8.05.2010

Far From Boring

I can tell you one thing - I'm certainly not bored with summer cooking and eating. Surprisingly, I haven't tired of zucchini yet. I could eat it grilled with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and red chili every day, though I think tonight we'll grate one of our giant zucchinis and turn it into Egg Foo Yung.

We've got gobs of family from out of town coming in for the weekend, and several eggplants will be ready for picking tomorrow - just in time to make a double batch of my new favorite salad. A favorite because it tastes delicious and also because almost all of the ingredients are growing in my garden.

macedonian quinoa salad

Macedonian Quinoa Salad

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves crushed garlic
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh chopped basil
2 teaspoons each chopped fresh oregano and thyme
black pepper to taste

Salad:
eggplant
tomato
cucumber
green pepper
red pepper
red onion
1 cup quinoa (rinse and cook in 2 cups water, about 15 minutes, until water is absorbed)

Slice eggplant into rounds and brush with a little oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and broil on both sides until lightly browned. Chop into bite sized chunks and marinate in dressing for 2 hours. Chop the tomato, cucumber and peppers into bite sized chunks. Mix veggies, cooked quinoa, marinated eggplant and dressing.

Now you're ready for dessert - which can be enjoyed before, during and after the quinoa salad:

like blackberry pie on the rocks

Blackberry - Limoncello Cooler

1 part blackberry syrup
1 part limoncello
3 parts water
fresh squeezed lemon juice, to taste
ice

Mix. Drink. Enjoy. I'll be whipping up at least one pitcher full to share with family this weekend. Cheers!

17 comments:

  1. Both will show up on my table tomorrow night!

    ReplyDelete
  2. sounds yummeeee, thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh good, I will be making that salad. I have all the ingredients in my garden too, and I wasn't sure what to do with the eggplants that I really only planted because they're pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ooh, I love quinoa. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. all this without gluten ! you're my hero !! besides I love quinoa !
    have fun this weekend :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'll have to try that cooler. I made limoncello last year, and it turned out pretty strong. It's just waiting in my freezer. Mixed with something, it's pretty good. In Italy, they served it mixed with cream, which is obviously dang delicious. But with blackberries....slurp!

    Have fun with your family!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Aha! I have a large bag of quinoa from Costco in my pantry and almost every other ingredient in my fridge. Serendipity! How often does that happen?! This simply must be taken advantage of.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I make a version of that quinoa salad, too. Sometimes, I add walnuts and feta. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  9. That salad looks really good! I love zucchini also and have fun trying out new recipes with it. Also, I bet that blackberry cooler tastes soooooo good! Hope you have a great weekend visiting with family!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I made the salad, wimped out and omitted the eggplant, added a bit of feta. This is the best thing I have eaten in weeks. I definitely prefer a quinoa based salad over the millet ones I used to make.
    Thanks for pulling me out of a bit of a food rut. There's been so much to do lately I have been slacking in the kitchen, well sort of. I have been canning.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The possibilities this time of year are overwhelming and wonderful! We also are enjoying our harvest of blackberries.

    ReplyDelete
  12. it all looks delicious. The salad would be a great one to make a huge batch of and eat for lunch everyday (I tend to eat the same things over and over for lunch). And you are the MASTER of refreshing summery drinks. now, to get my hands on some blackberries and make some syrup.
    Then again, I do make a mean blueberry syrup...

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have been making about four loaves of zucchini bread a week and freezing it along with chopped and sliced zukes. We virtually have zucchini with each and every meal, but I love thinking up more and more new things to do with them! I love summer eats!

    :)Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  14. just got off of work and am reading your cooler recipe, and guess what? I just happen to have all the ingredients!

    ReplyDelete
  15. ooooo these both look amazing - and now another reason to pick blackberries! : ) thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  16. YUM YUM! oh my... both sound delicious and will be making an appearance on my table this week. Thanks for the recipes!

    ReplyDelete

Sewing Crafts

Archive

email: mollydunham@sbcglobal.net
Share |