"I didn't know I liked zucchini" Mac & Cheese

This is one of my staple summer recipes, for a quick meal when zucchini is available in abundance. While water is boiling for orzo, I shred (or chop) zucchini, and while the orzo cooks, saute the zucchini with lots of garlic and onion. By the time the pasta is ready, the veggies are too. Mix them together, add a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil and a few handfuls of shredded mozzarella, and serve. I've made a lot of variations on this - You can experiment with different pastas, mixing yellow summer squash with the zucchini, or adding leftover shredded chicken or crumbled bacon.

I originally got this recipe from Barbara Kingsolver's great book, Animal Vegetable Miracle, which I recommend to anyone interested in knowing more about where their food comes from and what to do with it. You can see the recipe on her site here.

Welcome to Button Soup!

Button Soup is a children's book based on the story of Stone Soup. Button Soup was one of my favorite childhood books, read to me by my grandmother. The story tells of a traveler who, by beginning to cook soup with just water and a button, convinces the townspeople to share a little of the food they have, finally ending with an amazing soup that everyone has contributed to. This blog will follow loosely in the Button Soup spirit, following my adventures in cooking, tasting, and trying to create something special from something seemingly ordinary. Happy reading!