Tomato, Red Onion, and Basil Bruschetta

My family got together this weekend to celebrate my Mom’s birthday, and we decided to cook a series of small plates throughout the afternoon and evening. This allowed us to enjoy a variety of dishes, and yet still have plenty of time for activities in between each course.

To set the stage for the meal, the marketing branch of the family printed the menu on beautiful beach themed cards. The cards were a nice touch, but don’t be misled into thinking this was a fancy affair. The attire was shorts and flip flops, and in between cooking we took a stroll to the beach. If you can’t read the menu, don’t worry, I’ll be sharing each recipe this week.

The first course was an incredible tomato, red onion, and basil bruschetta. This one was packed with both red and yellow tomatoes, and had to be eaten over a plate to catch any tomatoes that escaped. The topping can be made in advance, which makes it an easy first course. You can heat up the bread while you’re opening a bottle of wine, and get the party started quickly after a day in the sun.

1 pint red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1 t minced garlic
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 pan focaccia bread (Hartford area readers, we used the bread from First and Last)

Mix tomatoes through balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Heat bread in the broiler, and then top with tomato mixture.
-Adapted from Epicurious

Basil Parmesan Scrambled Eggs

I wish I could show you a beautiful pesto omelet, but the truth is that I don’t really know how to do omelets very well. And I don’t have much incentive to learn, since I think scrambled eggs taste just about the same! So here’s my low key version, which is fast enough to make that you’ll have plenty of time to get outside and enjoy your day.

5-6 leaves fresh basil
1 T shredded Parmesan
1 T milk
2 eggs, well beaten

Put basil, cheese, and milk in a food processor, or chop basil by hand and mix with cheese and milk. Add to eggs and mix well. Cook in a small skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat.

Unfried Green Tomatoes

When I saw this recipe for unfried green tomatoes, I was fascinated. (I told you I am meant to be Southern!) And then on my first visit to Wilson Farm last weekend, I saw a big basket of green tomatoes and remembered the recipe. So I just had to buy one and give it a try.

The recipe is fairly straightforward. You slice the tomatoes, dip them in milk, and then press them with a mixture of flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. They should be baked in a hot oven until they’re nice and brown. Here’s the raw tomato, and the breaded slices just before cooking.

My kitchen got awfully hot, but finally, the tomatoes were ready. They were excellent! The tomato slices stayed fairly firm, and the outsides were crispy. I didn’t have time to make the tomato gravy mentioned in the original recipe, so I used good ‘ol ketchup. Anything breaded and ‘unfried’ is generally a hit, but I would make these again, especially while tomatoes are in season.

Blackberry Iced Tea

I have to admit I am not a fan of plain water. If I am exercising, it’s fine, but otherwise I do prefer hydration with flavor. Since I am convinced I am meant to be a Southern girl, I decided to make homemade iced tea one day. But instead of using just my standard Lipton bags, I also used Trader Joe’s Blackberry Herbal Tea. I had to patiently wait for the tea to cool, but once it did I poured a tall glass and enjoyed it. The herbal tea really added a unique flavor and almost eliminated the need for any sugar.

I wish I could have taken a photo on my front porch, but since I don’t have one, the windowsill will have to do!

4 black tea bags, such as Lipton
2 fruit-flavored herbal tea bags, such as Trader Joe’s Blackberry Infusion

Heat about 4 cups of water to boiling in a medium pot and remove from heat. Add tea bags to water, and let steep for 5-10 minutes. Remove tea bags and allow concentrated tea to cool. Mix with cold water and ice to fill a 2 quart pitcher. Sweeten with sugar or an alternative if desired.

Sweet Potato Fries

Is it really possible that I have never done a post about sweet potato fries? I guess I’ve been too busy writing about making fries from parsnips, butternut squash, and zucchini. Sweet potatoes really do make great fries though. I don’t have a tried and true technique, but if I am not too hungry, I soak the cut potatoes in water for 30 minutes, and then dry them off before tossing them with the oil. But feel free to skip that step if it’s already 7pm, and you need dinner faster.

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into narrow pieces
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper (Red pepper for more kick!)

Toss the cut potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes on a cookie sheet, or until crispy. Allow to cool for at least a few minutes prior to eating!

