Cherry Tomato Mini Tarts

Oh my gosh, how did it get to be the second week of September already?  The last time I posted was July 20!  In the past few weeks my husband and I have tried to fit in as many summer activities as we could with family and friends.

August was a beautiful, fun, food-filled month and it flew by far too quickly. The weather here was finally gorgeous and we enjoyed many al fresco dinners on the patio. One of our daughters stayed overnight with with us twice and had dinner with us every single night for one of those weeks while her boyfriend and his father went on their annual fishing trip to Canada.  We made dinners together and had a great time hosting our other daughter and our grandsons.  We also scheduled other individual play dates with our grandsons, held our last Family Swim of the summer, and we played golf with some great friends with dinners here afterward. The weather on every date scheduled was perfection.  I was grateful to unplug and enjoy that beautiful month and have some great memories!

During that warm, sunny month of August, my tomatoes finally started ripening and it's been a bountiful harvest ever since!  One of my favorite new recipes I made with my cherry tomato harvest were these cherry tomato mini tarts.  They make a delicious appetizer and my husband and I have also eaten them for dinner.  Filled with tomatoes and lots of cheese, they are oh, so good and, who doesn't love puff pastry?!

They come together quickly and take less than 30 minutes to bake so you have have these ready in no time at all.  A little drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar and some chopped, fresh basil, are my favorite additions. I hope you try these before tomato season is over, they are delightful!

During August, my dahlias also started to bloom and, right now, they are the highlight of the garden and are providing me with some beautiful bouquets.

The begonias are so lush right now also that it's hard to believe fall is just two weeks away!  I'll enjoy the last hurrah in the garden and hope to harvest tomatoes as long as I possibly can :)  We actually have some summery weather in the forecast for the next few days.  Fingers crossed for a beautiful fall!  

Now, I'm glad to be back and sharing this tasty recipe with you and hope to get caught up with the rest of my blogging friends soon!

Cherry Tomato Mini Tarts

Printable Recipe

Makes 18 tarts but can easily be halved to make 9 using 1 sheet of puff pastry.

1 (17.3-oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry sheets, partially thawed

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Small pinch of red pepper flakes

10 ounce sharp Cheddar cheese, finely shredded (2 1/2 cups)

4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese

11 ounces multicolored cherry tomatoes (about 3 cups), halved and allowed to drain for 30 minutes on paper toweling

Garnish:

2 tablespoons torn fresh basil

Aged Balsamic

Preheat oven to 400°F. Gently unfold both pastry sheets and roll out to a 12 x 12 inch (approx) square. Spread 1/8 cup mayonnaise evenly on each pastry sheet; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and small pinch of red pepper flakes.

Cut each pastry sheet into thirds both from the top and side making 9 (4 x 4 inch) squares. Gently press squares into 2 lightly greased muffin pans. Divide cheeses and tomatoes among tarts, alternating tomatoes/cheese/tomatoes/cheese.

Bake in preheated oven until pastry is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes until tops are browned and filling is bubbly. Let cool in pans on a wire rack 5 minutes.

Serve immediately topped with torn fresh basil and drizzle with aged balsamic.

Do ahead tips:  Prepare the muffin pans with the puff pastry ahead of time and keep covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to fill.  Measure and mix the cheeses and keep covered in the refrigerator.  An hour ahead, the cherry tomatoes can be cut and placed on a plate with paper toweling under and over them and covered with plastic wrap until ready to assemble.  

Adapted, with my changes, from Southern Living

Homemade Red Wine Marinara Sauce

It was a great summer for tomatoes in my garden!  Even though the heavy rains and high temperatures stressed them tremendously, I was still able to pick more tomatoes than my husband and I could eat, even after giving many away.  I still have some ripening on my plants!

 

Last year, I tried freezing tomatoes whole, thinking I would use them in soups and stews, but I didn't use as many as I had hoped.  This year, I decided to make marinara sauce with my tomatoes to freeze and use in various pasta dishes or as a dip for eggplant or calamari throughout the fall and winter.  As of today, I've made three batches of marinara and have 14 pint jars in my freezer.  A pint of sauce is just about perfect for two.  

