Recipe of the Week: Cool summer suppers

It’s sooooo hot outside, who can think about turning on the stove to make supper?

Not me. I have been thinking hard about dishes that I can make without heating up the kitchen with the oven or with pots boiling on the stove.

Of course there is the grill. But it’s so hot outside that only the hardiest want to stand over it and wait for meats to cook.

I took care of one meal by making stuffed peppers in the microwave, putting together a fruit salad and cooking the first local sweet corn of the season. The corn can be cooked in the microwave or on top of the stove; a single pot of water for corn is not enough to heat up the whole kitchen.

Another of my favorite hot-weather meals is local tomatoes stuffed with tuna salad, which also go well with fruit salad and/or fresh corn on the cob.

Big entrée salads such as chef or pasta are a no-brainer, but only those who really love salad can eat more than one or two per week. Otherwise, we relegate salads using fresh farmstand ingredients to a side dish that goes well with grilled meats.

“Cool as a cucumber” is a familiar phrase for a reason. Peel (or not) a cucumber, slice it in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and you will have a “boat” to be filled with whatever you like. Tuna, shrimp or chicken salad, cream cheese mixed with chopped vegetables, feta mixed with Greek yogurt, grape tomatoes or rice flavored with chickpeas and tahini sauce all make tasty fillings.

Tacos and sandwiches are other options but also try to look for more microwavable options. You can easily make meatloaf in the microwave and have cold sandwiches the next night, or microwave taco filling.

For now, take a look at this recipe from allrecipes.com for microwavable stuffed peppers; adjust the filling according to your tastes.

Quick and Easy Stuffed Peppers

2 large red bell peppers, halved and seeded

1 (8-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid

⅓ cup quick-cooking brown rice

2 tablespoons hot water

½ (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

2 green onions, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1. Arrange pepper halves in a 9-inch square glass baking dish. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and poke a few holes for vents. Cook in the microwave until tender, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

2. Mix together tomatoes with liquid, rice, and hot water in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Cook in the microwave until rice is tender, about 4 minutes.

3. Remove plastic wrap carefully. Stir in kidney beans, corn, green onions, and red pepper flakes. Re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Cook in the microwave until heated through, about 3 minutes.

4. Spoon hot tomato mixture evenly into pepper halves. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and poke holes for vents. Cook in the microwave for 4 minutes.

5. Remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle stuffed peppers with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Allow to stand until cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

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