The Real Doris

Well, not quite the real Doris, but very close! The inspiration for the blog name is a family saying "Good Cook Doris". Every time we have a great a great meal the cook is complimented with a rousing "Good Cook Doris!" When we went home for wedding #3, we were treated to a one of my grandma's signature meals. Sorry to the family members that missed out.

First course was rye bread and a big salad with all the goodies (peppers, yellow tomatoes, onions, celery, carrots). I had green goddess dressing (although the Ozzie Smith onion dressing did look good).

Next up, breaded veal cutlets and spaghetti. Normally the spaghetti is served with red sauce. This summer version had pesto. Can you taste the garlicky goodness?

The meal was followed up with delicious kamish bread and mun cookies (poppyseed) baked my grandpa.

Stay tuned for more recipes!

Summer Zucchini with a story

It's that time of summer where freshly picked zucchini is everywhere - here in Boston is no different. My coworker and her husband are not big fans of vegetables and she offered me a few zucchinis from her neighbor's garden. I couldn't imagine them going to waste, so I accepted!

The real story here is that my hubby and our friends Aaron and Amanda used to live in the same house that my coworker now lives in. Amanda built and planted a nice veggie garden out back so she could eat sustainably. So in fact, this zucchini came by way of Amanda (just 6+ years later). Thanks Amanda!

I wanted to make zucchini bread, but a quick scan of the fridge didn't show too many ingredients. I googled a recipe for zucchini bread + 1 egg (the ceaseless wonders of search engines) and went with the first recipe that popped up - Lemon Zucchini Bread. One thing I've learned is to check out the reviews with recipes. I followed the tip to add in some vanilla to the batter. It turned out great and we ate it all!

After the bread, I still had another zucchini left. We were getting to head out of town for wedding #3 of the season and wanted to use it up before we went. I cut it up and pondered something quick and easy to make. With the hot summer temperatures I wanted something that didn't completely heat up the house.

I sauteed the zucchini with some olive oil and salt and added it to some tri-color rotini. In the spirit of grow-your-own food, I added some fresh basil from our plant and kept it simple with olive oil and lemon juice. The hubby topped his with grated Parmesan and proceeded to clean his bowl - the sign of a tasty dinner.

Farmer's Market Finds

I've been on vacation for a few of the past Fridays and have missed my weekly trip to the Copley Farmer's Market. Here's a recap of some of the recent finds that I did have (and didn't have time to post).

First up, smoked bluefish spread from the guys at Nantucket Wild Gourmet & Smokehouse. This was delicious - better than those cream cheese-y spreads out there. It was great served on a warm toasted bagel.

Next up, my regular lunch the Goat Cheese picnic. Sometimes I feel like a little something extra to go with the tasty cheese and fresh bread. It was raining at the market this day, so my favorite vendor for dessert wasn't there (they pack up at the first drop of rain). So I opted for a healthier addition. I picked up a green heirloom tomato and fresh cucumber to make little sandwiches. For dessert I got a cranberry orange roll from Iggy's. This is a very wallet friendly lunch:

$5 (with $1 off coupon) - Goat Cheese Picnic
$.50 - Fresh cucumber
$.50 - Heirloom tomato
$.90 - One of the first apples of the season
$.75 - cranberry pecan roll
Total for Farmer's Market Lunch: $7.65

A great way to support local farmers and get a delicious deal.

Here's a look at the inside of the tomato.