Hey All! I’ve just returned from a fantastic week in coastal Rhode Island with my family. We were blessed to spend a few years living in Boston before we had children and I will always love this time of year on the East Coast. Our time away was filled with lots of hours at the beach (yay for a warm early September and non-crowded beaches!) and plenty of good, fresh seafood. I may or may not have eaten my weight in lobster rolls! Now that I’m back to the Midwest and finally unpacked – let’s not mention the laundry – I’m also getting back into my kitchen. One of my favorite travel tricks is to order groceries to be delivered on the day we return from a trip and we supplemented that this time by also having Blue Apron deliver a few days after we returned! I love not having to stress out about getting to the grocery store for essentials and not having to think about meals (even for someone like me who generally finds cooking relaxin) was great. That being said, I’m really ready to get back into it and so for this week’s Good Food Reads, I’m sharing my list of what I’m hoping to make in the next week or so! I’m back in the proverbial saddle and so excited for a good ride. I hope you join us and share some of your recipe favorites from your kitchens or around the internet!…
Puttanesca Bruschetta
I’ve had these gorgeous multicolored cherry tomatoes sitting on my kitchen counter just staring at me all week. I finally knew what I wanted to do with them-Bruschetta! But I didn’t want to make the plain old restaurant style Bruschetta. I’ve wanted to make something to show off the gorgeous colors of the tomatoes. Puttanesca Bruschetta does just that!
Puttanesca Bruschetta, now if that isn’t a mouthful, I don’t know what is.
But it is a mouthful of deliciousness. Truly.
Read further for the recipe for this amazing appetizer and an ode to one of my oldest friends!
Thank goodness we were friends before iPhone cameras and Facebook…right?
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Greek Nachos with Tzatziki
I think it’s fair to say that (almost) everyone loves nachos. A staple at parties, most tend to lean toward the southwest in their flavor profiles – cheese, spicy meats, peppers, and salsa. This summer, we wanted to come up with a twist on the classic. Something a little lighter, with fresh, bright flavors but still a great party food that is easily assembled for even the most spontaneous of gatherings. Enter: Greek Nachos with Tzatziki….
Greek Chicken and Barley Salad
Greek Chicken and Barley Salad is an absolute staple in our house from spring until the early fall. An easy, crowd pleasing recipe, it is filled with fresh, colorful veggies and topped with tangy feta and salty kalamata olives. Shredded chicken rounds out the salad and really makes it a perfect one dish meal. The best part? It can be put together in about 40 minutes when using one or two quick short cuts and is perfect for toting along to work or school or even bringing to a neighborhood gathering. In the summer, all of the ingredients (with the exception of the barley, which I buy in bulk and keep on hand in the pantry) can be found at my local farmer’s market or in my herb garden, which makes it even more fun to make. Even my somewhat vegetable averse husband loves it and usually requests I make it at least once a week in the summer. I consider that a major win….