Food Bloggers L.A. Celebrate Zillions of Zucchini and Tons of Tomatoes!

by Dorothy Reinhold on August 27, 2012


Print This Post Print This Post Food Bloggers Los Angeles Celebrate Zucchini and Tomatoes

We feel your pain, yes we do.

The Food Bloggers Los Angeles group knows exactly what you’re thinking when you walk out to the back yard and see another four zucchini ready to use and growing more gargantuan by the day. Didn’t you just pick two the other day, and three last week?

We, too, wish we could spread home-grown tomato season out a bit more, say, from January to, oh, November, instead of receiving the glut of goodness centered on a month or two in the summer.

Ah well, the rhythms of nature being what they are, here we are, coming to your rescue with a wonderful batch of recipes to make good use of your summer bounty of zukes and ‘maters.

Buffet Table at Food Bloggers Los Angeles August meetingWe had a groaning table filled with appetizers, salads, breads, soup, casseroles and cobblers for our August meeting, all centered around zucchini and tomatoes.

Appetizers

Dorothy's Tapenade TomatoesI (Shockingly Delicious) brought my Tapenade Tomatoes, which are easy to pop in your mouth…one after another.

Back Yard Bruschetta from Rustic Garden BistroKim of Rustic Garden Bistro brought Backyard Bruschetta – so fresh, so delicious, and she has 5 ½ rules why you should make her recipe. Really!

Soup, Salad and Bread

Farmer's Chop Suey from Adventures with Nancy RoseNancy of Adventures with Nancy Rose brought a fresh, crunchy, tangy Farmer’s Chop Suey, an heirloom recipe from her Chicago roots. Topped with crunchy Chinese fried noodles and served in little takeout containers, it was charming!

Red and Green Gazpacho from Two Broads AbroadJudy of Two Broads Abroad wowed us with Red and Green Gazpacho in little tasting spoons (foodie swoon!)…

Banana Zucchini Bread from Two Broads Abroad…and a yummy Banana Zucchini Bread.

Vietnamese Style Hot Pickled Zucchini, Cabbage and Carrot Salad from Men Who Like to CookNew member David of Men Who Like to Cook brought a beguiling, zippy Vietnamese Style Hot Pickled Zucchini, Cabbage and Carrot Salad.

Savory Feta & Tomato Biscuits from Girl + FirePaulette of Girl + Fire sailed in with a plate of addictive Savory Feta & Tomato Biscuits that I couldn’t keep away from. Tangy with yogurt and feta, the leftovers leaped into my arms to go home with me. I  happily ate them for breakfast the next day.

Avocado Zucchini Bread with Olive Oil from Cooking on the WeekendsValentina from Cooking on the Weekends arrived bearing an intriguing Avocado Zucchini Bread with Olive Oil. Who did she think she was, getting some good fats into us?

 Mains

Tomato Cobbler with Fennel Pollen from In Erika's KitchenFBLA co-founder and the day’s hostess, Erika of In Erika’s Kitchen, made a comforting Tomato Cobbler with Fennel Pollen.

Zucchini Tomato Tian from Cook and Be MerryLynne of Cook and Be Merry brought an exacting, perfectly posed Zucchini Tomato Tian. We teased her about using a mandolin, but it turns out she did all that knife work…with an actual knife!

Roasted Tomato-Garlic Corn Pasta from Men Who Like to CookAnd David from Men Who Like to Cook brought a second dish – a saucy Roasted Tomato-Garlic Corn Pasta.

Desserts

Banana Yogurt Spoonie from Lentil BreakdownAdair of Lentil Breakdown amused us, as usual, with her witty dessert called Banana Yogurt Spoonie. Read her explanation of why this is the “Rain Man of yogurt refreshments.” Nah, it doesn’t have even a hint of tomato or zucchini, but she figured correctly that we would want something else after all that red and green.

Gooey Butter Cake from Cook and Be MerrySo did Lynne of Cook and Be Merry, who also brought a non-theme dessert — the sweet and decadent Gooey Butter Cake. Luckily, she cut it into tiny squares, so we had less guilt when we had three pieces.

What else do we do at a FBLA meeting besides eat and talk incessantly about food? Take pictures of our food!

Food Bloggers Los Angeles August meetingIf you’re a Los Angeles-area food blogger and would like to join us, chat with us on our Facebook page, where we announce future meetings (under events).

And now, would you like to see FBLA members’ great recipes for zucchini- and tomato-glut time? We thought so…



{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }

Backyard Garden Bruschetta August 31, 2012 at 9:16 am

Thanks for setting this up, Dorothy!

[K]

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CJ at Food Stories August 31, 2012 at 6:28 am

WOW … I didn’t know there was an LA bloggers group …. How exciting … looks like you guys had a great time 🙂

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Dorothy August 31, 2012 at 8:15 am

CJ,
You are welcome to join us! Connect on our Facebook page and you can find out when the next meeting is. Newcomers are ALWAYS welcome!

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Marie @ eNourishment August 28, 2012 at 8:54 pm

This spread looks amazing! I am a FBLA member that has yet to make it to a meeting 🙁 but aim to soon!! Wish I could have been at this one so I could have brought one of my recent recipes- Zucchini Caprese Salad! http://enourishment.blogspot.com/2012/07/zucchini-caprese-salad.html

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Faye Levy August 28, 2012 at 1:43 pm

Dorothy, thanks for posting. I’ve been eager to see these, and am looking forward to reading the recipes. The photos are beautiful, and with your great descriptions, I can imagine the flavors, though of course I wish I could have tasted them for real! Bravo to the bloggers!

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Dorothy August 28, 2012 at 5:12 pm

Faye,
Join us for our next meeting! Connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FoodBloggersLosAngeles. We put meetings in the EVENTS area. We would be delighted to have you!

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Faye Levy August 28, 2012 at 10:36 pm

Thanks, Dorothy, very kind of you!

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Cathy @ Noble Pig August 28, 2012 at 8:08 am

What a totally fun night!! Blogger parties are the best.

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Dorothy August 28, 2012 at 10:08 am

Cathy,
Bloggers rule, esp. for parties!

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Deena @ stay at home FOODIE August 28, 2012 at 7:31 am

Dorothy, as always, thank you for hosting and organizing.

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Dorothy August 28, 2012 at 10:07 am

Deena,
Erika was a fabulous host, as always! She has a super party house. I’m the computer host lady.

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Laura @ Family Spice August 28, 2012 at 6:50 am

What a great idea for a meeting! Wonderful recipe inspiration.

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Cathy/ShowFoodChef August 28, 2012 at 12:33 am

What a wonderful write-up and collection. Thank you for letting me add my link. I hope to make more meetings this Fall.

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Dorothy August 28, 2012 at 10:09 am

Cathy,
We are so happy to have you whenever you can make it!

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Lynne @ CookandBeMerry August 28, 2012 at 12:23 am

We had so much good food and convivial companions. This was a very fun meeting. Dorothy, your photos are great. Well done.

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Dorothy August 28, 2012 at 10:10 am

Thanks, Lynne! Your Tomato Zucchini Tian was a professional sight to behold. We almost didn’t want to cut into it, it was so pretty. I said almost.

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Krishna September 8, 2012 at 10:01 am

I have been wanting a food dehydrator for ages. It’s just one of those things I can’t justify buying Like a waffle maker. I am not sure why!! I’ve never made zuke chips but now I want to desperately. I make kale chips and sweet potato chips. The sweet potato chips require the oven to be on the lowest temp for a long time but it’s worth it. Maybe I will ask Santa for a food dehydrator for Christmas. He wants a Tassimo though. Decisions, decisions.

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Dorothy August 31, 2012 at 8:18 am

Cutco,
Thanks! They are one of my signature dishes. Falling-off-a-log easy!

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