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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. ​
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I’ve gotten to know a few of my daughter’s friends over the years, especially a few of her high school friends. This Thursday I asked my daughter, who will be here with our granddaughter, to invite one of those friends to dinner.  I would call my daughter’s friend a “foodie,” as she’s involved in her family’s business of pate production.
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When planning a menu, I keep in mind my guests likes and dislikes and what can I prepare to take advantage of what’s currently in season.  I saw on @thisgirlcaneat a post for delicious looking stuffed figs. On the website Serious Eats, I found a recipe for grilled figs stuffed with goat cheese. With tomatoes in the height of the season, tomato bruschetta would be a good addition. Our main course will be grilled pork chops with caramelized peaches and basil  and corn pudding. For dessert, vanilla Madeleines, a recipe that I found on the King Arthur Flour website.

On Monday,  I got a jump start on dessert. The best way to describe a madeleine is that it is a small seashell shape cake the size of a cookie. You need a special madeleine baking pan for these cookies. The recipe for the madeleines needs only a handful of ingredients such as butter, sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla, flour and, as an option, 2 drops of rum flavor. Fortunately, I had all the ingredients on hand. The recipe came together without any problems. I did have to melt and cool the butter and have the eggs at room temperature. After that, it was time to put the batter together. Once that was done, the batter had to chill for 45 minutes. Baking time is 12-14 minutes. One thing I learned today is that I should have let the cookies cool in the pan. The ones that I removed while they were warm, have a rough texture on the scalloped side. The few that were in the pan longer, came out smooth and much nicer. To give the cookies a wow factor, I dipped them in some chocolate ganache.

Of course, I had to sample one for quality control. They were delicious. I like the addition of the chocolate, it added just enough of an extra flavor.
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This morning, I’ll prep the corn pudding and set the table. 
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Our daughter sometimes questions the amount of pasta my husband and I eat for dinner. When I was growing up, there was a neighbor next to my grandfather’s house who fed her family of five on one pound of pasta! Sadly, sometimes my husband and I can eat almost a pound. We are trying to be better at limiting our intake, but can I help it if what I make tastes so darn delicious.
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From the May 2017 issue of Southern Living Magazine, there was a recipe for tomato carbonara. As it’s now in prime tomato season in New Jersey tomatoes, I couldn’t resist trying this recipe. My husband could eat pasta seven nights a week, so asking him if he would like to try this recipe was a no brainer.
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The recipe calls for fettuccine, bacon or you can use prosciutto or pancetta, multi-colored tomatoes, shallots, garlic, eggs, Parmesan cheese, fresh chives and parsley. I purchased diced pancetta at Wegmans for a recipe I wound up not making, so I already had this on hand. For the produce, I went to Delicious Orchards and purchased heirloom cherry tomatoes (2/$7.50) and picked up some extra shallots ($2.49/lb.). My herbs this summer are growing and looking great thanks to my husband’s care and patience.


​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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