At the end of summer, when the larger slicing tomatoes are beginning to fade, I still seem to find small varieties of cherry and grape tomatoes hanging around the farmers market. Not, perhaps, at their peak, but still a taste of bright summer sun. They are perfect when kissed by heat from the oven to concentrate their flavor, so I find them marvelous for sauces or for tarts, … [Read more...] about Savory Tomato Frangipane Tart
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Summer Herb Butter Shrimp
I’m always looking for simple, fresh meals in summer and shrimp is a real go to for me. I buy it peeled and deveined and ready to go, and it cooks so quickly without heating up the kitchen. And I love the versatility – it can take on so many flavors. And abundance of beautiful summery herbs makes for a light and sunny meal. This dish is really simple to prepare – a whir in the … [Read more...] about Summer Herb Butter Shrimp
Herbed Focaccia Dinner Rolls
If you search through the bread recipes on this site, you will see that it maps out my quest to bake fresh bread without too much effort. I am not one who is going to carefully nurse starters or delicately knead and form stylish loafs of artisan breads. The mysteries of yeast sometimes elude me. I love a shortcut, but I do love the smell of fresh bread baking and the sense of … [Read more...] about Herbed Focaccia Dinner Rolls
Farro and Herb Minestrone
There are one million and one delicious versions of an Italian style bean soup that it is almost impossible to narrow down a favorite. So the best thing to do, in my opinion, is to start from scratch, and that is what I’ve done here. I don’t really know if this is technically a minestrone, a pasta e fagioli or what, all I do know is that it is really delicious. I have become a … [Read more...] about Farro and Herb Minestrone
Cherry Tomato and Sweet Onion Bake
I am always enticed by cherry tomatoes at the farmers market. All the pretty colors and shapes and sizes. They are all just so pretty, though the perfect orbs of a classic Sweet 100 or Tumbling Toms always catch my eye. And, as with much of the bounty of summer produce, I have a tendency to over buy, with no fixed plan for how to use them. And though popping the little tomatoes … [Read more...] about Cherry Tomato and Sweet Onion Bake