You could also use a water bath canning method with this but I think the frozen sauce tastes even more like garden fresh sauce.  I've adapted this recipe from several recipes and after three batches of tweaking the recipe, this tastes about as perfect as a marinara sauce can get.

Garlic, tomatoes, chopped basil and sprigs of oregano all from my garden.  Heavenly! 

A generous pour of red wine and then slowly simmered for up to five hours on the stove top to reduce to a sauce consistency and meld the flavors, I then used my immersion blender to whir it into a smooth sauce but you can leave it as coarse as you like. 

If you are still harvesting tomatoes, or have access to a farm stand or farmer's market, look for imperfect tomatoes that are sold at a discount.  You can always cut out any blemishes or brown spots before adding them to the pot.  Pick up some fresh basil and oregano while you're at it and one or two nice yellow tomatoes.  You'll have a great tasting, thick marinara sauce in an afternoon without spending a ton of time!

We're enjoying some beautiful early fall hues of purple, red and yellow in the garden and I'm not only still picking tomatoes but also flowers for bouquets.

I pulled out one of my mother's old ceramic pitchers (I think it might actually be a coffee or tea pot) to use as a vase.  I thought it suited the harvest season :)  Happy fall and harvest cooking!

Homemade Red Wine Marinara Sauce

Printable Recipe

Makes about 4-5 pints of sauce.

Recipe may be doubled or even tripled if you have a lot of tomatoes to use.  Cooking time will vary according to how many tomatoes you are using.  You may use canned tomatoes and dried herbs but you won't get the same, garden-fresh flavor.

4 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
4 pounds tomatoes (about 8-9 large) peeled and coarsely chopped, including juices
4 large cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
3/4 cup hearty red wine, such as cabernet or burgundy
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sugar

Note: The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to score the bottoms with an X using a sharp, serrated knife and put them into a pot of boiling water for about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl of ice water. The skin will peel off easily with your hands. Do this in batches until all of your tomatoes are peeled.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until softened, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together. Bring the liquid from the tomatoes to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally until reduced to a sauce consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Use an immersion blender, or a regular blender in small batches, process the sauce until it is as smooth as you like.  If desired, you can strain the sauce through a medium mesh strainer but it’s not necessary.

Homemade Ketchup made with Cherry Tomatoes~

One last garden harvest post before the garden is put to bed for the year.  Sniff-sniff. We had such a wonderful growing season.  Cucumbers and tomatoes galore. The cherry tomatoes were especially prolific and I'm still picking them!

The varieties I planted this year were Sweet Million red and Sun Sugar yellow cherry tomatoes. Both were winners! But, with so many cherry tomatoes, what to do with all of them?

I'm so glad I stumbled on this simple and delicious recipe for homemade ketchup using cherry tomatoes, It turned out great!

Above, you see about 4 pounds of halved cherry tomatoes in a 4" deep pan. I even threw in a few yellow ones. They are combined with my favorite champagne vinegar, brown sugar, just a touch of spice, salt and pepper and simmered.  

This is what they look like when reduced by about half but let the consistency be your guide.  It should be jam-like which will take approximately 90 minutes, depending on your stove and temperature. Then, after it has cooled a bit, the mixture is pureed in a food processor and then strained to remove the seeds and skins. 

The result is about 3 cups of the freshest ketchup you'll ever taste and without the high fructose corn syrup.  I placed mine in sterilized half-pint jars before refrigerating.  It will keep for at least a month or longer in the refrigerator.  Delicious with fried potatoes, on hot dogs for the kids, meat loaf, or made into a wonderful Thousand Island or Russian salad dressing.

How to do like to use ketchup?

Whether you spell it ketchup or catsup, if you still have cherry tomatoes growing in your garden or can find them at the farmers' market, please give this a try! A delicious way to bid farewell to September! I love these adorable Bee patterned pint canning jars from Amazon! 

