Last week was busy with getting ready for the Rains County Visitors Center open house on Thursday. The building was completely transformed with a good cleaning, a fresh coat of paint and donated artwork from the community. Members from the Rains County Chamber of Commerce and the Rains County Tourism Distribution Board worked hard to make the opening a success.

Last week my twin seven-year-old nieces also came for one last visit before school starts. Those sweet girls kept me busy and we gave their mom a much-needed break before she returns to teach fifth grade in Arlington.

After a round-trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and back, I was glad it was Ben’s night to cook dinner. I only had to make the pie shell for that tasty quiche and Ben prepared the rest.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
2 Tbsp. butter
2 c. sliced mushrooms
2 c. Greek yogurt
4 eggs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 drops hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
5 oz. (1/2 package) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in skillet and sauté mushrooms about 5 minutes or until tender. Place yogurt, eggs, Parmesan cheese, flour, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper sauce in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add mushrooms, spinach and cheese into the mixture and stir until blended.

Pour mixture into the prepared shell placed in a pie pan. Bake until lightly browned and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Now that my young chickens are laying, I have plenty of eggs. Some of those eggs are too small to sell, so I use them for our dinners. One great way to use eggs is in making a frittata.

Ham and Cheese Frittata
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 large eggs (or 12 pullet eggs)
1/4 c. milk
1 c. diced ham
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, basil, thyme or oregano

Sauté onions in butter until soft. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add ham, cheese and herbs and stir to mix. Add onions to the mixture too.

Pour the mixture into a non-stick, oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat. Stir a few times, but then let the mixture cook and the bottom set. It will take about 5 minutes. Then transfer the skillet to the oven and bake at 400 degrees for another 5 minutes or until the egg mixture sets on top.

Frittata may be made with different ingredient combinations. Instead of ham and onions, try shrimp and artichoke hearts, ground beef and peas or chopped crispy bacon and chopped asparagus. Try mozzarella, Swiss or feta cheese instead of using cheddar. Frittata is great for breakfast, but just add a side salad and it’s a complete lunch or dinner.

Pasta primavera is a versatile dish made with butter, cream, cheese and lightly cooked vegetables. A meat such as chicken or seafood may be added, and mixing up the combination of vegetables keeps it interesting.

It’s great any time of year; however, I make it most often in the summer because the sauce is light and fresh garden vegetables are readily available.

Sunday evening, I rummaged around in the refrigerator. That’s a weekly ritual since Monday is our trash pick-up day and I try to use items before my husband declares them suspect and need to be thrown away.

That’s one area where we disagree. If a product is even close to the use-by date, he thinks it should be thrown out. I think one should also consider the way it looks and smells. However if he used that logic, blue cheese and buttermilk would be thrown out as soon as I bought it. I have to watch him.

I found three heads of broccoli that needed to be used along with a green bell pepper. A red one would have made a prettier dish, but I like to use what I have. I also added a partial bag of frozen green peas. Any combination of 3-4 vegetables like squash, peppers, carrots, broccoli, peas, asparagus, or green beans make a great dish. I skip corn, potatoes or other starchy vegetables because the sauce will be served over pasta and that’s plenty of carbs.

Pasta Primavera Sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. white wine
1 c. chicken stock
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with wine. Then add chicken stock and cook until the sauce is reduced by about half. Turn the heat off and let the pan sit while you prepare the vegetables or meat that will be added. Don’t pour the heavy cream into the hot pan since it will likely curdle.

Usually steaming the vegetables is best to keep them from being over-cooked. I usually steam vegetables in the microwave. However, I put the frozen peas directly into the sauce and let them warm.

I actually seared 4 chicken breast halves in the sauce pan on the stove and then removed them and started the sauce. Then I returned them to the sauce pan with the chicken stock so they would finish cooking. Just remove them when done and let rest about 15 minutes before slicing. You may also use previously cooked shrimp or chicken.

Prepare the pasta. I used angel hair, but any pasta may be used. After the pasta is done, reserve about a cup of the water and then drain.

Now that all the other ingredients are ready, it’s time to finish the sauce. Turn the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. The sauce should be light and creamy as opposed to heavy and thick. Add the vegetables and meat. Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Cook about 5 minutes just to help the flavors blend together. Add the cooked pasta and turn off the heat.

I usually let the dish sit while I prepare garlic bread or a salad. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce while it sits. When ready to serve, add a little of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.

I garnished with more Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Chopped herbs like parsley or basil also make a delicious garnish.
Using fresh vegetables is best, but leftovers may be reheated and used in the primavera sauce too. Another great way to clean out that fridge!

I am delighted to have the Blanc du Bois grape harvest behind me. Everything went smoothly and I was pleased to have the help of my new de-stemmer/crusher and fruit press. The grape juice was flowing and tasting very sweet. With one more harvest to go, I’m feeling relief and looking forward to the fall season – and a fall garden.

I’m still harvesting squash and a few green beans. I could make a dinner with just that, but my husband and son both would wonder where was the meat. So, I thawed some tilapia and added baked fish to the meal.

Baked Tilapia
4 fish filets
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1-1/2 Tbsp. melted butter
Combine lime juice, mayonnaise, onion powder and black pepper. Place fish filets on a baking pan and spread the mixture over the filets. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of the fish. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes or until the fish is done. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Seasoned Green Beans
4 handsful fresh green beans, cleaned
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. anchovy paste
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook garlic until it turns a light golden color. Then discard the garlic, only using it to flavor the oil. Sauté onions until tender and then stir in the anchovy paste. Add green beans and toss until coated.
Cook until they are crisp-tender. Remove from pan and keep warm, reserving the oil and onions for the baked squash.

Stuffed Baked Squash
4 crook neck squashes, halved
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1 Tbsp. capers
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Cook squash halves in the reserved oil and onions for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a baking dish. Using a spoon, scoop out most of the squash flesh and seeds. Chop that up and add to the skillet. Remove the skillet from heat and add olives, capers, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the squash halves. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Since my garden is running a little behind this season, I am just now getting tons of sweet cucumbers. There seem to be endless possibilities for using them. In the past, I had several cucumber recipes printed in this column and they are also available on my website, but here’s a few more.

Cucumber Mint Water
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced
8-10 mint leaves, torn
2 quarts water
1 quart ice cubes
Mix all ingredients together in a large pitcher. Refrigerate at least a few hours before serving to allow the cucumber and mint to flavor the water. That drink is cool and refreshing on a hot summer day.

Cucumber Egg Salad
6 boiled eggs, peeled and cubed
2 cucumbers, peeled and cubed
4 dill pickle spears, cubed
1/3 c. mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cut the eggs, cucumbers and pickles into about 1/2-inch cubes. Toss all the ingredients together except for the cucumbers. Add those in just before serving on toasted bread. Chopped chives or green onions make a tasty and colorful garnish. Serve immediately before the cucumbers let off liquid.

Cucumber and Watermelon Salad
1 small seedless watermelon, cubed
4 cucumbers, cubed
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 c. white balsamic vinegar
Cut the watermelon and cucumbers into 1-inch cubes. Whisk together salt, sugar and vinegar. Pour over the watermelon and cucumbers. Gently toss to coat.

Cucumber, Tomato and Cottage Cheese Salad
16 oz. cottage cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
4 green onions, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Gently mix all ingredients together. Garnish with fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill weed, mint or basil. If using large tomatoes instead of cherry, dice them and sprinkle over the top of the dish and they’ll mix in while serving.