A Summer Pasta Dish with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Corn & Basil

Oh, how I love this recipe! I came across it on the Fig Tree Blog and knew I wanted to try it as soon as possible. It is delicious. The flavors come together so nicely and it is a great taste of summer. I definitely want to make it again this week. This dish is perfect for the days we're having, because it hasn't gotten too hot yet, but I'm craving foods filled with summer produce. I can't wait until our garden is full of zucchini and yellow squash! Our basil plant is already fully grown. We also planted lemon basil this year, and I can't wait to try a recipe with it!
I think you will also love this recipe. It is easy to make and it is great for leftovers. Enjoy!

Recipe for Summer Pasta Dish with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Corn & Basil

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp. of Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large zucchini squash, chopped small
1 large yellow squash, chopped small
3 cups of fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears of corn), divided
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 clove of garlic, cut in half
3/4 cup of whole milk
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Zest and juice from 1/2 large lemon
1 cup of fresh basil leaves, stems removed
16 ounces of pasta, such as Farfalle (bow-tie) or Penne
2/3 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with foil. Add the chopped zucchini squash, yellow squash, and 1 cup of the corn to the pan and toss with 1 Tbsp. of extra-virigin olive oil and a little salt and pepper.  Put in oven and cook for about 15 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, make the sauce. First put the corn and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse for several seconds. Add in the milk, cream cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, and basil. Blend until smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook pasta to al dente by following package directions. Drain pasta well. Mix the sauce and cooked pasta together. In a medium bowl, mix together the cooked vegetables and the ricotta cheese. Lightly oil a casserole dish. Layer half the pasta into the dish, then spread with 2/3 of the ricotta mixture. Add the rest of the pasta on top, and then spread with the remaining ricotta mixture. Top off with 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Put in the oven and cook for 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 6 - 8 servings. 

Recipe Adapted from: The Fig Tree 

Lemon Basil Sorbet

Last week I broke out my ice cream maker, which I haven't used since last Fall. The last time I made ice cream was when I made pumpkin ice cream during the warmer days in October. I made strawberry ice cream last week, and since I made it, I've been dreaming up other fun ice cream recipes. When Greg and I went to St. Michaels this past weekend, we dined at a restaurant called 208 Talbot. The food we ate there was amazing! We must have been seated just around the same time as the tables next to us, because I practically had the dinner and dessert specials memorized. One dessert menu item was mojito sorbet, which peaked my interest. The server said it had no alcohol, it cleansed the palate, and that it was very refreshing. Although we didn't order any dessert, I couldn't stop thinking about that sorbet. I wanted to make a refreshing sorbet! Well, since I had an abundance of lemons for once and since we have basil growing in the garden, I made a lemon basil sorbet. I based the recipe on the bubbly basil lemonade that I made for the first time last summer. It was super delicious, and it was refreshing! It's tart and sweet and a little creamy and pretty incredible. I made it Wednesday afternoon and my friend, Greg, and I ate it so quickly that I had to make another batch again yesterday. I'm excited to share this recipe & I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. And I definitely will be trying to create a mojito sorbet recipe too in the coming weeks!

Recipe for Lemon Basil Sorbet

INGREDIENTS:

Basil Simple Syrup (recipe to follow)

10 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice (use a citrus squeezer)

1/3 cup of heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix together the lemon juice, basil simple syrup, and heavy cream. Mix well. Cover the bowl with a lid in put into the fridge for 30 - 45 minutes. 

Once mixture is cold, add it into an ice cream maker and make according to ice cream maker manufacturer directions (it should take about 20 - 25 minutes). For a softer sorbet, serve immediately. If you prefer a more frozen sorbet, put in an airtight container and store in freezer for a couple hours before serving. 

