Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen

 Summer vegetable are so plentiful and beautifully fresh, just right for a vegetable casserole that can be served as a side dish or a light main meal with salad and fresh bread. I love going to our town's farmers market gathering fresh picked veggies to combine for a delicious casserole. I usually choice three different vegetables to combine for an interesting casserole layer with a cheese and fresh herb mixture. You can change it up all the time with different veggies! Ingredients     1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese     1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese     2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped     1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped     2 cloves garlic, minced     salt and pepper to taste     1 eggplant, pealed, thinly sliced     2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced     1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped     1/4 cup butter, melte...

Ingredients 4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved. I like to use multi colored cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup olive oil 4 cloves minced garlic 18 large basil leaves, sliced thin 1 tablespoon capers 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pound fresh linguine 4 ounces fresh Mozzarella, cut into cubers 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese Directions Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, capers, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours. Before serving heat a large pot of water with 1 tablespoons salt to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta well, toss with fresh mozzarella then add the cherry tomatoes, tossing again. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Four servings Enjoy! gooddinnermrsmellen.com   buzzchomp.com  

  Peaches are one of my favorite fruits. When I was a little girl my grandparents had a bountiful garden including fruit trees. My favorite tree was the peach tree with it's limbs hanging heavy with peaches almost dangling to the ground. I waited all summer for the fruit to transform from a little flower to a big juice ripe peach! After we picked the fruit my grandmother would bake pies along with canning peaches for use in the winter. As a treat my grandfather would cut up a peach ripe just to perfection place it in a glace and pour just a little red wine over the peach for me to eat. I've never forgotten the delightful taste of peaches and wine. Inspired by my grandfather I soaked peaches in wine overnight in my recipe for a Peach Cobbler adding to the rich flavor of the dessert.   Ingredients         6 large peaches, cut into thin wedges         1/2 bottle pinot noir       ...

I love fresh tomatoes right off the vine. Each year I buy a patio cherry tomato plant to enjoy the luscious taste of fresh tomatoes. I'm always amazed at the bounty of fruits that this little plant produces just for me to enjoy. So fresh and tasty I just want to pop them in my mouth as I pick the ripen tomatoes. Cucumbers and tomatoes are a wonderful combination of flavor and texture that goes perfectly together without adding too many other ingredients. For a easy, simple salad of cucumbers and tomatoes I just added a little fresh basil, feta, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice sprinkled with salt and pepper, so simple, so delicious. Ingredients 1/2 cup lettuce, I used spring greens 1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut in slivers 1/4 cup feta 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper Place greens around edge of plate. Fill cen...

My town like many towns has a wonderful weekly farmer's market each week where local farms sell fresh produce. Beautiful ripe heirloom tomatoes glistening with morning dew, the deepest aubergine eggplant, plump zucchini along with a red, orange and yellow peppers just beckoning to be grilled. 3 red peppers 3 orange peppers 3 yellow peppers 2 large eggplants 2 large zucchinis 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh french thyme, finely chopped Remove stems and seeds from peppers then slice in quarters. Slice eggplant and zucchini horizontally. Place vegetables in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, basil and thyme. Pour over vegetables then toss. Let sit for 30 minutes to marinate flavors. Preheat grill. Grill vegetables turning ever five minutes until tender. Arrange on platter. Serve at room temperature. You can grill a...