Eat What's In Season

Farmer's markets and produce stands are opening up everywhere and there is no better time of year to frequent your local spots to pick up the freshest and best produce. There is so much truth to "eating in season". The strawberries that we picked up from the patch last month were beyond wonderful- so juicy, so sweet and bright, bright red. I can buy them at the grocery store year round, but they don't even compare. Fruits and vegetables taste better in the seasons in which they favor and Summer, especially, seems to be bursting at the seams with the best flavors.

I found this list in a local magazine, and thought it would be great to share some of what's in season now. In addition, I'm sharing some recipes and/or ways to use each fruit or vegetable.

Strawberries, Blueberries and Raspberries- Give me all the berries! Right now, I'm enjoying fresh berries with yogurt, in smoothies and even plain. Plain Greek yogurt with raspberries, pistachios and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup is my favorite breakfast right now! If you're looking for something a little more indulgent to do with your berries, combine them all and make this Fresh Berry Pie.

Cabbage- It's not just for your St. Patrick's Day corned beef dinner! I love using cabbage for sandwich wraps because it doesn't break as easily as lettuce and holds everything together. If you're into coleslaw, this Jalapeno Lime Slaw is bright, fresh and perfect for Summer dinner parties.

Tomatoes- Quite possibly my favorite of all the Summer produce. Caprese Salad. Need I say more? Tomato Basil Pappardelle and BLTs both tie for second.

Cauliflower- This poor vegetable doesn't have the best reputation but roasting it makes all the difference. This Cauliflower, Chickpea and Kale salad just might change your mind about cauliflower. Mashed cauliflower also makes a great alternative to mashed white potatoes. I typically steam, mash and mix with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Simple and delicious.

Cucumbers-  Cukes are so versatile! I love to use them as hummus dippers or add to lettuce wrap sandwiches. Cucumbers, tomato and red onion make a wonderful Summer salad and cucumber slices and mint are two of my favorite water infusers.

Zucchini- The vegetable that everyone feels like is coming out of their ears once the Summer is in full swing. I happen to love it every which way. Grilled, roasted and made into noodles! Zucchini noodles are a favorite around here. Top them with pesto or use them as a main dish served with meatballs and sauce.

Fennel- I never liked this when I was younger but I have grown to love it! Sliced pieces of fennel bulbs make for great vegetable dippers. It has a slight licorice flavor and a great crunch. It's also good roasted. Ina Garten has a recipe for Parmesan Fennel Gratin that looks tasty!

Take advantage of what's in season this Summer!

{What Will Ate} Baby's Paleo Pancakes

My sweet little eater loves every single meal time. When it's time to get into his high chair, he screams and laughs and smiles and pulls out all of his best tricks because he is just so excited about filling that belly! And much like me, he likes his food on a schedule.

Breakfast at 8am.

Lunch at 12:30pm.

Dinner at 6:30pm.

And perhaps a few snacks in between.

I know that I say it all the time, but I absolutely love cooking for Will. Knowing that he is eating well balanced meals made in my kitchen is so gratifying. I try to mix up his foods as much as possible so that he is not eating the same thing each day. He gets a great variety! Some of Will's favorite breakfasts are oatmeal with fresh fruit puree, greek yogurt with fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and these delicious pancakes. With three simple ingredients, they are easy to make and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. AND HE LOVES THEM. Ripe bananas make these naturally sweet and I always add a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Don't be fooled by the title of this blog post. When Will gets paleo pancakes, I eat them, too. I just double the recipe and enjoy a pancake breakfast date. 

Baby's Paleo Pancakes

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 egg

2 Tbsp. unsalted almond butter

Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Put a small amount of coconut oil in a large pan and heat on medium heat, letting the oil melt and spread evenly. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, pour batter into pan. When pancakes start to bubble, flip, and cook on the other side. 

Grilled Pizza

Here's a little something to shake up your summertime grill menu. While of you were probably grilling hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken on the grill during Memorial Day weekend, we opted for pizza. 

Pizza. On the grill. I cannot express how deliciously different it is. 

