From Garden to Table

August 25, 2010 by 31 Comments

Besides my herbs, tomatoes and kale have been our top producers this season from our garden, we have given away so much kale and it’s still growing! It’s been so nice to walk out to the garden, pick something and then create a meal around it. Cold weather and winter comes too soon here so I’m savoring every last bit of summer.

What’s summer without fresh sliced tomatoes simply dressed with olive oil, basil, salt and pepper? Sometimes I add fresh mozzarella or fresh ricotta or even just plain, it doesn’t matter as long as there’s some good crusty bread alongside, it’s a meal in itself!

Vine ripened cherry tomatoes roasted and tossed in pasta is good plain or with any kind of seafood, topped off with crunchy breadcrumbs and fresh herbs enhances the flavors.

How about a zucchini ricotta pie? You can add tomatoes, grated cheese, onions, garlic, lemon zest and fresh herbs, with or without a crust, either way it’s a great summer meal with a salad.

I have really grown to love kale this year and the fact that it’s so good for you is a bonus!

Pasta with sauteed kale, garlic, roasted tomatoes and cannellini beans graced our table a few times this summer, shave a little pecorino romano on top and you have a nice healthy meal.


Of course everything is cooked with heart healthy extra virgin olive oil, is there really anything else?

I wanted to make ricotta gnocchi, so instead of adding spinach like I normally do, I thought why not try it with kale, I just chopped it up small, sauteed it for a few minutes and folded it right into the ricotta.

This was so good tossed into a light marinara sauce and so quick and easy to make. It’s hard to believe September is right around the corner. Hope you’re enjoying every last minute of your summer!
Buon Appetito!

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31 Comments Filed Under: Greens, Pasta, Seasonal Tagged: , , , ,

Grilled Veggie Torte Revisited

August 20, 2010 by 18 Comments

Some things just need to be revisited, they’re worth repeating especially when you change them up a bit, such is the case with this Grilled Veggie Torte. My inspiration for making this first hit me a few years ago when I saw this layered beauty in the case at my local Whole Foods store. I asked them how they made it, was there any cheese between the layers? I was in awe of it’s cake like structure and the beauty of it. It was made in a spring form pan piled high with veggies and feta cheese in between, I instantly went home and tried to recreate it, since then I have made it several times for parties, to bring along to a friends house or just when I want to use up an abundance of veggies like I did here. It’s very impressive looking and it can be made in any size pan, the one in my previous post was a 6 inch pan, the one here was a nine inch.
The more colorful you make it the better it is, that’s what gives it the wow factor. I used green, red, yellow and orange peppers, vadalia onion rings, zucchini, eggplant and portabello mushrooms tossing torn fresh basil in between. Feel free to use any of your favorite veggie combinations.

In previous times I have put feta cheese, shredded mozzarella, parmesan or asiago between each layer and on top. Grilling all your veggies do take some time so feel free to grill them the day before and just assemble it on the day you bake it. Remember to brush them all with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before grilling.

Then the other day my friend Stacey posted a beautiful Grilled Vegetable Torte with a crispy and cheesy breadcrumb topping on it and I was inspired to make her version ASAP! all I can say is that the topping enhanced the over all deliciousness of the torte! Check out her beautiful version here.
I also added sliced garden tomatoes on one layer after seeing hers. I made my crispy topping with homemade bread crumbs, grated romano cheese, snipped basil, salt and pepper, and a generous drizzle of olive oil on the top. The two new additions were incredible!
Bake it at 400F for about a half hour. The key is to let it really cool down before you pop the spring on the pan and you will have no problem cutting it into perfect wedges, just make sure you use a serrated knife and slowly cut through it.
The torte can stand proudly alone as a vegetarian meal along with a salad or it’s a wonderful side dish with any type of grilled meat. I served mine with this chicken above. A great summer meal indeed!

Buon Appetito!

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18 Comments Filed Under: Grilled Foods, Savory Tarts, Side Dishes, Vegetables Tagged: , , ,

It’s My Blogiversary Today!

August 15, 2010 by 76 Comments

Three years ago today Proud Italian Cook was born, I can honestly say it has been one of the best things I’ve ever done, mainly because along this journey into the blogosphere I have met the most incredible people with so much amazing talent that inspires me on a daily basis.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to all of my dear blog friends, subscribers, readers , family and friends, I appreciate and adore all your comments!

Looking forward to my journey into next year!

To celebrate my blogiversary I’d like to introduce you first to a company called Blog2Print, they provide bloggers with an easy way to turn their blog into a professionally printed book.

A friend of mine first told me about them and she encouraged me to check them out. I started thinking how cool it would be to have my blog in book form, something to hand down to my family, after all our blogs are like a journal into our daily lives whether it be through food, travels or any other passion that we blog about.

Then one day I got an email from Julie at Blog2Print and she asked me if I would like to try out their product, as you can imagine I was very excited.

With Blog2Print you can print all your pictures, posts, and comments if you wish, if you’ve been blogging for a while you might want to do it in volumes like I did. Depending on how many photos and text you have that’s going to determine the pages used in your book. For instance my first volume consisted of 123 pages, plus a dedication page, and 4 table of contents pages. I was able to fit most of my first year of blogging into the book. I didn’t add any comments into my book it would have taken up too many pages and added to the cost, but that’s entirely up to you.

It’s easy to do and you can personalize your book any way you want with their simple instructions.

I think giveaways are more fun when everyone has the chance to participate so for one lucky reader you’ll be recieving a coupon code for forty dollars from Blog2Print so all my Canadian and International friends can take part, just be aware that there will be some shipping costs. Shipping within the U.S. is free.

So now you can use that coupon to create your own blog book like mine up above. I wish I can offer one to each and every one of you but unfortunately I can’t, but at least I hope I’ve encouraged you to think about doing this your self. You can test it out for free and see your blog in book form on their site with no obligation at all, go and check it out but once you do you’ll be hooked like me. The quality is even better in person!

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, the winner will be announced on Friday August 20th.

I will be using random generator, if I can figure it out! lol

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76 Comments Filed Under: Summer Tagged: ,