Heirloom Tomato Sandwich

This sandwich makes me truly happy.  In late summer when the market stands are filled with sweet, ripe heirlooms, all I can do is think about this sandwich.  Sure, I also take joy in eating the tomatoes as is or sliced into wedges with a sprinkling of sea salt, but this sandwich is my go-to tomato indulgence.  Thickly sliced heirloom tomatoes sandwiched between two slices of crusty white bread.  Finished with a smear of mayonnaise, a handful of baby lettuce and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  I could eat this sandwich every day.  Add bacon for a killer BLT, but I usually keep it simple to better showcase the tomato flavor.  If you don't like mayonnaise, use a bit of hummus which is also quite delicious.  I've made myself this sandwich a seemingly infinite number of times and it never gets old.  As a matter of fact, I think I know what I'm having for dinner tonight.

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich
makes 1

3 thick slices of heirloom tomato
2 slices of crusty white bread
handful of baby lettuce (I like arugula)
mayonnaise
sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Spread mayonnaise on both slices of bread.  Arrange tomato slices on one slice of bread and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.  Top with lettuce and the remaining slice of bread.

Sweet, juicy and ripe heirloom tomatoes.

Fresh crusty bread.  The perfect vehicle for soaking up tomato juice.

A bit of mayo, a bit of lettuce and lots of tomato.

Don't even bother grabbing a plate.

The sandwich won't last that long.

Plum Pistachio Galette

It is getting to be late summer, and plums are at their peak.  When they are in season, we eat plums like candy and the fruit bowl is constantly in need of replenishment.  As a sort of trick (and in order to spare his shirts from the inevitable juicy plum splatter) my husband has been known to pop smaller whole plums in his mouth, chew vigorously and amusingly spit out the pit moments later. Needless to say, we go through a lot of plums this time of year.  Aside from eating them as is, this easy galette is the perfect way to showcase the sweet flavor of this stone fruit.  A simple, rolled out pie crust dough is all you need. No pie tins, no lattice topping, no nonsense.  Just a rustic, free-formed crust, lazily folded over the fruit to catch all of the lovely drippings.  Pistachios are the perfect nutty accompaniment to the juicy, baked fruit.  Serve this sweet, jammy tart with unsweetened whipped cream or a dollop of creme fraiche.  You will be amazed at how easy, how beautiful and how delicious this galette is.  And it is certainly a dessert worthy of a those precious few plums left in our fruit bowl.

Plum Pistachio Galette 
(inspired by and adapted from this recipe)
Serves 6-8

1 recipe pate brisee (recipe can be found here here), refrigerated
5-6 ripe plums, halved and pitted
1/4 cup toasted, shelled pistachios + more for sprinkling over the tart
2 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar + more for sprinkling on the crust
2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1/4 cup pistachios, the flour and 4 tablespoons sugar.  Pulse until the mixture is the texture of cornmeal.  Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Remove dough from refrigerator and allow it to soften a bit while you slice your plums.  Place plums cut side down on a cutting board and carefully slice each half into thin half moons.  If your plums are small, you may need to slice 6 plums.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle, a scant quarter of an inch thick.  Carefully transfer the dough to the lined baking sheet.  Spread the pistachio mixture over the dough, leaving 2 inches around in the edge.  On top of the pistachio mixture, arrange your plums to cover the crust, again leaving 2 inches around the edge.  Fold the outer crust over the fruit.  Sprinkle a small handful of reserved pistachios over the fruit.  Brush the crust with cream and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 70 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is crisped.  Allow the tart to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so that the juices can thicken.

Juicy, ripe plums.  

Spread the pistachio flour over the dough, leaving an edge. 

Top with sliced plums.

Fold edges over the fruit to seal in the juices.

Baked until the crust is golden and the plums are soft and jammy.  Late summer bliss.

Summer Salad with Pistachios, Mint and Peas

This is my go-to summer salad and I make it a bit more often than I'd care to admit. My husband and I both crave it so I always keep the ingredients on hand.  I adore peppery arugula, and its flavor really shines tossed with roasted pistachios, mint, parsley, peas and crumbled feta.  Whisk together a simple lemon vinaigrette and you're all set.  The mint adds a summery freshness that I love.  I usually use thawed, frozen peas, but if fresh are in season, even better.  The feta gives a salty bite, but freshly grated parmesan would also be quite delicious.  Pistachios add a nutty richness and the fresh lemon vinaigrette gives a tart, citrusy kick. Green, crunchy, fresh and packed with flavor, this salad is one that you will never get sick of.  

Summer Salad with Pistachios, Mint and Peas
Makes 4-6 small servings

1 box or bag washed baby arugula
1/4 cup roasted pistachios, shelled
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
juice from 1 small lemon
olive oil
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

In a large bowl, combine arugula, pistachios, peas, feta, parsley and mint.  Set in the refrigerator while you prepare the vinaigrette.

