Skillet Eggs & Potatoes

When I was a child, my grandmother's fried potatoes were one of my most favorite things in the world. She cooked them in a cast iron skillet, with nothing else but some oil, until they were perfectly crisped. Then, she would fry an egg on top. Whenever I wasn't feeling well, this is what she would make me...the ultimate comfort food.
I recently made some for my Bozos. They are not potato fans...but, they do like french fries & these are so crispy, they don't taste like typical home fries, which sometimes have a mushy texture. They taste like french fries.
They loved them!! So, this has become one of our "Breakfast for Dinner" options. It's great too, because it's made with things that I usually always have in the house. So, when I am scrambling to come up with what to make for dinner...I now have this.
I purposely didn't add any fluff to this recipe. Mostly, because my grandmother didn't...but, also because I wanted it to be kid-friendly. However, if you'd like to add something, I'm sure it would be just as delicious. Adding some onions, garlic, or some hot peppers would be really yummy.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Feta & Oregano Flowers

So far, September seems to be tomato month. This is my third tomato based recipe this month. It wasn't planned that way...but, with people's gardens overflowing with them, it's been hard to avoid. Maybe it's my attempt at hanging onto the last glimpse of summer?
As I mentioned a few posts ago, we haven't had much luck with our heirloom tomatoes this year, as I planted them in a location that's not getting enough sun to ripen them. Well, since then, we got two ripe ones! In addition to that I got a big bowl of garden goodies from my mother...about a dozen big tomatoes, a few peppers & some of her delicious homegrown garlic. Then yesterday, a neighbor stopped by with a few of her tomatoes & a red bell pepper. So, I had a huge abundance & this is what I decided to make with some of them.
Growing up, my mother & my grandmother used to make summer salads with big chunks of tomatoes & cucumbers, or peppers, sprinkled with lots of garden oregano. It's still, to this day, one of my most favorite salads.
Normally, I am not a huge green bell pepper fan. That is, unless they're homegrown. Something about the thin-skinned garden variety tastes so much better to me than store bought. It's not just me either...the Bozo's have been eating them for the past week, sliced in their lunch boxes.
This recipe is my interpretation of my family's classic. It's flexible & if you don't have green peppers from a garden, I recommend using red, yellow, or orange ones instead...or, you can substitute cucumbers also. Right now, my oregano plant has gone to flower. I love oregano flowers. Not just in an arrangement, because they are so sweet looking...but, because they have tons of flavor & look just as pretty on a plate as they do in a vase.

Begin with 2 pounds of ripe assorted heirloom tomatoes & 1 large bell pepper {I used 2 small ones instead}. Cut the tomatoes into medium sized uneven chunks. I sliced some of them & cut some into chunks. Seed the pepper & cut into bite sized pieces.

Bozo Picture of the Week...

Fresh Corn & Tomato Sauté

This recipe is an attempt to re-create a dish my brother made while we were on vacation last summer. It was a
combo of fresh tomatoes & corn that he cooked up with fresh herbs...and, I have no idea what else.
But, it was so good!! He served it as a side, along with some mashed potatoes...and, something about the corn & tomato with those potatoes was just delicious.
While we were away again this year, I decided to try to make it again. I had no recipe. So, I went looking around & found this. I switched things up quite a bit, but the end result came out pretty close to what I was going for.

Tomato Sauce with Onion & Butter

In the world of food blogging, this recipe is all over the interwebs...and, of course, there's a reason why.
It's amazing!
I've been wanting to blog this recipe for some time now & decided I would wait until the end of summer to make it, using my ripe garden tomatoes. Unfortunately, our new veggie garden is in such a spot, that it is not getting sufficient enough sun to ripen our tomatoes {except for hundreds of cherry tomatoes, thankfully}.
It's a huge bummer. But, a lesson learned.
This recipe is from the goddess of Italian home cooking, Marcella Hazan. It's quite possibly the most delicious tomato sauce you'll ever taste...Bozo #2, who will normally not touch pasta with tomato sauce on it, was eating it straight with a spoon.
Plus, with one pot & three ingredients there's no reason not to give it a try.