Raw Tomato Pasta Sauce

Tomatoes are so, so good right now, I'm eating them as much as possible. I usually make raw tomato sauce like this, but this time I took one big tomato and grated half of it on a box grater and chopped up the other half. The shredded part makes a nice, juicy base. I added some olive oil, a capful of balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of honey, fresh pepper, a big pinch of red pepper flakes, one grated garlic clove, and some basil. Mix it all up and let it sit for 10 minutes to a couple of hours. 

Tomato Sandwich

I was irrationally excited for my lunch today - a tomato sandwich. It sounds simple (because it is - only four ingredients: bread, tomatoes, mayonnaise, and salt) but it's heavenly. I know there are some crazy non-tomato-eaters out there (both of my brothers-in-law), but for everyone else this sandwich is the best thing to eat in the height of summer tomato season. Instead of a traditional sandwich, I made these like a tartine. Mayo on both slices of bread, topped with tomatoes, and sprinkled with salt. It was a little easier to eat this way because with a traditional tomato sandwich the tomatoes often slide out. I tried two ways here. One with grape/cherry tomatoes first topped with slices of bigger tomato, and one with bigger tomato slices topped with cherry/grape tomatoes. The first version was slightly less messy to eat. I want to eat this every day until October. 

Pickled Snap Peas

I have so many snap peas and was bored on Saturday morning (Jamie's in Germany for work). I went out and filled a basket and decided to pickle them. I love any sort of pickles, and can't wait to make these again, so I figured snap peas would be good. I used this recipe as a base, but also added some extra spices. They're supposed to pickle for two weeks, but I tried one on Sunday and they were already tasty. Bright and acidic and actually even more crunchy than before! Can't wait to have them in a salad or next to a burger or BLT. We'll see what Jamie thinks. He's a purist and just likes eating snap peas raw.

Ingredients:
About 2 cups of snap peas
3/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, sliced
big pinch of red pepper flakes
a few pinches each of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric

Grilled Clams with Herb Butter

These are incredible, and so easy! I made them as a little hors d'oeuvres for a BBQ this past weekend, but I think they were the star. I am looking forward to being back out in Southampton (with a grill) again next weekend so I can make them again! My friend Alice doesn't cook, so to gauge difficulty levels - she said even she could do this. Very simple and so, so tasty!

Ingredients:
A big handful of fresh herbs (I used basil, dill, tarragon, parsley, chives, and thyme from my garden)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 stick of butter, softened
big pinch of salt and pepper
2 dozen clams

Directions:
Finely chop up the herbs. Mash into the butter with lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Form into a log on a piece of Saran wrap and put in the fridge for an hour or more so it hardens. (Probably fine to do it right before and not refrigerate too.)

Plum-Blackberry Streusel Pie

Last night I was home alone, so I felt like baking would be a fun activity. I've also been wanting to try my beautiful new Emile Henry pie dish that my sisters-in-law-to-be gave me as a shower present. (Thanks, guys!) This Plum-Blackberry Streusel Pie sounded great, so I braved the heat (not as bad as earlier this week), turned on my oven, and baked. What a pretty pie!

Ingredients:

4 large, pitted and quartered

2 cups blackberries

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1 frozen pie crust (I used one from Trader Joe's)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

Directions:

Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss plums and blackberries with 1 cup sugar, tapioca, cornstarch, zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

Snap Pea Pesto

I could have sworn my friend Kara told me about snap pea pesto and I'd been dying to try it since last summer and have been anxiously waiting for my snap peas to come out. When I asked her about it, she had no idea. Maybe I dreamed  it? Either way, I tried it out last night. Yum! It's really simple and fresh and summery.

Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
2 cups snap peas (pull off the strings)
4 basil leaves
1/2 large or 1 whole small clove of garlic, mashed into a paste with some kosher salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup-1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parm
pasta (I used gemelli)

Strawberry Shortcake

Nothing really tells me it's summer quite like eating strawberry shortcake for dessert. I've always just made what my mom makes - the classic Bisquick recipe. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes and it's so sweet and tart from the strawberries and the syrup from the mixture soaks into the bottom piece of shortcake. Yum! (I actually just ate another helping for breakfast! I'm stuffed, but couldn't resist.) Usually I would use homemade whipped cream, but we already had ReadyWhip so I just went with it.

Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/3 cup Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
whipped cream

Spicy Beet Green and Arugula Pasta

I had beet greens and arugula from the garden, so I thought I'd saute them up for an easy weeknight pasta dinner. Just to make it a little special, I made my own pappardelle at Jamie's request. Yum!

(Yes, that's a Missoni for Target towel - it's easier to just lay a big towel down)

The sauteed greens were super tasty, and the little bit of sugar offset the bitterness perfectly. You could definitely eat them on their own as a side, but great tossed with pasta. (I made a few too many noodles so we were a little light on the sauce, but it was still good.)

Fresh Corn Sauteed with Chorizo

Jamie and I had this really tasty sauteed corn at L'Artusi the other day and I've been wanting to try it. It was sauteed with chorizo which gave it a great little kick and there were crispy, savory bits of chorizo to go with the sweet corn. Since Long Island corn is at its peak, we've been eating a ton of it and I thought I'd try to recreate what we ate. Honestly, I liked my version better. It was less greasy and the flavor of the corn really shone through. The corn was sweet and crisp and the chorizo added a great contrast with its chewy, crunchy texture. I think it would also be great with frozen or canned corn, but nothing beats fresh summer corn. A great side dish!

(served 4 as a side)
Ingredients:
3 ears of corn, cut off the cob
1 small (4 inch) piece of dry Spanish chorizo, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pinch dried oregano
1 scallion, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Chorizo

Directions:

Add the chorizo to a large skillet and let the fat render and the chorizo pieces start to crisp. Add the onion and stir, letting it soften a little, then add the corn and olive oil and stir. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes and satuee until corn has softened a little but still has a nice crunch. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with the scallions, and stir in the butter, then serve!

And of course, after dinner, we finished up with some amazing summer tomatoes, spruced up with ripe avocado slices, thin red onion slices, salt, balsamic, and extra virgin olive oil.

Tomatoes!

I was in Michigan last weekend, but Jamie stopped by my garden and there was our first red tomato - and several green grapes. I knew the juicy Better Boy tomato would be good, but I'd almost forgotten how good. Summer tomatoes, especially home grown, are so flavorful, tart, sweet, tender...I could go on. Also, another difference between home grown tomatoes and store bought is that there is so much more meat in homegrown - not as much gooey seed stuff. Dressed with a little salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and Balsamic vinegar, these tomatoes are pretty much summer on a plate. Serve them up after some steak and corn - perfect.

Fried Green Tomatoes

My wonderful little niece Grace accidenally picked a green tomato. At first my eyes went wide and I mourned the juicy, red garden tomato that was on its way, but then I thought about fried green tomatoes. I'd always wanted to make them, but I never had the courage to pull off a green tomato. These were super tasty and crunchy and a perfect remedy for any overeager little gardeners.

Ingredients:

1 green tomato

2 tbsp flour

Zucchini Pickles

So another zucchini recipe to make use of my plethora of squash! I also found this recipe from Martha Stewart and it comes from Zuni's Cafe in San Francisco. I altered it a little bit. After waiting a few days so that the flavors mingled and marinated I tasted the pickles - delicious! So much flavor. They have much more depth than store bought pickles. Admittedly, they are't as crunchy as cucumber pickles, but such a great tang and sour bite to them. I also don't like sweet pickles, and I think these have a perfect amount of sugar (I wouldn't want them any sweeter). These little pickles are also great on burgers - I tried on a juicy Trader Joe's wagyu style burger recently. The turmeric gives the brine (and pickles) a great yellow color. If you have a canner, I think you can properly can these and then you don't need to refrigerate them until you open the jar.

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced with a mandolin
1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (I also used a mandolin)
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp mustard seeds, crushed
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

Indoor Clambake

I've been dying to try this all summer. The Lobster Place and Clamman both have pre-packaged, all ready versions, but I was tempted by the chorizo, onions, and garlic in Martha Stewart's recipe. It was a great, fun, and surprisingly easy meal. Good for a special occasion, or, in my case, just having girls over for dinner. The dipping sauce is delicious and much healthier than just a bowl of melted butter. So summery and festive!

The mussels were tender and delicious and the lobster was cooked perfectly. The little knuckles just melt in your mouth. The timing on this recipe is what makes everything cook perfectly. When cracking into the lobster claws, prepare to get a little messy. The corn tastes great dipped in the sauce and sprinkled with salt.

