The summer of food

For some reason, this summer I decided that I would try out all sorts of new recipes.  Maybe it was the fact that DH had a garden that was producing all sorts of wonderfulness, or maybe I just wanted to get out of a rut.  Either way, we tried some yummy new dishes this summer.

First up, Black Bean Tacos.  I made this dish twice, and it turned out much better the second time.  I love that it’s super fast and easy.  Not really what I’d call toddler friendly, but they didnt’ seem to mind the fact that the tacos would totally fall apart on them=)

When I found the recipe for Scalloped Tomatoes, I thought it looked fantastic.  It was pretty good, but not as good as  I   would have thought.  It was pretty oily and the flavor just wasn’t as rich as I thought it should have been.  I’m not ready to dump this recipe out, though.  Even though it takes FOREVER to make, I still think it has promise.

Shells are a favorite around here, you just can’t seem to go wrong with them.  The last time I made them, they turned out especially delish . . . I sauteed mushrooms, onions and bell pepper,  and managed to find some ricotta that wasn’t fat free (READ: had any taste at all).

Pasta, in general, makes a rather frequent appearance at our dinner table.  For one, it’s super easy, for two, it’s quite toddler friendly.  Pizza is another favorite because, well, it’s pizza.  Need I say more?  Sooo, when I found a recipe for Pasta Pizza in my Better Homes and Gardens Pasta cookbook, I was sold.  I’ll probably make a few changes to how the “crust” is made next time I make it, but it was definitely a fun recipe.  I’m looking forward to trying their Taco Spaghetti recipe later this week.

One of the more plentiful items from the garden was acorn squash.  We still have a bunch stashed under our hutch . . .saving them for winter stews, or something.  Anyway, I found this recipe for Orzo Stuffed Acorn Squash.  Certainly not TDF, but pretty good.  I think I would probably add more parmesan cheese, and maybe a few more spices to the orzo.  But, it was a nice variation on the brown sugar and butter treatment that squash usually gets.

Hands down, the best recipe from this summer was the Polenta and Black Bean Casserole. DH is not really a fan of polenta.  Okay, so he just plain old doesn’t like it.  Unless it’s in this form=)  This is good news for me because I quite like polenta, so now I get to make it for dinner more often.  As an added bonus, this recipe is crazy easy.  Thank you epicurious.com!