I don't know where you live but it's a scorcher right about now in NY. We've been waiting for summer to really arrive and now it's officially a swamp. Speaking of weather, I've been under it for some time now. So before this heat wave landed upon us (even though it's summer) I made a ginormous batch of soup. I have been eating it for days. And since it was a ginormous quantity, I figured I would be enjoying it again and again as well as serving it to my hubby and sister. But with the thermometer outside soaring damn near human body temp, I don't care how much soup I have left over. Frigging 95 degrees screams for something cooler.
I had some ideas. Well, I always have ideas. Main one. Use up the egads amount of tomatoes and basil I bought last week. It's a fact that I am very easily enticed at the farmer's market by produce's beauty. But in all fairness, I bought them in anticipation of hosting guests for a Pizza Sunday Party. Those plans were foiled. Which left me with more tomatoes and basil than two people can comfortably eat unless forced by some game show stunt. Since last week's basil-ed potatoes went over so well, I made another batch of that sauce and quickly got to figuring out the rest.
The abundance. Don't be fooled. That is only half the tomatoes and 1/3 of the basil I STILL HAVE!! (Plus some went into that ginormous soup. And don't forget to look at that beautiful blue bowl by Miller Pottery
I had romaine lettuce. Perfect as boats to fill with good shit. (The heat made me curse.)
I had zucchini and yellow squash.
I had hearts of palm and chick peas. Ever present in my pantry.
I had thoughts. (sometimes good; other times, well...)
Zucchini and Yellow Squash cubed.
Even though it was hot out, the zucchini and squash needed to be cooked in my opinion. Reason: I just really wasn't feeling their raw essence for this dish. Since it was cleaning day and the house was gleaming, no way was I going to make a mess of the stove. In the oven went the squashes. And a few tomatoes whole, too. I roasted them at 400 degrees until nicely caramelized.
Oiled, salted and peppered for the oven roasting.
Everything else, cut up and ready. I sliced up some more tomatoes raw. One, because I had a ton, and two because I'm a fan of duality. Warm tomatoes, cool tomatoes.
Once the veggies were out of the oven, the only chore that remained; Assembly. I don't need to hold your hand for this part, do I? Take your leaf and stuff it with what you love. A little of this and little of that and drizzle some of that banging basil sauce a top. (Chop up some leftover chicken, or toss in some tuna. Be creative.)
Assembly line. Fill your boats!
Light but satisfying. Cool yet with just enough warmth to make it feel like dinner and not a snack. Crap, I think I yanked this one out from nowhere, and hit it out of the park. (The heat made me say that part, too.) Jill and JC loved them. Yeah, I won't be eating soup. I got me some leftover lettuce boats to my rescue.
When the weather is too hot to think. Just jump in a boat and bring along whatever's in your kitchen.
