. Stir, stir, stir. If the veggies aren't covered, you can add a little more tomato juice.

Bring it all to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes, then let cool, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

Serve with some crusty bread.

Note: You can add other veggies if you want, just make sure you increase the liquid to account for the extra stuff.  Kidney or garbanzo beans might be good, or cauliflower or broccoli florets.