I love farmer’s markets. I don’t just mean, I browse through them occasionally, I am addicted to them. Walking through the fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers, with all of the vibrant colors, fresh smells and flavor possibilities is truly a salve for my weary soul. It is my time to literally stop and smell the roses—-well more often, stop and smell the peaches, or basil or some other culinary delight—but you get the picture.
My little corner of suburbia, Lee’s Summit, MO, has a small but first rate farmer’s market. It’s busy and vibrant, but not overwhelming. I walk by every vendor in just minutes, but then I go back and soak in the sights and smells, talk to the friendly folks at each booth and buy my treasures.
We have been really busy and totally focused on a new project (and we will make an exciting announcement on it soon) but for now, it is fair to say that my walk in the market these last few weeks has been far too rushed and brief. This last weekend, I finally got to meander and savor it. Oh it is hard to limit my purchases to what I can honestly use in a few days—but I try. (Well, true confession, I browse farmer’s markets when I travel and can’t cook the produce—and love the memories of markets in Italy, France, and across the USA.) [Read more…]
Baked Cheese Appetizer Recipe
The sizzle of summer has arrived in a flash. All the activities that accompany summer fun have arrived too. It seems each year once school is out the summer takes off in jet propelled fashion and before you know it we are attending Back to School night.
We entertain more as it is so easy to fire up the grill and enjoy good friends. Recently we got together for a bittersweet dinner party. While the evening was great fun and filled with laughs, it was marking the occasion of some dear friends and neighbors who will be moving away to another state. We shared carpool trips to and from elementary school, spent many fun days at the swimming pool and shared more “play dates” than I can count. Our entire family is going to miss these great friends!
I wanted our time together to be fun and a time to catch up one last time before they pack up and move. The kitchen tasks and food needed to be simple.
To kick off the evening, we served a baked cheese appetizer. This fantastic appetizer was served at last month’s culinary book club. Kathy Smith shared her secret to this dish and we enjoyed it–really devoured it– along with a glass of wine. You can keep the ingredients on hand and it goes together in no time. Our daughter even loves this one so it will be served quite a lot this summer. Well let me restate that, it was going to be served quite a lot until we learned she is allergic to milk and all milk products. More on that I am sure in future blogs.
Anyway, keep it simple and try this appetizer. It would even count as dinner at our house on certain crazed summer evenings.
Baked Cheese Appetizer
Marinated mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes*
Fontina, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 or 3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 to 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Toasted baguette slices or whole wheat crackers
Preheat the broiler and position the rack 5 to 6-inches from the heat.
Place the cheese cubes in a small cast iron skillet or broiler-proof container. Toss with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Drizzle with olive oil.
Place the skillet under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and beginning to brown.
Serve immediately with plenty of toasted baguette slices.
*Kathy Smith introduced me to this product from Trader Joe’s. I love it and have found so many great uses for this marinated cheese in many of my recipes.
Strawberry Cobbler Recipe
Cobblers, simmering jewel toned fruit and syrup topped with golden brown crusts, mean comfort to me. I grew up with master peach cobbler bakers, yet thanks to a trip to New Orleans and a food find with Roxanne, I now make a strawberry cobbler each spring. It is so easy and tastes so very good.
I do not remember tasting a strawberry cobbler until the International Association of Culinary Professionals met in New Orleans in 2007. When Roxanne and I travel, we love to explore local restaurants. One of our delightful restaurant finds that year served strawberry cobbler and I savored every bite. The flavor stuck with me and I had to make one. I do mean stuck with me—and now, every time I taste one, I am transported back to that table 5 years ago and dinner with my friend. Kind of like a ruby red magic carpet ride back to a fun, relaxing evening. I don’t remember anything else I had to eat that night—but the dessert is etched in my psyche.
Now, baking one is my spring ritual. I know strawberries are available year round, but this is one time when a basket of small, sweet, ripe strawberries from the local farmers’ market can’t be beat. I know. I have tried it with the larger, typical grocery store strawberries and while good, the flavor is just not as intense and the texture is not as perfect. So hurry–the season to make one is fleeting.
Cobblers are best served warm—and yes, a scoop of ice cream is the crowning glory. To many, serving hot strawberries is a bit different. I have one daughter who loves the warm, red dessert and one of my daughters would so much rather have them cold on strawberry shortcakes. Yet, I love this warm, homey dessert and I love that it transports me back to a dinner table a few years ago and time spent with a wonderful friend. What comfort.
[Read more…]
Arugula Pasta
Our family is trying to embrace the concept of Meatless Mondays. Alas, most weeks it becomes Meatless Tuesday, or Wednesday or Thursday, but at least we are trying to trim the amount of meat in our diets.
It seems the only success I have selling this concept to my family is to serve pasta on the meatless day. We come from a long line of pasta lovers, so it is easier to serve pasta and then, for the most part, none of us miss the meat or at least, I don’t hear a whimper about the missing meat. [Read more…]
Test Kitchen Time…And Lemon Herb Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs
Test kitchen days. Fun, tasty and busy. Did I mention fun? Oh and tiring, too.
We have been busy developing recipes for our new cookbook, The Big Book of Babycakes Cake Pop Recipes, due out in the fall. (Robert Rose, Inc.) (It and another new cupcake maker recipe book will join 175 Best Babycakes Cupcake Maker Recipes and 175 Best Babycakes Cake Pop Maker Recipes. ) It is such fun to cook up new ideas and experiment with new recipes. We love it because we get to work together and the room is filled with laughter, wonderful aromas and yummy tastes.
We thought you might like to see some photos of a recent day in the test kitchen.
We baked lots of cake pops. Cakes of every imaginable flavor, plus biscuits, muffins, and doughnuts. Then we tested appetizers—savory morsels, cheesy bites, scrumptious meatballs and more. (We are excited about this new book!)
We have a great test kitchen team! For this book, Julie Bondank, Mandy Totoro and Amy Dowell—are all wonderful assistants that come in to help us. Shown above is Julie Bondank with Roxanne. Below is Kathy with Mandy Totoro.
After a day in the test kitchen, we go home and just like you after a busy day, we are faced with dinner time. I want a big glass of ice tea, a calm table and a healthy dinner. In fact, the dinner I crave on those nights would be great any night. It is so quick and easy and tastes so fresh. My hubby tends the grill, while I toss a salad and enjoy the iced tea. Even if you don’t spend a day in the test kitchen, this easy dinner might be the perfect meal for you after a busy day. Enjoy. [Read more…]
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