We attempted this method a couple of years ago during our days in Illinois but we failed miserably and didn't do it correctly. But thanks to dear friends, we now know how to throw a pizza on the grill. It's actually much easier than it sounds and I am here to tell you that the end result is unlike any pizza you have probably ever eaten. It's slightly smokey and has a unique chewy quality that I don't get when I use my pizza stone in the oven. Homemade pizza dough takes this above and beyond so while you're trying something new, try two new things. Make your own dough, then grill it. My Neapolitan Pizza Dough will not disappoint.

We topped one pizza with a thin layer of homemade marinara, sweet Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, slivered red onions and mozzarella. Pizza number two featured my favorite of all pizza toppings; arugula, mushrooms, prosciutto and mozzarella. Pizza on the screened in porch with wine, good friends and our newly hung bistro lights made for a lovely Italian Sunday night.

If you haven't grilled your pizza, you haven't lived.

Grilled Pizza

1 batch Neapolitan Pizza Dough (or your favorite pizza dough)

olive oil for brushing

pizza toppings of your choice

Fire up your grill!

Split pizza dough in half, to create two pizzas. Roll out dough to desired size and thickness on a floured surface.

Brush the top side of the crust with olive oil. Transfer pizza to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes. The dough will bubble up like a pancake. Remove from grill, flip over onto a flat surface, and top with pizza toppings. Transfer pizza back onto the grill and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea + Kale Salad

Cauliflower often gets the shaft when it comes to vegetables and it really isn't fair. I'm sure many of you grew up eating it boiled or steamed resulting in a somewhat mushy and blah blob and then, well, I don't blame you for not liking it. But roasting it? Roasting cauliflower opens a whole new world, one that I cannot get enough of. It becomes sweet and slightly crisp on the edges and with just a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper, is simply good. 

This recipe inspiration came as I was flipping through Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, "It's All Good". Roasted cauliflower and chick peas is where I started and kale seemed like the perfect third ingredient. Tossing the warm, roasted veggies with the raw kale slightly wilts and softens it, without losing the crunch. Mark, who doesn't jump up and down at even roasted cauliflower, went back for seconds of this salad.

With cauliflower in season now, pick up a head and try this tasty salad. If you're still not convinced, check out these tasty ideas from Cooking Light. I'm determined to make cauliflower lovers out of all of you. 

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea + Kale Salad

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 can organic chick peas/garbanzo beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed

2 Tbsp. good olive oil

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

generous pinch of salt and pepper

Large bunch of kale, washed and chopped

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1/4 cup good olive oil

salt + pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss cauliflower, chick peas, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes.

To prepare the kale for the salad, wash and cut along the rib of the leaf. Place on a cutting board and roughly chop. 

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper.

When the cauliflower and chick peas are done roasting, toss in a large bowl with kale and dressing.

Cooking Light: Lighten Up America! {Giveaway}

It's no secret that Cooking Light is my very favorite magazine. Having a subscription is like receiving a cookbook in the mail every month! Each month, I flip through the pages and find recipes and inspiration for our meals for the month. I cannot bring myself to throw them away and I have almost 4 years worth of magazines saved so that I can pull them out whenever I feel like I'm in a rut.

Collaborating with Cooking Light's Blogger's Connection has been so much fun. I've discovered a whole new network of blogs and have gotten the chance to preview exciting new things, including one of Cooking Light's newest cookbooks, Lighten Up, America! 

This book features guilt-free takes on favorite American foods. It features regional favorites and foods that were proudly born right here in the USA. Cajun Crab Cakes to Lobster Rolls, BBQ to Pizza...there is a little something for everyone tucked away in the pages of this delicious little book! The stories behind each dish are so much fun to read and the entire book reads beautifully.

Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff to Summer and with bikini beach days upon us, it's the perfect time to lighten things up! Lucky for one of you, I have one extra copy of Lighten Up, America! to give away. 

To enter, leave a comment below sharing your favorite American dish! For an extra entry, Tweet about the giveaway and make sure to mention me (@ladolcevitanina) and Cooking Light! (@Cooking_Light) The giveaway starts now and goes through Monday.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Strawberry Sorbetto

Will and I went down to the strawberry patch with our friends last week and we came home with a five pound box of ruby red beauties. He loves strawberries as much as I do and I think we need to make another trip to the patch before it closes for the season. I need a strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry salsa and strawberry mojitos in my life as soon as possible. Strawberries for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Please and thank you. 

