What are you cooking for dinner this weekend?

[ZenNMotion]

While on a work assignment in Azerbaijan, I was introduced to dovga, a yogurt based soup with a mix of fresh summer herbs and chickpeas, served cold. Locally this would accompany a Caspian sturgeon kabab and a plate of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley. I've found several online recipes for it, this one is my favorite. I usually skip the rice (that's not in the version I had, and I think it takes away some of the pungent kick of the mix of dill, cilantro, mint, and garlic chives). Finding good sour yogurt is important, the closest I've found stateside is kefir milk from the local halal market (which BTW, is also a great place to buy fresh clean meat from a competent butcher). Dovga is best served right after you make it (don't overcook the yogurt and the herbs, never let it boil!) but it keeps well for up to a week, as it's hard to make in small quantities.
https://azcookbook.com/2011/04/13/yo...ckpeas-dovgha/dovga.jpg

[mnoble485]

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Sunday was cloudy and rain off and on. Seemed like a good day to experiment with the Vidalias. I need food photo tips tips from RW but the final product was really good. I will do this again and tweek the recipe a little next time. Great bread and really good cheese topped it off.

Mike

[rwsaunders]

Mike...looks awesome and I love Vidalia onions! We need to convince you to experiment with sourdough...

[mnoble485]

Robert,
That wouldn't take much convincing. Since I haven't gone down the bake my own bread rabbit hole yet I got this bread from a local baker who is only open on Saturdays. I
don't think she does sour dough but I will check. I did get some gruyere though and it was worth it.

Mike

[rwsaunders]

Our oldest son is in town this week and it happens to be his birthday, so all dinner requests are honored for our kid’s birthdays. Marinated and grilled flank steak, a variation of fettuccine alfredo and fresh asparagus.

[guido]

Early summer Frittata

[rwsaunders]

“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays this BBQ’er from the swift completion of his appointed rounds.” In spite of intermittent showers and thunder, we had a BBQ this evening at the homestead with the outlaws (my 93yo MIL inspecting) to start the holiday week. The baby back ribs were cooked last evening, then dry rubbed and finished to perfection on the grille. Butcher grade hot dogs, fresh grilled asparagus and a ton of fruit rounded off the meal...I need to mention the IPA and homemade white sangria.

[mnoble485]

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I was so proud of fixing this simple breakfast after a morning ride until I saw what RW posted. Bread on its last days and fruit passed its sell by date. Toasted and buttered with the fruit lightly mashed.

Apologies for taking things down a notch. ;)

Mike

[slwrnu]

I like the look of that breadknife. Apart from bread, these knives can do almost anything. Bread, chopping veg, , fruit, carving meat. Your breakfast looks excellent.

When your bread is on the turn, make some croutons with your best olive oil, set aside and make some pea and ham soup. Healthy, cheap, easy. Spice it all up with stuff from your cupboard according to taste. It is not exactly dinner party stuff but if there are just a couple of you, it does not disappoint.

[rwsaunders]

Mike...you are rocking the Casbah...keep on cookin’!

[rwsaunders]

Batchin’ it tonight...grilled ham and cheese with a little Dijon mustard, sweet pickles and chips, washed down with a hipster raspberry ale from my sampler pack.

[guido]

Stir-fried Tofu with Black bean and chili: Home grown bok choi, onion, garlic, snap peas, chili peppers. Sichuan pepercorns and Laoganma black bean sauce...

[rwsaunders]

Simple dish of pasta with homemade meatballs and sauce and supported on the side by fresh pesto with basil from the patio pots...yum.

[dgaddis]

Foods from the past weekend :: chunka Tri Tip, tomato pie, and grilled veggie tacos. It was a good weekend.

[dgaddis]

We made fajitas last night. Sous vide some flank steak at 125*F for a little over an hour, then seared on the grill. Cooked the veggies out on the grill as well so I could get the pan HOT and not smoke out the house. Used a DIY 'vortex' and a carbon steel pan. Didn't get any pics of the steak, but it was great!

[rwsaunders]

It's been a good year for our tomatoes and basil so I made another batch of pesto for the freezer and we have been eating cherry and grape tomatoes like they were gummy bears. Our middle kid also headed back to IU for his second year of grad school, which called for his favorite dish again, so that we could send him on his way...honey glazed grilled pork loin.

PS..too cheap to buy pignoli nuts at $14/# so I cheat on the pesto with walnuts...don't tell Martha Stewart.

[rydesteel]

How does the Pesto Freeze? Does it get dark or keep the bright green? I've made a couple batches so far this year (I usually give some away) but have never frozen it. Thanks!

[rwsaunders]

How does the Pesto Freeze? Does it get dark or keep the bright green? I've made a couple batches so far this year (I usually give some away) but have never frozen it. Thanks!

Frank...it stays pretty much the same color that it is when you make it. Guido (Guy) looks like he freezes his in a ziplock bag and I just use small mason jars. When I pull it out of the freezer, I let it come to room temperature which it does rather quickly. I also use small jars so that I don’t have to use a large batch at once. Some folks also use less oil when they make a batch and then add oil when they pull it out of the freezer.

[guido]

How does the Pesto Freeze? Does it get dark or keep the bright green? I've made a couple batches so far this year (I usually give some away) but have never frozen it. Thanks!

I have good luck freezing when I get the air out of the bag...

Once defrosted, it darkens a bit on the surfaces exposed to the air. I use a floating piece of cling-film to seal out as much air contact as I can.

But I eat it if it darkens too, doesn't seem to effect the flavor for me...

[fastupslowdown]

Pan roasted ratatouille and roasted Branzino stuffed with Rosemary and Thyme
Ruined the presentation when the tail broke off -Mike G
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