Summer cooking

[rikibeth]

Or, more accurately, summer food prep, as I tried to use the stove as little as possible. Because it's going to be beastly hot all week, and I don't want to cook at all, and I suspect I will barely want to eat. Having cold food around already prepared should counter that somewhat. I already had some homemade hummus in the fridge. But that wasn't

Comments

[eglantine_br]

Sounds really good. Some days we take deviled eggs to the park. Somehow being outdoors makes them taste even better.

[rikibeth]

There was one Fourth of July, when Milo was quite small and had not yet become a vegetarian, where I made an ultra-traditional picnic meal for the fireworks, with buttermilk-brined fried chicken, and deviled eggs, and potato salad, and fresh lemonade, and I don't remember what-all else. It was a very good meal. If I weren't the only one in the house now who'd eat fried chicken, I would TOTALLY make it again.

However, there is no way I'd be taking any of this to the park this week. Tomorrow's forecast is for a high of 97. Air conditioning FTW!

[tamidon]

seeing as I have an overabundance of eggs I looked around and found a new method for peeling eggs. Takes time tho.You hard boil them as usual and then get them as cold as possible, preferably in the fridge overnight. Then bring a pot of water to a boil and, one at a time, dip the cold egg in. That expands the outer shell enough that it slips off easier when you crack it. i'm sure you know that fresh laid eggs are impossible, but store bought should do fine with this method

[rikibeth]

sounds good. if I have to make pretty deviled eggs for a party I'll remember to plan ahead for that.

[eglantine_br]

That pasta salad sounds great. You know, maybe I am just hungry. That would explain my thinking about food, I guess...

[rikibeth]

If you want to make it, it's one box of penne, one large cucumber peeled seeded and diced, one or two green peppers seeded and diced, one can of chickpeas, two of those bitty cans of sliced black olives (rinse them or they'll taste like the can) and a 10-ounce block of cheddar, cubed, doused in enough dressing to make it well-moistened. I can generally get the vegetables and cheese diced while the pasta is boiling, and then I just rinse and toss the pasta under cold water until it's cool, and let it drain some more so I don't wind up with a lot of water in the bottom of the bowl. Feel free to add other vegetables - eternaleponine is a fussy eater and doesn't even like other colors of pepper.

You will need a very large bowl.

Serves a lot.

[starcat_jewel]

I was intrigued by your description of the gazpacho recipe as "make pico de gallo, add other stuff, turn into soup", so I went and had a look. Would take some tweaking for us; substitute zucchini for the cucumber, reduce the red pepper, increase the onion, use lime juice instead of vinegar, and yes, definitely at least one hot pepper. But it might be worth trying.

Russ likes to make up a batch of guacamole and eat it for lunch; I've tried his, but I still can't stand avocados even with lots of onion and garlic added. So a cold dish that I can eat would be a welcome addition to the pantry.

[rikibeth]

Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman Cooks) has a recipe that includes zucchini, just for cross-reference: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/06/gazpacho/

She also includes a LOT of garnishes. Including stuff you don't like. (Me, I think avocados are nature's perfect food, but whatever.)

Kiddo liked it but also found it thicker than expected and said that a full bowl was too much - I suggested using a 6oz custard cup as a portion next time. Going to go add some ice cubes now.

But I encourage you to try it! It's a wonderful thing to eat on a hot day.

[auspeople]

We used to make traditional gazpacho a la Moosewood (it was more than just salsa-like) but now we make this AWESOME gazpacho with mangos (not totally ripe, though I like ripe) and avocado and bell peppers and I can't remember what else but if you are interested I can share the general premise. It is our go-to gazpacho... very flavorful and unsalsa like.

[rikibeth]

There's a genetic quirk for mangos much like the one for soap-taste in cilantro. If you have that quirk, the thing you taste in mangos is turpentine -- worse in unripe, but still present in ripe ones.

I have that quirk.

Moosewood gazpacho! I ought to look that up again. I spend so much time on the web I forget what I have on my bookshelves!

[auspeople]

SUCK! Mangos are great, though peaches are better. You could probably substitute.

Yes, Moosewood gazpacho. Look it up. I used to make that all the time.

[rikibeth]

Peaches are just ick, though.

I made a cantaloupe gazpacho once that was awesome. It's somewhere back in my archives from the days when Michaele was driving me completely insane.