What have I been up to...?

I'm not here :(

nor here :(

or even here :(

     It probably seems like I've been gone for awhile...  So, what have I been doing?  Not traveling.  I wish I could say I spent the summer in the south of France, but that didn't happen.  No surprise to most of you, I've been spending a LOT of time with my Frenchie puppy, Bisous.  Right before I lost my Frenchie, Pipi, just a year ago, my vet tried to help me put her life into perspective.  She told me, "Pipi is like 110 in people years and has had a better life than most children".  I'm embarrassed to say, the vet was probably 100% right.  I'm very devoted to my dogs and that's one reason I've been staying close to home with "B".  No major trips.  If any traveling is done anytime soon, it will be by car so Bisous can accompany us.  So right now, there's no France in my future.  Life is currently all about Bisous...
     And lately, most of my days are spent in my kitchen, trying to make sense of the ridiculous amount of produce from my vegetable garden.  I'm thankful our backyard isn't any larger.  If it were, my gardens would certainly be larger also, and there would be even more vegetables!  Right after I finish this post, I will begin chopping tomatoes for a fresh pasta sauce we will eat for dinner tonight.  We've had some wonderful dinners on the patio this summer, and I'm hoping warm weather will continue into October.  I'm not ready to give up alfresco dining with friends and family quite yet...
     There have also been out-of-town visitors recently.  This has all kept me busy. Plus, you would probably find my meal rotations rather boring.  Not much experimenting this summer for me.  I tend to make many of the foods we eat over and over during the growing season... because I love them.  I wait months in Minnesota for the tomatoes, beans, zucchini, beets, etc., from my garden,  and I'm perfectly happy eating them, much of the time, the same way.  I will never tire of fresh tomato pasta sauce, Caprese salads, seared beans, zucchini-walnut bread... experimenting can wait! 
     If you follow my posts on Instagram, you will most likely know what I've been cooking and baking in my kitchen.  Below are a few iPhone photos of things I've made recently, along with links to the recipes.  Photo shoots with my SLR camera seem like a luxury this time of year.  It's all about sitting down and eating (immediately!) when the food is ready.  No one wants to wait while I photograph.

Stuffed Zucchini... recipe HERE

     (almost ready for the oven)  The only thing I did differently was to fill the zucchini shells with tiny cubes of fresh mozzarella before I finished filling with the rice, ground beef and tomatoes.  I highly recommend the addition of the mozzarella!

Yotam Ottolenghi's "Very Full Tart"... recipe HERE

     This savory tart recipe is from Ottolenghi's cookbook PLENTY, and a great way to use up some of that vegetable garden produce!  Loved that sweet potato added to the mix.  The one thing I'll do the next time I make this tart is add one more egg, for a total of three.  It will help that one cup of heavy cream set up better.  Also, I recommend using a 9-inch deep-sided tart pan with a removable bottom.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake... recipe HERE

     I posted the recipe for this Raspberry Buttermilk Cake several years ago.  Every time I make this cake I ask myself... Why don't I make it more often?  It is extremely easy and delicious!

TAKE a LOOK: