Right before Thanksgiving and Christmas is probably not the best time to start a remodel on your kitchen, but we did. We'd been saving money for what seems like forever. Jen had been considering various design options again for what seemed like forever. We joined Angie's list to find a contractor but ended up going with a contractor who has been working our neighborhood for the last few years. ( I have to check with him before posting his company name. ) Our kitchen was cold, didn't have enough storage, didn't flow very well, and was ugly! We wanted to update the look, fix some of the obvious design flaws (dead space in the corner, a misplaced dishwasher), and make the space more usable. Before Remodel After Remodel (though still incomplete) The cabinets, short 30 inchers topped with a soffit, were circa 1980. The particle board shelves were warped and broken on some, and the laminate was pealing in places. Not in obvious places perhaps, but when you know wh...
The recipe for this dish is from "High Flavor Low Labor" by J.M. Hirsh
. It made for a quick, refreshingly delicious lunch. Mozzarella was added (or substituted in place of the parmigiano). It was the perfect after farmer's market lunch. The only thing I would change is the balsamic vinegar in the pesto. (Hirsh adds it and I would not.) The balsamic vinegar links to (at least in part) his philosophy for meal preparation in our too much to do, to little time world. Balsamic vinegar packs a punch in terms of flavor but fresh pesto made a day ahead is just as flavorful. And, that's how I would make this dish next time.