eggplant

OK, first off, I don't have a grill. But you can get near it by cooking the veggies in a skillet over medium-hot flame. Secondly, I repeated this recipe a few days later as marinated vegetables. We didn't like it as well. Thirdly, I encourage you to really review my cost analysis. I knew it was a good week at the stores, but $3.00 to feed 5 people dinner is incredible! It proves you don't have to break the bank to eat healthy. It also highlights how much you can save by bringing your own lunch to work.

Recipe for Mediterranean Vegetable Pitas

• 5 Pita pockets, cut in half
• 3/4 cup Eggplant, diced
• 1/4 cup Onion, sliced thinly
• 5 Sweet peppers, sliced thinly
• 2 small Zuchini, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Herb of choice (sage, rosemary, or Italian blend, for example)
• 1 Small tomato, cut into wedges
• 5 (heaping) Tablespoons Hummus

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions, stirring until slightly softened. Add eggplant, zucchini, and peppers. When vegetables are starting to brown, season with herbs. Toast pita pockets if desired. Spread with hummus. Fill with vegetables. Garnish with tomatoes. (Although there's nothing that says you can't cook the tomatoes, too. As they cook down, they'll make a yummy sauce for the veggies.) Another idea, my father asked for his sandwich to be served with balsamic vinegar.

This was some Italian Ice we enjoyed a couple weeks back when friends were visiting. It was such a great little treat for a summer evening. . .a hot summer evening. All that being said, the big mistake I made last week was not focusing on summer-associated recipes for our dinners. This week will be different thanks to great deals at the grocery store and the realization that our summer is almost over. Let's all take advantage as long as it lasts!

I made Sunday productive by making a collection of PB&Js to freeze for lunches. When I had finished the blueberry, I started on the cloudberry jelly. It was a great way to use up a bit of something in the fridge, plus, I made about 8 sandwiches, which should last us a couple weeks. Meanwhile, my spinach au gratin potatoes or Spinach Potato Bake spent an hour in the oven. We ate some for Sunday lunch and have two servings leftover for lunches later in the week. Oh, and I almost forgot. My morning in the kitchen started by boiling eggs for egg salad sandwiches--very summer-ish.

Last week we dined on our first zucchini and hope to have another one this week. It isn't a large haul, but it's enough for the two of us to enjoy. (We did eat the first one in pasta mixed with other veggies to serve to my parents as well.)

I'm sorry to say, this week is a little crazy. I don't have any brilliant ideas for food, but Paul and his sister went to the Maitland Farmer's Market yesterday to acquire a beautiful eggplant and some giant tomatoes. We'll be having excellent sandwiches and perhaps baked eggplant parm in the next couple of days.

This is a week for visiting, which means we'll have plenty going on and enough food to be creative. Paul's sister and brother-in-law flew in for the weekend. Elizabeth gets to stay longer while Dag returns to work. And then, Paul and I will be babysitting my grandmother over the holiday weekend so my parents can go to my father's high school reunion. All that being said, we're playing everything by ear, but are grateful for the prolific fresh produce of the summer to allow us freedom to be creative.

I'm so embarrassed. I can't for the life of me figure out how I missed posting this amazing recipe when I loved it so much and had it two or three times in a two-week period. Mollie Katzen's Eat, Drink and Weigh Less is all about making your meals as healthy as possible, which means skipping the fried Eggplant Parmesan. Although it messed up my jelly roll pan a bit (But do you really want your kitchenware to look unused?), this recipe went far in keeping the flavor and minimizing the fat.

I made a few changes to the recipe based on what I had in the fridge. I used havarti cheese instead of mozzarella. Sometimes the havarti is saltier, which I think eliminated the need for extra salt sprinkled on top of the eggplant. I also didn't have ricotta cheese. I'm sure it would have tasted even better with the creamy cheese in the middle of the layers.

My scratch tomato sauce is so simple to make. I love the fresh flavor of Muir Glen tomatoes. It's our favorite. And there's nothing better than using basil we've grown ourselves and picked at the perfect time. Any extra sauce was used to cover the pasta.

Recipe for Simple Tomato Sauce

Blend one can diced tomatoes (mostly drained), two cloves garlic, and dehydrated basil in mini food processor until garlic is chopped. Add salt and/or fresh black pepper to taste. Heat in heavy sauce pan over medium low heat if necessary.

Serves 2

Last week, a reporter from iReport at CNN wrote with a "Weekend Assignment" story request for a video of a signature dish. Eggplant Bruschetta is one of my classic dishes, and today Paul and I visited the same stall at the Maitland Farmer's Market where we picked up our first eggplant. You can check out the video of making Baked Eggplant Bruschetta and learn the recipe at ireport.com.

Cost Per Person $3.12

The weather has been mostly lovely in Orlando. And that's been quite appreciated as we have needed to get out and get fresh air. Sometimes, we get out and exercise. Other times, we bundle up a tad and sit by the pool and nap. However, yesterday I was too excited about my latest foodie mag, and Paul and Nora slept while I read it cover-to-cover.

I started getting Bon Appetit in January after Gourmet closed its doors. At first I wasn't very pleased with the switch, but I am learning to accept and appreciate the information my new mag has to offer. For example, I loved the January issue with its play-by-play tips on picking out and cutting fennel. I intend to take it with me on my next trip to the Maitland Farmer's Market in hopes of adding another "something new" to my diet.

We dined at Infusion Tea tonight even though it wasn't as early as I had planned. Even at 5 and 6 o'clock, there was a nice stream of diners at the restaurant, which is always encouraging. Generally a full restaurant suggests a good restaurant.

I don't think I've ever been disappointed by Infusion Tea. Tonight was no different. They even offered a Prix Fixe menu in honor of Eat Local Week, hosted by SlowFood Orlando. Paul ordered the Prix Fixe option, which I passed on because we're pretty sure blue cheese isn't recommended on the diet of pregnant women. Although the restaurant is all vegetarian, there are some vegan options that are clearly marked on the menu. The clear details make ordering carefully much less stressful.

Cost Per Person $8.00

My day pretty much started by listening to Nigella Lawson's interview by Steve Inskeep. I was most amused by the interview, especially just before 7 on a Tuesday morning. Incidentally, if you've got the 7 minutes, the radio recording is much more entertaining than the written article.

Nigella is proud to be a carnivore, and her cookbooks often highlight that fact. However, in the summer, she's all for taking advantage of the summer vegetables in season and making her veggie dishes the center of a meal. Feta cheese is a big part of those recipes, so if that's a favorite of yours, she's got great recommendations.

At the new NPR.org, you can access a zucchini and feta fritter recipe, a rolled/stuffed eggplant recipe, and a dessert recipe. All vegetarian and all with the ease of a lazy summer--albeit the end of it--in mind.

Metro is very special to us. It is the restaurant where we ate just after Paul proposed. One thing I love about Metro is that it is in a building with its back to Lake Eola. You can't see the lake while dining, only the street, which can be entertaining enough. But, I love to park half way around the lake and walk to Metro to take in the beautiful sights of the fountain, swans, and owners walking their dogs.

I was nervous that Metro would be feeling the crunch of the economy. I don't think we have been to Metro this year because we no longer live downtown, but five exits or so up from the street leading to the lake and to the restaurant. But, I was happy to see that, if anything, the economy has not hurt the family-owned-and-operated restaurant. In fact, I think it was the busiest I had ever seen it. There wasn't even room for us to eat at the tables outside.

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