fresh tomato sauce.

Tomatoes, in comparison to a month ago, are shockingly cheap at the moment, especially the ones that called “seconds, rejects, and unloved” (all names I have seen them labeled with on cardboard signs at the farmer’s market).  While those tomatoes may not be lookers, they still taste absurdly delicious especially when broken down and turned into a tomato sauce that elevates boring spaghetti.  I’ve been stocking up on these rejects, turning them into sauce, and storing them in the freezer so when the depths of winter finally does arrive, I am armed with the taste of summer to get me through.  This is a fun and easy weekend project, the kind of thing that takes no time, but results in a product that is leagues better than anything you will ever buy in the store.  It’s also immensely satisfying to turn an ugly looking tomato into a beautiful homemade sauce. 

Fresh Tomato Sauce

I will be the first to tell you that I was supremely lazy and I did not seed my tomatoes, mostly because the tomatoes I was using really didn’t have many seeds.  If yours are like that, (lucky you) then please skip the seeding step, but it takes no time at all to seed them if you choose to.

Makes about 4 cups

4 pounds of tomatoes – heirloom, roma, beefsteak, really anything works here

¼ cup olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Slivers of basil to finish

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cut a small X at the bottom of each tomato.  Blanche the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then either rinse under cold water or shock in an ice water bath.  Peel the tomatoes!  If you can’t get the skin off, toss it back in the boiling water for another 10 seconds until the skin loosens up.  Compost or discard the skins.

Quarter your tomatoes.  Place a strainer over a bowl, and squeeze the seeds out of the tomatoes.  Coarsely chop the de-seeded tomatoes and set aside.  Mince your garlic. 

Heat your olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil and cook until the garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes.  Add your chopped tomatoes and the tomato juice you collected under the strainer to the pot, and bring to a simmer.  Lower the heat to medium-low to keep it at a gentle simmer.  Use a potato-masher to break up the tomatoes as they cook.  Simmer your sauce, stirring occasionally for about 35 – 45 minutes until the sauce has concentrated and developed a caramelized flavor. 

Taste and season with salt.   Scatter fresh basil over the sauce before serving (if freezing you may want to omit the basil). 

industrial and rustic merge.

I always know fall is coming when I suddenly begin to crave darker, richer, more intense colors (like my new oxblood bag). 

But always they need to be paired with an element or bright (I save all black for the deep days of winter.) 

This kitchen is everything I am craving for fall. Loving the textured wall paper and the exposed light bulbs.  The combination of industial lights and rustic tables also feels just right (kind of like plaid and leather which also feels so right.)   

Image via Pinterest.  

roasted pepper and tomato panzanella.

As a 28 year old who before last week had never been on a business trip, it’s safe to say that I had slightly skewed expectations of the experience.  Somehow I convinced myself that it was a paid vacation (hotel rooms and expensed meals, hooray!) and then I went on one and realized a business trip involves you performing your same job in a different location which really is not as cool as it sounds. 

The part I hated the most was all the eating out.  I know that sounds far-fetched.  As someone who keeps notebooks filled with restaurants I hope to someday eat at, the idea of eating out every meal on someone else’s dime should be my dream.  But it wasn't because it loses the appeal of eating out (it’s suppose to be a special occasion thing!).  Not to mention there is something slightly lonely about eating by yourself (I missed my plate-cleaning partner in crime). 

I spent yesterday in the kitchen – cooking, baking, and on the couch catching up with the September issue of Bon Appetit (I needed a break from all the fall fashion reading I've been doing. Shocking, I know.).  I dog-eared most of the issue, there seemed to be something delicious on almost every page, but the dish that really caught my eye was the roasted pepper panzanella.  It said end of summer eating. It was also everything I wanted to eat after a week of eating in someone else’s kitchen.  

This dish is comforting yet exciting.  Healthy(ish) and deeply satisfying.  The flavors are bold and assertive (red wine vinegar wakes everything up) and those flavors pair perfectly with creamy cheese, sweet peppers, and earthy herbs.  The bread manages in a short period of time to soak up all the juices making it soft and flavorful. It's magical and perfect and it reminds of why I love eating in my own home.  And why I love cooking oh so much.  

Roasted Pepper and Tomato Panzanella

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 2 for dinner (with a little little left over for your lunch) or 4 - 6 for a appetizer portion  

So I played around with this recipe a little (because I can’t help myself sometimes) by adding in some roasted tomatoes,   swapping the buffalo mozzarella for burrata (because I always look for ways to add burrata to a dish), and finishing the dish with a flurry of torn basil.  This is end of summer eating at its finest. If you are anything like me and my other half, you will find yourself saying after your plate is cleared "that was really, really good".  