Classic Brownies

My sister reminded me the other day that it had been ages since I posted a dessert recipe. And I’ve certainly eaten plenty of dessert lately, but I guess I haven’t been the one making it. For example, when I had dinner at a friend’s house a few weeks ago, she made a gorgeous dish of fresh blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and whipped cream over pound cake. With friends like that, who needs to make dessert herself?

My Mom recently made the Pineapple Angel Food Cake, a family favorite in the summertime. And she’s gearing up to make a big batch of lemon squares for a party in a few short weeks. But this weekend I was headed to a party in New Hampshire, and wanted to bring something sweet. I looked at countless recipes, but tried to avoid anything that needed refrigeration (because hosts always have a packed refrigerator when there’s a party in the summer) and anything that required utensils to eat. I settled on classic brownies, made with this recipe.

These are the most intensely chocolate brownies I’ve had in a long time. They’re almost fudge-like, as if I undercooked them, although I don’t think I did. The edges were actually a little burnt, so I had to cut them off because you can’t subject party guests to things like that. (However, you can feel free to eat the burnt edges in the privacy of your own home.) Although judging the baking time is tricky, the rest of the recipe is fairly easy. If you have flour, butter, sugar, and eggs in your house, all you’ll need to pick up is the unsweetened chocolate squares and you can make homemade brownies for a party, or just for yourself.

Swiss Chard

When a last minute meeting cancellation left me with a free hour on Tuesday, I strolled over to the farmer’s market near my office. I wanted to find something different for a simple veggie side dish, and settled on this large bunch of chard. First, I cleaned it well and then chopped the stems.

I took out a large frying pan and heated some olive oil, and then added minced garlic.

I added the stems to the pan, put the cover on, and cooked them on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Then, I stuffed the chopped leaves into the pan. It was a tight fit, but I finally managed to get the cover on. I cooked them on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, and then removed the cover and cooked them for another 3 minutes.

I added a splash of lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper. The end result was two generous servings of fresh local swiss chard. The flavor is stronger than spinach, but milder than kale or collard greens. Give it a try!

Grilled Pesto Eggplant

At the farmer’s market last weekend, we also picked up an eggplant. I didn’t have a particular recipe in mind, but Amore had generously sent me a sample of their Pesto Paste and I wanted to give it a try. The ingredient list is very simple and the tube is convenient. I mixed equal parts of the paste and olive oil, and then brushed the eggplant slices with this mixture and put them on the grill. If you’re short on time after a long day at the beach, this is a simple way to prepare some veggies with dinner.

While fresh basil is plentiful right now, this pesto paste does all the work for you, and is available year round. I have a few more recipes which I’d like to try with this product, and next time I’ll make sure to snap a few photos of the work in progress.

Zucchini, Basil, and Mozzarella Pizza

It’s hard for me to visit a farmer’s market without purchasing zucchini. This weekend was no exception. I sliced the zucchini thinly and tossed the slices in olive oil, salt, and pepper and then layered them on whole wheat dough. I added some chopped basil and fresh mozzarella, and baked the pizza for about 25 minutes at 375F.

The result was good, but since I didn’t cook the zucchini first, the pizza crust absorbed some of the water and didn’t get crispy as I expected. Still, the mozzarella was delicious, and it was a good lunch paired with fresh watermelon.

Grass Fed Beef Hamburgers

After going Meatless for May, I wanted to explore alternatives to factory farmed meat. At the Farmer’s Market this weekend, I spotted Treaty Rock Farm, which was selling grass fed beef from cattle raised locally in Rhode Island. The animals eat grass as nature intended, and as a result the land is less polluted and the meat ultimately has a lower content of saturated fat. But it still comes down to taste, right? The farmer had samples of a roast, and even though it was only 10am, I took a bite. Mmmm, it was good!

My Mom and I decided to get some ground beef to make hamburgers for the family. I shaped the meat into patties and set my Dad to work on the grill. I ate my burger plain, but my Mom dressed hers up with lettuce, tomato, and mayo.

The verdict? Unfortunately, the burgers were somewhat dry. The fact that the meat has a lower fat content makes it easier to overcook, and grills don’t offer a lot of control. Please don’t blame the farm for this one; I appreciate their efforts to create a supply of sustainable meat. After doing some additional research, I would opt for a different cut of meat next time, and use a wet cooking method such as braising. As always, I’ll keep you posted!