What's for Dinner, Thurs., July 8, 2021

[NJCher]

Salad. It has all kinds of interesting stuff on it, like baby mozzarella balls, black olives, peppadews, jalapeno stuffed green olives, sliced red peppers, carrots cut on the mandoline, scallions (garden), freshly cut garden celery. Artichoke hearts.

I mixed some ranch dressing, mayo, and half 'n half for the dressing.

On the side I made some crispy zucchini and summer squash slices. I breaded them in panko and slow cooked them on the range.

Also on the side, bagel chips with lemon twist hummus.

Pineapple coconut Haagen Daz for dessert.

[Siwsan]

1. I picked the first of this year's Zucchini, today

So I sauteed the zucchini in butter, made an Alfredo sauce and added salmon, linguini and the zucchini. Very simple but should also be pretty tasty.

[NJCher]

2. my zucchini was a first, too

unfortunately a groundhog chewed through it on one end but I salvaged a good part of it.

This is new. We haven't had a groundhog in the community garden. I have my special method for getting rid of it, though. Not deadly, just a bit distasteful so I will say no more on the dinner thread.

[Siwsan]

6. I've only seen one groundhog, this year, and it kindly showed me a breach in my fence line

I walked out the door and it dodged beneath a shrub that's next to the garden fence. The next thing I saw was it running THROUGH the garden (this was before I had planted anything.) So I chased it out and grabbed a roll of fencing to do a repair.

A few years back there were a LOT of groundhogs wrecking havoc in everyone's un fenced gardens. Then the Feral cats arrived. This is the first time in about 3 years I've seen a groundhog, and so far it is just the one. AND I haven't seen that one in well over a month.

I purposely let garlic grow in abundance, all along the fence line. That tends to keep anything from wanting to burrow beneath the fence. Also have a few other 'not for dinner threads' solutions, too.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Pan fried cod with greens - kale, mustard, broccoli

Don't know about desert. Had enough watermelon for today.

[MontanaMama]

14. That looks fabulous!

[FoxNewsSucks]

4. Hominy soup

topped with sliced avocado and green onion.

[PJMcK]

5. Roasted chicken

A couple of hours ago, my son and I sailed into NY harbor and moored at the 79th Street Boat Basin where we’ll be keeping the S/V Pelagic. When the current downpour ends, we’ll use the dinghy to get ashore where the Landlady(!) is making an end of voyage repast.

Stuffed roasted chicken. Garlic mashed potatoes. French cut green beans. Mini croissants with butter. Chocolate cake. Champagne.

It’s good to be almost home!

[elleng]

15. Sounds great, PJ; glad you're home!

[Callalily]

7. Rice and spinach casserole with basil

Nice way to use up zucchini and the basil I'm using is from my herb garden.

[irisblue]

8. Boca Burger and assorted sauted veggies in dark sesame oil

lots of fizzy lime water

[Hortensis]

9. Salad here also, a chopped-salad crisper dive with tomato, avocado, corn,

and cauliflower as the major elements, tossed with a lime, garlic and jalapeno dressing. It'll be topped with a little sliced steak. I love salads with chunks of veggies large enough to spear with a fork and enjoy for themselves.

[NJCher]

10. salad additions

totally agreed ! I love a big piece of avocado. You reminded me that I was going to mention cauliflower, which I also put into mine. I ice the pieces down in a bowl of cold water in the frig, then add them to the salad. For some reason they seem to have a cooling effect. I love the crispiness they add to the salad, too.

Salads are just the greatest in the summertime and I love the fact that I can grow so many of my own greens. In the hot weather, oak leaf lettuce does well so I have that coming along, too.

[MissMillie]

11. beans and weenies

I had a container of homemade beans in the freezer, so we decided to use them up.

Natural casing franks in toasted New England-style hot dog rolls, with the usual condiments.

sliced tomatoes


ice cream for dessert

[Luciferous]

12. Cajun chicken pasta

[ProfessorGAC]

13. Spaghetti & Red Meat Sauce

It was good, but not my best.
Should have added more ground cayenne and a pinch more sugar.
I thought it was enough in tasting just the sauce, but on the pasta it needed a little more sweet & hot.
Used green & red bell pepper, mutant scallions, onion, and mushrooms, sauteed in the 80:20 beef fat (after it rendered and meat was braised). Added fresh garlic, salt, pepper & chopped fresh parsley, oregano, & basil. (Fresh as in cut off our plants, 2 minutes before I added it.)
When mostly cooked, one cup of red wine, and reduced.
Crushed tomato, chopped fresh tomato, tomato sauce, and shredded parmesano to increase viscosity, then a pinch of cinnamon.
Added salt & sugar to taste, but didn't nail it.
Still ok. Could taste all the notes of the various spices & herbs.