IN MY KITCHEN SEPTEMBER

The end of August brought lots of local farm produce into my kitchen: eggplants, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupes, basil, fresh garlic, and peppers!

I've posted many of the recipes that I've been making such as the my beautiful tian (link to recipe) composed of colorful layers of eggplant, zucchini, tomato, and potato. I also made a lemony Israeli salad (link to recipe), a zucchini and eggplant dip (link to recipe), and one of my favorites- spring roll in a bowl (link to recipe).

 

I made a few new purchases that have brightened up my kitchen this past month.

Lemony Israeli Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Cucumbers

Do you love salad the way I do? As one of my commenters said, "the vibrant colors and fresh ingredients make this salad a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds"! The lemony dressing is light and refreshing!

Delicious Eggplant and Zucchini Spread/Dip

It is almost end of August and soon we will be thinking about fall and making fall recipes! 

However, in the meantime are you looking for ways to use up an abundance of summer zucchini? Dips and spreads can be delicious to serve to company or to keep on hand for a quick nourishing snack.

Vegetable Tian - A Colorful and Flavorful Side Dish

This French inspired baked vegetable tian blends summer's abundant vegetables and fresh herbs to create an amazingly delicious healthy side dish.

It looks a little intimidating to make, but a classic tian is actually fairly easy to prepare and makes a truly beautiful presentation at the dinner table.  

Vietnamese Spring Roll In a Bowl and Perfect Peanut Sauce- Oil-Free

Love spring rolls? Looking for easy lunch ideas this summer? 

This recipe for Vietnamese spring roll in a bowl is the perfect choice for a simple healthy lunch or quick dinner on a hot night. It provides all the flavor of spring rolls with 1/2 the effort because you won't need to roll them.

Summer Salad and Best Stacking Mixing Bowls Ever

Summer is certainly the time for interesting salads using farm fresh produce and lots of fixings! But the stars of this post are my new rubber bottom mixing stacking bowls. Wait until you see them!

Stuffed Zucchini Squash- or Kousa Mahshi

Stuffed zucchini squash, known in the Middle East as kousa mahshi,  is traditional Middle Eastern dish that my mother-in-law used to make, and we all loved. Mahshi is a word used for any stuffed foods and kousa is an Arabic word for squash. Easy to make too.

I Need To Vent About Restaurant Service and Attitude

I need to VENT about a restaurant experience, attitude, customer service and quality. 

Last night my husband and I were driving home from North Jersey (1 and 1/2 hour ride to Pennsylvania) and decided to stop in a restaurant for dinner on our way home.  We stopped in a familiar restaurant chain that carries gluten-free pasta and endless salads! Perfect for me. BUT what is wrong with today's workers???

My Bird Bath

We love to watch the birds flock to my backyard to my bird feeders and now I have a new birdbath that I made myself! So easy too.

 

IN MY KITCHEN- AUGUST

What's new in my kitchen for August? I'm in my home in Pennsylvania for 5 months during the summer where I have a house and a spacious kitchen. 

I'm using this electric lemon juicer (above) which speeds up juicing my lemons for recipes that call for lots of fresh lemon juice such as vegan stuffed grape leaves (link) or lemony Greek stuffed tomatoes (link) which are perfect to make with summer tomatoes.