Savoring Time in the kitchen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program, a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Should you purchase something on Amazon after following my link, I will receive a very small commission but there will be no additional cost to you. I only link to products I already own myself or would love to own.

Homemade Tomato Ketchup

Printable Recipe

Yields about 3 cups of tomato ketchup

Note:  I tried the recipe using three different types of vinegar: balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar and champagne vinegar.  Champagne vinegar was the winner with my taste buds because of its mild, fruity flavor.  The runner up was red wine vinegar. The balsamic vinegar didn't give it the traditional ketchup flavor that I wanted. 

4 pounds ripe cherry tomatoes washed and cut in half
1-1/2 cups champagne vinegar
⅔ cup dark brown sugar
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (reserved until after above ingredients have been cooked and strained)

In a wide skillet, stir together the halved tomatoes with all ingredients except Worcestershire.  Simmer over low to medium heat until a thick jam-like mixture develops (this will take up to 90 minutes, approximately, depending on your stove). Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

In a food processor, purée mixture until smooth. If you have a small food processor do this in batches to prevent overflow. Then, place a fine-mesh sieve over a tall bowl (an 8 cup heat proof measuring/pouring bowl works great).  Strain puréed mixture, pressing on solids with the back of a large spoon. Throw out seeds and skins. At this point, if you want an even thicker ketchup, you may simmer again for another 15-30 minutes. 

When the ketchup is finished, add the Worcestershire sauce and refrigerate.  You may place it in attractive jars or bottles for gifting.

Ketchup will last at least one month refrigerated. 

Check out these adorable Bee patterned pint canning jars from Amazon! 
Guidelines for canning tomato ketchup can be found here on the Ball/Kerr website. 

Adapted from The New York Times

Homemade 'Chunky' Tomato Sauce

Hello!  I hope everyone is enjoying these last precious days of summer!  I've been doing my best to put the blog on hold to enjoy these last, glorious days. For the most part, it has been beautiful here, so there have been lots of golf and outdoor activities with family and friends.

Last week, on one rainy, chilly day, when a golf date with my husband was rained out, I decided to use the abundance of tomatoes I had on the kitchen counter to make tomato sauce.  Not to enjoy now, but to enjoy when the weather gets cold and pasta nights will be even more welcomed. 

This has been a banner tomato year.  I've read that others around the country have been enjoying a bountiful year as well. Even today, I harvested six gorgeous, big tomatoes. The other crazy thing about this summer is that we have barely had any mosquitoes all summer.  Now that is impressive!  All summer to enjoy the patio in the evening and not be chased indoors by mosquitoes.  Priceless!

I picked one HUGE tomato called, Mr. Stripey, that weighed over a pound and was over 5 inches long! I read not-so-stellar reviews of this tomato and I'm glad I gave it a try. It performed very well in my garden.

You can see by the slight yellow tinge to my tomato sauce that I used a few of those yellow and red striped tomatoes in this sauce. 

I tried a new-to-me recipe and loved it!  Very loosely adapted from this recipe, I altered the cooking method, tomato preparation and ingredients slightly, but it was the list of ingredients that made me choose it in the first place.  It is loaded with flavor!

The tomatoes were prepped by using the boiling water/ice bath method to remove the skins. After dicing, I drained the chopped tomatoes in a mesh colander to remove excess juice so the sauce wouldn't be too juicy.

After it was cool, it was transferred it to zipper bags and frozen to enjoy on a cool night in Autumn.  If you find yourself still picking tomatoes, or have a local farmers' market where you can buy them, please give this recipe a try.  It was so good, it was hard not to keep eating it out of the pan!  It is a 'chunky' style sauce and there are the seeds are left in it.  It neither of those things bother you, you will love it.

Homemade 'Chunky' Tomato Sauce

Adapted loosely from All Recipes

Printable Recipe

Update:  I made another batch of this recently and decided to use an immersion blender to smooth the sauce just a bit.  I know we'll enjoy it either way!

Note:  This recipe represents a half recipe of the original, which was all of the tomatoes I had on hand.  Double if you have lots of tomatoes.  

