Summer vegetables

I've been quiet on the blog for a while, not because we haven't been cooking and eating, but because of travels and work commitments.  It's been a busy few months.

Summer fruits and vegetables are in the farmers' market.  We ate grilled vegetables accompanied by yogurt and salad greens every day while in Turkey earlier this summer.  Since we've been home we've done much the same, grilling batches of vegetables for dinner, and eating them cold for a few days after. Eggplant is a staple. It was part of every meal in Turkey, and we've been eating the small Italian and Japanese varieties (the first to market) since being home.  We just toss it on the grill in slices, then dress with a bit of olive oil and salt after it's cooked.  Grilled summer squashes, carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms are a staple in the house right now as well. 

We also keep batches of marinated and grilled tofu.  Our staple marinade is made with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, a touch of oil, and Sriracha.  We also do a variation with soy sauce, lime, vinegar, green chile paste and brown sugar.   Both make a nice dipping sauce as well.

I've also been cooking batches of fresh tomato sauce, made with tomatoes onions and garlic, and seasoned with olive oil, salt, red chile flakes and basil.  It's great warm over the vegetables, and also cold the next day with eggs or a cold vegetable plate.