Tomato, Zucchini & Pesto Toast
While we’re still weaving in and out of the spring rain and temperatures in NY, I can’t help but feel as though summer is officially here. After NY’s long dragged out winters, you can truly feel a shift in everyone’s energy as the sun finally sticks around longer each day and the temperatures rise above the winter jacket threshold.
This week for me was a busy one, but it was also filled with fun.
Tuesday night took me to my best friend’s roof top for wine, cheese, and heart felt chats .<3
Wednesday took me out to happy hour with my fiance and a few friends, where I decided to throw on a cute maxi dress with sneakers and my denim jacket.
Thursday unintentionally took me to the farmer’s market close to my apartment where I grabbed a few simple things that turned what I expected to be a simple “get it over with” lunch into something freakin’ delicious!
They are seemingly arbitrary details, but it’s these little things that make each day something special. Getting to catch up with friends, the perfect weather to wear my jean jacket - and with a cute dress and SNEAKERS to boot? I love these days so much! And the more I consciously take note of them and cherish the small things that bring me joy, the happier I end each day.
A lot of our blog posts have been reminiscent of old memories and our foundation of hygge, but this week sparked a truly present feeling for me, and I simply felt like writing about this week’s simple joys.
On Thursday, I set out to grab a zucchini from the grocery store to use for dinner, and on my way I stumbled upon the farmer’s market in Lincoln Square. I absolutely love farmer’s markets, but I almost never carry cash. So I’m often left leaving empty handed if I wasn’t planning on shopping there in the first place. As I sauntered through the market, I was so excited to see how big the zucchinis are now that we’re getting into summer. And then the strawberries - holy moly. Multiple vendors had tables overflowing with the ripest, nicest looking strawberries I’ve laid eyes on in months.
I started to slow down in the midst of being distracted by all the fresh goodies, and I decided to take a quick peak in my purse for cash. Well, yesterday was my lucky day as a Mr. Hamilton caught my eye all tangled up in my headphones and keys.
I grabbed the zucchini that I initially set out for, and in addition, I couldn’t resist a summer squash along with a pint of strawberries. (The amazing strawberries were from Prospect Hill Orchards!)
As I headed home excited to prep dinner later, I was feeling impatient and decided maybe I’d dig into my fresh finds for a quick lunch. Opening up the fridge, I pulled out a random assortment of things I had on hand. Despite a lack of planning, the flavors sounded good together so I went where the wind took me - and I’ll be damned if it didn’t turn out delicious! Between the freshness of the veggies, and the joy from a spontaneous creation - my lunch went from “getting it over with” to “savoring every last bite”.
I love experimenting with new recipes and creations, and fresh summer ingredients have a way of making any new idea almost fool proof. So in honor of my farmer’s market finds, I wanted to share my spontaneous creation in hopes to inspire you to experiment this summer.
NY winters are oh so long, so if you’re in the North East I hope you get a chance to cherish all the little joys of the summer season. By the end of every winter I’m asking all my loved ones and friends around me “Why do we put ourselves through this? Why do we still live here??”. And then every June that rolls around hypnotizes me yet again, and once again I’m over here bubbling over with happiness at the simple site of a pint of perfectly ripe strawberries ;) haha. Our winters may be long, but they undoubtedly have a way of making us appreciate the summer months that much more <3
Tomato, Zucchini & Pesto Toast
1 zucchini (only requires a few slices)
3 cherry tomatoes
1 slice of whole grain bread
1 1/2 teaspoon pesto (I use Gotham Greens vegan pesto)
1 tablespoon greek yogurt (I use Fage total)
salt and pepper to taste
Toast your slice of bread just enough to crisp the outside (FYI, I don’t actually have a toaster in my apartment, so I like to put the oven on low broil and put the bread in for about 1-2 minutes on each side)
While your bread is toasting, slice your cherry tomatoes in half, and cut a few slices off your zucchini to be chopped into quarters.
Once the bread is toasted, spread on a thin layer of greek yogurt followed by a layer of pesto. Then sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper.
Place quarter zucchini slices and cherry tomatoes on top of your spread.
Enjoy!
