A Satiation of Flavors

September has arrived and brought the delightfully crisp New England air upon us. I love this time of year. Being outside is a joy and I’m motivated to explore what’s around me. Today I want to follow the Italian food methodology of using ingredients grown locally. My friend Ashley and I start our day right with individual garden veggie frittatas. 

 

 

Sometimes improvising leads to brilliance. We did not have the right size pan to make a frittata for two people so we used a large muffin tin to create individual servings. I prefer this method over using a pan because they cook better, faster, and look beautiful. Frittatas are easy. Mix together eggs and a touch of milk and add in whatever spices you prefer! Ashley and I chose cumin, cayenne, paprika, and salt and pepper. Add your favorite chopped veggies, herbs, and cheese and spoon into the muffin tins (make sure to non-stick spray it first). Cook in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until they have set up but are not fully cooked through. Top off with chopped tomatoes and cheese and place under broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbly and frittatas are cooked through.  Take a bite of this delightful little package and be welcomed by the warmth of the spices, the crunch of the veggies and the gooeyness of the melted cheese.

With full stomachs and happy faces, we headed outdoors!

There is always something to see in Harvard Square. While searching for Pinkberry, we discovered this gem. Rambling Dan!

One man’s trash is certainly another man’s treasure and with his eclectic smorgasbord of musical instruments, he put a smile on every pedestrian’s face. We gladly gave him a few of our American dollars. Ramble on Dan!

The search for Pinkberry was so worth it once we dove into that luscious chocolate frozen yogurt.

We worked up an appetite while walking around the Charles River and decided on our menu for the evening: bruschetta with roasted tomatoes and calamari in chimichurri sauce. We headed to the farmers market and purchased some tomatoes, goat cheese, and a baguette.

The tomatoes are roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper.

The fate of these juicy roasted tomatoes is atop a baguette with goat cheese, caramelized onions and basil. Top off with a healthy drizzle of balsamic reduction and voila:

Next on the menu: calamari in chimichurri sauce:

 

Chimichurri is a sauce of herbs, garlic, lemon zest & olive oil. Sauté the calamari and toss with the chimichurri.

We were dying to dive into this plate. It took all our inner strength to pause for a few moments for the photography.

And when we indulged…

FOODGASMIC!

Something magical happens to your taste buds from the combination of the sweet balsamic reduction, juicy roasted tomatoes, and creamy goat cheese; all atop a crunchy piece of toasted bread.

Ashley, I am so happy I got to experience this with you and there’s never a dull moment!

She had her eye on that one for a while.

Only way to finish the night:

…and I’m a happy girl.