This might not be the end. But, it’s sure to be the last big basket.
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Tomatoes On Top
Baked Tomato Penne 1lb bag penne, cooked al dente To Top: sliced large heirloom tomatoes & halved big Juliet grape tomatoes Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss al dente penne with 3 cups of tomato sauce, reserving one cup for layering. Pour 1/3 pasta mixture into casserole dish. Layer with ricotta, basil and Parmigiano Reggiano. Drizzle with half of the remaining tomato sauce. Add second third of pasta. Repeat. Add final portion of pasta. Top with ricotta and bread crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly.
It’s almost the end of tomato season. So, I don’t want to waste a single tomato. It’s time for some tomato sauce. Chunky Tomato Sauce 5 heaping cups ripe whole tomatoes, washed and cored fresh basil, added at the end Pulse tomatoes in food processor to a coarse grind. You should end up with 4 heaping cups of chunky tomato pieces. Set aside. In a dutch oven, saute onion in olive oil for 3-5 minutes. The edges should be very lightly golden. Deglaze pan with red wine. Burn off most of the wine before adding all remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and allow flavors to mingle for at least 10-15 minutes. This will be the base for my baked tomato penne dish. (If using to dress pasta, add basil at the end.) Or, for a great snack: Layer day old baguette with a spoon or two of sauce. Bake in 400 degree oven til bubbly. Shave Parmigiano Reggiano on top. Mangia!
If you don’t mind cutting the cherry in half, they’re easy to pit without any special tools. Just treat ripe cherries like a mini avocado. Run a paring knife in a circle around the pit and twist gently to pull apart. For firm berries, carefully shave the fruit off the pit in two or three pieces. Preserved Cherries in Chocolate Liqueur 3 cups cherries, well-washed and pitted 1/2 cup chocolate liqueur, or as desired In a small saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, and cinnamon. (For extra syrup: add 1/4 cup water.) Melt over low heat. Bring to a boil for 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool. Add 1/2 cup chocolate liqueur, or to taste. Use as needed and refrigerate remaining cherries. Serve over vanilla ice cream or pound cake. Chocolate Liqueur 1 bottle rum or spiced rum, minus 1 cup sugar syrup Funnel cacao nibs into bottled rum and let it sit for 3-4 weeks. Add sugar syrup to your taste.
Coconut Bars 1 1/4 cups flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir well. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and coconut. Spread and flatten batter onto a well-buttered 9×13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes. Or, until the top is golden brown.
…almost ready
I love sweet potatoes. They’re so versatile. They can be sweet or savory. They can be a snack, a meal, a dessert or a vegetable. Or, they can be a little bit of everything all at once. Baked Sweet Potato with Crumbled Amaretti 1 baked sweet potato, fresh out of the oven (see below) Split sweet potato lengthwise and garnish, to taste. Baked Sweet Potatoes 4 or more sweet potatoes Place sweet potatoes in dutch oven, fill with water. Remove potatoes and place dutch oven on the stove to boil. When water is gently boiling, add potatoes. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes. Remove potatoes. Drain all but 1/2 inch of water. Place potatoes carefully back in hot water, cover dutch oven and place in the oven. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 1/2 hour to 2 hours, depending on the size of your potatoes. If desired, brush the top of each potato with melted butter at the one hour mark.
Refreshingly simple, this one’s a keeper. Lemon Lime Cocktail juice of 2 lemons ice In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients. Shake vigorously. Strain and divide between two rocks glasses filled with ice. Garnish each rocks glass with one lemon and one lime wedge. Cheers!
Try not to blink… This caramel is seconds from being finished. Those last seconds fly by quickly.
Under-cook the rice ever so slightly.
Allow rice to puff and swell. As it does, the sauce will thicken into a pudding. Caramel Rice Pudding 1 cup caramel In a large dutch oven, combine caramel, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add rice. Bring to a simmer and stir gently. Simmer gently for 15-30 minutes, depending on the texture you desire. For a creamier pudding, simmer longer.
What makes the Black and White cookie so special? Well, it’s a cookie. And, it’s iced with a melty doughnut-style glaze. What more could you ask for in a cookie? Black & Whites 2 eggs Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Set aside. Sift flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture slowly. Alternate with drizzles of buttermilk. Scoop rounded mounds and bake on parchment lined baking sheets or buttered baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. (Longer for big cookies) For fatter cookies: Chill dough for 1 hour before rolling into balls. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Icing Combine all. Add cream to make a thick, but creamy icing. For The Chocolate Side: 1 Tablespoon cocoa Divide out half of the icing. Add cocoa and stir until smooth and creamy. |
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