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice with a generous pinch of both salt and pepper.  While whisking, stream olive oil into the lemon juice until the mixture comes together.  You will probably want to use between a 1/4 and 1/2 cup of oil, depending on how tart you want your vinaigrette.

Pour most of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss, add more dressing if needed.

Boxed, pre-washed arugula can always be found in my refrigerator for fast green salads.

Quickly thaw frozen peas by rinsing them with cold water.

Green, bright and delicious.  

Lavender Honey Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream?  Is it really worth the time?  I too was once a skeptic. Lugging out the bulky ice cream maker or, worse yet, trudging to the store to buy one. Freezing the canister for an obscene amount of time, measuring and cooking the base, slowly churning and then, the worst part, having to wait for your ice cream to freeze.  It seems a bit much when most of us can hop on our bikes and grab a cone at the neighborhood ice cream shop in a fraction of the time it takes to make it at home. Well, I'm here to tell you that this creamy, flavorful and indulgent ice cream will make all of the toil worth it.  Floral, French lavender steeped in cream.  A bit of golden honey.  Rich, sweet, creamy and perfect on a hot summer night.  I prefer a less "eggy" ice cream and this recipe fits that bill.  Of course, if eggs are your thing adapt the recipe as you wish.  I also prefer a lot of lavender flavor.  If you want to use a bit less, be my guest.  However you make it, this ice cream will seriously make you swoon and, trust me, it is completely worth the trouble.

Lavender Honey Ice Cream
makes 1 pint
(technique and recipe adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home)

1 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/4 cup dried lavender (be sure to use culinary lavender)

1 1/2 quart electric ice cream maker, I have this one.

Before you begin, make sure your ice cream maker canister is completely frozen.  (If new, this will take about 24 hours).

Create an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice water, heavy on the ice.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of the milk until smooth.  Set aside.  In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, honey and salt.  Set aside.

In a large sauce pot, combine the rest of the milk with the cream, sugar and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and allow it to boil for approximately 4 minutes.  (Be careful as this mixture has a tendency of boiling over the sides of the pot).  Remove mixture from the heat, add in the lavender and allow it to steep for 10 minutes.

Strain out the lavender from the mixture and return it to the pot.  Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and, again, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir with a rubber spatula and boil until the mixture just begins to thicken, about one minute.

Remove the pot from the stove and slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture, making sure to whisk away any lumps.  Once completely mixed, transfer the base to a one quart, sealable freezer bag.  Seal the bag tightly and submerge the bag in the ice bath.  Allow it to sit until completely chilled, about 30 minutes.

Once the mixture has chilled, remove the frozen canister from the freezer and set up your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer instructions.  Pour the cold mixture into the canister and turn on the machine.  Allow the ice cream to churn for 25 minutes.

Transfer ice cream into a freezer-safe airtight container.  Place a piece of waxed paper over the ice cream to seal in the flavor.  Allow ice cream to freeze for about 4 hours before enjoying.

Surprisingly floral, woody and delicate, lavender is perhaps my favorite ice cream flavoring.

After steeping lavender buds in cream, strain them out using a fine mesh sieve.  

Transfer ice cream base to a large freezer bag and submerge in an ice bath until chilled.

Churn the sweet and creamy base until slightly thickened.

Once the churning has finished, the ice cream still needs to be frozen a bit longer.  

Cover ice cream with waxed paper to seal in the flavor, put the lid on and allow it to freeze for 4 hours.

Pure white, creamy bliss.  So worth the time and trouble.

Egg and Cheddar Sandwich

Today is my birthday so I am going to eat whatever I want... and what I really want is this breakfast sandwich.  My favorite white cheddar cheese, sharp, rich and crumbly.  A local and organic egg, perfectly cooked in butter.  A good old Thomas brand English muffin, toasted and smeared with, yes, more butter.  That's it.  Rich, hot and creamy from the still-runny yolk.  I am going to dip my sandwich into any yolk and butter that drips onto my plate.  I may even lick the plate.  No judgment please, it's my birthday.

Egg and Cheddar Sandwich
makes 1

1 egg, preferably organic
1 slice of sharp, white cheddar
1 English muffin, preferably Thomas brand
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp butter, softened

Preheat your oven broiler set to low and move a rack to the top position.  Split the English muffin, place it on a baking sheet split side up and lightly toast it under the broiler.  Once the muffin is golden, remove the pan from the oven, smear one half of the muffin with softened butter and place the slice of cheddar on the other half.  Place the pan back under the broiler until the cheese has melted.

Meanwhile, place a small, oven proof saute pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of softened butter to the heating pan.  Grease the inside of a 2-1/2 to 3 inch round cookie cutter with a teaspoon of softened butter and place it in the pan with the butter, cutter side down.  (This will serve as a mold for the egg). Once the butter has melted and starts to bubble, drop your egg into the mold, being careful not to break the yolk.  Allow the egg to cook for about 2 minutes or until you can see that the bottom of the egg has cooked a bit and turned white.

