Some Meals from this Week

In our pursuit to eat fresher and cheaper, we have been staying in and I have been slaving away in a very hot kitchen. I am refreshed in my cooking endeavors and even find that there are some new recipes I want to try out. Coming soon will be summer vegetable tarts, apple onion and potato gratin, gazpacho and much more. I will not be cooking any desserts however, because I am really enjoying eating cold treats like smoothies and ice cream. I am already looking forward to fall apple treats, but not until our apartment cools down some.

So far this week, we have had stuffed zucchini (they call them green pumpkins here) and fresh greens. The stuffing was made with black rice, green pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes and zucchini. It was spiced with a little salt, pepper and oregano. I added cheese at the last minute and it added a good flavor.

Monday night we enjoyed the stuffing sans zucchini, tossed greens and coleslaw.

The next afternoon I finished of the zucchini stuffing by mixing with corn and putting in a homemade tortilla with cheese. They made delicious quasi-quesadillas. They didn't photograph well, so I don't have a picture.

Tuesday night we had Michael's request for his birthday: garden salad with hard boiled eggs and potato salad.

I've been abusing my debit card by spending outrageous amounts of money on fresh produce, but it's definitely worth it. It's a little bit cheaper than going out and the food is just better. We go to the same 5 restaurants over and over, so a little variety helps to keep our spirits up.

What's your favorite fresh-ish dish for summer? I'm totally in a cold foods mood right now. Most of the time if I cook something, I let it set in the fridge several hours before we eat it so its chilled.