Summer Meatballs with Heirloom Tomato Sauce & Fresh Pasta

Considering the name of this dish, I'm definitely a little late with posting this recipe but I just had to include it! Admittedly I did mean to add it earlier (particularly before my Goodbye Summer post) but I had so many recipes to share and to be honest had been hoping that Summer was going to last a little longer than it did! Cest' la vie, but I thought this recipe still had to be included so I'm making it for those of you that are still basking in the sun (especially those of you in the UK enjoying a fantastic Indian Summer!). And for those of us that aren't this is still delicious, regardless of the season!

This isn't really a mid-week meal as it does take a bit of time but I think it makes a fantastic casual meal to have with friends at the weekend. Serve it with a nice big salad, some bread if you fancy and of course a glass or two of wine!

Reader Challenge Choice {No. 2}

Well it's that time again so thank you to everyone that chose a book for me to review for the 2nd month! There were 17 books in total so I let Random.Org do the work for me and it chose book number........(drum roll please!).....3. I had to laugh when I checked to see what book it was as this was actually a Father's Day present for my husband whose favourite ingredient has to be this item - that's right, book number 3 is I Love Bacon by Jayne Rockmill! Needless to say my husband is especially delighted at this months review so thank you to Lo-Mo for picking this book.

As with last month I hope to have the recipes tested out and the booked reviewed by the middle of October so stay tuned to see how I get on!

Thank you to everyone that took the time to choose a book and thank you again to Lo-Mo for such a fantastic choice!

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 3 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

**Due to a last minute change of travel plans I'm afraid this review won't be posted until a later date....most likely November. I'm so sorry but I would like to do the book justice and won't have time to test out the recipes. Thanks for your understanding.**

Roasted Peppers & Chillies

Another recipe that isn't really a recipe but is something that shouldn't be missed. These peppers have infinite possibilities which is why they are so good. I eat them on warm toasted garlicky ciabatta smothered with goats cheese, tossed through pasta and risotto, on pizzas and with sausages. They are also ideal as part of an antipasto platter.

I prefer to char my peppers on the barbecue as it gives them a delicious smokey flavour, however you can always roast them in a hot oven or even under the grill. The main thing is you want to blister the skins and turn them ash black which you later peel off, leaving the juiciest, delicious peppers possible.

Sine its pepper and chilli season just now and I have 8 chilli plants all producing lots of chillies I added a couple of large mild green chillies to my peppers which is totally an optional extra. For a spicy version you could add some hot chillies or if you prefer made the original recipe then you can change and adapt it later on adding fresh chillies and garlic. However you decide to make these, you'll love having them in your fridge and wonder why they weren't there before.

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 orange pepper

2 large, mild green chillies

Olive oil

Prick the peppers and chillies with the tip of a sharp knife (just a few times) to stop them from exploding on the barbecue! Put them all on a hot barbecue (or as noted above in a hot oven or under the grill) and let them really char on all sides. You want them to get as black as possible. As soon as they are black all over put them into a bowl and cover tightly with cling film (Saran wrap), or alternatively pop them into a large sandwich bag and seal. Leave them to steam and cool for at least 10 minutes. Once cooled simply start peeling the skin away from the peppers and remove the stem and seeds. Don't wash them as you will loose the delicious smoky charred taste. Once you have peeled all of the peppers and chillies simply cut them into long thin strips then put into a jar that you can seal. Top with olive oil then eat them whenever you want some delicious, roasted peppers.

Goodbye Summer {With My Top 10 Summer Recipes}

It's hard to believe it but it seems that Summer has made a very abrupt disappearance! Last Monday was 30 degrees with blue skies and not a cloud in sight and I was writing a post entitled “Too Hot to Cook” featuring two of my favourite salad recipes. Tuesday however was a new day and apparently a new season. Overnight while no one was looking the sun decided to quietly disappear and instead bowed down and allowed the inevitable cooler temperatures to take over, accompanied by lots of grey clouds and drizzly rain showers..... I tried for a while to ignore everyone's comments about Summer being officially over at the start of September and the warning signs of the leaves changing colour and the appearance of pumpkin patches, but now with the change of weather I guess I have to admit defeat for another year! However before we move on to the warming, comfort meals of Autumn and Winter I thought I would do a quick roundup of Summer including my Top 10 Summer Recipes from 2011. It was a slow start to the summer this year but it turned out to be a great one! I hope you all had a lovely summer!

Long Beach Camping Weekend

Family trip to the Rockies

Victoria

My beautiful Roses

And my stunning lillies!

It wasn't an easy task to pick just 10 but here they are....Enjoy!

Top 10 Summer Recipes of 2011

Mojito Cupcakes

Artichoke & Pesto Dip

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris

Cherry Ripple Ice Cream

Potted Crab

Crispy Calamari

Cherry & Amaretto Cheesecake

Char-Grilled Steaks with Basil Hollandaise

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes, Chilli & Basil

Zucchini and Lemon Spaghetti

Mozzarella & Chilli Bruschetta

Mozzarella & Chilli Bruschetta

I'm a cheese fanatic! I absolutely love it and if I had to choose between cheese and desserts for the rest of my life I would choose cheese – hands down! (Although don't get me wrong, I do love desserts, I just love cheese that much!) Whenever I'm asked what my favourite cheese is though I really struggle but what I can say is that Mozzarella – that is good quality mozzarella – is definitely up there at the top! Tomato and Mozzarella Salad is my favourite salad by far and I really struggle not to order it if I see it on the menu, so of course Bruschetta with Mozzarella on it is really a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned!

And then there is chilli.....for those of you that know me, and those of you that are regular readers of my blog, you know I love chillies! I think it has actually turned into a bit of an addiction if that's possible. I don't claim to be someone who can eat insanely hot curries or chicken wings but I do like heat so the combination of mild, soft and milky mozzarella spiked with the fresh warming heat of a chilli is a match made in heaven. My chillies were a little late in ripening this year (what isn't after the summer we've had here)but they are finally turning vibrant, fiery red so this is without doubt the best time to eat this delicious bruschetta. For the photographs here I was lucky enough to get a combination of red, yellow and orange chillies which makes it even more special than it already is. Use whatever you can get but try and keep an eye out for different colours and types of chillies.

So here you have it....another one of my all time favourite recipes with 2 of my favourite ingredients.

Serves 4

8 slices of ciabatta bread

Olive oil

1 clove of garlic, sliced in half

2 balls of mozzarella

2 chillies, finely chopped

Maldon salt

Small basil leaves

Good quality extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle a little oil over both sides of the ciabatta and grill until golden (I use my paninni press for perfect char lines, that plus it's easy!). Once the ciabatta is toasted rub a little garlic on one side – you don't need much for the taste to get through. After that all you have to do is tear or cut the mozzarella and top each slice of ciabatta with it. Scatter over the chopped chillies then finish with a good pinch of Maldon salt (or other finishing salt), a few small basil leaves and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Easy and so delicious!

My Indoor Chilli Plant