Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Late Summer Garden Harvest Dinner

Did you have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend? We spent the weekend with my youngest sister Mary Kate, her husband Adam, and their five children. Also present were my parents, and my sister Heidi and husband Mikey, with their four children. All in all, there were 8 adults and 11 kids. The little girls spent the weekend putting on a production of the musical, Annie. They all took turns playing the part of Annie, in democratic style. By the way, I was cast as Miss Lily St. Regis with my Quiet Man as Rooster Hannigan. He surprised me by hamming it up more than just a little bit. And me, well, I didn't take three years of high school acting for nothin'. Thanks, Mr. Byers, you taught me everything I know.
As for the little boys, they spent the weekend collecting sticks and rocks, wrestling, and trying to heckle the Annie actresses.
Ah, it was a great weekend. I think I could put on a play every weekend, provided I was just given Monday off. Pretty please. A looong break makes the week much easier to face.
Speaking of long breaks, our garden is just about to take a hiatus until next spring. I'm going to miss my backyard bounty, especially those juicy red tomatoes, the golden corn, and the crisp green beans. Last week, I fixed a dinner of all of my favorite summer garden vegetables. It's not a farewell, not quite yet, but you can tell it's coming. Here's what we had:
Avocado and Tomato Salad with Lime Drizzle
Buttered Corn on the Cob
Green Beans and Red Potatoes in Cream
Roasted Tomatoes with Breadcrumbs and Olive Oil
If you're feeling really ambitious, a nice crisp or cobbler would be ideal for dessert. Especially with your last batch of homemade ice cream.
Money Saving Tips: Use what you've got from the garden, or hit up the farmer's market. You can use any variety of tomatoes, even cherry or grape. Just shorten the cooking time. Use other thin skinned potatoes, if red are expensive this week.
Tomato and Avocado Salad with Lime Drizzle
Estimated Cost: $3.50 for four servings
1 small avocado, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
2 teaspoons olive oil
Layer avocado, tomato, and cilantro on plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with lime juice and olive oil.
Grandma Darland's Red Potatoes and Green Beans
Estimated Cost: $3.00 for 4 servings
2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb. green beans, cut into one inch pieces
1/2-3/4 cup cream of half and half
Place potatoes in cold water in a large pot. Salt water. Bring to a boil. Cook for about eight minutes, or until potatoes are almost tender. Add green beans and cook until just tender and bright green. Drain well. Return to pot. Add cream, mashing a few potatoes with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Roasted Tomatoes with Bread Crumbs and Olive Oil
Estimated Cost: $3.00 for 4 servings
4 red ripe tomatoes, halved
olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (made from 1-2 pieces of bread)
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 4000 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 25 minutes. In a small bowl, combine crumbs, garlic, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake an additional ten minutees, or until crumbs are toasted.
Next Up:
Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn

11 comments:

Evelyn said...

Oh my gosh, I don't know which I'm more excited for, the delicious recipes you just posted, or the peanut butter and honey popcorn coming up!!

Jessica @ Barefoot by the Sea said...

Yum Prudy, that avocado salad looks really good. I love how you put the cost per serving as well!

Tightwad Mom said...

Yeah! I finally found someone who eats red potatoes and green beans in cream sauce,too! I add bacon or ham to ours(Dear Hubby is a meatasaurus,and gets cranky if I serve to many veggie only dinners!LOL!)I'm going to miss my garden,too.

The JR said...

Glad you had a great weekend!

All the veggies look good.

Bill Bird said...

I'm glad you had a good year for tomatoes Pru. Pickings were kinda slim out on the Left Coast this year -- where the weather really never did cooperate. I've never experienced a cold summer like this one -- and it showed with a reduced tomato harvest. Our corn crop was a complete and total failure this year -- a first. But what can you expect when temps refuse to climb over 80 degrees and it's cold enough to frost in the morning? An AUGUST morning I might add...

Michal said...

I vote for every Monday being a holiday. We didn't spend Monday doing anything luxurious, but having Monday to catch up meant that Friday and Saturday could be:) Tuesday hasn't been nearly as challenging as a Monday would have been.

Our tomatoes have been prolific this year, much to my delight. And last year we had cherry tomatoes on the vine in the garden until December 2nd! It's true, folks. They are promising a harsher winter this year, though, so I might not get to have garden tomatoes on Thanksgiving this year.

Catherine said...

All of those dishes look so delicious that I can't decide where to begin. Thanks for sharing.

Nana said...

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I am trying the tomato recipes for sure.

MK and Co. said...

Wow this meal looks so beautiful, bright , and delicious! I can't wait to make these recipes Prudy. Thanks!

FoodontheTable said...

The avocado salad with lime drizzle looks amazing! Such a fresh summer dinner. Thanks for sharing!

Shelley said...

Prudy, that avocado and tomato and cilantro salad is amazing! Kind of like guacamole and salsa in one salad. Really healthy and easy, too. You come up with the greatest ideas and recipes. This is another new fave!