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​With the cooler temperatures and a change in seasons, it’s time to bring back autumn favorites. So I baked a batch of Lora’s Ginger Cookies the other day. It was a nice change from chocolate chip cookies and the ginger is a nice segue into fall. This weekend I will be making pumpkin biscotti. There is no butter or shortening in this recipe, moisture will come from the brown sugar, canned pumpkin and eggs. I won’t need all the pumpkin from the can so I will prepare Autumn Loaf as muffins and share some with my granddaughter.
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I’m still eating summer tomatoes on sliced Delicious Orchards English muffin bread with Duke’s mayonnaise. My husband and I are still snacking on cubed watermelon that has been so sweet and delicious this summer. I blanched six ears of New Jersey white sweet corn to have during the cold winter months. Last night, I made grilled peach, romaine, chicken and blue cheese salad.

I found this recipe many years ago in a Penzeys Spice catalogue. Recipes that appear in the catalogue are submitted by Penzeys customers and use their spices and seasonings.

The recipe is done in three parts. Chicken breasts can either be cooked in slow cooker or roasted in a low oven for approximately three hours. I chose the oven method yesterday. The chicken is seasoned with fresh ginger, garlic and salt to taste. What I especially liked about this recipe is that the romaine and peaches are grilled for several minutes giving it lovey charred taste. The grilling brings out the natural sweetness of the peaches. The salad also has sliced red onion, olive oil, blue cheese crumbles and nuts. 
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I spent two days last week cooking and puréeing 50 pounds of plum tomatoes. I’ve been doing this, and freezing the sauce, for a few years now as my husband and I prefer the lightness of fresh tomato sauce. Last summer, I only sauced one 25 pound box and made about 8 or 9 containers. That didn’t quite last until the spring.  This year, I did an extra 25 pounds. I did this by myself, weighing off 3 pounds of tomatoes, quartering, cooking and then puréeing using a food mill. I was fortunate in that my basil this summer really grew tall and pest free. I have my wonderful husband to thank for that. He planted three basil plants for me.to add to my repertoire.
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I can’t believe summer 2019 is over. We had a little more company than in past summers and we thoroughly enjoyed them. I was quite busy cooking this summer, be it for visiting out of town guests, our daughter and her family or our son and his wife. I enjoyed this season’s tomato crop, especially with Duke’s Mayonnaise courtesy of @karenmc824 and @salexander3575, it was a game changer. We especially enjoyed fresh sliced tomatoes on lightly toasted Delicious Orchards English muffin bread with a smear of Duke’s.

​The NJ sweet corn too, was especially delicious this summer. Pierre Franey’s Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Fresh Corn, Shallots and Cream, combined two of husband and mine’s favorite, chicken and corn. This was another quick and delicious recipe, good for those September suppers while Jersey corn still tastes delicious. 
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​In a recent weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal, there was a recipe for charred romaine with flank steak and olive tapenade. The recipe appeared in the column called “Slow Fast Food” with a recipe by Chef Caroline Glover. Ms. Glover’s owns the restaurant Annette in Aurora, Colorado. What appealed to me in this recipe was the cut of beef and the simplicity of the recipe.

The flank steak in this recipe is merely season with salt and pepper and grilled 5-6 minutes per side. One of the things that makes this recipe quite good is the accompanying charred romaine lettuce that has a nice smokey flavor and the roasted shallot dressing that goes over the romaine. 
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​With the summer days dwindling down, I want to eat as much New Jersey corn and tomatoes that I can. With that in mind, I went searching for a quick and easy recipe. My go to sites are either www.epicurious.com  or www.cooking.nytimes.com.  I found on the New York Times website a recipe from Pierre Franey. Mr. Franey was a columnist for the NY Times writing the “60-Minute Gourmet.” 
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This summer, sea scallops have been holding steady in price at $15.99/lb. Occasionally I’ve seen them on sale at Shop-Rite, Foodtown and Whole Foods for $14.99/lb. Recently I purchased them at Whole Foods as a special dinner for my husband and I. I have several recipes on this blog for sea scallops, but for the sake of research, I wanted to find another one. On the New York Times cooking app, I found a recipe for sea scallops with brown butter, capers and lemon. This recipe was featured in an article in back in 2009. Chef Michael Lomonaco, created this recipe at the former Windows on the World Restaurant where he worked before the devastation of 9/11.
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​Are you finding this year’s crop of Jersey tomatoes exceptional in flavor? I have been purchasing mine at Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck and they have been terrific. My favorite lunch this summer has been sliced DO English Muffin bread that is lightly toasted, Duke’s Mayonnaise on each slice of bread and 1-2 thinly sliced field tomatoes, yum!

I clipped from the September 2017 issue of Southern Living Magazine, a recipe for roasted tomato macaroni and cheese. What appealed to me in this recipe, other than the roasted tomatoes topped with fresh oregano, was the combination of cheeses, Monterey Jack, Cheddar and fontina. I also like that the tomatoes where cooked twice, once roasted alone, then placed on top of the macaroni and cheese topped with grated Parmesan. The selection of ingredients for this recipe made it a savory dish, with a light tasting cheese sauce.
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For the past few years, I have stopped purchasing any form of turkey or chicken deli meats in favor of making my own. I know this can sound like a lot of work, but hear me out. You can purchase boneless, skinless turkey breast or turkey London broil at Wegmans for $5.79/lb. or Whole Foods occasionally carries boneless turkey breast wrapped in meat netting for $6.99/lb. The advantage to making your own turkey deli meat is that you control the salt, additives and flavoring of your meat.
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I am fortunate to have two manual meat slicers, one of each set of our parents. However, you can make thin slices for lunch using an electric knife, a very sharp chefs knife or you can purchase a electric meat slicer at Williams-Sonoma on sale for approximately $100. I was even able to locate electric meat slicers on eBay for under $100 and a Chefs Choice meat slicer on Craigslist in north Jersey for $60. It would be money well spent to purchase one. Not only does my husband use it to slice the turkey breast, but if we have leftover boneless steak, he’ll use the slicer to make thin slices for cheesesteak sandwiches. Our only recommendation is that you slice any meats cold. Slicing the meat cold will result in thinner and more uniform slices. 
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On Thursday evening my husband and I hosted dinner for my granddaughter, daughter and her high school friend. This time of year makes cooking for family and friends so enjoyable. My menu of grilled figs stuffed with goat cheese and Southern Living Magazines heirloom tomato pie was a hit. I purchased fresh figs ($4.99 for a pint basket) at Delicious Orchards. The figs were ripe when I got them. After removing the stem end, on the opposite end I made a crosscut to form an X, 3/4 of the way through the fig. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon I filled the fig with goat cheese. The figs are then brushed with a bit of olive and grilled for a few minutes. As my figs were soft and ripe, I merely heated the figs until the cheese melted a bit.  Grilling the figs concentrated their sweetness and the tartness of the goat cheese was a nice play on flavors. A sprinkling of chopped rosemary gave it a woody scent and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar a tang. They were different and delicious. ​


​meet donna

A former teacher, shop-a-holic, empty-nester redefining quick, family approved dinners.

​If you have questions or comments, click on the envelope icon above to contact me directly. 

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