Farfalle w/ Tomatoes and Feta

We've got cherry tomatoes coming out of our ears.  So, tonight I made dinner from a recipe that has become a staple in our home during the summer months.  It's a great way to reduce the numbers of your cherry tomatoes population. 



Ingredients:

• 1 box of Farfalle ( bow tie pasta)
• 3/4 cup of Feta cheese
• 4 plum tomatoes (I use cherry tomatoes, about a qt. maybe less)
• oregano
• black pepper
• 1/4 cup of olive oil

Start a pot of boiling water.  Once the water boils add pasta and cook until al dente.   Meanwhile, slice cherry tomatoes in half.  Put oil in skillet and add tomatoes over medium to medium-high heat.  Add a couple pinches of pepper and add oregano to taste.  I probably use about one or two tablespoons.  Cook for about five minutes.  When pasta is done, strain and pour into a glass bowl. Pour tomato mix over bow ties and add Feta cheese.  Stir and cover with plastic wrap and let sit for a few minutes.

Becky and I love this one.  The kids are hit and miss.  One night they'll ask for seconds and the next they won't even finish the first bowl of it.  I guess you'll have that with kids. 

Cheeseburgers on the Grill

The kids go back to school next week here and are probably back or going back just about everywhere here in the next few weeks.  Here at my house we will be enjoying the last few weeks of summer break by grilling whenever we can.  Most everyone knows how to grill a burger so there isn't really a recipe to post here, but I will give you some advice on buying your ground beef or ground beef patties.  First, and foremost do not buy your meat from the big box store ie. Wal Mart, Meijer, etc.  In my opinion, buying that meat is like eating garbage.  It is NOT worth eating.  All of that meat is usually Cargill, feedlot, junk.  Support your local farmers and your local economy by purchasing beef by the quarter or half from the farmer or at least by meat from the local meat processor.  If you can, try to buy meat that has been pastured or at a minimum grass finished.  It will be healthier for you and have less environmental impact as well as ensures that the cow lived a better life than it would have standing in slop up to its belly in the feedlot out west.  When in doubt it is, in my opinion, ALWAYS better to buy from a farmer in your own or neighboring community that you can build a relationship with.  

Cheesy Zucchini Bake

So, today is my first post here featuring a recipe.  I plan to feature a recipe every day.  Right now on my farm in northern Ohio zucchini is producing pretty strong so let's eat it for dinner.  This is what we are having for dinner tonight too.  And to be honest with you this is a new recipe to me as well.  So we'll all try this together.  I had some zucchini laying around that I needed to use up and this felt like a nice alternative to steamed squash slices. 

Ingredients:

•  4 small zucchini. diced ( about 3 cups total)
• 2 cups (about 5 1/2 oz.) club cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1/2 cup 2% reduced fat milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 9x9  baking dish.  ( I think I'm going to use a 9x13)
2. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add zucchini; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain well in a colander.
3. Press cracker crumbs on bottom of prepared pan to form a crust.  Dot with butter.  Spoon zucchini on top.
4. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until fluffy.  Stir in onion, milk, 2/3 cup Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.  Pour over zucchini and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Cheddar and Parmesan. 
5. Bake, uncovered, 35 minutes, or until golden on edges.

Serves 6 to 8

Nutritional facts per serving: 230 calories, 14g fat, 9g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 540mg sodium.

Welcome

Welcome.  The purpose of this blog is to share thoughts and ideas about food as well as recipes.  Those of you who made it here from my Red Rooster Ranch site, know my firm belief that local, seasonal, whole foods are superior in everyway to supermarket fare.  Through this site my goal will be to not only educate you about food and the many options you have, but also to help you navigate your week with meals that are not only pleasing to your eyes, mouth, and stomach, but also are more nutritious, and more environmentally responsible.  I don't pretend to be a die hard locavore who eats only seasonal and close to home, but I am honest with you about my efforts to eat as well as I can.  In the United States we are quickly losing our culinary skills in the kitchen.  With each value meal picked up at the drive thru we neglect those culinary skills a little more.  It's important that we relearn and resharpen those skills so that we can eat better now and for a lifetime as well as pass on those very important skills to our children and grandchildren so that they may do the same.  Eat Well and Live Better.