When it's as hot outside as it has been, it's hard for me to bring myself to even turn on the stove. The extra heat that the stovetop and oven add to our open-concept kitchen and living space isn't my favorite thing, but it's not that hard to avoid -- you just have to get creative! With this week's meal plan, I'm keeping the heat in mind and sharing recipes that utilize the grill, the slow cooker, and the microwave. We'll keep our houses cool and maybe even find a new Summertime ritual to love - Red beans and rice on Mondays, Grilled pizza on Fridays... Uh oh, I could get used to this.
Kidding.
Kind of.
To adapt this recipe for the slow cooker, simply follow all the steps in the original recipe until you get to the part where you're told to simmer the beans on the stovetop. At that point, add everything to the slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours on low. Then do as directed in the recipe to finish it out.
My mom shared this Splendid Table podcast episode with me on the three hour drive to my grandparents' house. I absolutely love the sentiments behind Pabeaux Johnson's Monday night tradition of serving this exact meal to a different group of 10-12 people each week. In the podcast, he mentions how it's not a "dinner party"; it's just supper. It's a great listen, and a wonderful story about building community around a dinner table. Grab your ear buds and check it out.
A quarter peck of peaches is the smallest amount you can purchase at the Engelbrecht stand at the farmer's market. You'll have plenty left over for a homemade galette (which is basically a rustic pie), if you feel so inclined. Find my favorite crust in the world HERE, and instructions for making the galette below.
Grilled Farmer’s Market Pizza with Tomatoes, Zucchini, Scallions, Corn and Ricotta (Recipe below)
Take my advice and make a double batch of the pizza dough, using the recipe I link to, below. It keeps well in the refrigerator and you'll be set to grill up a pizza at a moment's notice, using what's leftover in your refrigerator. It's totally worth the extra time it takes to make it, yourself, versus buying a pre-made crust at the store. I like to divide each recipe worth of the dough into fours, so that each person is in charge of putting their toppings on just how they like them.
RECIPES
Grilled Farmer's Market Pizza
Makes four 8 inch pizzas
Ingredients:
1 pound of pizza dough (I love this recipe), stretched into four 8-inch pizzas or 4 pre-made pieces of naan/flatbread
2 Summer squash or zucchini, sliced lengthwise into about 1/4 inch thick pieces
6 Scallions
4 Small tomatoes, sliced
4 Ears of corn
4 Tbsp olive oil
15 oz container of ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper
4 Cups baby spinach or arugula
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Directions:
Heat the grill to medium.
Brush zucchini, scallions and corn with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill until all the veggies are cooked through. The scallions will be done first, then the zucchini, then the corn.
Cut the corn from the cobs, and use a pair of culinary scissors (or a sharp knife) to cut the scallions into smaller pieces.
Grill the dough until it puffs up and just cooks through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Divide the ricotta amongst the pizzas, dolloping it onto the grilled crust. Top with the grilled veggies and sliced tomatoes. Return the pizzas to the grill for one last char, to crisp the bottom and allow the flavors to meld.
Toss the baby spinach or arugula with 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and the vinegar. Top each pizza with a heap of the dressed greens.
Peach Galette
Ingredients:
1 recipe of this pie crust 4 peaches, sliced thin 2 Tbsp honey (if the peaches are ripe, you don't need to sweeten them much)
1/4 Tsp cinnamon 3 tbsp corn starch or arrowroot 1 tsp lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, mix the peaches with the sugar, cinnamon, corn starch (or arrowroot), and lemon juice. Set aside to allow the flavors to meld while you roll out the pie crust and pre-heat the oven.
On a large, floured surface, roll out the pie crust to 1/8 inch thick, and cut two circles from it, as big as you can get them. Don't worry about perfect circles - just use a knife and eyeball it.
Transfer the circles to a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Fill the center of each circle with half of the fruit mixture. You can create a pretty pattern by lining them up nicely in alternating circles, or you can keep it rustic by just dumping them in. Leave a two-inch border or pastry all the way around each circle.
Fold the edges of the crust on itself, around in a circle.
Bake 40-50 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
MARKET LIST
Try to find these ingredients at the farmer's market before hitting the grocery store!
Microgreens
Spinach
Scallions
2 onions
Bell Pepper
Celery
Zucchini
Cherry tomatoes
Corn
Peaches
Basil
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