Rose's Ragout:  quick, healthy & delicious
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Quick, HEalthy, Delicious

Peoria RiverFront Farmers Market - Perfect Saturday Morning!

8/16/2014

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Hands down, one of my absolute favorite things about exploring new cities (big or small) is to check out the local Farmers Market.  From the Hyde Park market on Sunday mornings in Cincinnati, to the tiny little market in Oxford, OH and even big 'ole Findlay Market in Over The Rhine, I've seen my fair share of absolutely incredible produce from people with even more interesting stories.  I think the biggest thing I've noticed is that the the cities that happen to be more in the middle of nowhere have the most amazing produce, for the best prices.  Think about it... middle of nowhere, that means the surrounding areas are likely farms.  Since the farms are so close and you're buying directly from the source, getting fresh and delicious produce becomes quite a bargain.  The Peoria market did not disappoint.  Located right along the Illinois River in downtown Peoria, there are dozens of vendors sharing their summer's harvest.  Not only is the view great (and if it wasn't raining, I would have snapped some photos), but the produce was great too!  I only brought 10 dollars with me and spent all of it on the most incredible variety of veggies.  (See pic below)
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So the loot:  I left with a pint of colorful cherry tomatoes, 1/3 lb of multi-colored string beans, 2 beautiful eggplant, a lb of purple potatoes, 2 beautiful heirloom tomatoes and 1/2 lb of roma tomatoes.  I also got some fresh tarragon, oregano and thyme!  The biggest steal I got however was that zucchini.  It's hard to tell, but it's probably 8-10 lbs and was only $1.  I've been joking around, calling it my new baby.  Can you believe it?! 
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Now I want to share a bit of farmers market advice.  This isn't the first giant zucchini I've purchased.  I got one about half this size at a farm stand last summer.  It's easy to get distracted by what an INCREDIBLE deal this is.  When was the last time you got 8 lbs of food for $1?  The thing with these large zucchinis is that they are not anywhere near as flavorful as their smaller, brighter colored younger siblings.  When a zucchini grows this large, it's better to utilize it in ways that are not necessarily dependent on an incredibly flavorful zucchini, or to cook it in a way that imparts a lot of flavor into the dish.  Some of the ways I plan on using this are to make zucchini parmesan or zucchini steaks, use my Vegetti to turn it into "spaghetti" and to bake zucchini bread!  The opportunities are definitely endless.
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Now, my favorite part about summer markets is definitely the fresh tomatoes.  My aunt grows her own tomatoes and I can tell you that literally nothing beats picking a tomato right off the vine, and popping it into your mouth.  It's tart, sweet and full of flavor.  I promise you've never tried a good tomato, until you've eaten one fresh off the vine.  Absolutely incredible.  Since I don't have a tomato garden of my own, beautiful summer tomatoes from the market are the next best thing.  The beautiful thing about summer harvest is the extensive variety of tomatoes available.  There's big and lumpy heirloom tomatoes, which are sweet and full of flavor, a wide variety of sizes and colors of grape and cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, and even more varieties I have yet to taste!  A tomato tip:  after slicing into your tomatoes, sprinkle with some kosher salt.  The salt draws out the natural juices in the tomato, and enhances the sweetness and flavor of the tomato, making the absolute perfect bite.  Now if you're like me, you can drizzle olive oil on some sliced tomato and sprinkle salt and call it a day, but sometimes, you want to be creative.  I know in my future, there is some fresh pico, a tomato sauce or broth, and I already enjoyed one of my favorite sandwiches.  See below for the recipe!  

So, what are you waiting for?  Check out your local farmers market, and let me know how it goes!

-Rose


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Summer Tomato Bruschetta Sandwich


INGREDIENTS:
1 ciabatta roll, toasted
1 heirloom tomato
2 thick slices fresh mozzarella
2 tbsp basil walnut pesto (check out my recipe)
Coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Toast the ciabatta roll in a toaster or in your oven set to the broil setting.  Spread pesto on bread, top each half with a slice of cheese.  On a cutting board, slice tomato into 1/2 to 1 inch slices.  Season with salt and pepper and top on bread. 
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3 Italian Recipes, Infinite Possibilities!

8/15/2014

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Ground Turkey meat Sauce turned "Sloppy Joe," and Lightened Up Pesto -- Learn How To Stretch Your Leftovers!

So the inspiration for dinner tonight came from my constant craving for a big, satisfying bowl of pasta with meat sauce.  The thing about pasta however, is a realistic serving is about a 1/2 cup.  That doesn't even come close to the large bowl I was craving.  So, I invested in a new toy, the Vegetti (less than $15 on Amazon).  The Vegetti does exactly what the name implies, it turns veggies into spaghetti!  Pasta problem solved.  Take a few zucchini and use the Vegetti, and in a matter of minutes, you have a large bowl of "pasta" that can create that portion size we usually look for in our pasta.  Just boil the zucchini for about 60 seconds and it's ready to eat!  To keep the fresh and healthy theme of the dish, I made a light and fresh ground turkey meat sauce.  It's big on flavor and loaded with lot's of great things- bell pepper, onion, tomato, and garlic!  Find the recipe for my turkey meat sauce here.  


Now after that "spaghetti" dinner, you're left wondering, what do I do with all that meat sauce?  No worries, I've got a great idea for you.  Actually, this is one of the more brilliant ideas I've had in a while.  Take that leftover meat sauce and turn it into Italian "Sloppy Joe" sandwiches.  That's right.  We are upgrading your childhood comfort classic and giving it an Italian twist.  Toast fresh Ciabatta rolls, top with my lighted up pesto (recipe here) and serve with thick slices of fresh mozzarella, fresh spinach, and of course the leftover meat sauce!  The basil pesto adds a sweetness and freshness to the sandwich and the cheese adds a little creaminess.  The spinach adds a little bitterness.  It really is the perfect sandwich!  Serve this sandwich with my super simple broccoli with garlic.  It's sure to be a home run!  


Now, what do I do with the leftover broccoli and pesto?  The pesto can be a spread on just about anything.  Toast, veggies, grilled meat, or one of my favorite ways, scrambled eggs.  For breakfast the next morning, try this idea:  make an omelet with 3 eggs mixed with the garlic broccoli, and filled with some leftover pesto and fresh mozzarella.  It's sure to be a crowd pleaser every time.


Stay tuned.  The detailed recipes for each of these items will be posted this weekend!  What do you do to stretch your leftovers?  Share in the comments section.  Until next time, happy cooking!
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    Rose K.

    My name is Rose and I'm always hungry.  Come take a bite out of life with me, and learn just how easy leading a quick, healthy and delicious lifestyle can be.

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