Almond Fruit Tart

I love the fresh fruits of summer, and on a recent trip to a popular warehouse store I bought a large container of apricots and a couple of large containers of blueberries.  Combined with a bumper crop of tiny new strawberries that I picked from my backyard bushes I decided that it would be nice to use them in a fruit tart.

My New York City backyard is minuscule, and composed of a wooden deck and cement, so the frustrated farmer in me has to be content to grow things in portable flower pots.  I grow peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, herbs, and even raspberries and a fig tree in flower pots! My strawberry plants grow in rectangular flower boxes so they can spread out their runners as they like to do. The strawberries I harvest are small. but very tasty!

 Almond Fruit Tart 

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 heaping cup almonds
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 to 3 Tbs. almond liqueur or corn syrup
• 1/4 lb. almond paste
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg white
• 1 pint blueberries, or 4 or 5 small peaches, pitted and sliced -- I also used apricots, pitted and sliced, and strawberries
• 1 Tbs. water
• 1 Tbs. (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin
• 3/4 cup red currant or apple jelly -- I used red seedless raspberry jam and orange marmalade

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

To make the crust, in a food processor, combine the almonds and sugar and process until fairly finely ground. Add the flour and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 Tbs. of the almond liqueur and pulse to bring the dough together in a rough mass, adding the remaining 1 Tbs. liqueur if the mixture is too dry.

Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using your fingers, pat it evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake until light brown and set, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the almond paste and butter and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the egg white.

When the crust is ready, remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Spread the almond paste mixture evenly over the bottom of the warm crust. Let cool completely, then arrange the berries or peaches decoratively over the top.

Place the water in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the top, stir and let stand for several minutes to soften. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the jelly until it melts, about 5 minutes. Stir in the dissolved gelatin until melted, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Brush the jelly glaze evenly over the fruit. Let cool completely and serve at room temperature.

Makes one 9-inch tart; serves 6 to 8


This recipe was adapted from the William Sonoma Lifestyle Series --Time Life Book 1998

The almond crust was very light and had soft cookie consistency, and held its shape very well when cut. The almond paste filling held the fruit in place well and gave the tart a hint of almond flavor. The gelatin jam topping gave the fruit an extra sweetness and pretty glaze. All in all it was a delicious tart, and one I'll be making often this summer with a variety of fresh fruits and berries.

I'm adding this post to the "Foodie Friday" event at Rattlebridge Farm, the "Seasonal Sunday" event at The Tablescaper, and "Mosaic Monday" at the Little Red House.  Thanks to all the blog hosts!

*A Reminder: For a chance to win a $1,000 gift card Sweepstakes from BlogHer and CT Tourism please comment on my " Consider Connecticut" post at this link, and tell me where you would like to visit in the beautiful state of Connecticut . Thank you, and good luck!

"Ladles of Love" Give Away

SOUP!

I love soup! I love to make soup and I love to eat soup.  I think I could live on soup!

I make roasted butternut squash soup quite often, as it is easy to do, delicious and nutritious. 

I love using my immersion blender right in the pot to puree all the cooked ingredients...

...and I love to use my nice large soup ladle to serve it right from the pot on a busy evening.

Here is a photo of my husband helping himself to a bowl of roasted butternut soup tonight. Click here to see my recipe.

On really busy nights, when I don't have any time to cook, I love opening a bag of Bertolli Frozen Meal Soups, as they taste home made and a rich hearty broth filled with all natural ingredients. They are available in four varieties: Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken & Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken, and Tuscan-Style Beef with Vegetables. The Tomato Florentine with Tortellini is our favorite! Have you tried any of the soups?

To celebrate National Soup Month Bertolli Frozen Meal Soup is hosting the "Ladles of Love" program, benefitting Feeding America on behalf of local food banks and helping to provide 400,000 meals($50,000) to those who need it most. Bertolli asks that you show your support towards reaching their goal of 25,000 facebook app "clicks" by clicking to fill their soup bowl on their facebook page at this link, and to pass the word on about their program through your blog, facebook page or twitter.