2 onions, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
About 5-6 pounds of whole, garden tomatoes
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/8 cup white sugar
1 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (optional to use when you are ready to use the sauce)

Prepare a large pot of water to boil.  Have a large bowl of ice water ready next to the pot when the water is boiling.  Cut a shallow 'X' across the non-stem end of the tomato. Drop 3-4 whole tomatoes into the boiling water.  When the skin has cracked, about 1 minute or so, remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon to the ice water bath.  Repeat with all of the tomatoes.  Remove the skin from the tomatoes and core them.  Chop the tomatoes into about 1/2 inch pieces and place in a colander to drain for about 30 minutes. 

In a large stock pot over medium heat, saute the the onion, garlic, green pepper in the canola oil.  Stir often and watch carefully to that it doesn't burn. When the onion is transparent, add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, parsley, sugar, salt, and ground black pepper. Cook for about 2 hours on very low heat, stirring frequently.

Let sauce cool and pour sauce into quart size freezer containers.

Will keep in freezer for 3-4 months or longer if you have a deep freeze.

When ready to use sauce, you can stir in can of tomato paste, if desired, but I found it tasted great on its own.

TIP:  If using freezer bags, after filling, place flat on a baking sheet in freezer until fully frozen (about 2 hours) so that may be stored flat.

Tomato Jam with Honey and Spice

Here you see that last of my garden tomatoes, sniff-sniff.  I had almost five pounds of the red, luscious beauties that needed to be used while before they went bad.  Tomato Jam to my tomatoes rescue!  Seriously, folks, this stuff is so delicious.  Sweet and spicy at the same time.  This is a really upscale and fabulous alternative to that condiment in a squeeze bottle called ketchup.  Thick, jammy and wonderful. Think Christmas gifting!

I used some beautiful, local honey for this project since I wanted to bring the best out of my summer labor growing those tomatoes.  The Tomato Jam was a such a great success and I can see opening a jar of this on a cool fall evening and serving it with meatloaf or grilled hamburgers.  I'm sure it would taste wonderful on roasted chicken or just about anything really...sandwiches, hot dogs, roasted potatoes, cheese platter appetizer, you name it!

What didn't fit into my canning jars I used to top of some smoked gouda that I had left from my Cherry Tomato Bruschettas. So good!

This is a real-deal canning recipe so you need to have sterilized jars and lids.  If that strikes fear into your heart here is a wonderful website for first-time canners.  If you still aren't sure, then simply place the jam in jars and keep in the refrigerator for about a month or so (if it lasts that long).  

Honey and Spice Tomato Jam

Adapted from Food in Jars and Sweet Sensation

Canning and Preserving Resource Site

Printable Recipe

Note: My yield was just slightly over 4 half-pint jars

8 cups of finely chopped tomatoes, about 4 pounds or so
16 oz (about 2 cups) local honey, possible
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice - about 3-4 juicy limes
1-1/2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root

1 fiery red chili, seeds and white membranes removed and chopped very fine

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 half-pint canning jars with rings and lids. 

Combine all ingredients except balsamic vinegar in a low, wide, non-reactive pot such as stainless steel. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce temperature to medium high. Stirring regularly, cook the jam at a low boil until it reduces to a thick and sticky jam. This takes anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, depending on the heat of your stove, the width of your pan, and the water content of your tomatoes. (It took my jam about 1-1/2 hours because I did have a very wide pot so there was much more surface area for the tomatoes to reduce). 

When the jam starts to get thick, reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir. This jam has a tendency to burn at the very end of cooking time, as the sugars concentrate and the temperature level in the pan increase, so watch the jam very closely toward the end. 

When you're 15 or 20 minutes out from the jam being finished, prepare a boiling water bath in another large pot like a stock pot or canning pot. Wash jars and lids with warm soapy water.  Completely submerge the jars into the simmering water bath and boil for 15 minutes.  A canning basket or canning tongs are handy to have (Walmart).  Place lids in a smaller pan of water and bring to a low simmer.

