Well would you look at that, it’s the third edition of: FOOD & STUFF, a monthly newsletter where I round up recipe recommendations and food thoughts and deliver them right to your inbox!
Last month’s newsletter began with a declaration of the beginning of HOT GRILL SUMMER, which was fitting because I sure used my grill a lot this month! While mother nature turned up the heat, I turned up the burner on my propane-powered grill that I purchased for $125 from Lowe’s!! While I love the taste of charcoal-grilled meats, etc., I love the convenience and range of my trusty gas grill. Do you have any hot grill hot takes? Or grilling recipes you really like? I would LOVE for you to reply to this email and share any recipes you’d recommend. Who knows, maybe I’ll try your recommendation and like it and you’ll get a shoutout in the next edition of Food & Stuff!!
In this month’s newsletter, we’ll review June’s Everyday Eats, share a food flex, pine over a past plate, and take a look at the summer eats we have to look forward to.
Everyday Eats
Where I share recipes that I have eaten this month during breakfast, lunch, and dinner…and snacks, desserts, and bevvies, etc.!
Breakfast
Y’all know how much I love smoothies, particularly in the summertime after a very hot and humid morning run. Sometimes I like to switch things up and do a very tasty, tropical combo that has a fun twist: fresh MINT! Do not fear: fresh mint does not make the smoothie taste like toothpaste…rather, it adds a refreshing component when blended with the other ingredients. Here’s my recipe, which is not only breakfast but also a beverage! Wow!
Refreshing Mango Minty Green Smoothie
Ingredients
1 heaping cup frozen mango
1 frozen banana
2 cups spinach or kale
1 ½ cups water or almond milk
10-12 fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons almond butter
3 pitted datesBlend and enjoy! Serves 2.
Lunch
With that fresh mint you bought for the smoothie, why not throw it in my next favorite salad that is super great for summer lunches?! I made Smitten Kitchen’s Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Feta and Tahini as a side when some friends came over for dinner but then was happy to have leftovers for lunch the next few days. This salad comes together super easily and keeps well. I like adding chopped parsley and mint to mine, but you could also do cilantro and basil if you prefer. The zippy yet creamy tahini dressing is a delight! Grab the recipe here.
Dinner
A couple stand-out items for me in the month of June including Pasta with Broccoli Kale Sauce (From my cooking club, Natalie Cooks) and Tahini-Smothered Charred Cabbage (From Bon Appetit’s summer issue, which I’ve not made everything from but have been told by a friend that everything in it she’s tried is amazing).
Pasta with Broccoli Kale Sauce
This was such a fun and delicious recipe for me to make. I love how it’s packed with veggies and plant-based protein (from hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds), and the beautiful green color. I’ll share the recipe below the photo!
Pasta with Broccoli Kale Sauce
Ingredients
1 head broccoli, cut into large florets (about 8-10 oz)
1 bunch kale, stems removed (lacinato kale is best!)
2 cloves garlic
16 oz pasta (shape)
½ cup hemp seeds and/or pumpkin seeds
1 cup finely grated parmesan, divided
⅓ cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup basil leaves (optional)
Directions
Fill a large pot with 3-4 quarts of water and about 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add in the broccoli, kale and garlic. Use tongs to submerge everything into the water. Boil for 4-5 minutes, or until broccoli is tender but not mushy. Use tongs to transfer the kale, broccoli and garlic to a high-speed blender or food processor.
Add the pasta to the pot and cook according to package instructions (to al dente). Use a measuring cup to remove at least 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
Add hemp and/or pumpkin seeds, olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper, basil (if using) and ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water to the blender. Blend on high until smooth. You want it to be thick/pourable, but not super runny. Add a bit more pasta water if it’s too thick.
Add pasta back into the pot along with ¾ of the broccoli kale sauce and ½ cup parmesan cheese. Stir to coat. If it’s looking too dry or you want a looser sauce, just stir in a bit more pasta water until it looks right. Serve topped with extra sauce (if you have it), remaining Parmesan, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Tahini-Smothered Charred Cabbage
You guys. I never used to eat cabbage but became a convert upon adulthood. I never imagined GRILLING cabbage, but as a supporter of Hot Grill Summer, I thought I’d give BA’s Tahini-Smothered Charred Cabbage a go. And boy am I glad I did! This recipe is AMAZING. Grilling cabbage is fancy, fresh, funky, and fun. The sauce could win a Noble Prize. This recipe is perfect for impressing company and for people that think cabbage is bad. Cabbage is not bad! You are bad for thinking cabbage is bad! Find the recipe here and serve to all the cabbage haters you know. They will join us shortly in the Cabbage Renassisance of 2021.
