Hello September

The sun is still shining, but a chill lingers in the breeze. Each time we head out to the garden to collect that afternoon's bounty, I am reminded to hold on to the here and now. These just might be the last vibrant colors of summer (and oh, how I love the purple). As much as I'm looking forward to the fall, I'm letting myself linger on the colors and tastes of summer for as long as they last.

We grabbed the above vegetables from our garden, and after admiring them on the counter for a little while, it was into the saucepan for a Ratatouille of Sorts Meets Jambalaya - Kristin-Style.



Ratatouille Meets Jambalaya:

Olive Oil
1/3 Tbsp. butter
Half red onion, diced
One medium zucchini, diced
One red pepper, diced
One green pepper, diced
Two large tomatoes
One clove garlic
One smoked sausage, halved and sliced (we used turkey sausage)
1 c. arborio rice
3 c. chicken stock
Dried thyme
Salt and pepper

Heat a glub of oil olive (probably a Tbsp.) and a sliver of butter in the saucepan while chopping the veggies (except tomatoes, further instruction below).

Brown the onion. Add the garlic followed by the green pepper and red pepper. After those softened a bit, add zucchini. Blanch the tomatoes in some boiling water for just a minute until the sides start to split. Dunk tomatoes it into a bowl of ice water. After that, the skins should easily peel away. Dice and add to the saucepan.

Add the sausage, arborio rice, and one cup of chicken stock. When the chicken stock is absorbed, add another cup. When this cup of chicken stock is absorbed, add the third cup and season with a few shakes of dried thyme, salt, and pepper. After the third cup of chicken stock is absorbed, dish into bowls and head off to the table to enjoy a little summer. (Serves 4).

We hope you're enjoying the tastes and colors of your season's table, whatever they may be.