3 large red or orange (or a combination) bell peppers (about 1 ½ pounds)

3 medium-sized heirloom tomatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces  (tomatoes the size of small apple or peach)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

¼ - ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons basil, torn into small pieces, divided

½ loaf country-style bread (about 12 ounces), torn into pieces or cut into cubes

1 – 2 ounces thinly sliced spicy salami (hot sopressata is perfect here)

1 ball of burrata or buffalo mozzarella (about 6 – 8 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment, place the peppers and the diced tomatoes.  Season the diced tomatoes with salt and pepper.  Cook the peppers and tomatoes about 25 – 30 minutes until the peppers are blackened in spots and blistered all over and the tomatoes are shriveled and caramelized in color.  Transfer peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit 15 minutes.  Keep oven on.

In a large bowl, toss bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake, tossing occasionally, until crisp on the outside but still chewy in the center 8-10 minutes.  Let croutons cool a couple of minutes. 

Remove the skins from the peppers with your fingers or the back of a butter knife.  Remove the seeds as well.  Cut the peppers into 1 inch strips. 

Place tomatoes in the bowl your tossed the bread in (saving dish-washing duty!) along with the peppers, garlic, vinegar, red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons basil, and the remaining oil.  Taste and season with salt and pepper. 

Add the cooled croutons to the bowl, along with the salumi.  Toss to combine.  Arrange the mixture on a platter with pieces of the cheese.  Top with remaining tablespoon of basil and a sprinkle of sea salt. 

almond-crisped peaches.

September is coming.  

While I can't deny my excitement for the impending arrival of fall - my over-sized blazers can emerge from storage, loafers will soon be my footwear of choice, weekends can actually be spent standing over my stove instead of in front of my air conditioner, there is something always heartbreaking about labor day weekend. The fact that work weeks will actually be full work weeks again, that Friday's don't necessarily mean an early close, that I can't get peaches at the market anymore.  

This was a good year for peaches.  They were juicy and impossibly sweet.  The kind of fruit to eat while standing in a field in cut-off Levis and a white tee-shirt, juices dripping down your chin, a smile on your face.  
This peach recipe is the simplest of simple.  The perfect way to celebrate the end of summer and the fleeing days of freedom.  The kind of thing to be eaten for at the end of an alfresco dinner party or for a lazy Sunday morning brunch. Yes, this can be an elegant breakfast or an equally elegant dessert which is why I love this recipe so much.  

So long summer, you came and went to fast.  

Almond-Crisped Peaches
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

I couldn't resist messing with this recipe.  Mostly because I saw this as an opportunity to use my bourbon smoked sugar since bourbon and peaches go together like peanut butter and jelly.  (Which reminds me I still need to make my peach infused bourbon, I see this as a weekend project!)  Obviously regular sugar can be used since this recipe is utterly adaptable.  

4 ripe peaches

1/3 cup (55 grams) almond flour

1/4 cup bourbon barrel smoked sugar (can be found here) or raw sugar or light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnaomon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt

3 tablespoons (45 grams) butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Halve peaches and remove pits. Place fruit cut side up in baking dish. In a bowl combine the almond flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and sea salt.  Pour the melted butter over the top and stir to combine. Spoon the almond mixture into the center of each peach, then press it flat, as if icing the tops of the peaches with it. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (baking time varies with peach size), until the top is brown and crisp and you can easily slice through the fruit with a fork or spoon.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with creme fraiche, lightly sweetened whipped cream or even plain yogurt, cold, for breakfast.

hudson and rhinebeck (a food lover's guide.)

The boy and I migrated north last weekend for a weekend away from the city.  I rented us a house on AirBnB (my absolute favorite site at the moment) in the adorable town of Tivoli.  I hadn’t been north to the Hudson/Rhinebeck area in years.  My parents used to take my siblings and I for day trips so we could explore a new area and they could antique.  My appreciation for such activities was at an all time low when I was 10, but now that I am 28 I can appreciate such things (sorry it took me so long Mom and Dad!). 

We filled our weekend with antiquing, eating, and exploration.  It was amazingly fun especially since there are a lot of hidden food gems up there.  Below are some of my favorites.  I strongly encourage you to make the trip up there; it’s a breathtakingly beautiful area with a lot of stuff to do (Hiking! Pick your own farms!  Kayaking on the river!)

All of the below towns are about a 20 min drive from Tivoli.  If you are looking for a place to stay I can’t recommend this place enough. 

