Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Mary,

You went to Turkey? <envy>

Pictures?

Laurie,

All that Mary said. Plus, for example: Watermelon, feta, red onion and barley rusk salad. Hummus. Skordalia (garlic/potato/walnut dip). Syrian cheese, mint, and red pepper paste on Armenian bread. Dolmas. Seasoned olives. Bread and kalamata olive oil. Tzaziki (grated cucumber, yogurt, salt and garlic dip), which can also be made as carrot-ziki and beet-ziki.

For all of the above, I strongly recommend the cookbooks of Diane Kochilas.

It's barely broken 70 here, and NEVER breaks 90 (although at my altitude it always feels 10 degrees warmer than the thermometer).

Gazpacho is always a good warm weather choice, but preferably only when you have real, in-season tomatoes. I made 16 qts. of the stuff today. (I'm catering a fundraiser for Senator Bennett tomorrow.) But, I hated the compromises I had to make in order to make it taste good. (I'm such a friggin' purist.)

Amy

Amy, I have a couple gazpacho recipes (and make air quotes around the word gazpacho) that are less tomato dependent and good for the pre-tomato season. My fave is a tropical one that has pineapple in it.

Fuzzy, I will start another thread on Turkey and try to post some photos. It was great...

Mary

Thanks Fuzzy and Mary. I really need to do more things like that. I love them, but forget to make them. SOmetimes I feel like I'm a little stuck.

Todd and I took a cooking class in Traverse City last saturday and for the starter recipe we made a really good hummus. I have been making the CI recipe from Best Light recipes, the one we made saturday was better. We topped it with diced tomato's EVOO of course and fresh parsley. I'm making more today, it was so good. The addition of the tomato's really made the recipe.

I'll check out the cook book.

Laurie

When it gets really hot, and I don't want to boil water for pasta, I often use rice noodles, since I just soak them, and toss them with the toppings for a couple of minutes over medium heat, until the noodles are softened.

Also, this is the first season I have had it, but I can already tell that the portable Induction burner keeps the heat way down in there.

Dave

Gee, If I didn't cook when it was hot outside, I'd lose that extra 40 pounds I keep around by backside!

But this time of year, when the tomatoes are coming in fast and furious, we tend to eat BLT's 4 or 5 times a week. Doesn't heat up the kitchen, and you can't beat fresh tomatoes & lettuce from the garden. And I never seem to tire of them.

I love a good BLT, I have them for breakfast every now and again too. In Michigan we won't get tomato's for a couple more months, although I have been getting some good Kumato tomato's at the market. I love their brown skin and blood red interior. They are small but I don't mind since they actually taste like a tomato!

Laurie

I agree, Laurie! I thought that recipe sounded awsome!

How did you all make it through the "weather system?" Hope you are all good system.