about a year ago, i tried my hand at creating ratatouille, sans recipe, from a bunch of veggies my dad brought us from his garden. while i liked the creation, i couldn’t stop tinkering with it during this harvest season, thinking that if i started with a basic recipe and tweaked it i would be able to create THE BEST ratatouille ever. so when mike’s mom brought us a lovely bag of veggies from her garden a few weeks ago, i rolled up my sleeves and began working on a new version of ratatouille.
the summer is flying by so quickly! i have a ton of great recipes to share with you to utilize the beautiful produce this season brings, but i’ve been so busy having fun (see the pics from my birthday) and spending time outdoors that i haven’t been posting as regularly as i’d like (although i’ve been cooking more than ever!).
the month of may has been a blur of activity around here, and of course, the first thing to go during this busy time has been finding and testing new recipes. instead, i’ve been sticking to the old standbys because i can easily remember the ingredients off the top of my head while i’m walking through the grocery store, sans list. (since most of you don’t go shopping with me, let me fill you in on my shopping list habit: i rarely go into ANY store without a list in hand!!) so you can imagine how busy this month has been if i’ve been heading into the store with nary a list or reusable bag in hand.
my favorite meals to make are hearty, fairly simple dishes that leave lots of yummy leftovers for lunches and dinners later in the week. thus, i rarely gravitate towards entrees with humongous lists or complicated preparations for my usual weeknight fare. but every so often, there’s a fancier, more complicated recipe that grabs me and i convince myself that it will be worth the extra time to create a spectacular meal.