In return, Bertolli would like to send TWO coupons for a FREE Bertolli frozen meal, or frozen meal soup, and a beautiful stainless steel soup ladle like the one I use to ONE lucky reader of my blog! All you have to do is tell me that you clicked through on their "Ladle of Love" facebook tab to add another ladle to the total and help them reach their goal of 25,000 clicks.   It’s free, quick and an easy way to help Bertolli feed those in need. I did it yesterday and it literally takes seconds to do.  If you post this information on you blog with the Ladle of Love facebook link and let me know in a second comment, I'll give you a second chance at winning the prize.

The winner will be chosen by Random Number Generator from the comments I receive on this post, and will be announced on on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012.  Good luck, and please remember to let me know that you clicked through a "Ladle of Love" to help feed those in need.!

I'm linking this post to the following blog events:

Jenny Matlock's "Alphabe Thursday" for the letter "L."
Design By Gollum's "Foodie Friday"
2805 "Potpourri Friday"
My Romantic Home's "Show and Tell Fridays"
Mom Trends's "Friday Food"

Thanks to all the blog hosts!

Edited February 14, 2012:  The give away is closed.  I had 59 entries and Random.org chose number 25. Carol, of the blog "There is Always Thyme to Cook" is the winner!  Congratulations Carol!  I will notify Bertolli that you are my winner and send your e-mail address to them so they can contact you for your address to send the stainless steel ladle and free Bertolli Frozen Soup coupons to you.  Thanks to all who entered.

Moroccan Vegetarian Stew

This is a fragrant and spicy stew, perfect for a cold winter day when you'd like to warm up in a hurry. It's packed with vitamins and fiber, full of diet conscious goodness, and is both vegetarian and vegan.

Served with warm whole wheat pita bread or over couscous, it is a complete delicious and satisfying meal in a bowl.  My husband enjoyed it so much he declared it "a winner." I hope you will enjoy it too!

Moroccan Vegetarian Stew

Serves 8

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups water

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 red pepper, chopped

4 medium carrots, sliced

3 plum tomatoes, chopped  or one 8 ounce can of chopped tomatoes

2 small zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chick peas, rinsed and drained

In a Dutch oven, saute onion in oil until tender. Add all spices and salt, cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in the water, squash, potatoes, carrots, pepper, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until potatoes and squash are almost tender.

Add zucchini and chickpeas and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for another 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Linking to the "Foodie Friday" event on Designs by Gollum, and Mom Trends Friday Food



Check out the links and see what's on the menu tonight for many wonderful bloggers.

Italian Mixed Seafood Salad

On Christmas Eve many Italian-American families preserve the Southern Italian tradition of having no meat, and only fish for dinner. This practice is often referred to as the "Feast of the Seven Fishes," or "The Vigil" (La Vigilia).  This celebration is a commemoration of the wait, Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus.  Every household has their favorite specialties that they make year after year, and in many houses even more than seven kinds of fish are eaten. I've made up to twelve different types of fish and shellfish dishes in years past, when my entire extended family would gather around our table on Christmas Eve.

A special appetizer treat is a Mixed Seafood Salad or "Insalata di Frutte di Mare."  Although I grew up in a Irish and Ukrainian household, and the thought of eating calamari was unheard of to me before I married my Italian husband, this salad soon become one of my personal favorites! I would be very content to have a large portion of this as my main course, but I usually serve it in smaller portions as an appetizer.

Mixed Seafood Salad

Serves 4 - 6 people as an appetizer.

Basic Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh or thawed frozen squid (calamari), cleaned and cut into 3/4 inch. rings,  leave tentacles whole.

I pound medium size shrimp, peeled and de-veined.

1 pound mussels

2 stalks of celery, sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 small jar (8 oz) of roasted red peppers, drained and diced

1 cup green and/or black Italian olives, drained

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

I small bunch flat leaf parsley, thick stems removed, chopped

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Scrub mussels with a stiff brush under cold running water. Remove any fibrous beards from mussels. Throw away any mussels with open shells.

2.  Put 1 tablespoon of water to just cover the bottom of a 4 quart saucepan and add cleaned mussels. Cover and cook over high heat with cover on the pot until mussels open, around 1 to two minutes. Pick out and throw away any mussels that fail to open. Transfer mussels to a clean bowl and let cool.

 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Set a bowl of ice water nearby. Boil shrimp just until pink, about 2 minutes. Using a strainer, transfer to ice water to stop cooking and then place the drained shrimp into a large bowl.

