You're sure to find it all on old Cape Cod...

A sunset silhouette on a pond near my friend Joe's home in Eastham. Photo by Joe.

I'm spending a few days on the Cape with an old friend from my seminary days. Joe and I hadn't seen each other for many years and only reconnected a few years ago. When Joe and I were friends in school we ate in the seminary refectory (dining hall) or ran across the street to the BC MBTA station to the sub shop. In the intervening years Joe has picked up some cooking skills, the fruits of which I enjoyed this evening. Since I reviewed a few restaurant meals on my vacation, I thought I'd tell you about this evening's dinner.

We began with homemade clam chowder. Joe dug the clams yesterday and made the chowder last night which, I learned, needs to sit for 24 hours to allow the flavors to come together. They came together beautifully and the result was a pure Cape Cod experience. The salad was just what my readers might have already guessed: insalata caprese! The tomatoes were homegrown in Joe's yard and just a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar brought the basil, mozzarella and tomatoes together nicely. The main course was a zucchini lasagne. No pasta here, but rather thin slices of zucchini layered between ground beef, several cheeses, peppers and onions from Joe's garden and topped with tomato slices: all baked to a cheesy, hearty perfection. So there's another way to use up your zucchini and at the same time avoid the carbs! Dessert was Emack and Brolio's chocolate truffle ice cream: creamy, cold vanilla veined with raspberry and studded with chunks of chocolate. An after dinner cordial of limoncello provided a great finish for a shore- and garden-fresh dinner on a cool September evening.