thoughtful consumption

This is a cool way to use a bunch of Italian herbs.

Pita crisps

pita bread
olive oil
chopped oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, chives, garlic, and/or parsley
shaved parmesan
salt and pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Cut pita in to quarters and then split them, making 8 pieces per round.
Brush pieces with olive oil and spread them out on a baking sheet.
Top with chopped herbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Bake for 7 minutes or so. They are done with the edges get brown, and the cheese is melted.

I’ve tried different things with the basic idea of baking pita brushed in olive oil: fresh tomatoes and onions, cooked up tomatoes and onions (sort of like bruschetta), and pesto. It’s all good, but my favorite is still the simple herbs, oil, and parmesan recipe. Heck, I’ve even made crisps with just olive oil and sea salt – mmmm!

You can also buy and freeze pita bread when it’s on sale. Defrost it in the fridge overnight before baking it.

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We made up “pita crisps” one night when we needed a light supper but didn’t have much except some leftover pita from a Lebanese restaurant and some herbs growing in the garden. So this dish wouldn’t have happened if we’d been fully stocked or interested in going to the grocery store. I think we’re anxious about not giving our families enough. But do we sometimes deprive them of life’s serendipities? What about the confidence that they can “make do” and be just fine? If the meal’s light but healthy, I tell myself there’s always ice cream if people are still hungry later. To my surprise, everyone’s usually fine (although they still want ice cream).

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Here’s my favorite yellow squash recipe. The original idea came from this Cooks.com recipe.

It’s yummy like fried squash but not nearly as greasy or messy to cook.

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The amounts below make two generous servings:

• 1 yellow squash
• ½ onion
• some cormeal or cormeal mix
• 1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Slice yellow squash and onion. I use a 1 small squash to ½ onion ratio. You can add a clove of minced garlic, too. Melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the squash, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle some cornmeal on top. Cook over medium, stirring frequently, until brown and tender. Maybe 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I’ve substituted cornmeal mix for the cornmeal and olive oil for the butter. Both substitutions work, but they’re not quite as tasty.

Also, the ingredients can be prepared and refrigerated ahead of time. Then you just toss them in the butter and go.

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