BALSAMIC ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

 

if zucchinis weren't growing in abundance, we can't forget about the tomatoes! so many tomatoes. now until september is tomato season & if you planted tomatoes in your garden earlier this year, chances are your garden is now full of perfectly sun ripened tomatoes. although, because they grow so fast & in such large quantities, it is almost impossible to eat them all fresh. my mom gave me a bag of tomatoes to go with her zucchini, than my aunt & uncle gave me another bag full of perfectly ripened cherry tomatoes. i figured this was the perfect opportunity to roast them & mix them pasta tossed in olive oil or eat them with a freshly baked baguette, similar to bruschetta. these tomatoes have a nice sweetness when roasted, which is balanced by the added splash of the balsamic vinegar. they can be served warm or cold & will last up to a week when refrigerated. what do you do with your tomatoes?!

ingredients

  • 2-3 cups ripe cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon quality balsamic
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon freshly dried oregano
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped

directions

  • preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • in a large bowl toss tomatoes with the oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt & pepper.
  • transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet & roast for 20-25 minutes, until tomatoes begin to crack open.
  • sprinkle with fresh basil & serve with a toasty warm baguette

like what you see? get it here. linen | cocotte | cutting board | bowl

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

 

this year my mom planted her first real garden. herbs, tomato, cucumber, pepper, green beans & zucchini. now that we are late into summer everything has been growing rapidly.. including this massive zucchini pictured above. what does one do with a ten pound zucchini!?!? make zucchini pineapple bread, zucchini fritters & chocolate zucchini muffins of course! this is a super easy one bowl + wooden spoon hand mixed batter. the muffins are moist, chocolately & just the right level of sweetness to still be categorized as breakfast (without feeling like you are eating chocolate for breakfast). so if you have a giant zucchini you forgot to pick from your garden, now you know what to do with it.

ingredients (makes 20-24 muffins)

LEVEL: very modest

  • 1.5 cups raw sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (can be reduced to 3/4 cup)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)
  • 4 cups freshly grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchinis)
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

directions

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon stir together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and almond extract. add grated zucchini.
  • sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg. pour into your mixing bowl and mix until ingredients are just combined.
  • fill greased or lined muffin tins 3/4 full. bake for 15-20 minutes.

like what you see? get it here. cappuccino set | mug | linen | bowl | scoop 

CHURROS + DULCE DE LECHE

 

i have finally made churros!!!! & then proceeded to eat way too many of them as they came out of the fryer. why was i crazy enough to deep fry in the summer, when it is 100 degrees outside & my apartment is pushing 80 degrees? because, churros. as i previously mentioned, my past weekend was filled with mexican food. my usual weekend burrito (ok burrito...s), plus my sister and i celebrated her birthday over tacos & guacamole in the distillery district. with such an overload of mexican food, this weekend was missing one of my favourite dessert. when i woke up sunday morning, temperature aside, i knew it was a churro making kind of day. also, this is the easiest dolce de leche ever. i saw it a long time ago on food network and have never purchased a store bought version since. now open those windows, bust a sweat, put on your sombrero, cause it’s time to fry up some churros!

ingredients

for the churros

  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
  • vegetable oil, for deep frying

for the dolce de leche

  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

directions

  • begin by making your dolce de leche: in a large enough pot to submerge the unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in, fill with water and bring to a boil. boil for 3-4 hours making sure the can is constantly emerged in water. remove from heat and let cool before opening.
  • for the churros: in a sauce pan on low heat add butter and water until butter is fully melted & incorporated.
  • stir in vanilla, flour, sugar and salt. mix until a wet dough has formed. let cool to room temperature.
  • once your mixture has cooled, beat in eggs until smooth.
  • place mixture into a large piping bag with desired tip and refrigerate while the oil heats up.
  • in a large bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon to dip freshly fried churros in.
  • in a frying pan heat two inches of oil between 350-375 degrees.
  • once oil is heated, pipe churros to desired length and fry for 2-3 minutes, rotating them halfway.
  • remove from fryer, let excess oil drain on paper towel then dip in your cinnamon sugar mixture while the churro is still hot.
  • repeat until you are out of dough.
  • serve with your dolce de leche, warm or cool!

like what you see? get it here. plate | bowl | cocottes | flour scoop | measuring spoon | wood knife | linen