In Which Much Cooking Is Done

It's the time of year. All sorts of fresh produce from our CSA and our own garden, which is flourishing under the excellent management of this eater's better half (that doesn't sound quite right, but I presume you get the gist!).

There's been quite a bit of zucchini involved, which is good, because we've had a lot to use.

First there was the zucchini linguini. If you, like me, will be making this for just a few people, when adjusting the recipe, don't skimp on the zucchini. Like spinach, it loses a good bit of its volume while it cooks, so don't be stingy with it. Or with the tarragon and pepper.

I put some zucchini from our garden (as well as a cucumber, which was off-recipe but a welcome addition) into this salsa verde of sorts for my very own birthday dinner. Careful with the salt on the first pass and, if you wish, leave it a little chunky, which I did and really enjoyed. While making it, you may also run into problems with the blender because of a lack of liquid. Just add a tablespoon of water if your blender is having a hard time.

Of the recent cooking escapades, my favorite came on Saturday: pork tacos. The recipe came from a food blog, The Whole Kitchen, which got it from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday, which I really need to get. I'd been desperate to find an excuse to use a nicely sized pork shoulder from Heilman's Hogwash Farm in Sarver, Pa. (which, unfortunately, does not have a Web site, but you can find them at the Farmer's @ Firehouse market in the summer as well as through Slowfood Pittsburgh's Laptop Butcher).

The tacos were excellent. The achiote paste offers some unique flavors. In addition to the pickled onions, I also put some crumbled cotija cheese as well. Any sort of lettuce or salsa, etc., would do these tacos a disservice. Keep it simple.

Eggs, Summer Veg, Goat Cheese

Had our first zucchini from the garden.

Had one of those tremendous mild white onions from the farm.

Had some brown eggs, also tremendous, from a different local farm.

Had a red pepper, courtesy of large grocery store chain.

Had some goat cheese, courtesy of same said large grocery store chain.

Had some fantastic, crusty bread – removed from freezer few hours prior – courtesy of the DeLallo store in Jeannette, Pa.

Had a delicious dinner.

Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese and Grilled Vegetables

• 5 eggs (cage-free & local, if you can get ‘em)
• 2 – 3 oz. of goat cheese, crumbled
• Half of a zucchini, cut thinly into half-moons
  
• Half a large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• ½ cup of thinly sliced onion
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• A few slices of crusty bread

Light a grill.

Beat eggs in a bowl with some salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables in a different bowl with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, salt, and pepper. When grill is sufficiently not (but not too hot), add vegetables. A grill plate or even some foil is advisable.

When vegetables are beginning to get tender, put a tablespoon of butter in a medium pan, over medium heat. Add eggs.

When vegetables are close to tender, add bread to grill. Cook on either side for 30 seconds to a minute. Remove vegetables from grill when they are tender, but careful not to overcook them. Onions should be nicely caramelized, hopefully with a few crispy ones.

Cook eggs until slightly more than set. Add a big scoop of eggs on top of a piece of toast, sprinkle on some goat cheese, and top each with a healthy portion of the vegetables. If you feel like it, drizzle a few drops of balsamic vinegar over top.

Enjoy.