My dear Katie (friend, but I’d adopt her in a minute) has influenced my cooking far out of proportion to her young age.   It’s always a joy to eat in her home or to have her join us at our table.  She serves a Bruschetta that is stunning in its blend of flavors. 

My DH and I love this. We don’t just like it a little bit.  We’re crazy about this stuff.  With tomatoes coming on I’m looking forward to many reasons to make it.  I’ve always pronounced it “brew-SHET-ah” until my SIL Valeri, the Italian student in her spare time, corrected me: an Italian would say “brew-SKAY-tah,” lingering a little on the SKAY.  Well, hunky-dory by me!  I have two friends: Katie and Kate, and saying this lovely little concoction in correct Italian reminds me of them both!

Katie’s Bruschetta

1 loaf Italian bread
8 garlic cloves

1 pound tomatoes, chopped
1 T red onion, diced
1 T fresh basil, chopped
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 T olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp each: salt and pepper

We skip the bread, unless we’re trying to be civilized with company.  It’s better made up and cooled in the refrigerator for several hours, but who can wait?  Curt likes to alternate bites of a sandwich with bites of bruschetta.   It tastes fabulous on top of a green salad, or as a dip with veggies.  But I like it best by itself.

Dana posted this recipe last week.  It looked good and I decided to make it that day.  As a young girl, I never enjoyed potato salads and bean salads, which just means there are some good things that come with growing up. This is THE MOST festive looking dish with the bright red, green and yellow colors.  And people: it’s healthy! Thank you, Dana!  (Note: I substituted a Walla Walla sweet onion for the purple onion.)  For my local friends, I will be bringing this to Luke and Joanne’s graduation celebration Friday. 

Black Bean Salad

3 cans (15.5oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz corn (I buy frozen and don’t cook it before adding)
1 large red pepper, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 purple onion, diced

Combine black beans, corn, both peppers and onion in large serving
bowl.  Pour dressing over ingredients.  Stir.  Cover and refrigerate
for four hours.
Serves 8 adults.

Dressing:
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1/3 C olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed

This salad gets better with age and when preparing I usually double
it, so that I will have leftovers.  That is, *planned-overs* 🙂

Here’s one way to use this salad, despite the obvious of serving it twice as a side dish.

Use 1/2 C (more or less depending on tastebuds) in a main-dish
salad.  Starting with 2-3 C torn lettuce, I usually add 1/4 C cottage
cheese, some crushed Doritos, plus 1 Tbs Catalina dressing.  Yum!

I have also served the *planned-overs* as a dip.  I recommend using the stronger tortilla chips.

I have a fun assignment every July: I purchase all the food for our church’s Family Camp. Which means I get to work with one of THE BEST camp cooks.  Teresa has so many tricks and has gladly shared many with me.  Here’s one;

Easy Potato Soup

Fix a package of scalloped potatoes according to directions.
Put cooked potatoes in a big pot and add milk until it is a soup like mixture.
Add chunks of ham. Heat and serve.
Voila!  Potato Soup!

I’ve never met a person who didn’t like this soup.  For 150 people, we purchase several 36 oz boxes of scalloped potatoes from a restaurant supply store.  I buy this size and follow the recipe for half a box, which probably feeds 20.  I’m sure that the regular size from the grocery store would work well too.  It’s not the best diet food, but it really tastes nourishing.  We’re at the tail end of “soup season” and it’s chilly enough outside to warrant something warm and comforting. 

If you’ve tasted Teresa’s soup, please comment!!

My mother-in-law had us over for dinner last night and made a crackin’ good meal.  The cauliflower was incredibly good.  So you have your basic cauliflower and it needs something. I mean, really, does anyone eat it plain?  I used to make a white sauce and add lots of cheddar cheese and pour that over cooked cauliflower.  The recipe below is infinitely better – lighter and brighter.  It looks elegant, and no one needs to know that it has something so low brow as potato chips in it.  I’ve made it before with Ritz crackers but the chips are truly an improvement over Ritz crackers.

Cooked cauliflower (in the microwave is easy)
I Tablespoon butter
crushed chips (potato, corn or Doritos)

Wow, it’s good!  My MIL used regular Doritos and it gave a pretty burnt orange color.  So good.  Try it!  The next time I make it, I’ll take a picture and post it. Enjoy!

A great and easy recipe from my friend Edie: 

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 jar/container of mango salsa.  (In the hicks here mango salsa is not available.  I substituted pineapple peach salsa.)

1 can chicken broth

Cook overnight in the crockpot on LOW.  In the morning shred the chicken with two forks.  Refrigerate. 

Now you have incredibly delicious chicken for any recipe you need during the week. It is great to snack on.  It is ready to go.  I highly recommend it.  So good.