Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

We had some homemade gnocchi in the freezer, and I found this recipe for gnocchi with zucchini, yellow summer squash, and tomatoes in one of my old Everyday Food magazines.  It looked just right for this week.

I had read somewhere that you could freeze uncooked gnocchi.  At first I thought it wasn't turning out well, some of them seemed to be falling apart.  But in the end I think they turned out well and it is worth making a large batch of gnocchi to freeze half for another time. 

Gnocchi can be found frozen and sometimes even dried I think, but these vegetables would be good just tossed with some pasta as well. 

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables Recipe

adapted from Martha Stewart

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 summer squash, quartered and sliced (or 2 of either squash)
1 garlic clove, minced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
gnocchi (I had about 3 cups frozen)
fresh basil, chopped chiffonade
grated Pecorino Romano, or parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper 

 In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add squash and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 2 minutes.

 Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi. Reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet. Toss gnocchi with vegetables.  Remove from heat and stir in basil, butter, and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper if needed (my gnocchi was salty enough from the boiling water).  If you want it to be more saucy add some of the reserved cooking liquid. Grate some fresh cheese on top. Serve

Pesto Crescents

I had a party here the other night and made these pesto crescents. They are really easy. I used prepared crescent roll dough since that is one skill I haven't mastered making at home! (I've heard Martha Stewart has a good recipe though--maybe I'll have to try it sometime when I have three days to do it.) 

The roll dough comes out in little triangles--I cut each triangle in half length-wise to make it a skinny triangle. Spread it with pesto and roll them up into little rolls.

350* oven for about 10 minutes, or until they get puffed up and golden brown.

These are delicious, and cutting the rolls in half before rolling and baking makes them a perfect 2-3 bite size for parties.

Pizza Margherita

The garden is producing.

And we are eating.

Pizza Margherita

Shape pizza dough.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Arrange chopped tomatoes and fresh basil.
Top with Mozzarella cheese, covering the basil to keep it from burning.
Bake hot and fast.

Tomato Basil Soup

Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

4 tomatoes peeled,seeded, and diced
4 cups tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Put tomatos and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves. (Use an immersion blender. Cheap ones are only $20 bucks and I use mine all the time--they are great for smoothies too.)

Over medium heat stir in the cream, do not boil. Season with any salt an pepper desired. (I find that canned tomato juice is usually salty enough.) Serve hot with crusty bread and pesto.

Lemon Basil Ice Cream

Basil is one of the fragrant joys of summer time. When I saw this recipe for lemon basil ice cream I was intrigued,and knew I had to find the opportunity to make it.

The ice cream did not disappoint, with clean crisp flavors, and creamy texture. It's a new favorite.

2 c. milk
1 bunch basil
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 lemons (zest only)

Simmer the milk with the basil over low heat until the basil leaves wilt and turn brown. Remove from heat and strain the milk removing the basil. Mix in the sugar while the milk is still warm and then refrigerate this mixture for 2 hours, or until chilled.

Put the milk and cream in the freezer for about 10 minutes so it will be ice cold for freezing. Zest the two lemons and mix with the basil-infused milk and the creamt. Pour the mixture into the bowl of the ice cream maker. Freeze according to your machine's directions.

Watermelon Basil Lemonade

I've been planning Fourth of July food for weeks. I have binders and piles and stashes of recipes I have clipped from magazines. There's a number of things I've been waiting for the "right occasion" to try.

Be it good or bad for us as a whole, most holiday celebrations in our society center closely around food. Thus the traditional 4th of July barbecue was the occasion I'd been waiting for. I went grocery shopping Monday and bought all the food supplies I needed. Mid-week we were at Target and found some bright red paper lanterns on clearance--perfect for a patriotic celebration. By the end of the week I realized we had a party planned with no guest list. So I made a few invitations to friends not thrown-off by a last minute invitation.


One big hit was the watermelon-basil lemonade. We served it with frozen watermelon chunk "ice cubes".

We sat around for hours. Talking, letting the kids run around and play, and watching Jeremy singe his fingertips entertaining us with fireworks. I haven't had that much fun in a long time.

And Sunday morning as we showed up for church poor little Jonas looked like he'd been through a crazy night of partying, his right eye swollen shut from the effects of an unfortunately positioned mosquito bite.

Ah, summer!

Watermelon-Basil Lemonade

1/4 C Basil Leaves
1/2 -3/4 C Sugar
4-5 Lemons
3 Cups pureed watermelon

Place basil leaves in a heat-proof pitcher. Bruise the leaves with the back of a wooden spoon. Pour in Sugar and add 4 cups boiling water. Juice lemons to make 1 cup of juice, reserve rinds. Add lemon juice along with pureed watermelon and lemon rinds to the pitcher. Chill in the fridge for 3 hours. Strain and serve garnished with fresh watermelon slices.