Florida Wins

Here's some pics from our beach trip Memorial Day weekend - a BEAUTIFUL beach day on Monday!

Also, we have the best dog ever!! Everyone should get a ridgeback!

The farmer's market has been really great recently! Sweet Georgia peaches, Florida mangoes, oranges, the best tomatoes ever... I LOVED the "Zesty Zucchini Quesadillas" I made the other day with fresh zucchini and amazing sweet peppers! (recipe below). Most of the fruits and veggies are grown further south, but the grapefruits were grown right here in Panama City with no pesticides.

Excerpted from Your Organic Kitchen, by Jesse Ziff Cool.

A favorite appetizer in her restaurant (Flea St. Cafe in Menlo Park, CA), these quesadillas are the perfect way to use abundant zucchini and tomatoes. Serve as a light lunch along with a tossed salad.

Zesty Zucchini Quesadillas

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 zucchini, shredded

1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce (optional)

4 whole wheat or white flour tortillas (8″ diameter)

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

2 cups (8 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft. Stir in the cilantro, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato, lime juice, chili powder, and hot-pepper sauce, if using.

Spread one-fourth of the zucchini mixture evenly on one half of each tortilla. sprinkle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons pine nuts and one-fourth of the cheese. Fold the tortillas in half. In a a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook the quesadillas for 5 minutes, turning once, unti the cheese is melted.

Cut the quesadillas into wedges and top with a generous amount of the tomato mixture.

Makes 4 servingsPer serving: 444 calores, 18 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 31 g fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 561 mg sodium

McKay's alterations: I used one whole sweet pepper (the kind in the picture). I sliced my zucchini julienne because I didn't have anything with which to shred it. My cumin and chili powder are packed, so I only seasoned with salt and pepper (plenty of seasoning for really fresh veggies). I used whole wheat pitas instead of tortillas. I omitted the pine nuts. I sprinkled the tomato mixture inside the quesadilla rather than on top.

I think my modifications made it better, no offense to the chef, though! :-)