I saw a recipe for vegetable lasagna in the most recent edition of Cooks Illustrated and I knew I had to make it.  It just looked amazing and the ingredient list seemed perfect.  It takes some time to prepare everything and assemble the recipe, but I can assure you that this lasagna is well worth the effort.  I was able to put it all together in about an hour.

This lasagna was the best I have ever tasted.  I don’t like leftovers, but I enjoyed this meal for several days and I savored every bite.  I followed the recipe almost exactly, but I did use a little less garlic than recommended and I also omitted the 1/2 cup of kalamata olives the recipe called for originally.  I adore olives, but my husband does not so I decided to forgo them.   

Please be warned that this recipe makes a full 9×13 pan of lasagna.  You will definitely want to share this with others.  It is a great dish to make when entertaining or to share with your extended family.  I think even those who tend to be a little leery of eggplant and squash will be pleasantly surprised. 

Ingredients

No-Cook Tomato Sauce

• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

No-Cook Cream Sauce

• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (2 cups)
• 1 cup whole-milk cottage cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Vegetable Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds eggplant , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound zucchini , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1 pound yellow squash , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 12 ounces baby spinach (about 12 cups)
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 12 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , shredded (about 3 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions

1. FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.

2. FOR THE CREAM SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.

3. FOR THE FILLING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Line surface of large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over filters. Wipe out and reserve now-empty bowl. Microwave eggplant, uncovered, until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure that eggplant cooks evenly. Let cool slightly. Return eggplant to bowl and toss with zucchini and squash.

4. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme in small bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half eggplant mixture, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet; add half of garlic mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir to combine garlic mixture with vegetables and transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining eggplant mixture, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining garlic mixture.

5. Return skillet to medium-high heat, add remaining teaspoon oil, and heat until shimmering. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to paper towel–lined plate and drain 2 minutes. Stir into eggplant mixture.

6. TO ASSEMBLE: Spray 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish; shingle 4 noodles on top of sauce. Spread half of vegetable mixture over noodles, half of cream sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella. Repeat layering with 4 noodles, 1 cup tomato sauce, remaining vegetables, remaining cream sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. Place remaining 4 noodles on top layer of cheese. Spread remaining 1 cup tomato sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Lightly spray large sheet of aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray and cover lasagna. Bake until bubbling, about 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack 25 minutes. Cut into pieces, sprinkle with basil, and serve.

I am not an ice cream lover.  I will occasionally indulge at Cold Stone Creamery, but normally I don’t go for frozen treats.  As a result, I rarely make my way down the frozen food aisle at the grocery store.  This year though, I ran across a sale paper with a listing for Blue Bell frozen lime fruit bars for a price I just couldn’t pass up.  It was a particularly hot summer day and I thought it might be a good idea to indulge.  I took one lick and I have been hooked.  These bars are so refreshing.  My husband is a fan too and it is amazing how fast we can go through a box of these fabulous little frozen treats.  They are definitely my favorite snack of the summer.  At only 80 calories per bar you really can’t go wrong.  What has been your favorite treat this summer?

There is only one thing I like more than picking blueberries and that is picking blackberries!  I hadn’t ever picked blackberries before this year, but I really enjoyed it.  Blackberries are definitely one of my favorite fruits and picking them was like going on a treasure hunt.  The patch where we picked was having a rough year due to the extreme heat that we have been experiencing, so picking was probably a bit more difficult than it would have normally been.  I didn’t mind though – it was fun to pour over the bushes in search of a ripe berry.  In the end we came away with 2 lbs which was just perfect for the cobbler I wanted to try.  I actually had enough to make this cobbler two times which was great because my husband and I fell in love with this new recipe and finished it off in less than 24 hours.

I have been experimenting over the years with blackberry cobblers and haven’t ever found anything that really set my heart on fire.  I think I have finally found the one though.  The technique is unique, but the results are fabulous.  You should definitely give it a try.  It also only calls for 2 cups of blackberries which I think is quite reasonable, especially compared to a lot of recipes out there.  Many of the other recipes I looked at called for much larger quantities.  I only tweaked this recipe slightly.  I have also used this recipe with peaches too.  My husband is a peach fanatic and we both agreed this was a great way to enjoy them.

I saw this recipe on the Pioneer Woman’s site and I knew I needed to attempt something similar in my own kitchen.  I was able to try it out before scorching temperatures and drought hit Texas so I was able to use some fresh local produce.  I am not a big fan of canola oil or adding sugar to perfectly good vegetables so I had to tweak the recipe slightly.  The results were fabulous and this was a great way to savor all the different kinds of tomatoes we had been getting from our garden and our produce share.  You won’t find a more flavorful or beautiful side.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1/8 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 small onion, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup Chopped Parsley
• 10 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)
• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 2 small cloves Garlic, Pressed or Minced Finely
• 1-1 1/2 pounds Tomatoes, Cut Into Quarters (if Big) Or Halves (if Small)

Directions

Combine all ingredients except the tomatoes in a large glass bowl.  Add tomatoes and allow to marinate for at least 3 to 4 hours, several hours if possible.  Eat!