Jester Squash and Carmen Pepper Soup

1 medium Jester squash, cut in half, and seeds removed

2 red Carmen peppers, cut in half lengthwise and deseeded 

2 cups vegetable broth 

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon cumin 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dollop of yogurt to finish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place squash flesh side down and roast for 20 minutes.

Add peppers and roast for 30-35 more minutes. Turn off oven and let vegetables cool for about 5 minutes.

Remove flesh of the squash from the skin. Add squash flesh, peppers, vegetable broth, spices, and salt and pepper to a high powdered blender or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

Add a dollop of yogurt when you serve to make the soup a little creamier. 

Grilled Green Bean, Corn and Pepper Salad

1 bag green beans, trim ends

1 sweet pepper, seeded and small diced

1-2 ears of corn, grilled

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp whole grain mustard

1/2 tsp pepper 

1/4 tsp salt 

2 Tbsp chopped basil (optional)

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Grill corn with husks on until tender then remove husks and separate kernels from cob.

Toss beans in a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

Remove seeds from pepper and dice small. Add this to the green beans.

Place beans and pepper mixture on a grill pan (if you don’t have one, make one out of aluminum foil).

Cook for 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally until it is slightly charred. 

Once cooked to desired state remove from heat and place into a dish and into the fridge to cool quickly.

Once cooled, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt, and basil in a small bowl.

Place the beans, corn and peppers in a salad bowl and pour dressing over them.

Toss all ingredients gently until the beans, corn and peppers are fully coated with the dressing.

Let the salad marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Grilled Kale and Summer Vegetable Salad

1 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 bunch of kale, washed and dried

Summer squash and bell pepper sliced tossed in oil, salt and pepper - grilled 

2 oz crumbled feta

1-2 tomatoes sliced

1 Tbsp parsley chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat grill.

Grill assorted veggies then chill.

In a large mixing bowl combine olive oil, garlic, vinegar, juice, zest and kale. Toss until well coated.

Lay kale side by side in a single layer on top of the grill until crispy, 1 - 2 minutes per side.

Remove kale from grill and cool until workable. Then rough chop.

For salad add grilled assorted veggies, feta, parsley and sliced tomatoes.

Vinaigrette Recipe 

3 parts good olive oil to 1-part wine vinegar, a splash of balsamic, 1 smashed garlic clove, a dollop of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ground pepper to taste. Whisk everything together.

Fried Potatoes and Peppers

½ cup canola or safflower oil (or enough oil to come up to about ¼ inch in your skillet)

1lb Carola potatoes 

2 long Italian peppers ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch by 2-inch pieces.

Kosher salt or sea salt, to taste

Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water. Peel the potatoes and place them in the water as you go, to prevent discoloration.

Slice the potatoes thinly (⅛-1/4 inch thick), and place slices in the bowl of water, as you go. 

Drain the sliced potato in a mesh strainer and dump them onto a towel. Pat them dry. They will brown better if you get them nice and dry.

Heat oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat, until hot but not smoking. Add the potato slices and immediately toss them until they're all coated with oil. Let the potatoes cook, undisturbed, for 3-5 minutes, or until the bottom pieces look brown around the edges. Mound the peppers on top and add a pinch or two of salt. Flip the potatoes over with a spatula, so some raw potatoes and peppers are on the bottom of the skillet. Leave them undisturbed for another 3-5 minutes, until they are nice and brown on the bottom. Continue to brown and toss potatoes for 5-10 minutes longer, until about half of them are crisp and brown and the rest are soft and creamy.

Serve hot. Season to taste with salt