When the jam is getting very thick do a taste test and adjust seasonings, if necessary.  Add the 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and continue to stir.  Do a final taste test.  When the jam is perfectly thickened to your liking (I got mine quite thick), remove the pan from the heat and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. This helps evaporate out the last of the water and will give you a better set when the jam cools.

Remove the jars and lids from their hot water baths and place on a clean, kitchen towel.  Keep the heat on under the large pot. 

Funnel the jam into the prepared jars, leaving a 1/2 inch space at the top of the jar. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in the boiling water bath or canner for 20 minutes.

Remove jars and place them on a kitchen towel placed over a baking pan to cool. When jars are fully cool, remove the rings and test seals. If the seals are tight you may keep the jam on the shelf. Any jars that didn't seal property should be refrigerated and used in a month or so. 

Grilled Chicken Pasta with Tomato and Eggplant Sauce

I still have an overabundance of homegrown ripe tomatoes with two large baking pans on my kitchen counter filled with them. Not a bad position to be in because we dearly love homegrown tomatoes but scary when it comes to using them all before they become overripe.  This year, I added San Marzano tomatoes to my garden just so I could make tomato sauce. 

I am also growing eggplant in a container on the patio for the first time.

I have many other eggplant recipes bookmarked, but the first one I wanted to make was this tomato and eggplant sauce to take advantage of all of those ripe tomatoes. The inspiration for the recipe is here.

This sauce can be used for chicken or fish alone, pasta alone, or for a combination of both as I did.  Even if you're not fond of eggplant, I think you will still love this recipe.  The eggplant adds just enough flavor but not so that it's overpowering. And, if you need further coaxing, eggplant is very healthy!  It's loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals and is very low in calories. 

When I asked my husband how if he enjoyed the recipe, he responded "We can have this anytime!".  High praise, indeed :)  This weekend, I'm planning on preparing the same sauce to serve over grilled salmon. 

Grilled Chicken Pasta with Tomato-Eggplant Sauce

Adapted from Cooking Scout

Printable Recipe

4 servings

This fast and easy sauce makes a delicious topping for grilled chicken and fish. It is also wonderful over pasta.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch thick

1 pound of pasta of your choice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups unpeeled eggplant, trimmed and chopped into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
4 cups (I used a little more) plum (or regular) tomatoes, trimmed and chopped into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces, along with their juice

Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil; rub with one minced clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon each chopped oregano and parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours. If you don't have access to the fresh herbs, you may substitute dried herbs but reduce to 1 teaspoon each.  If you have Mr. & Mrs. Dash Original seasoning it also makes a wonderful seasoning for grilled chicken. If using dried seasonings, also rub the chicken with oil before seasoning. 

Microwave chopped eggplant, in large microwave-safe bowl with 3 tablespoons water, covered, for about 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain excess liquid.

Cook the remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large skillet preheated over medium heat for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the chopped tomatoes, eggplant and remaining 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium-high to high heat 5 to 8 minutes or until eggplant is tender and sauce is slightly thickened. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before serving.

Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and cook pasta of choice (I used Capellini or Angel Hair pasta) according to package directions.

Oil grill grate and heat grill. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or coals for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center, turning once. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. 

Place one chicken breast per person on a bed of pasta and spoon tomato-eggplant sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with a garnish a freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!

Cherry Tomato, Herb and Smoked Gouda Bruschetta

Here is such a delicious and interesting twist on the well-loved appetizer, bruschetta.  Browsing through Food and Wine recently, I came upon this 'salsa' recipe which I decided would make delicious version of bruschetta.  The recipe incorporates smoked Gouda cheese. Since Gouda is a mild cheese, you'll hardly know it's there as it doesn't overpower the tomatoes, it just gives the recipe a rich, full flavor!  The first time I ever used smoked gouda in a recipe was this eggplant parmigiana and the results were delicious!

