At the Table

It really surprised me, when I actually created a database of all the new recipes I've tried during quarantine, that they totaled over 50! I posted about my favorites in both May and June, so I figured why not just keep at it? There are also a couple of recipes that came out of my archives to make again, and they are so good that I figured I might as well share them here too.

• Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche from All Recipes is so easy to put together, made simpler if you go ahead and use a purchase frozen piecrust.

• Tomato Tart - from my mom's recipe file!

Pastry for single crust pie
3 large tomatoes -- cut into ½" slices
Salt to taste
2 Tb. Dijon mustard
3 Tb. chopped fresh mint
4 oz. Gruyere cheese - cut into 8 thin slices
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Line pastry in 10" pie or tart pan (I like an oblong tart pan with a removable bottom). Set in freezer 30 minutes.

Seed tomato slices; sprinkle with salt & place in colander to drain. After 30 minutes, remove tomatoes from colander & pat dry.

Preheat oven to 350°.With rubber spatula, spread mustard over bottom of tart shell & sprinkle with chopped mint. Top with cheese, then tomatoes. In bowl, beat together eggs & cream; season with salt & pepper & pour over the tomatoes. Bake till pale gold & custard is set, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes, then slice & serve. Though I like the Gruyere/mint version the best, you could also try substituting mozzarella & fresh basil.

So here are the best of the 'new' recipes I've been trying:

Back Pocket Pasta: Inspired Dinners to Cook on the Fly

• Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Sage - especially nice if you have sage in your herb garden.
• Creamy Zucchini and Sausage - simple and easy with flavors we love.

Repertoire: All the Recipes You Need

• The Greenest Green Salad - a new favorite; I just love the flavors & mix of ingredients.
• Green Goddess Dressing - have made this several times - for the Greenest salad, plus I really like it on hard-cooked eggs.
• Roasted Carrots with Burrata and Salsa Rustica - basically the reason I purchased this book - the salsa rustica is so bright & flavorful!

• Candy Pork - I made a mess of the kitchen with this one, so do use a pan with high sides; but oh so delicious, even left-over.

Smitten Kitchen Every Day

• Broccoli Melts - far exceeded my expectations!

Half Baked Harvest

• garlic parmesan herb butter polenta fries with lemon aioli - one of our very favorites of the whole bunch. I made creamy polenta for one meal, then made fries from the left-overs.

• crispy smashed potatoes with bacon vinaigrette - another of hubby's very favorites.

Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics

• Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts - actually I had made these before! Good as an appetizer or main dish.

• Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli - took regular ole broccoli up a notch.

Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes

• Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Fried Onions and Parsley - another version of smashed potatoes; I love fried onions so really really enjoyed this one.

Oh! And kudos to hubby for making King Arthur Baking Company's Beautiful Burger Buns. Twice. So yeah, we've been eating well.