If you have not already done so, remove the sheet pan with the English muffin from the oven and place the saute pan with the molded egg under the broiler.  Cook until the top of the egg has started to bubble but the yolk is still runny and bright, 2-4 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler and size of your mold.  Remove the pan from the oven.  Using a small paring knife, run the blade around the inside of the cookie cutter to release the egg from the mold.  (Be careful, the mold will be hot).  Lift the mold off the egg and then, using a spatula, carefully transfer the egg to the cheesy half of the muffin.  Top with the other half of the muffin and eat immediately.

Crumbly, flavorful white cheddar.  Pick a cheddar with some bite.
My current favorite happens to be made by a very talented 19 year old Amish cheese maker in Iowa.  

Toasted nooks and crannies.  One side smothered in melted cheddar.  The other in butter.  

Carefully drop an egg into your makeshift mold.

After a few minutes under the broiler it is perfectly cooked with a still-runny yolk peeking through.

Ready for breakfast.

Soak up the drips of yolk and butter with the side of your sandwich.

No judgement.  

Summer Berry Hand Pies

These little pies are one of my new favorite things.  They are the perfect size, they pack up beautifully for a picnic, they taste of summer and they are completely delicious.  You can fill them with any fresh, summery berries, and the not-too-sweet pate brisee crust is perfectly flakey and buttery.  They're rustic, simple to make and wonderfully old-fashioned.  I used a mixture of tart cherries, raspberries and blackberries.  A little lemon zest and vanilla for more flavor.  A brush of egg wash over the dough and a sprinkling of sugar for a little more sweetness.  So good. Take these along on your next picnic or enjoy them right at home.  Wherever you eat them, these hand-held pies will surely become one of your new favorite summer desserts.

Summer Berry Hand Pies
Makes 6

for the pate brisee (only slightly adapted from this recipe):
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and very cold
1/2 cup ice water

Put flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.  Add the very cold butter (I put mine in the freezer for about 5 minutes before I use it) to the flour mixture and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas.  With the processor running, slowly pour the ice water through the feeding tube into the flour and butter mixture.  Keep pouring only until the dough starts to clump together, being sure to not to add more water than necessary (the dough may still appear a bit crumbly).  Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap the dough up and mold into a flat disc.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

for the pies:
2-3 cups of berries (pitted cherries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries or any other berry you like)
zest of 1/2 a lemon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2/3 cup sugar (more or less depending on how tart your berries are) + 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the berries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla and cornstarch.  Stir to combine and set aside while you roll out your dough.

Remove dough from the refrigerator, lightly flour your counter and roll the dough out to 1/16th inch to 1/8th of an inch thickness.  Cut 5 inch circles in the dough, re-rolling the scraps until you have 6 circles (I used a bowl as a guide and cut the dough circles with a paring knife).  Place the circles on your parchment lined baking sheet.  Evenly divide the berries between the circles of dough, being sure to leave most of the accumulated juices in the bowl.  Using a pastry brush, paint a bit of egg wash around one half of the edge of each dough circle.  Fold the other half over, and seal the edges tightly with your fingers to form a pouch.  If desired, use a pastry wheel to cut a decorative fluted edge.  Brush the sealed pies liberally with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.  With a paring knife, cut a few slits on the top of each pie.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before eating.

Fill your dough rounds with a mound of sweet, fresh berries.

A pastry wheel adds an old-fashioned and decorative edge.

A brush of egg wash gives a golden glow and helps the sugar adhere to the dough.

Bake until the juices bubble and the crust is slightly golden.

If you can, wait for them to cool completely before enjoying.

Sweet, flakey and fruity.

Forks are completely optional.

Sparkling Rosé and Lillet Cocktail

Today is Bastille Day, though I don't really need a holiday to celebrate La France. Since I can't be in Paris sipping champagne, munching on pomme frites and gazing lazily up at the fireworks, I thought I should create my own little Bastille soiree at home. To me, celebrations need bubbles.  Dry, French, bubbly rosé with a generous splash of Lillet, the delicious and faintly citrusy French aperitif wine.  Add a twist, if you desire, and you're all done.  Refreshing, summery, fun and very French.  Here is to sparkling summer cocktails and always finding the perfect excuse to celebrate. À votre santé!

Sparkling Rosé and Lillet Cocktail

1 bottle Brut Rosé, very cold

1 bottle Lillet Blanc, very cold

twists of lemon rind for garnish

Pour 2 ounces of Lillet into each glass.  Top off with sparkling rosé.  Add lemon twists and enjoy.

Ice cold Lillet.  Sweet, citrusy and the perfect accompaniment to this cocktail.

I am always in the mood for crisp, chilled rosé.  

If you can find it, this bottle is wildly cheap and completely delicious.  I have a bottle in my refrigerator at all times.

Add a pour of Lillet to your glasses.

Cover with the softly pink bubbles.

Add a citrusy twist.

Enjoy, French style!