Tasty Tuesday!

"Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn."
-Garrison Keillor

Hello! A friend requested a pasta salad recipe and I aim to please! The one I have to share today is very versatile - you can substitute different pasta for the tortellini or mix in different vegetables. The sky is the limit! The directions may look daunting, but don't let the steps fool you. I broke them down so it was easy to follow!

You never know, this may become a family BBQ favorite! Enjoy!

"Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?"
-Author Unknown



Tortellini & Vegetable Salad

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 Lbs. cheese Tortellini
* 1 medium red pepper, cored & thinly sliced
* 1 small red onion, peeled, thinly cut (about 3/4 cup)
* 1/2 Lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut in 1 1/2" pieces
* Sea salt and black pepper to taste
* 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
* 1 large zucchini, diced
* 3 Tbsp of pine nuts
* 7 oz. basil pesto sauce (you can by it prepared or make your own)
* 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
* 15 basil leaves , finely sliced

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.) Cook tortellini until tender and they float to top of the water.
3.) Drain and rinse the tortellini with cold water and set aside.
4.) Place red pepper, onions and asparagus, in a single layer on a baking sheet.
5.) Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and drizzle with half of the olive oil.
6.) Roast vegetables 10-12 min and turn halfway through cooking.
7.) Remove from oven and set aside.
8.) Arrange the zucchini in a single layer on another baking sheet.
9.) Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
10.) Roast 5-7 min, until tender but not browned.
11.) Remove from oven and add zucchini to pepper mix.
12.) Chill 1 hour.
13.) Toast pine nuts in small pan on medium for 3 minutes.
14.) Stir frequently until they are slightly toasted.
15.) Remove from pan and set aside.
16.) Add tomatoes, pesto, Tabasco sauce, basil, pine nuts, and veggie mix to tortellini in a large bowl and gently mix.
17.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
18.) Serve chilled.

“A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do.”
-P.J. O'Rourke

Silly Joke of the Day:

What is the most dangerous vegetable to have on a boat?
............ A leek!


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Mangia Monday!

"The first zucchini I ever saw I killed it with a hoe."
-John Gould

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was busy, but it was beautiful outside, so no complaints!

The recipe I have for you today is easy to make and if you are anything like me, you have PLENTY of zucchini to go around all summer long! This is great for a large party or simple get together - everyone is sure to enjoy!

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie."
-Jim Davis


Zucchini & Mozzarella Bites

Ingredients:

* 2 small zucchini, sliced in 1/3-inch rounds
* 3 1/2 oz mozzarella cheese ball, cubed into 3/4-inch sections
* 1/4 cup olive tapenade (available in jars from your grocery store)
* 1/4 cup basil pesto (available in jars from your grocery store)
* 1/4 cup roasted tomatoes, diced
* 3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

1.) Blanch zucchini slices for 45 seconds in large pot of boiling salted water.
2.) Drain and transfer to bowl of ice water.
3.) Drain again, lay on paper towels and pat dry.
4.) Place zucchini slices on serving platter and top each zucchini with a piece of mozzarella cheese.
5.) Top cheese with small dollop of tapenade, pesto or roasted tomato.
6.) Garnish with 3-4 pine nuts.

Note:

You can microwave the zucchini slices instead of blanching. Cover a single layer of zucchini with plastic wrap and microwave for 45 seconds, then transfer to bowl of ice water and proceed with recipe.


Silly Joke of the Day:

What is a zucchini’s favorite game?
.................Squash!

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Labor Day!

God sells us all things at the price of labor.
-Leonardo da Vinci


What is Labor Day?

A United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September.


Without labor nothing prospers.
-Sophocles


Origin:

The holiday originated in Canada out of labor disputes ("Nine-Hour Movement") first in Hamilton, then in Toronto, Canada in the 1870s, which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in 1872 in Canada. The parades held in support of the Nine-Hour Movement and the printers' strike led to an annual celebration in Canada. In 1882, American labor leader Peter J. McGuire witnessed one of these labor festivals in Toronto. Inspired from Canadian events in Toronto, he returned to New York and organized the first American "labor day" on September 5 of the same year.

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. Cleveland was also concerned that aligning a US labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair.

Who Celebrates Labor Day:

All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.


Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased.
-Adam Smith


Random Facts:

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parades. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer recess.


Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the next day. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken.
-Bill Dodds


Have a wonderful day everyone!

Until tomorrow: Go Ahead and Indulge!