Garden Veggie Lasagna

I was watching the Food Network and Paula Dean was actually making a "healthy" dish...until she smothered it in cheese, of course. I was inspired by the ingredients and wanted to make my own actually healthy version of it - Garden of Goodness Lasagna.

I bought zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, onions, carrots and mushrooms from the farmer's market and ethan made the noodles from scratch with our pasta maker!

I steamed the veggies and made a sauce with canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, garlic and fresh basil. The cheese was a mixture of cottage cheese, cream cheese and an egg - a low fat version of ricotta, if you will. I also layered in some mozzarella cheese as well.

I layered sauce, noodles, veggies and cheese in two tiers and topped with more sauce and cheese. It was really fantastic and cheesy, and we really didn't miss the full fat ricotta as much as I had worried. A great light & healthy, yet comforting dish!

BLAT

After a visit to the farmer's market we came home to make lunch. Today's menu - the BLaT. Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato sandwich. The California version of the traditional concoction because of the delightful addition of the creamy native fruit....or vegetable...it depends on your definition.

Anyway, I toasted up some buttered bread on the skillet, and cooked the bacon - home-cured by the talented Erin Mosbaugh - in the oven for optimal crispiness. I sliced up some fresh juicy tomatoes, avocado and butter lettuce, and then slathered the bread with mayonnaise and dijon mustard. The sandwiches were both crunchy and creamy, a perfect bite on this summer afternoon.

Meanwhile, Ethan tossed together a salad of baby spinach, strawberries and goat cheese with red onion and a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. I highly recommend this salad while strawberries are in season. It was outstanding.