I know fresh tomato season is over for some of you, but I have quite an abundance right now. We've been enjoying many of our favorites, such as BLATs (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato Sandwiches), fresh tomato pasta and tomato salads lately :)  I will be harvesting the last of the tomatoes in the next couple of weeks and I plan on enjoying them as much as possible! My herb pots are still supplying me with all the fresh herbs I need for hopefully another month also.

For my husband and myself, this could easily be dinner.  For the two of us, I lightly toasted the baguette slices in the toaster and then brushed them with extra-virgin olive oil and a few grinds of fresh pepper.  For more servings, it would be best to toast them in the oven on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and pepper before toasting in the oven.

If you still have fresh tomatoes or access to a farmers' market, I hope you give these a try! DE-licious!

Cherry Tomato, Herb and Smoked Gouda Bruschetta

Adapted from Food and Wine
Printable Recipe

2 cups mixed yellow and red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup finely diced smoked Gouda, or any mild, smoked cheese (2 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons shredded basil
2 tablespoons snipped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper

A French Baguette, sliced on the diagonal into 1/4 to 1/2" slices Extra Virgin Olive Oil for brushing on bread slices Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 (or use your toaster, set on low).

In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the cheese, parsley, basil and chives. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

To toast the baguette slices:

If toasting the bread slices in the oven, place them on a baking sheet.  Brush lightly with olive oil and give each a sprinkle of ground black pepper.  Toast in the preheated oven for about 5-6 minutes.  Watch carefully, you don't want them hard - just a light golden color.  This will make them easier to bite into without the toasts breaking in your mouth.  If you are making a smaller amount and use a toaster, also watch carefully for the same reason.  Brush toaster-made slices with olive oil right after coming out of the toaster and sprinkle with a little ground black pepper. 

Top toasted baguette slices with the tomato, herb and cheese mixture and enjoy immediately!

Wheat Berry and Feta Salad

Here is a delicious and healthy salad you might consider for your July 4th festivities, whether you are entertaining or being entertained and would like to bring something to share. I made a few changes to the original recipe based on what I had on hand and added a few extra herbs for flavor. I can't believe the original recipe is from 1993.  I didn't even know what a wheat berry was then!  Kudos to Gourmet for being at the forefront of a culinary trend that now includes many varieties of healthy whole grains.

Not only do they taste great, wheat berries are high in fiber and vitamins also. If you've never had wheat berries. they are a wonderfully crunchy/chewy and nutty grain that is boiled first in salted water for about 1 hour.  Some recipes say to soak them for faster cooking but I haven't found that necessary.  1/2 cup of dried wheat berries will yield about 1 cup of cooked wheat berries.

This summery salad is a wonderful way to use your garden herbs and cherry tomatoes if you grow them or buy them fresh at the farmers' market.  We enjoyed the salad on a bed of greens but the salad is delicious on its own as a side to any grilled meat at a BBQ or picnic. Lots of flavors and textures! This salad is very adaptable so add what you like. 

This year, in addition to many herbs, I am experimenting with even more vegetables in containers on my patio, such as bush cucumbers, 'Little Finger' eggplant and two varieties of squash, plus a few varieties of tomatoes. 

I hope you all enjoy a safe and happy Fourth of July if you are celebrating!  Here is a little Red, White and Blue for you from my garden...

Wheat Berry and Feta Salad

Adapted from Gourmet/Epicurious Printable Recipe Yield: Serves 6 2 cups cooked wheat, spelt, or rye berries (I used Bob's Red Mill Brand) 1 cup diced Feta cheese (I like Feta in water or good, dry Greek Feta) 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions 1/2 cup diced seedless cucumber 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/3 cup mixed minced fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, basil, oregano 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered I also used about a cup of crisp-tender cooked green beans, cut into pieces

Fresh greens for serving (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 whole lemon)
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
Red pepper flakes to taste, about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste

First, cook the wheat berries in a saucepan of boiling, salted water for about 1 hour, or until they are tender but still slightly crunchy. (See package directions). Drain and set aside to cool.

Prepare the dressing by placing everything except the olive oil in a small bowl.  Slowing whisk in the olive oil to emulsify and adjust seasonings to taste. 

