Tuesday at the Table

Ever have one of those occasions where you want a nice dinner but don't have all that much time? Of course you have. And that's me tonight. Son and his fiancee will be in town just briefly, as they roadtrip it from Minnesota to California, where son has a new job waiting. So a family meal is definitely in order, but of course there's jobs to shuffle, etc. so quick and easy is definitely the way to go. But tasty. It has to be tasty. So the meat's marinating, hubby will man the grill, and I thumbed through some recipes last night to see what I could come up with.

I grabbed Alice Currah's Savory Sweet Life and right off, her Broccoli Bacon Salad sounded delish. Luckily, the recipe is also found online, so you can enjoy it too if you like.

photo courtesy of Savory Sweet Life

And then, there's nothing quite like a Caprese Salad, and I found one with the added twist using two tomato varieties. Don't worry, I'll multiply this recipe to satisfy everyone. Yum.

Caprese Salad
2 vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh basil, leaves hand torn
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 balls buffalo mozzarella

Cut the large tomatoes into 6 or 8 wedges and the cherry tomatoes in half and put them into a bowl. Add the basil leaves, olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. With your hand, gently mix everything together and squeeze the tomatoes a bit to release some of their juices. Cut the mozzarella into bite sized chunks and add them to the tomatoes. Gently toss to blend everything together and serve immediately. Serves two.

So I think we're about set. Add some fresh foccacia and some cake balls for dessert, and that should do it. So do tell - what's your favorite quick and easy - and tasty - choice?