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I hope everyone had a great Karl Oskar Days and a great 4th of July! We finally get to take a breath for a second, but don’t forget that Wannigan Days and Center City Days are coming right up  too!

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CORN  & ZUCCHINI PASTA

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

1 lb. medium pasta shells

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 ears of corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups)

2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half moons

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, plus more for topping

1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces), plus more for topping

1 (5.3-ounce) package garlic-and-herb cheese (such as Boursin), sliced and at room temperature

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives, plus more for topping

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking water. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the corn and zucchini and cook, without stirring, until the vegetables begin to turn golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the chicken broth to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the parmesan, garlic-and-herb cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. 

Fold in the pasta and chives, loosening the sauce with a few splashes of the reserved cooking water if necessary. Serve topped with more parmesan, red pepper flakes, and chives.

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Aly has been on a kick lately for, of all things, Caprese salad. So I set out looking for some unique recipes for them.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO CAPRESE

Vegetable oil, for frying

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. seasoning salt (such as Lawry's)

2 to 3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

3 large green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Flaky sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

12 oz. fresh mozzarella, thickly sliced

1/4 cup balsamic glaze

Large bunch fresh basil leaves, for serving

Add an inch of vegetable oil to a large heavy skillet and heat to 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer.

Mix the flour and seasoning salt in a shallow dish. Add 2 eggs to a second shallow dish and beat together. Add the panko to a third shallow dish.

Dredge a few tomato slices in the seasoned flour, then dip them in the egg, and lastly cover them in the panko. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining tomato slices. Beat an additional egg into the shallow dish if necessary.

Working in batches, fry the tomatoes until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper.

When you are ready to assemble the salad, season the mozzarella slices with flaky sea salt and pepper. Shingle the fried tomatoes and mozzarella on a platter, alternating between the two. Drizzle  the balsamic glaze in a thin stream over top, then sprinkle with the basil leaves.

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I’ve shared this recipe some time back, but it was extremely good, and it’s a perfect dessert for this summer heat!

                                    

BANANA CRUMB PUDDING

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. cornstarch

6 c. 2% milk

5 large egg yolks

1/4 c. butter, cubed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 packages (11 ounces each) vanilla wafers

7 medium bananas, sliced

TOPPING:

2 c. heavy whipping cream

6 tbsp. sugar

In a large heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla and salt. Cool 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Reserve 1 banana and 1 cup whole wafers for topping. Crush 2 cups wafers and set aside. In a 13x9-in. baking dish, place a single layer of whole wafers, filling gaps with crushed wafers. Layer with a third of the bananas and pudding. Repeat layers twice. Press waxed paper onto surface of pudding. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

In a bowl, beat heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar; beat until soft peaks form (do not overmix). Just before serving, remove paper and spread whipped cream over pudding; top with reserved banana and wafers.

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Pimento cheese is a southern thing, more popular than up here, but I had always wanted to try it, and made a batch earlier this summer, and it was great!

                                    

PIMENTO CHEESE

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard, plus more to taste

1 Tbsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotles, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. black pepper

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

8 oz. monterey jack or mozzarella cheese, grated

4 oz. sliced pimentos, drained

2 tsp. chopped fresh dill

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, dijon, adobo sauce, and black pepper. Mix it until totally combined (if you have a few lumps from the cream cheese, no problem; you won't see them later!)

Add the cheddar and monterey jack, and mix gently until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and make sure all the ingredients are mixed together. Stir in the pimentos and dill. Taste and mix in more of whatever you think it needs. Add more cheese if you like the pimento cheese to be less creamy; add less if you like it to be creamier.

Refrigerate pimento cheese for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve with crackers, small hollowed-out peppers, carrot and celery sticks, and olives. (Or make small sandwiches or even a grilled cheese with it!)

TFD: “The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them but that they seize us.” – Ashley Montagu

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