For the Basil Simple Syrup:

Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 3/4 cup of fresh basil leaves (washed and stems removed) to a small saucepan. Put the saucepan over medium high heat. Stir mixture almost constantly until all the sugar is dissolved and bring to a heavy simmer. Allow it to simmer for about a minute, continuing to stir. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, pour over a container into a fine mesh sieve. Press down on the basil leaves to try to extract the most flavor and then discard the basil leaves. Put lid on container and store in fridge for at least an hour before you make the sorbet.

Makes 4 - 6 servings

And remember, I'm also running a GIVEAWAY to celebrate my Blogiversary. Click here for your chance to win! 

It's My Blogiversary - Let's Celebrate with a Giveaway!

Adorable Tea Towels by Lynda

Today is a very special day - it's my 1 year Blogiversary! I want to celebrate with a fun giveaway, and I  hope you will join in on the fun. I'll be giving away THREE sets of tea towels by Lynda AND a choice of 1 of 4 kitchen gadgets to one lucky person. I chose four of my favorite kitchen gadgets to use in the giveaway.

I started food blogging last year for an online newspaper, and I started this food blog on Jun 5, 2012. I have learned so much about cooking since I started this blog, and I know I still have so much to learn. Thank you for your readership and support. I hope that you have enjoyed the recipes that I have shared over the past year.

The giveaway will be done through Rafflecopter. It's my first time using this cool app. Entries will start tonight at midnight and they will close on June 12th at midnight (EST). Winners will be chosen through Rafflecopter, and they will be contacted within 2 days of the close of the giveaway. Good luck!

PRIZES
*1 winner will receive a set of Tea Towels by Lynda & their choice of the following kitchen gadgets:

Oxo Good Grips Cookie Scoop
Microplane Classic Zester/Grater
Garlic Press 
Oxo Good Grips Citrus Squeezer

*2 winners will receive a set of Tea Towels by Lynda

(3 winners will be selected)

*Because there have been many issues with the Rafflecopter App., I took it down from the blog and I am extending the giveaway through Thursday June 13 at 8:00 PM EST. If you entered through Rafflecopter, don't worry, your entries have been recorded. If you want to enter, you can leave a comment on what kitchen gadget you would want if you win. This will be worth 5 entries. If you  like my page on Facebook or Follow me on Pinterest or Twitter, include that in the comment for another 3 points each.* GOOD LUCK!

CONGRATS TO KRISTA who won a set of tea towels & a citrus squeezer. Becky & Ashley won a set of the tea towels. Thanks to everyone who participated! 

Better Than a Greek Salad

Last week I wanted to make a blueberry, cucumber, and feta salad recipe that I saw in the Wegmans catalogue. When I got to the grocery store, the blueberries looked rather pathetic, and they were selling for $4 a pint. They looked like the size of raisins, so I decided against the berries. I was pretty bummed! I bought some cherry tomatoes instead so I could make a basic Greek-like salad to serve with the salmon burgers I was making for dinner. I used cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, kalamata olives, and a homemade vinaigrette in the salad. It was the perfect addition to the meal. I think this salad would taste good for lunch in a wrap or with homemade pita chips. This salad is so easy to make & it's very refreshing. Enjoy!
*I think this salad is better than a Greek salad because it's super easy to make and because it is such a cool & refreshing salad. I hope you think it is better than a Greek salad too!*

Recipe for Better Than a Greek Salad

INGREDIENTS
For the salad
1 large chilled English cucumber, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch thick, then cut in half
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
About 12 kalamata olives, cut in half
2 ounces of high quality feta cheese, cut into smallish cubes
For the dressing
2 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. of white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. of white balsamic vinegar
1 ounce of finely crumbled feta cheese
1 garlic clove, pressed
Several grinds of fresh black pepper
1/8 tsp. of coarse sea salt
1/8 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS (Makes 2 - 3 servings)
Make the dressing. Combine all of the ingredients in a smallish bowl and mix well. Cover and put in the fridge until ready to use. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Divide salad amongst bowls. Sprinkle each serving with a little bit of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Serving suggestions

-Serve salad with the main course

-Put salad in a wrap for lunch

-Serve salad with homemade pita chips