This week's menu

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, I'm already thinking of recipes that will work well on the grill. This week I did a trial run in and on the gas stove in preparation for an outdoor cooking lesson I will be doing on Sunday.

I spotted some gorgeous summer squash ready for picking at my community garden, and the zucchini is in that "just right" baby size, too. So I had to make use of these two treats in an entree of Grilled Portobello Steak Pistou with Roasted Summer Squash on Quinoa.

After thoroughly washing the portobello mushroom caps, I drizzled them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh black pepper. These seared in a hot pan for about 10 minutes.

The squash was cut into wedges and tossed with the same marinade, then popped into a 400 degree oven to roast for about 10-15 minutes. I topped everything off with a lovely bright green pistou, which is a French pesto made without pine nuts or cheese. I pureed a generous amount of olive oil, fresh basil, garlic, a few capers and pinch of sea salt - delish!

Also on the Menu this week:

• Mexican Black Beans with Zucchini, Corn, Carrot, Mushroom and Green Onion on Quinoa
• Tempeh Stroganoff with Lemon Garlic Broccoli on Whole Wheat Penne