4. Add squid to boiling water. Once pot has returned to boil, cook squid until tentacles curl back and rings are opaque, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Drain well, pat dry with paper towels, and add to the bowl of shrimp.

5. Strain liquid off the mussels and add to the bowl of squid and shrimp.

6. Add chopped onion, celery, and olives to the bowl

7. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice, the garlic, and parsley. Whisk in 1 teaspoon salt, or less to taste, and several grinds of black pepper.

8. Pour dressing over seafood and stir gently.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let salad marinate in the refrigerator a few hours or overnight.

9. Bring salad to room temperature and stir gently before serving. Serve with additional lemon slices.

If you wish you can add steamed clams, cooked and sliced scungilli (conch), boiled chopped octopus, lobster, or cooked scallops to this salad, adjusting the amount of oil and seasonings for larger quantities of seafood.  If available, a small portion of chopped arugula is also a flavorful addition to the salad.
 

Being an adventurous eater, when I was first married I tried everything my mother-in-law and sister-in-law made, and it soon became my mission to learn how to prepare food the same way, especially holiday specialties such as this salad. It was not an easy task, as my in-laws never used a written recipe or used exact measurements. Everything they made was by habit and by eye and taste. It was only by observing and reading many Italian cookbooks did I eventually learn to replicate many of their dishes, and there are still a few I'm trying to learn!  We are all so fortunate to have the Internet and food blogs to look up authentic recipes. If you look on my blog's sidebar you will see I follow many wonderful Food bloggers, and I'm still learning more about authentic and traditional Italian cuisine.

It's also nice to share our food customs and favorite recipes through the "Foodie Friday" event each week on Michael's blog "Designs By Gollum." Please join us all on her link!

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

So what does a "Mother of the Bride" do when it is approximately six months before her daughter's wedding and she is not happy with her appearance?  She joins a gym to workout a couple of hours every day and she goes on a low fat diet consisting primarily of vegetables.  At least that is what I am doing, and why I was happy to see this recipe for Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup in the December, 2011 issue of the Food Network Magazine. The ingredients of sweet potatoes, carrots, leeks, and red lentils, seasoned with fresh ginger and curry, sounded very appealing to me, and the approximate 257 calories a serving was a definite plus!

Best of all, it is a slow cooker recipe!

Perfect for this busy holiday season, when there is so much to do!

The most labor intensive part of making this soup is chopping all the vegetables into small pieces. I happen to enjoy chopping vegetables as I find it a meditative experience.  If I know I am going out for the day I will do this preperation the night before, so that all I have to do in the morning is add the ingredients into the slow cooker and turn it on.  Since this recipe is set to cook for eight hours on low heat, it's perfect for a very busy day.

How nice to come home to a bowl of wonderfully fragrant, hot soup!

  The recipe as it appears in the Food Network Magazine:

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

Total Time: 8 hr 25 min.

Prep: 25 min.

Cook:  8 hr 0 min.

Yield:4 servings

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 leeks, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (white and light green parts only)

3/4 cup dried yellow or red lentils

1 4-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 teaspoon curry powder

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving (optional)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro


Directions

Combine the sweet potato, carrots, celery, leeks, lentils, ginger, 3/4 teaspoon curry powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add 6 cups water and stir, then cover and cook on low, undisturbed, 8 hours.

Stir the soup vigorously with a whisk to make a rough puree. Thin with hot water, if desired.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon curry powder and cook until the curry powder is slightly toasted, about 1 minute. Stir the curry mixture into the soup and add the lemon juice, cilantro, and salt to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.

Per serving: Calories 257; Fat 4 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 8 mg; Sodium 580 mg; Carbohydrate 45 g; Fiber 10 g; Protein 12 g

 
Did you watch the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on TV last night? This photo is of  last year's beautiful tree (view more photos here)  I contemplated going to the ceremony but when I heard that President Obama was also in mid town Manhattan last evening, attending another event, I decided to wait another year.  I knew all the added security would make a very crowded event even more difficult to see.  I'll visit this year's tree as soon as I can -- I never miss seeing it!  Happy December 1st!
 
I'm adding this post to "Alphabe" Thursday on Jenny Matlock's blog -- the letter this week is "D" -- December's perfect soup! I'm also joining in on Foodie Friday on Designs By Gollum. Thanks to both blog hosts!

