cook: soup, salad and summer lasagna

My summer meal staples are heirloom tomatoes with just sprinklings of kosher and sea salts, marinated bocconcini mozzarella, and lots of chopped basil. My favorite lunch by far. And I had been gifted bags of dried cannellini beans, which I soaked and then boiled. The beans turned into a hearty soup or stew with Italian sausage rounded out by carrots, celery and onion, sage, thyme, rosemary sautéed in olive oil.

 

I've enough beans I think to last through the 2024-25 fall and winter. Patrick also harvested eggplant, and so of course, I had to make a vegetable lasagna. First I grate and then salt the zucchini to drain and squeeze of all its water. I then mix that zucchini with an 8-ounce container of cottage cheese (I like cottage cheese better than ricotta because it tastes and feels lighter).

 

While draining the zucchini, I started on the eggplant by slicing it and then dredging it in a beaten egg followed by panko breadcrumbs and then frying in canola oil until golden brown. You can see I had lots of pots going with water boiling for lasagna noodles and another simmering with marinara sauce.

After the lasagna noodles were boiled and drained and the eggplant was fried, I browned Italian sausage. My lasagna making station was then ready.

From bottom to top: sauce, noodles, vegetables, cheese, meat and repeat.

Don't forget to sprinkle more cheese and basil and sauce on top while sipping a glass of wine.

 

Into a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or so or until the cheese is bubbling and brown.

With this dinner, thankfully...

leftovers to eat during the week.