Dessert
As the title of this email declared, it is the time of year I like to call "Berry Bonzana.” Now, I’ve never actually called June “Berry Bonzana” until I needed to think up a clever title for this email, but I think it’s true and honoring of the month and all the delicious berries that brighten our lives, our homes, and specifically, our bundt cake pans.
Friends, I’m pleased to share a delicious mixed berry buttermilk bundt cake recipe from our trusted friend over at Smitten Kitchen. This cake has everything: three kinds of berries, buttermilk, actual butter, lemon zest, a lemon glaze! Serve with fresh whipped cream and be happy. Grab the recipe and stock up on discounted berries and find yourself a cool evening or morning to bake this baby up! Great for sharing with friends…or not! Whatever, it’s your cake.
Looking for a gluten-free berry dessert that can be zhuzhed up with some ice cream or served as breakfast with some yogurt? Look no further than this super easy berry crisp. Double it up and serve in a 9x13 for a brunch or dessert!
Food Flex
It is nearly her time: Burst Tomato Galette with Corn and Zucchini. A summer flex. A summer classic. A summer blessing.
Local produce isn’t quite ready to help you source all these ingredients locally, but supermarkets are offering some tasty, American-grown produce from warmer regions that would be perfect for this summer galette. I love a galette because it is rustic, yet kind of fancy. Truly a great Food Flex opportunity! I made this galette for the first time in June 2018, and I try to make her every year. Serve with an arugula salad, some grilled chicken sausages, and a smile.
Pining Over Past Plates
Summer has so many wonderful cooking opportunities, and now that things are settling down a bit in Kent, some group eating opportunities have returned, too! I am pining over this past plate I had last week at my friends’ Charlie and Susan’s house, where they made some zucchini and white bean fritters served with burst cherry tomatoes and a balsamic dressing, a fresh baguette, and my own little bowls of hummus and pesto. It was AMAZING! I didn’t grab the recipe from Susan, but this one looks like it could be a good re-creation.
Summer’s Greatest Hits
I just love summer cooking and eating, and wanted to share a few more recipes from past years that would be great to try at your next picnic, week night dinner, or patio party!
Grilled Corn Salad with Hot Honey–Lime Dressing. I made this for 4th of July one year and it’s insanely good!
Macerated Berries with White Chocolate. Such interesting flavor combos! Another great one to added in some chopped mint or basil.
Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Incredibly easy and incredibly delicious.
Corn & Chickpea Bowl with Miso-Jalapeño Tahini. Again, another great one to use when produce is super fresh, but also great now!
& Stuff!
Signing off with our & Stuff section. Last month, I wrote up a list of things I’d like to do this summer. Item #1 was “Go to Sonic,” which I’ve not yet accomplished, but I have accomplished items # 2 (dust all the blinds in my house, a thrill) and #3 which was much more fun. #3 was that I wanted to rewatch Autumn de Wilde's Emma. starring Anya Taylor-Joy (who I got to see host the season finale of SNL in May!). The movie is a delight, but there is a particular moment that I just love, which the clip below quickly cuts to. “Mother, you MUST sample the tart!” is a wonderful line, great to use for all the lovely berry tarts you can make this summer, like this blackberry cheesecake one I’ve had my eye on for 3 years now…Maybe it’s time I take my own recipe recommendation and finally “SAMPLE THE [Smitten Kitchen Blackberry Cheescake] TART!”
If you liked reading June 2021’s edition of Food & Stuff, reply and let me know! I’d love to hear what you’ve been cooking, drinking, and snacking on lately. I’d love to try and share your recommendation next time! And if you have any friends that would be into this kind of thing, too, do share this with them and invite them to opt in to receive Food & Stuff, too!
YUUM all that mint sounds delish. I gotta try some of your salad recipes! Thanks for the tips. Would love to hear if you have any good drink ideas. Mocktail or cocktail! Mostly mocktail. :)