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

If there is one thing I absolutely adore, it is bowl of flavorful soup!  This Mexican Chicken Lime Soup was just that, and full of intoxicating flavors that tickled my tongue. It is a Rachel Ray recipe, but I never may have found it if it weren't for Pinterest.

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web, by "pinning" them onto your own page of web boards that you can name in any categories that you desire.  I have many such boards, and many are food related.  I also have boards for wedding plan ideas for my daughter's spring wedding,  DIY projects that look interesting and a board for crafts I might actually make. I even have a board for things I see that make me smile. After you download a special "pin it" button in your internet explorer's favorites, you can use that link to pin a photo from almost any web site, and it will have the link to the website where you found it.  Any time you wish to return to that web site you click on the photo on your board.  You can also see other Pinterest boards and get ideas from them and repin their pins on your board. I found the Mexican Chicken Lime Soup while scanning the "Everything" Pinterest stream and pinned it to my "Soup" board. I'm glad I tried it! For more information about Pinterest click here. 

As a person who always loved to rip out recipes that I wanted to try from countless magazine over the years, Pinterest now allows me to virtually do the same for web recipes.   One warning: Pinterest can be very addicting! If you do join Pinterest, or have already joined, I hope you become my follower as I will follow back. 

The link to my Pinterest boards:

I love to see what everyone is pinning!

Now the recipe for Rachel Rays delicious Mexican Chicken Lime Soup with the modifications that I added written in red:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces - I used chicken breasts

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce

6 cups chicken broth

I added I package of frozen corn

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 2 limes

Salt and pepper

1 hass avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces

Crushed tortilla chips

Sour cream

Directions:

1.In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

2.Place 2 avocado slices in each of 6 soup bowls and pour in the soup. Top with the tortilla chips. I also added a dollop of sour cream to each serving.

Quick, easy, flavorful!  My kind of soup!



I'm linking with Foodie Friday! Click the link to see all the delicious entries for this week.

Baked Gnocchi with Two Cheeses and Walnuts and a Give Away!

If there is one food my husband loves it is gnocchi -- a small dense Italian pasta dumpling traditionally made with either potato, ricotta, or semolina. Gnocchi have been a traditional Italian pasta of probably Middle Eastern origin since early Roman times, although the use of potato is a relatively recent innovation, occurring after the introduction of the potato to Europe in the 16th century.

When Bertolli asked me if I'd like to try one of their special sauces to prepare their recipe of baked Gnocchi with Two Cheese and Walnuts I was more than happy to oblige! They sent me a kit which included a cavatelli maker, and gnocchi board, a coupon for their Olive Oil and Garlic Sauce and a La Creuset Au Gratin dish, and this recipe. No other compensation was provided and my opinion about this recipe is my own.  As you can see from my photo of the completed dish, the results were fantastic!

BAKED GNOCCHI WITH TWO CHEESES AND WALNUTS

Serves 4
prep time: 10 minute(s)
cook time: 20 minute(s)

Ingredients:

1 jar Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic Sauce
1 lb. fresh or frozen gnocchi, prepared according to package directions
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6 oz.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions:
•Preheat oven to 425°.
•Combine Sauce, cooked gnocchi, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon basil in 2-quart casserole. Top with remaining cheeses, walnuts and bread crumbs.
•Bake uncovered 12 minutes or until bubbling. Sprinkle with remaining basil.

I made fresh potato gnocchi using this recipe:

6 cups flour
2 tablespoons shortening or oil
3 boiled potatoes
1 egg (optional)

In a bowl mash boiled potatoes or rice with a potato ricer. Add melted shortening or oil and egg.
On a board or mat sift the flour.  Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the mashed potato mixture.  Slowly mix the potato mixture and flour with your hands until well blended and it forms a ball.  Flour the surface and begin to knead until the dough begins to become soft and smooth. Cut dough in half and allow to "rest" under a damp towel for about 10 minutes.

If using a cavatelli machine roll out each half of the dough to a thickness of about 3/8 inches and cut into strips about 1/2 to 3/4 inches wide. Flour each strip and insert one end into wooden rollers of the catavelli maker and turn the handle.

