An adaptation from my Mexican Potatoes, this recipe combines the tastes of chili, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic and cayenne pepper with onion and potato.  

6 large potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 olive or vegetable oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425F

Wash and scrub potatoes. Use a knife to remove any bad spots and cut into wedges. Place all ingredients in a large, heavy-duty zip locked bag. Turn or shake bag until potato wedges and chopped onion are well coated in seasoning.

Grease a 13×9 inch baking pan. Spread potato mixture into an even layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender (depending on the size of the wedges), stirring every 15 minutes or so.

To serve: top with sour cream, green onions, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, peppers, and/or bacon bits.

From Cooking Light magazine, via MyRecipes.com (see Links), this summer cooler is great to enjoy as the last summer days turn to autumn. Recipe may be halved.

6 cups water
3 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 4-6 limes)
lime slices, for garnish

Place 1 cup water and 3 cups blackberries in a blender and process until smooth. Press blackberry puree through a sieve into a large pitcher and discard seeds. Add remaining 5 cups water, sugar, and lime juice to pitcher. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Serve over ice and garnish with a lime slice.

The blackberries used below came from a local Farmer’s Market:

If you like oil and vinegar on your salad, you will love this vinegarette. Based on a basic recipe in Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, I whipped up this vinegarette using fresh basil and garlic and apple cider vinegar.

1/4 cup fresh basil
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
pinch of sugar
2/3 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a blender, food chopper, or processor and combine. Refrigerate vinegarette in an air-tight container up to 2 weeks.

My favorite salad mix: baby spinach, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrot, raisins, and walnuts topped with this tasty dressing.

Here is Turmeric-Mania Recipe #3, also from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. “Curries can be quite mild or extremely spicy. It all depends on the type of curry powder that is used to make them – and how much is added. Feel free to adjust the recipe according to your own taste.” I served this dish with Coconut-Ginger Rice and raisins.

2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp curry powder (mild, medium, or hot)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 lb small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 in chunks
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, preferably “zesty” flavored (do not drain)

suggested accompaniments:
rice
plain yogurt
raisins
toasted almonds
store-bought mango chutney

Place flour on a plate. Dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off excess. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Heat remaining 2 tsp olive oil in the same skillet. Cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and salt, cook for 1 more minute.

Add potatoes and 1 cup water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender but still offer slight resistance when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and 1/4 cup water.

Return chicken to skillet along with any juices in the bowl, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with desired accompaniments on the side.

Shown below, served over Coconut-Ginger Rice and sprinkled with raisins. The slightly sweet flavor of the rice and raisins compliments this dish well. The potatoes, onion, and garlic used were all from the Farmer’s Market:

Another recipe from Everyday Food magazine, this is very similar to the Cucumber Onion Salad from Simply in Season. The mild, nutty flavor of yellow squash is mixed with lemon, shallot, and thyme. Because I did not have any shallots, I used some sweet onion instead. Red onion would also give this dish a little kick. Look for yellow squash that are firm, small, and heavy for its size (smaller squash have fewer seeds and better flavor then big squash). Farmer’s Markets should still have plenty of summer squash available.

3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 medium squash (about 1/2 lb each)
1 shallot or 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Halve squash lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise. In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add squash, shallot or onion, and thyme. Toss to combine. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Chill, if desired.

Shown below (we did not halve the squash, only sliced thinly):