I knew that I wanted to make something special with these fresh berries and when flipped through the pages of my Ciao Bella cookbook, I knew that sorbetto would be sweet and refreshing and the perfect seasonal treat! This cookbook has become my go-to for homemade ice creams, gelatos and sorbettos. The base recipes are so easy and the add in ideas are phenomenal. I have loved everything from this book and highly recommend it. 

This recipe is the best kind of recipe- quick and simple. The base recipes It starts with a basic sorbetto base and adds in eight cups of fresh berries. The sorbetto base could not be easier. Two cups of water and two cups of sugar, otherwise known as simple syrup. Because strawberries are naturally on the sweet side, especially coming fresh from the patch, I only used one cup of sugar instead of two and my sorbetto was still as sweet as can be! 

We've been topping our sorbetto with a pinch of shredded unsweetened coconut and some mini dark chocolate chips. 

This strawberry sorbetto is everything. 

Strawberry Sorbetto
recipe from Ciao Bella

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
8 cups fresh strawberries (quartered)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, combine water and sugar. Bring water to a boil and remove from heat once sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

In a blender, combine 4 cups of berries, half of the simple syrup and the 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Combine the remaining strawberries and simple syrup in the blender and blend until smooth. 

Pour strawberry mixture in the body of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbetto to airtight containers and store in the freezer. (these containers by Zak Designs are my favorite)

Side note: There is no difference between Sorbetto and Sorbet. One is the the Italian name and the other is the French. 

Little Will- Eleven Months

As of May 9, Little Will is ELEVEN MONTHS OLD! His first birthday is right around the corner and I want to soak in every moment and detail as we finish up this first wonderful year.

When I was pregnant, women around my mom's age would stop me while I was out and about and tell me to enjoy my pregnancy. They would say that their "babies" were in college already, or about to be married, and that the time really is a strange thing. I would nod my head and smile and go along my merry way. BUT...NOW I GET IT. 

Will changes so much every month, but this past month especially he is discovering so much about the world around him. His personality grows more each day and I love watching him explore. He crawls around so fast and wants to see everything. He especially loves eating, playing, listening to Hakuna Matata and reading The Little Blue Truck. He smiles ALL the time and his nose has the cutest scrunch. It's his signature face.

He also still loves his sunglasses and his bunny ears. His ears became a permanent fixture throughout the entire month of April. Bunny ears and blowing bubbles through Target...it's a way of life for this kid.

Will is now playing peek a boo by himself. He puts his hand up on the side of his head and cocks it to the side. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever. My grandma also taught him how to clap last month and he is so proud of himself. His little mouth opens up so big as he brings his hands together for giant claps. There are just so many new tricks!

April was wonderful, but also a bit of a roller coaster of emotions. In mid- April, my grandpa passed away peacefully. He had been sick for awhile, and Will was always the one who could put a big smile on his face. Those two had a special bond, and I will never forget the time they were able to spend together. 

Will's social calendar is always full. This kid has the life. We had so many rainy days this Spring, it was nice to have our activities to look forward to. On Mondays, we love going to the library with our friends for story time. On Thursdays, we go to Musikgarten with Miss Annette. We just love it all. 

Easter was so much fun! We started off our celebrations with an Easter egg hunt and brunch with our sweet play group friends. I love all of these girls and their babies and am so thankful to have them in our lives. 

Easter weekend was beautiful and playing the Easter Bunny was everything I hoped it would be. Our little bunny loved his goodies. 

The last half of April and so far in May, the weather here has been amazing. I've gotten back into a good running groove and Will loves strolling as I get my miles in. He loves to be outside!

Our full of fun days almost always lead to two good naps for this little guy. I will never get tired of sleeping baby pictures. 

We celebrated Mark's birthday, which happens to fall on Cinco de Mayo, with a little fiesta! I love this family of mine and birthdays are so much better with babies! 

We are looking forward to month 12, and celebrating our little man when he turns ONE. Time is flying, but each day is seriously better than the last. 

Happy 11 months, little one!