Gnocchi are traditionally made by hand by rolling the dough into ropes which are then cut into "pillows" and then each pillow is rolled onto board to make ridges. You can see how I do this by clicking here to see my Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi recipe

As you can see from the photo above this recipe makes a large amount of cavatelli -- enough for three servings!  I was able to freeze two servings for another time by spreading the cavatelli on a baking sheet and freezing them until hard and then placing the frozen cavatelli in freezer bags.

The baked gnocchi were absolutely delicious! The sauce was flavorful and had just enough garlic to blend well with the two cheeses and fresh basil to make this dish very aromatic. I never thought to incorporate walnuts in a baked pasta dish, and I found them to add a wonderful crunch, along with the bread crumb topping.  My husband gave this two thumbs up and we were very happy to eat the leftovers the next day!



Bertolli recommends that this dish is accompanied by a rich Barbera wine, as you can see in the film clip above from their special event about pasta and wine pairing.

Now for the give away!  Bertolli has graciously offered to give the same set that they sent to me to a USA resident, to be shipped from their offices. The set will include a coupon for a free sauce product, a cavatelli maker, a cheese grater, and gnocchi board and a La Crueset Gratin Dish. All you have to do leave a comment and make sure you leave a way to contact you if you do not have a blog. Sorry, but this is for USA residents only.  If you would like to become a follower of my blog (not required) I would be thrilled to have your interest and friendship!  If you are a facebook user, please check out the Bertolli  Tastes of Italy map and add a tip, story recipe or photo from your favorite region of Italy, and join in all the fun!  The winner of the give away will be chosen by me through the use of Random.org on Monday, September 5th, 2011.  Good luck!

I'm linking to Foodie Friday on the Designs by Gollum blog and Mosaic Monday on the Little Red House blog. Thank you to both wonderful blog hosts--please visit them and see all the wonderful entries!

Edited 8/28/12:  Thankfully my house and neighborhood survived Hurricane Irene!  Thank you for you concern, and prayers.  I am thinking and praying for all those who were affected by this severe storm.

edited 9/5/11 9PM EST:  Comments now closed --winner chosen, and to be announced soon!  Thank you to all who entered the give away.  I enjoyed reading all your comments!

Veal Saltimbocca

 

One of the things I love about summer is all the fresh herbs I grow in pots in my backyard that allow me to season many of my favorite dishes. As you can see from the photo above my sage plants are at their peak, full with plentiful bright leaves.  Sage leaves have a strong distinctive flavor and aroma and a little bit goes a long way to use in soups, stews, stuffings, and sauces.   The leaves can be added to a dish fresh, either whole or chopped. The sage leaves also dry well for future use or they can be frozen whole in an air tight freezer bag.  I also like to sprinkle some sage leaves or stems on my barbecue coals when cooking as they will impart a wonderful aroma on the food.

This dish originated in Rome, Italy and the Italian word "saltimbocca" literally translates as "jumps in the mouth."   Saltimbocca bursts with the flavor of veal, sage, prosciutto, white wine and butter. If you don't like veal, you can use pork or chicken cutlets.

Veal Saltimbocca

8 slices prosciutto
8 veal cutlets, thinly sliced and pounded
flour spread on a plate for dredging
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
16 large sage leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place one slice of prosciutto on each veal cutlet and pound in lightly with a meat tenderizer.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Dredge both sides of the cutlet in flour to coat, shaking off any excess. Place them in the pan, prosciutto side down, and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to a warm plate.
3. Drain oil from pan, place back over heat and add butter. When butter is melted add sage and saute for one minute, trying to keep the leaves intact, if possible. Remove the leaves to a dish.
4. Add the white wine and scrape loose any bits from bottom of the pan, then add the chicken broth and salt and pepper.
5. Place the cutlets back in the pan, prosciutto side up and cook until sauce is reduced by half and the cutlets are heated through.
6. Transfer veal to serving plates, place reserved leaves on top of each cutlet and spoon sauce over top and serve.

If you do not have fresh sage leaves you can use dried sage, adding it to the butter to taste, approximately two teaspoons.

I served my veal saltimbocca with roasted asparagus sprinkled with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and a slice of fried eggplant. There were many happy smiles around my table as we dined on one of our favorite meals!

I'm joining the "Foodie Friday" event on Michael's blog "Designs With Gollum." Please visit Michael's blog and enjoy a visual feast.