(for 4 people)
Ingredients:
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves
1/2 bottle of pale ale beer (I used Brooklyn Summer)
1/2 cup water
3/4 lb new potatoes

Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing

On a hot summer night, a salad always tempts me. I'd also been craving red meat, so a steak salad seemed like the obvious choice. I used this recipe from Epicurious, with a few changes and additions. It was absolutely delicious - great garlic/herb flavor from the chimichurri mixed with the savory of the meat and the creaminess of the mozzarella. Really good summer dish - Jamie was raving about it.

(serving 2)
Ingredients:
1 sirloin steak
1 bunch haricots verts
1/2 container of grape tomatoes, halved
1 bunch parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp chipotle hot pepper sauce
mixed greens
8 marinated mozzarella balls, sliced

Pesto Pasta

One of my favorite summer recipes is fresh pesto pasta. Basil from the store is totally acceptable, but nothing beats fresh picked basil. It's so pungent and flavorful. This is my mother's recipe and will always remind me of summer. I tried Garofalo fusilli and it was really nice - fluffier than most. This easy pasta is a great, fast dinner.

Ingredients:
About 2-3 cups fresh basil (several big bunches)
3 garlic gloves, roughly chopped (less if you're not that into garlic)

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

This may be my favorite summer hors d'oeuvres - it's crispy and light and flavorful and just tastes like summer. It's also pretty. You can actually often find zucchini blossoms at the Union Square Green Market, but I picked these from my garden. (Don't pick too many or you won't get any zucchini!) The light batter makes the flowers fry up to be crispy but not at all heavy. Some people stuff the blossoms with ricotta or mozzarella etc, but I think they're perfect plain. If you can get some zucchini blossoms, try this!! They're amazing.

Ingredients:
zucchini blossoms, with one slit made down the side
flour

Basil White Bean Dip

After checking on my garden and gathering up a heaping pile of basil, I wondered what to do with it. We had already bought a can of white beans to make some white bean dip, and I thought I would spice it up a little by adding the basil and making it a sort of pesto dip. It was delicious! So fresh and summery, and basil picked right from the garden is so pungent and flavorful. This dip takes about 5 minutes to make and is great to serve as an hors d'oeuvres.

Ingredients:
1 can white/cannelini beans, drained
1 large bunch basil

Easy Pasta with Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella, and Garlic Sauce

This is one of the easiest dinners - and one of the tastiest. It's best in summer when the tomatoes are fresh and ripe, but can be done in the winter with good looking grape tomatoes. I had the supplies already (tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, mozzarella) so I threw it together this morning before leaving for work. The longer it sits the better it tastes. It's so fresh and delicious and tastes like summer with its bright flavor. Mmm.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes, torn into bite size pieces (this makes it juicier) or chopped, about a cup
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
good pour of extra virgin olive oil, about 1/4-1/3 cup
about 1/2 cup of diced fresh mozzarella
teaspoon kosher salt
pinch hot pepper flakes
basil or parsley, chopped

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let sit. If it's more than a couple of hours before dinner, put it in the fridge. If not, just leave it out. Salt/add more spice to taste. Toss with hot pasta (fusilli or bow ties or other bite sized pasta is best) and top with freshly chopped parsley or basil.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

When rhubarb comes into season I immediately crave strawberry rhubarb pie. It's such a great blend of sweet and sour and I'd say it's my favorite pie, hands down. Especially when served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's not terribly difficult to make - especially if you buy frozen pie crust. (I recommend the Trader Joe's variety if it's available.) Just putting this up makes me want to make another tonight!

Ingredients:
Pie crust (frozen of homemade)
1 pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound fresh strawberries, cut into halves or quarters
3 tablespoons corn starch
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4-1/2 tsp freshly grated orange peel
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Mix rhubarb, strawberries, corn starch, sugar, cinnamon, lemon, and orange peel in a bowl.

 

Pour into pie crust (if it's homemade, first put the pie crust down in a pie in and trim the edges). Cut remaining pie crust into strips and lay across the top of the filling in a lattice.  Dot the pie with the butter and sprinkle sugar on top of the strips. 

Place the pie on a cookie sheet and then into the oven (it tends to drip a bit). After 35 minutes, if the crusts are burning, cover them with tin foil. Let it bake another 10 minutes or until the middle is pretty set. Let cool a little and serve it up with vanilla ice cream!