Spring has definitely sprung here in Chicago! finally!! So long winter! See ya! Ba Bye! Arrivederci! Ciao!!
Time to open up the windows, crank up the grill, clean off the lawn furniture, and enjoy the sunshine! And thats just what we did!
Heres a couple of appetizers we enjoyed over the weekend. CAPRESE EGGPLANT TOWER
Grilled eggplant
Fresh mozzarella
Ripe and juicy tomatoes
Red onion
Fresh basil
Brush eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill. You can either grill the red onion slice or just keep it raw. Stack in any order you want.
Drizzle everything with your best extra virgin olive oil, and don’t forget a couple slices of good bread. I like the holes you get with a chiabatta, it’s not doughy at all. Oh, and don’t forget to open up your favorite bottle of wine to enjoy with this.
GRILLED ZUCCINI WITH PESTO AND PINENUTSGrill your zuccini, and spread on your favorite pesto! so simple, so good!
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! 🙂
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
Wow, now this just makes my mouth water!
I thought spring was here in the midwest too, and now we are supposed to get SNOW tomorrow. Ugh!
This looks wonderful!
Thanks everyone for visiting, and a big welome to my new visitors, I might have spoke to soon about the spring thing, today its 38 Degees cold, windy and rainy here in Chicago. Hope its better where you’re at! 😀
I love your caprese tower!!!
I love how the Italians make various towers (or timbales in Italian) out of everything. We had one at our wedding in Tuscany and since then, I’ve been wanting to make some at home (but haven’t!)… this is inspiring me!! The grilling marks are perf!
great job.
amy @ we are never full
Marie, Absolutely fantastic! I’ll have a piece of the tower….pleeease :)) I love melanzane. My favourite summer dish is parmigiana di melanzane, after a day spent on the beach….coming back home with a nice piece of parmigiana and the world is perfect!!
Love the pic with courgette and pine nut. Very cute 😛
Bacioni bella,
daniela
I’m a food lover and
this Italian food blog leaves me without words!! Absolutely gorgeous!!
oh my goodness….I am so hungry now!
This looks fantastic!
Forget spring, I feel like I just took a dip into summer. Those eggplant stacks are fabulous, Marie. This is just my kind of food. Simple fresh flavors that shine.
What a wonderful welcome to Spring! Wish I could drop by & share your deicious looking antipasti & bubbly Marie. fab pictures too…yum yum all the way!!
Thats incredible and your phoots are outstanding. Perfect for the spring.
brava
very nice
Oh Yumm!! What a great idea for zuccini..
Those basil leaves are fabulous..so large!! 🙂
Awesome pictures. It all looks so juicy! Yum
It all looks so fresh and delicious! Great pics too!
What a way to celebrate the arrival of spring. It looks delicious!.
One day I am going to make a list of things that I don’t like to eat and ask you to cook them and post on your site. That’s bound to get me in the kitchen wanting to try them.
Look at that antipasti! Maria, you are such an outstanding cook!
OMG, this is definitely a dish I want to try, it has been unseasonably warm and sunny here in Cleveland, but I know we will have more cool days ahead.
Still a little cold here in NYC but as soon as I can use my grill I’m going to try the zucchini with pesto and pine nuts recipe!
Did you ever make sauteed fennel & sardine sauce for pasta? Just curious what your recipe would be, as I recently discovered that combination and love it!
Thanks,
Pat
I’m not into eggplant but this looks amazing and I would be definitely into trying this!!! Looks fantastic!
Yahooo! Finally spring has knocked on your door and fired up your grill! That stack is too cool! Nothing like the smell of veggies while cooking on the grill. Glad you mentioned having a glass of wine as that will complete the party in your mouth!
oooooh, yum! I love this – I keep pine nuts & pesto in my kitchen at ALL times…. so perfect for grilling (a little trick I learned earlier from you, thank you very much!). This is the best time of the year to just relax in the back yard with a glass of wine & nibble on tasty food with friends.
xoxox Amy
Oh, both of those dishes are beautiful! I love the tower. Must try doing that this summer with the farmer’s market produce . . . yowza. I don’t think my husband could resist, even with the eggplant in there. 😉
I am so enjoying reading about everyone’s spring dishes! Where is spring in the uk?!
Zuccini with pesto and pinenuts sounds great. I’ll have to try that.
I am here by way of Gloria’s Canela’s Kitchen. She recommended your blog. 🙂
Oh my Gawdddd! This looks awesome. Seriously awesome. I’ve seen you commenting around, and decided to check out your site—SO happy I did! 🙂 You’ll be seeing more of me around. 🙂
I could eat this for dinner (with wine, of course) and I’d be a happy camper!
Wow Marie,
Your pictures are beautiful!! This dish looks perfect. Very nice.
Both recipes for eggplant look great! I have made an eggplant sandwich in my panini maker with cheese and roasted red peppers – looks a little like the tower eggplant recipe you have here.
Thanks ,
Sharona May
That grilled eggplant tower looks really tasty! The tower is a great way to serve the dish.
I’m not a big fan of eggplant, but you’ve made that zuchinni look amazing!
WOW!!! great pics Marie, this looks fab and so simple but it’s all about the presentation!! Pour me a glass would you:)
Marie…. those look. Goooooood! I’m with you, so glad spring has sprung. It’s beautiful here in New England today… and by that I mean sunny and 50 degree. It’s NE, I’ll take it. The bbq is going to get used tonight!
Looks wonderful Marie, I love zuccini in all types!!! Gloria
Psychgrad, Yes I just grilled the eggplant after I brushed it with olive oil. As far as the red onion goes, you can either grill them or leave it raw. 🙂
Wow Looks so DELICIOUS.
Wish I was living near you, then i would have had a taste 🙂
Hops we get some good weather here too.
It is still cold here.
Flash up the BBQ and let’s get the party started Marie:D
Hi Marie!
Those pictures are wonderful! Makes me want to take your bread and dip into the olive oil.
Can’t wait to grill 🙂
Ciao e complimenti per il blog!
Remo(ilmaialeubriaco)
You know I love eggplant! Grilling is one of my favorite ways to make it as well.
Another eggplant recipe coming up from me on Wednesday…come visit 🙂
Oh my does this look mouth watering good! I’ve been meaning to make that eggplant dish but kept putting it off. Must try next and love the zucchini with pistachios YUM!
The antipasti looks amazing tasting. Do you just grill the eggplant and onion?