Rhinebeck

-Cinnamon Indian Cusine: 5856 Rte. 9 – Really excellent Indian food with very sweet servers.  (The sag paneer was excellent!)

-Bread Alone: 45 E. Market St. – An excellent selection of breakfast pastries but the real reason to come is for the lunch where all there sandwiches are made on their awesome homemade bread.

-Rhinebeck Farmers Market: 61 East Main St. – This Sunday only market has an excellent selection of vendors selling a wide variety of things.  I fell for the man selling homemade honey, the tamale lady, and the butcher with locally raised pork and beef (with very reasonable prices to boot). 

-Del's Dairy Creme: 6780 Albany Post Rd. - A super old school drive up ice cream shop that makes you nostalgic for childhood.  I recomend the $3.50 ice cream sundae!

Hudson

-Café Le Perche: 230 Warren St – Let’s talk about the cheese danish I had here because it was the BEST CHEESE DANISH I HAVE EVER EATEN.  Yes it was and I am stilling dreaming about it and trying to figure out how I can get another one and really soon.  The front part of the restaurant has carry out breads and pastries, the back part is the dine-in area.  The french toast according to my other half was one of the best he has ever had (and he takes french toast seriously).

-Baba Louies: 517 Warren St – Superb thin crust sourdough pizza with a plethora of pizza toppings and unique pies that you can choose from.  They also have a gluten free pizza available if you are one of the unlucky people who can’t have gluten.  A favorite with the locals (or so it seems based on how busy they were.)

-Bonfiglio and Bread: 748 Warren St – An adorable shop with really, really, good rustic style breads (reminiscent of Tartine in San Francisco).  They also sell divine pastries and an excellent cup of coffee. 

-Hudson Farmers Market: 6^th and Columbia – Saturday only farmers market.  Like the Rhinebeck one there is a wonderful selection of produce and local products.  We loved the beer from the Chatam Brewing Company, the wide variety of cheeses, and the wonderful produce.  You can basically buy everything you could possibly need to make dinner (and a really good dinner it would be)!

sweet corn ice cream.

There is something to be said for living in the suburbs (or in Upstate New York which the boy and I are currently fantasizing about moving to for the weekends).  The suburbs allow for space.  Outdoor space for a garden, indoor space for an actual dining room table (yes we are those people who eat Indian style on the floor until I find stools that fulfill all my fantasies), space for gadgets and gizmos that are unwieldy when you live in a shoebox sized but are completely necessary when you have a kitchen with more than 2 cabinets.  If we ever find ourselves in a place like that you can pretty much guarantee an ice cream maker will be purchased.  Yes it’s a novelty item but it’s such a fun one that it almost becomes practical.  My parents are blessed with space (even though they may tell you differently) which is why they possess a sausage maker, 4 different sized spring form pans, 3 different sets of dinner plates, and an ice cream maker. 

The last time I was home, I put the ice cream maker to use in an effort to tackle corn ice cream which I have been dreaming about since I had it a few summer’s ago at The Bent Spoon.  Corn ice cream which probably sounds absurdly yucky to some is amazing to me.  Its sweet and clean with an amazing creamy flavor.  It pairs beautifully with fruit especially berries which makes this an excellent end of summer dessert.  

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

Recipe via Melissa Clark at the NYTimes

Melissa serves this with a blackberry sauce.  I served mine with a cherry sauce that my awesome mom made.  Any fruit sauce would be incredible here as would homemade marshmallow crème (or maybe that’s just me…).  They key for this is the best corn possible.  Sweet farmers market corn is the (only) way to go. 

Makes 1 ½ pints

40 minutes, plus at least 5 hours’ standing, chilling and freezing

4 ears fresh corn, shucked

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

165 grams granulated sugar (about ¾ cup)

6 large egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup sour cream

Using a large knife, slice the kernels off the corn cobs and place in a large saucepan. Break cobs in half and add to pot along with milk, cream and 110 grams (1/2 cup) sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, then remove from heat. Let stand to infuse for 1 hour, then discard corn cobs.

Using an immersion or regular blender, purée kernel mixture. Return mixture to a simmer, then turn off heat. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, 1/8 teaspoon salt and another 55 grams ( 1/4 cup) of sugar. Add a cup of hot cream mixture to yolks, stirring constantly so they don’t curdle. Add yolk mixture to saucepan, stirring. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat the spoon, about 10 minutes.

Pass custard through a fine sieve, pressing down hard on the solids. Discard solids. Whisk in sour cream until smooth. Let custard cool in an ice bath, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours.