Something easy and so yummy to make with all the summer goodies available now!
So as the summer progresses and I stop freaking out the it’s already August, I start thinking about next spring’s planting season and that I will ONLY plant one zucchini! I can’t give them away fast enough. With all the rain that Colorado has been getting, the zucchini grow about six inches over night. It’s nuts. Everything else is pretty slow because it’s been so cool. Good for the electric bill but no so good for the vege’s!
For some reason, in the summer, it’s hard for me to think about cooking and writing recipes. I do it anyway because it’s my passion but it’s more like, “what do I have in my fridge and what can I throw together”! This zucchini and pesto stack is exactly that. Something that I threw together and it doesn’t even require a recipe! Gotta love that, right?
Here is how it came together. I sliced a zucchini into one inch thick slices. I coated them with olive oil and salt and pepper and put them on a hot grill for about five minutes per side or until they are nicely grilled. Then this is the fun part. I laid out a slice of zucchini and topped it with about two tablespoons of ricotta cheese and homemade pesto. I did this a couple of times until I had a nice stack of yum and added some more pesto and finished it off with fresh Parmesan cheese. It’s great served hot or at room temperature. See a no recipe dinner! Gotta love that!
Last weekend, I needed a little get away to the mountains. It’s a short hour and a half drive to be in the heart of The Rockies. I chose to go the long way to Fairplay via Summit County. My favorite bar in the state is the Tiki Bar in Dillon. It is located at the Dillon Marina and is the only bar that I know of that is actually on a large body of water in Colorado. Its absolutely stunning. You gotta try it if you are in Summit County in the summer. The food is great and the craft beer is better. If you are lucky enough, sailing on Lake Dillon is a experience that I wish everyone could have. It’s so amazing to be on the lake surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides. You feel so small in the grandeur mountains. Pretty spiritual if you ask me! Check it out!
Lake Dillon has the “highest” yacht club in the world. We got to see the end of the Dillon Open. Someone yelled “cocktails” and all the boats started coming in!
On top of the Dillon Dam looking out over this beautiful site. Even when I lived in Summit County, I had to pinch my self every time I saw this!
After a cold beer, a great lunch and catching up with an old friend from my days of living in the mountains, I headed out through Breckenridge, over Hoosier Pass, through Alma and into Fairplay or “South Park” as it is commonly referred. I love this part of Colorado. This area is this massive high plain surrounded by many “Fourteeners” and thirteen thousand foot mountains. Some of my greatest friends on the planet live in this special place. They have this great piece of property called Bristle Cone ranch. It’s just lovely. They have this amazing green house that they get fresh produce all year long and the hens. Lot’s and lots of chickens!
Our main objective was to go hiking on their property and in the Pike National Forrest hunting for mushrooms! It’s been so wet up there that the mushrooms are abundant. In fact, they are everywhere. We had a successful morning as you will see! Enjoy “Colorful” Colorado as I did!
Beautiful huge views surround this truly spectacular mountain county.
Fairplay, Colorado is really high in elevation. 10,000 feet up! I’ts nickname is “South Park”, you know the TV show? Loosely based I’m sure!
In Colorado, Oyster mushrooms grow out of the north side of dead or decaying Aspen trees. I know, really?
Perfect mushroom! Isn’t she a beauty?
These are baby puffball mushrooms. Can you imagine that they can get to be the size of your head? Sadly, we looked hard to find the giant western puffballs but came up short in that department! Next time though! These Little gems are, yum!
Beautiful King Bolete. All I could think about when we found these beauties was the Smurf’s. Strange I know, but look at them. You just thought the same thing that I did!
So I didn’t bring these home to try because my friend said that you have to cook them really well or your belly would hurt. My adventurous self said no to eating mushrooms out of the woods that need to “cooked well”. LOL!