Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies

I know I always say fall is my favorite time of year, but farmer's market season has to be a close second. There's nothing like heading down to the market on a summer Sunday morning, smelling all the fresh produce warming in the sun, and picking out some beautiful specimens to use in dinner that very evening. The fact that the veggies were grown organically not far from your home on a small family-run farm doesn't hurt, either.

This dish is a great way to showcase some of your farmer's market haul. If squash isn't really your thing, feel free to sub out things you like more -- eggplant in particular would be great. A light green salad with a lemony dressing is the perfect accompaniment.

Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies
From Cooking Light

• 4 oz uncooked ziti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow squash
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 chopped onion
• 2-3 chopped tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Preheat oven to 400 F.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add squash, zucchini, and onion; saute 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic, saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, herbs, and a big pinch of salt and pepper.

Combine ricotta, another big pinch of salt, and egg. Stir into pasta mixture. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Variations: Use eggplant instead of yellow squash. Kick up the heat in the dish by adding crushed red pepper.

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Strata

Joe and I went on a little getaway this past weekend to lovely Richmond, Virginia, where we stayed in a historic inn, visited the Confederate white house, bought some ass-cheap vintage records, and ate a lot of delicious Southern food. I knew I wouldn't feel like cooking when we got home on Sunday, so I planned to have some strategic leftovers in the house. And there's nothing that says "leftovers" like a casserole.

So ahead of time I prepared this yummy artichoke and goat cheese strata. A strata is a special kind of casserole that's always made with bread, milk, and eggs, plus whatever other ingredients you want to add to mix up the flavors. It's kind of like a savory bread pudding, but more solid (less gooey) and it's purposefully layered (hence the name). Very delish, keeps well for several days, and works with an easy simple green salad on the side.

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Strata
From Cooking Light

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup  finely chopped shallots (about 1 large)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
• 1 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 (1-pound) loaf country-style white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese, divided

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in artichoke hearts and garlic; cook for 8 minutes or until artichoke hearts begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in herbes de Provence. Cool 10 minutes. Combine milk, black pepper, salt, and eggs in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and bread; toss gently to combine. Stir in artichoke mixture, and let stand for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Spoon half of bread mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of goat cheese, and top with remaining bread mixture. Sprinkle remaining half of goat cheese over top. Bake for 50 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Vegetable-Barley Casserole

When I was younger -- in middle school and high school, mostly -- my mom was known amongst my friends for making casseroles. Every time I had people over, she would come up with some new concoction that would inevitably be a hit. I remember she had a pizza casserole that was popular, and her breakfast casseroles are famous amongst our family members (we still eat one every Christmas morning).

I can't say I love casseroles quite as much as my mom does, but I do enjoy a good one from time to time. Of course, my casseroles don't involve as much meat as hers used to, and they're certainly more healthy than I remember hers being. (Coincidentally, or not, my casseroles are also usually less delicious than hers.) But they're still pretty good. This one, for example, has lots of chewy barley, tomatoes, greens, corn, spices, and of course, some cheese to add the comfort factor. It's not my mom's recipe, but it'll do in a pinch.

Vegetable-Barley Casserole

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups corn kernels, thawed and drained if frozen
• 3 cups Swiss chard, thick stems removed, coarsely chopped
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 cups cooked barley
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (low-fat if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, corn and Swiss chard; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, barley, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Heat through.

Coat a 2 1/2 to 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon barley mixture into prepared dish in an even layer; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts and mixture is hot, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into 4 to 6 pieces.

Variations: Add some canned black beans to this to make it even more filling.