In a large bowl, stir together the wheat berries, Feta, onion, cucumber, red pepper, tomatoes and minced herb.  Toss with the dressing until coated and taste.  Add more dressing if desired.  

Shrimp Scampified

Every few weeks from late spring to early fall, Fabian Seafood from Galveston, Texas comes to our area and sells fresh shrimp from the Gulf.  Their shrimp is flown in fresh, never frozen and sold out of the back of a truck in coolers filled with ice at 3 locations over 3 days.  Last week was their last visit for the year so I stocked up on shrimp and crab meat for crab cakes.  They sell east coast fresh crab without any preservatives and it's delicious.

Since it's been cool here lately, I decided to make my latest shrimp purchase into a comforting pasta dish.  After looking over a few recipes and picking out the parts that sounded best, I came up with a version of Shrimp Scampi that my family loved.  With the shrimp cut into pieces, every bite had a bit of shrimp and pasta.  I served it with some steamed broccoli and crusty bread with herbed olive oil for dipping. Delish!
  

Shrimp Scampified

Adapted from Here and Here
Printable Recipe

Serves 4

Important - Have everything prepped and ready to use in small bowls next to the stove before starting the shrimp.

1/4 cup of light olive oil
1 lb peeled and deveined large to jumbo shrimp, cut into half or thirds, depending on size
6 garlic cloves, minced
3/4- 1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 very large or 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon of capers, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 pound pasta - I used Mezze Rigatoni
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Lemon Wedges - Optional

Place a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil.

While the water is heating, place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Sauté the shrimp, stirring once or twice until just barely cooked through for approximately 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a bowl and place the pan back on the heat. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and stir. Then add the wine, salt and pepper and allow to reduce for about 2 minutes or so. Add the chopped tomato and capers, stir and cook for another minute or two. Add the butter to the skillet to melt and then return the shrimp to the pan and toss. Remove from the heat.

Cook pasta according to package directions (I start the pasta while I'm working on the shrimp mixture above), remove 1/2 cup pasta cooking water with a ladle, then drain pasta. Place the drained pasta in a large bowl, add the shrimp mixture, chopped parsley and toss. Add some of the reserved pasta water and toss again.

Tomatoes - Garden Fresh and Oven Dried

Earlier in the summer,  I mentioned that it was going to be a busy season for me and I that may not be posting or able to comment as often as I'd like.  One of the events that made it a busy, but fun, summer was a destination wedding that my husband and I attended in the Colorado mountains last weekend.  We had been to the Rockies on ski trips when our daughters were still living at home but we had never been in the mountains during summer.  We were blown away at how beautiful it was!

We were able to visit a couple of outdoor markets while we were there and I have to tell you that the Colorado produce was fantastic.  We were served a dessert with fresh, Colorado peaches that rivaled any other peach I've ever tasted.  The tomatoes were also amazing.  No wonder, since Colorado boasts that it has 300 sunny days a year.

With our hot, dry and sunny summer, my tomatoes have been enjoying a very productive season also.  Even though it takes lots of TLC to keep them watered this year, they do love the heat and non-humid conditions which is not our norm living next to Lake Michigan.

My cherry tomato plant is particularly happy and I recently made some oven dried tomatoes with them. They are especially good in pasta dishes and also salads as they aren't as hard as commercially dried tomatoes.

I've made oven dried tomatoes several times before, but the technique I used this time was borrowed from A View from Great Island. The thing I liked most about her method was that she gently squeezed out most of the liquid and seeds from each tomato half before putting them in the oven which allows them to dry in the oven even better.

The Method:

Preheat Oven to 200F

1.  Halve the tomatoes and squeeze each half to release some of the juices and pulp.  

2.  Place in a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and toss gently.

3.  Place cut side up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  

4.  Bake and dry for about 4 hours or so in the preheated oven.

5.  Pack in a clean jar with some sprigs of rosemary, and then fill the jar with olive oil to use later or, as I did, after they are cool, freeze them on the baking sheet and then put into plastic freezer bags to use all winter.