Fresh Tomato & Basil Pasta

20180815_221013I have noticed time and again that the best combinations of flavors happen to be with foods that are in season together.  It’s not that other combos don’t work, they just don’t work as well.

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Pickled Banana Peppers

20180819_124811Who picked a peck of pickled peppers?  I did!  Except I honestly don’t know how much a peck is.  I think it might be a lot.

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Basil Pesto

20180818_110820If the original creator of pesto was still alive, it would be on my bucket list to find them and give them a long, garlicky kiss of thanks.  I owe the quality of my gastronomic life to that person.

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Feta & Kalamata Olive Stuffed Peppers

20180801_162925I’ve had a lot of peppers from the garden lately, and as much as I like to eat them, after a while I kind of want to shake things up a bit. Yes, there can be too much of a good thing.

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Kalamata Olive & Feta Spread

20180808_204236When I’m entertaining I want appetizers that can be made in advance and pack a lot of flavor.  Chips and dip just doesn’t cut it.  This spread does.

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Dolmades (Grape Leaves Stuffed with Rice & Herbs)

20180715_170443I was once complimented on my grape leaf rolling skills by an older lady at our church.  This was a woman that prepared pans full of perfectly rolled bundles, and made sure everyone saw how good hers were.  I was flattered!

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Tomato Stuffed Summer Squash

20180721_073324Talk to any experienced gardener and they will tell you that if you plant summer squash you will likely never starve.  So now the trick is to figure out what to do with all of them.  I’m here to help.

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Harvesting Grape Leaves

20180702_100425I have come to realize that so many of the foods I was **ahem** “not fond of” were ones that started with less than fresh ingredients.  Count dolmades, a Greek delicacy made with grape leaves, as one of them.

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Greek Green Beans with Tomatoes (Fasolakia)

20180712_212032This dish is a staple at many of our church functions.  I hated it when I was a kid.  Then someone made a simple change to the recipe.

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Ultimate Summer Garden Spaghetti Sauce

20180707_141030I used to make a “simpler” (read: plain) version of this sauce and the boys loved it.  Then I decided to get crazy and add other vegetables.  My boys cried.  Then they ate it.  They forgave me.

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