Pasta with Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Four Cooking Together

A bottled jar each of basil pesto and roasted peppers turns this dish into an easy weeknight meal. But if you feel inclined, it’s always better to make your own. Roasting peppers is as simple as lightly coating seeded bell pepper halves with olive oil and cooking skin-side down at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. If you want, place the roasted peppers into a covered bowl for 10 minutes to steam, then remove the skins. Otherwise, just chop, with the skins on.

The combination of ingredients here is easy to love—a bowl full of pure comfort. That just happens to make use of summer’s finest produce.

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The Red, White and Green

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Four Cooking Together

We’ve been hit hard by Olympic fever—gymnastics, volleyball, swimming, even dressage. Perched on the edge of our seats, we’re glued to the action—alternately gnawing at our nails and cheering our hearts out. We love the games not just for the athletic feats, but the connection with brilliant flags and compelling personalities across the globe, too. Red, white and blue. And more.

National colors inspire us this week. In the kitchen even. Unfortunately, the American ones are somewhat limiting. Blue food? The options are quickly exhausted. No matter—we’re drawn to the stories from far-off countries as easily as those close to home. Especially where vegetable-hued banners of red, white and green fly high.

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Salad-e Shirazi — Persian Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Four Cooking Together

Named for the ancient Persian city of Shiraz—reknown for it’s connection to wine, poetry and flowers—this simple salad is best at the height of summer when juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers abound. Persian cucumbers are delicate with few seeds. If your cucumbers have larger seeds, just scoop them out with a spoon and use the remaining flesh. Peeling is not necessary if you’re using organic fruit—much of the nutritional content is concentrated in the skin and seeds.

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Mexican-spiced Corn with Peppers and Tomatoes

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Four Cooking Together

This easy sauté features crunchy sweet corn and summer tomatoes, stirred up with the spices of Mexico. Wrap some in a warm tortilla, scoop it with corn chips or serve as a side dish. Add a can of rinsed and drained black beans for a more substantial main course. Or a minced jalapeño for spice.

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Ratatouille: Summer’s Stew

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Four Cooking Together

Iowa City, Iowa — We’re visiting family in the Midwest, and today is another in a series of 90-plus-degree scorchers. Hot stew on a hot summer day? The idea sounds absurd, if not downright tortured. The usual loyal kitchen helpers are likely to scatter the moment you crank up the stove. No doubt you’ll be left chopping and stirring in solitude. No worries. Ratatouille is a simple dish, just right for one cook. Use vine-ripened tomatoes, tender-skinned squash and sweet peppers, plus plenty of garlic and onion. Sauté each vegetable in olive oil, one at a time, then stir them all together in a sturdy pot and simmer the mixture, so the flavors commingle in a magical way.

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