An Apron, My Favorite Dishes, and The Produce Section

In the last week I have seen my first blossoms of spring, walked home from work, fallen in love with a cute bicycle, and left work with the sun still shining. I am overjoyed for the return of Spring! It has also motivated me to browse for new recipes and keep my apron more company. I have been enjoying the produce section at the grocery store and as a result, have discovered some new ways to turn veggies into entrees. I also have to thank my parents for the beautiful dishes I got at Christmas that make cooking that much more fun! Recipe number one is a veggie swirl and recipe two is somewhat of a garden bake. It you feel motivated by the pictures, look below for complete directions. They conveniently use very similar ingredients :) Enjoy!

Veggie Swirl:
1. Saute 1 onion with 2 cloves of garlic. Salt, pepper, and thyme to taste.
2. Paint a thin layer of olive oil on the bottom of your selected dish and cover with nicely sauteed ingredients from above.
3. Slice potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash in equal sized pieces.
4. Layer in a spiral with desired pattern.
5. Drizzle another thin layer of olive oil and more salt, pepper, and thyme over top.
6. Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes.
7. Uncover, sprinkle a thin layer of grated Parmesan over the top and continue baking an additional 30 minutes. 
8. Try and let cool before getting too excited and burning off your precious taste buds.

Garden bake
1. Slice zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes. 
2. Layer in a dish by each veggie
3. Sprinkle diced green onion (scallions) over the top
4. Mix salt (just a touch), pepper (a noticeable sprinkle), oregano (until it smells Italian), feta (about 3 handfuls) and olive oil (3 tablespoons) in order to spread evenly. 
5. Drizzle remaining ingredients over the dish. 
6. Bake for 1 hour or until ingredients are the perfect balance between crunchy and baked that you enjoy. (My dish met that requirement at 75 minutes)