Lowes Foods Produce-A-Palooza: Zucchini Crescent Pie!

Here's my disclaimer:  I'm not a chef, I'm not a chef blogger. I'm definitely not a photographer; and so all these pics I took as a home cook.

I'm using those fatso zucchini I got at Lowe's Foods at their Produce-A-Palooza, which is a celebration of the finest produce from over 200 local farms. The zucchs are from Mt. Olive.  They're local!

I love this recipe because my mom gave it to me years ago. It's not mine, I didn't make it up. It is one of the things that most say "summer" to me. It's quiche-y. Try it!

Even if you hate veggies, cheese makes everything better. I have even made mini versions of this for girls nights by putting little cresent rolls in muffin tins instead of a big quiche dish.

You'll notice my vodka soda in the background of some shots.  Don't hate! It was a Saturday. It was hot. Vodka is the best summer drink. Mmmmm....vodka.

Zucchini Crescent Pie:

• 1 package Crescent Rolls
• 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard
• 2 lbs or 4 C sliced Zucchini (these 2 Fatso Zucchini worked just fine)
• 1 C chopped or sliced Red Onion
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Basil
• 1/4 tsp Oregano
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 8 oz shredded Mozzarella
• Mushrooms, if desired. I added 4-5 sliced semi-large Baby Bella Mushrooms

2 fatso Zucchini!  I got these at Lowe's Foods.  They're local.

1.  Preheat oven to 375.

2. Slice zucchini pretty thinly, then do the same with the red onion & mushroom if you're using them:

3. Saute onions, mushrooms and zucchini with oil in a skillet until cooked. Mine are always a combo of extra cooked and just enough cooked. Beware that zucchini has a high water content, so if you're using mushrooms, too, you will have to drain them off when they're done.

4.  Combine spices in a small bowl. Pour over the veggies in the skillet.

5. While veggies cook, beat two eggs in a bowl. Add the 8 oz shredded mozzarella and mix together.

6. Open crescent rolls. Press rolls into a 10 inch quiche dish or pie plate. I use a quiche dish, it works best for me. Spread mustard on rolls, set aside.

7. When veggies are cooked through, drain off any excess water, and add mozzarella/egg mixture to pan. Mix to combine. Then, pour the veggie/cheese mixture into the prepared quiche dish.

8. DO NOT LET SIT! Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until set and crust is browned. If you find your pie is soupy, bake longer for more "doneness." Enjoy!

 

Love Lowes Foods? Love Local Produce? Be sure to take our Produce-A-Palooza Pledge for a chance to win a $150 gift card to Lowes Foods.

The Who Hits 50!

April 21st at the PNC Arena saw The Who play their final show in North Carolina as Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend continue on their "The Who Hits 50! Tour".

For two hours of vintage Who, they took you from their biggest hits to some of the band's infamous rock operas. They kept you wondering what they could possibly do next to top what had come before, and every time they delivered.










From the opening guitar solo to Daltrey's and Townshend's final, heartfelt goodbyes, The Who showed exactly why they have been one of the driving forces in the evolution of music for the last 50 years.

 For the final performance ever in North Carolina, they couldn't have provided a better experience for the fans that have been with them every step of the way for 50 years.

It Doesn't Get Any Bigger Than This!

Back in January, DPAC took me to NYC and gave me a preview of all the awesome Broadway shows that will be coming to Durham as part of the 2015/2016 SunTrust Broadway series.  They're going to be unveiling those shows tonight to their season ticket holders, and then to the WORLD tomorrow night on ABC11 as part of a special hosted by Angela Hampton.  I can't tell you what those shows are yet, but I can give you some hints.  Of course, I'm terrible at hints, so you'll either get them right away or not at all!

Below is a pic I took when we were doing interviews in Times Square.  We did them from the Minskoff Theatre, which is the home to the Lion King.  Check out ABC11's set up, and then my colleague Brian Freeman from WPTF's setup and mine--which are decidedly less technical:

Now, this pic probably makes you ask, "Since you were at the Lion King's theater, does that mean that The Lion King is part of the SunTrust Broadway 2015/2016 series this year at DPAC?  The answer is:


No. The Lion King is not part of the SunTrust Broadway Series at DPAC.  :)

To add insult to injury, here's a pic of me messing around behind costumes from The Lion King, which, again, is not part of the SunTrust Broadway series at DPAC in 2015/2016:

So, yeah, I can't tell you what's coming, but other hints I can drop are:

• One musical on the docket has had Adele Dazeem involved in the New York production. She won't be with it when it hits Durham, though.
• One musical, you'll know all the words to because a super famous husband-wife team (or two) wrote all the hits for it.
• One musical has played at Studio 54 in NYC.  Sort of apropos for what it is.
• One musical is a classic--and some of the songs were part of a show-stopping moment recently on a huge, world-wide television broadcast.  In fact, those songs were said to be the best part of the whole thing.  Oscar Hammerstein would be proud.
• There are a bunch more musicals you will love, some you can take your kids to and some will make you crack up laughing
• There are two musicals being announced that are not part of the SunTrust Broadway series, but instead the Encore Broadway series.  :)

I hope those hints helped! Watch the big announcement tomorrow night on ABC11--and on Monday, I'll break all the shows down for ya complete with interviews with super fun and successful people...all of whom make these shows great.  

The Green Chair Project

You've probably been past it a billion times on Capital Boulevard as you head into downtown Raleigh.  And, like me, you probably didn't know much about it.

This past week, I was looking for something to tell you all about on my show, and I saw information on The Green Chair's sale they have open to the public.  It just happened to be this past weekend, and, as we moved into a bigger house a few months back, we're looking for furniture and home accessories.  I thought I would check this place out, since I've always been curious.

I had zero idea about Green Chair, or the good works they do.  But what I learned, as I Googled on my way to the sale, was that they are local people who help those who have been homeless and are just getting into residences, or those who are recovering from disasters.  They help our neighbors select furniture and accessories for their homes with dignity and respect.  People who need the help and great goods.  And, whatever they have leftover, they sell in an open-to-the-public sale four times a year.

High-end furniture is represented at this sale, knick-knacks, glassware.  Sets of China, tables, lamps, sofas, chairs.  We got an awesome old rocking chair for our living room that was otherwise empty looking.  And, it was only $85!

You know when you find stuff like that on Craigslist people always jack up the price, or when you go to one of those "estate" places it's super expensive.  But not The Green Chair Project.  It was not only reasonable, it was really heavy, quality-built, and we had a field day in there.  I also grabbed this weird egg-crudite thing.  It's probably not that old, but as someone who loves vintage, I like to pretend it probably is:

It was just eight bucks!  We also scored some cool 60s vintage coasters and as we left, asked when the next sale was.  It's in June--and you should go.

But, what made me feel the best was that this is a charity I have driven by many, many times, and never given a second thought to.  When I learned about it, I loved that, as someone who loves and regularly buys locally sourced goods and services, The Green Chair Project was started by a local realtor and has continued to give back since 2010.  The stuff they sell to the public is in no way junk, and the stuff they don't sell to the public--the things the folks getting back on their feet get to choose from--is high quality, too.  They are always accepting donations, and instead of some other places or drop-off boxes for other charities, I will be giving to The Green Chair when it's time to give up pots and pans and good quality furniture.  Learn more here:  The Green Chair Project and make sure you hit up their next open-to-the-public sale.  You'll feel like you're getting a bargain and feel good about yourself, all rolled into one.