Brownie Sampling

An unbelievable sampling of brownies, 

all displayed at my niece's bridal shower.

Brownies are her favorite, and I provided

an amazing assortment!

Most people go to bakeries and have cake samplings,
when looking to purchase a wedding cake.
However, if you are going to be serving
Brownie Ice Cream Sundaes, at your wedding, which is
what my niece intends to do,
then a brownie sampling is exactly what you need!

Six different types of brownies are displayed here,
the recipes will all be individually listed on the blog
following this post.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Stuffed Artichokes

Let hot artichokes rest for a few minutes
before enjoying them.  Right out of the pot they
are too hot to eat!

Crumb mixture, slightly moistened with olive oil.

Carefully stand stuffed artichokes in the steam basket.


Growing up, my family enjoyed steamed artichokes.
My mother bought them whenever they were in season, and
we all had fun dipping the steamed leaves into melted butter.

The first time I ever had a stuffed artichoke though, was when
I was living in Italy!
It blew my socks off! It was so delicious!

Eating artichokes is fun, but somehow, I never remember to
start cooking them early enough, to enjoy them before my dinner.
Having purchased these beautiful baby artichokes, I was determined
to make some great stuffed ones, AND.... have them ready in time
to eat before the dinner.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS

4-6 small artichokes

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs or panko

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes or black pepper

1/2 cup grated romano or parmiggiano cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

olive oil

   Mix bread crumbs, garlic, pepper, cheese and parsley together.  Slowly drizzle olive oil over mixture, mixing in the oil just until the crumbs resemble wet sand. 

   Trim down the ends of the artichokes and take off outer dry leaves.  With a kitchen scissors, trim of thorns from all the tips of the leaves. Gently pull open all the leaves without breaking them from the center. 

   Using a spoon or your hands, fill the artichoke, starting with the outside leaves.

Place artichokes, upright, into a pot of boiling water that has a steam basket.  Cover.  Cook for 45-60 minutes or until leaves are tender.  Check water level and add more boiling water to pot if necessary.  Don't let water in pot boil down too far or it will give the artichokes a funny bad taste.

  Gently use a tongs to lift cooked artichokes out of the pot.  Let rest for a few minutes before eating.

Grilled Zucchini Salad

One of the many ways to use up all those wonderful

zucchini growing in your garden, or maybe a generous friend

has shared their bounty of zucchini with you!

Grilled zucchini on its own is great, as a vegetable dish during the summer. 

Making a salad out of those zucchini, is brilliant though! 

It lasts for more than a day in the fridge, and can be enjoyed both at 

lunch and dinner. 

I personally do not like totally raw zucchini by itself.

Giving the zucchini halves a bit of grilling, softens them, adds great flavor, 

and takes away the raw taste.  Don't over cook them though, or they will be 

too soft, and just wilt into much in the salad. 

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Ingredients

8 small zucchini (7-8 inches long)

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced sundried tomatoes 

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

olive oil, just enough to coat the vegetables

salt and pepper

  Trim ends of zucchini and then cut in half lengthwise.  Grill the zucchini on the cut side, to just slightly soften. Cut into slices and place in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix.

Serve with grilled meats at dinner or a grain salad at lunch.

Avocado Toast

One of my favorite ways to use avocados, 

plus, delicious homegrown tomatoes. 

It is a real summer treat!

The yellow tomato is called Banana Legs!

It is a new variety that I am trying this year. 

As Always, 

ENJOY!

1 loaf of ciabatta bread

1 ripe avocado

1 ball of burrata cheese

fresh tomatoes

coarse sea salt

  Slice, two nice thick pieces of the bread, and toast until golden brown.  Let cool slightly. 

Cut the avocado in half. Scoop out each half, placing it on top of the cooled toast.  Gently smash the avocado, without breaking it up too much, you want it chunky still, and press to edge of toast.

   Drain the burrata cheese ball, and cut two thick slices near the center of the ball, placing the slices on top of the avocado.  If using a large beefsteak tomato, one big slice per toast will be sufficient, however, if using smaller tomatoes, slice the whole tomato, layering it on to the toast.  Sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt. Serve

      

Plum Crisp

A summer classic!

Preparing your crisp in a glass dish allows you to see the
beautiful color of the cooked fruit.

Use mixed plums, as I have here, or try
apricot, peach,nectarine, berry, apple or pear.

Growing up this was a summer staple at our house.
We had many fruit trees in the yard, so no matter what was
in season, my mom turned it into a crisp.
Topped with vanilla ice cream, there is nothing better!

This is true comfort food to me!!!

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Topping

1/2 cup butter melted 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups flour

Fruit of choice - plum, apricot, peach, nectarine, berry, apple, pear.

The quantity of fruit you choose should fill 2/3 to 3/4 of the glass or ceramic dish you are using.

    Wash and cut fruit, filling your oven safe dish.  Add 1/2 cup of sugar, gently stir.  If using berries, because they create so much liquid when cooked, I recommend adding 1-2 Tbs. of minute tapioca, to the fruit mixture, to help it thicken the juices. 

    Mix all topping ingredients together. Sprinkle over the cut fruit, spreading the crumb mixture evenly to the edges. 

     Bake at 350 degrees for a half hour, or until filling just begins to bubble and topping is turning brown.  Cool at least an hour before serving.

Fig Crostata

A classic Italian dessert!

Many years ago, I had a small piece of a fig crostata, that
had been prepared in Italy, by a sister,  and sent with relatives, to her
brother in the U.S.
I have been enamored with this simple Italian treat ever since!

Fig is my favorite, it is so classic, and it is something you could not find in any bakery,
only homemade.  I have also made the crostata with other fillings and jams.
Apricot, raspberry, cherry and currant all also very good
substitutes for the fig.  A thick filling or jam is what is needed,
something that will not create juice or liquid when baked.

Using a tart pan with a removable, allows you to then showcase the tart
on a cake plate, and easily cut beautiful slices.
It lasts for days at room temperature, if you can resist not eating all of it.

Invite a friend over for coffee or tea, and then sit back and enjoy!

As Always,

ENJOY! 

Plum Frangipane Tart

Beautifully browned!

Before going in the oven, sprinkle with sugar.

Fruit tarts are one of my favorite desserts to create!
The summer time provides so many beautiful stone fruits,
the choices seem endless as to what to add to the top
of the tart.
These are Santa Rosa plums from my backyard tree.
Stop by your local farmers market for other interesting
varieties of plums.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source:  Bon Appetit, July 1993

PASTRY

1cup flour

1/4 cup powdered sugar

6 Tbs. chilled unsalted butter

1 Tbs. chilled whipping cream

FRANGIPANE

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup blanched slivered almonds, toasted and ground

2 Tbs. flour

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp. brandy

1 lb. plums, pitted and thinly sliced

Additional sugar for sprinkling on top

     Blend flour and sugar in processor.  Add butter, pulsing, until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add cream until moist lumps form.  Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, chill 15 minutes.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to 11 inch diameter and transfer to  9 inch tart pan.

Press into place, folding over edges to make form double thick sides.  Bake crust until just beginning to color, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. 

     Beat 1/2 cup sugar and butter in bowl until smooth.  Mix in almonds and flour.  Add egg and brandy and blend well. 

    Spread frangipane evenly in crust. Overlap plum slices atop filling, covering completely. Sprinkle with additional sugar.  Bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes.  Transfer to rack and cool. 

   Serve with whipped cream!