Posted September 7, 2011 - 10:40am by Tracy
A summer of recipes in review
Summer may be coming to a close, and the chilly lakefront breeze may have you craving warm comfort foods and hearty slow-cooked meals. But September is truly the height of the summer harvest in Chicago and the perfect time to take a fresh look at all the produce-inspired recipes that Well Community posted this summer.
Besides making good use of your seasonal produce, you’ll also be up on the latest foodie trend. Tara-Parker Pope pointed out in her New York Times Well blog last week that veggie-based dishes are increasingly taking center stage on dinner tables and in restaurants across the country.
So, to make things easy on you, here is a recap of the top 10 recipes we featured this summer:
Avocado chocolate mousse recipe from Cousin's Incredible Vitality
Lemon tofu and vegetables recipe from The Loving Hut
Summer squash stir fry recipe from Whole Foods
Grilled heirloom tomato and pesto pizza recipe from Whole Foods
Grilled Caprese salad recipe from Joelen Tan of What's Cooking, Mama, and Whole Foods
Mediterranean crunch salad recipe from Whole Foods
Oven-roasted kale chips recipe from Whole Foods
(I tried this one out and reported back on NorthSide Reaction)
Portobello burger recipe from Whole Foods
Eggplant-garbanzo bean dip recipe from Whole Foods
Last but not least, my personal favorite recipe from the summer was the Fusilli pasta with roasted tomatoes and hidden zucchini from Whole Foods.
Maybe it was the garden-grown tomatoes, basil and zucchini, the fresh-shaved parmesan cheese, or perhaps just the opportunity to sit down to a quiet dinner with my husband — but that was one of the best meals we’ve had in a long time. So glad I tried it out.
The colors in the dish were great; the roasted tomatoes were so flavorful, and the zucchini added crunchiness and a juicy texture. I ended up using my extra basil to make a quick pesto to change up the flavor for a second helping. Then, I pureed the leftover tomatoes into a marinara that I could freeze for a busy weeknight in the future.
Yum. Although I’m tempted to make that recipe over and over while the steady stream of “gift zucchinis” are coming my way, I’m going to mix it up and try the summer squash stir fry and the grilled pizza recipes next.
How about you? Which recipes have you tried, or do you plan to try? Let us know!
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