Summer brings many wonderful things. One of summer’s best offerings is the heirloom tomatoes that grace our gardens and farmer’s markets. Today’s recipe for Bacon and Heirloom Tomato Frittata with Basil is the perfect way to showcase not only the full-bodied flavor of heirlooms but their beauty as well.
In the garden this year I planted several different types of basil; sweet basil, globe basil and purple basil. This beautiful bounty has languished in my garden far too long. So for this frittata it just made sense to combine the flavors of the tomatoes with basil. The colors of the purple basil and the petite leaves of globe basil are the most unusual and striking and perfect when paired with the heirloom tomatoes.
Our family feasted on this heirloom tomato frittata prior to taking a trip to a nearby arboretum to enjoy the trees, flowers, meadows and a babbling brook. Summer is the time of year when my adopted state of New Jersey shows it is truly worthy of its nickname The Garden State. But summer moves along a little too quickly for my taste. Taking photos is a way of capturing the fleeting days of beauty and fun that passes by all too fast.
Italy holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. My husband and I met there when we were both in graduate school studying international business. That was not my first time in Italy. A semester abroad in college conferred on me what has become a life-long passion for Italy and all things Italian. Gelato, the Italian version of ice cream, also played a key role in my complete seduction. To this day whenever I indulge in gelato it brings back joyful memories of my travels and study in that most wonderful of countries. And it is something Gavin and I have enjoyed together and remember fondly.
Many years ago while back in Italy for work I travelled with a colleague who was devoted to her nearly fat-free diet. She was very diligent about eating healthy foods – albeit without much if any fat, which we know now is not ideal. We were there for three weeks and she declined gelato whenever we went out for it. She made it clear she wanted to indulge in the sweet treat but was afraid of gaining weight. While I admired her willpower and dedication to her chosen way-of-eating, I could not help but feel sorry for her. We were in Italy after all. It was GELATO!
Food is one of life’s pleasures. In spite of strict dietary requirements I still believe in enjoying life through food as long as you can do so without totally derailing your overall health. Dairy is not a food I often consume but when I do I try to ensure it is of high quality – grass fed is best and we do enjoy raw dairy when we can get it. Raw dairy is not legally for sale in New Jersey so we have to drive to nearby Pennsylvania for a great source. Wholesome Dairy Farms is our favorite place to find grass fed and raw dairy. On our last visit we were privileged to see a newly born calf. When the farmer asked if we wanted to see the baby born just hours earlier we were envisioning something smaller and more feeble. Instead, we were greeted by a rather hearty and LARGE fellow who had little trouble walking around on his own. Nathaniel was overjoyed to be able to pet the baby.
When deciding what to do with the grass fed yogurt, one of the first things that came to mind was gelato! What better way to feature this particular indulgence in high quality dairy?
While working in Milan many years ago, my apartment was in a five story walk-up on a major road. I still remember Viale Umbria with all its sights and sounds and the LONG trek up to my apartment. One of the great things about the apartment was being right above a pizzeria and a gelateria. It was at this particular family run gelateria I was first introduced to “gelato allo yogurt alla fragola” – Yogurt Ice Cream with Strawberries. It was nothing like the “frozen yogurt” in the U.S. which is often fat free or low fat. The yogurt flavor of this gelato was far more intense – very creamy and tangy. It was delicious by itself but during the summer, when strawberries were in season they were added to the mixture for an even more amazing treat.
So if you are able to tolerate dairy and find yourself with some high quality yogurt I strongly urge you to make this honey yogurt gelato. You will not be disappointed. I can’t guarantee it is exactly the same as what you would find on Viale Umbria in Milano but it is pretty close. The honey flavor is more pronounced than what is typically served in Italy but it is a truly amazing taste sensation. You can vary the amount of honey depending on your taste.
The first recipe is for the honey yogurt gelato followed by a roasted strawberry sauce that adds one more intense flavor to the entire frozen treat experience.
Before being diagnosed with celiac disease* I was in a “no man’s land”. Maybe you’ve been there too. It’s the place you end up when you don’t know what is making you sick and no one – including doctors – knows how to help you. It’s not a fun place to be. Back then, even though it was not clear what was making me sick, I must have subconsciously known it had to do with food. I simply felt better when I didn’t eat! Clearly we have to eat to live so this was not sustainable. Regardless, I got into the habit of skipping breakfast or only having coffee or a latte. To be more precise, the Triple Venti Latte (usually with an extra shot) at Starbucks was often my breakfast of choice.
Fortunately, I found a better option than skipping meals in order to feel good. As long as I don’t eat grains and gluten I generally feel pretty well. These days breakfast usually consists of eggs over-medium fried in ghee with fresh tomatoes and avocado or maybe bacon and berries. There’s typically some type of protein, veggies and/or fruit and a fat. But lately I’ve been making these paleo banana mocha shakes (or smoothies) for a change of pace. The shake goes great with a couple of eggs in the morning in place of my usual coffee. But I also like to have one in the later afternoon and use some of the leftover French-pressed coffee still in a thermos from the morning. The frozen banana gives this dairy-free chocolate shake body and sweetness and it combines well with the flavors of chocolate and coffee. It’s a great way to use up those bananas you froze when they got a couple of dark spots and no one would eat them. (At least that’s what happens in our house…)
This post and recipe for Pan-Fried Shishito Peppers is by my husband G who was inspired by a young farmer at our local CSA to turn the pepper bounty from Saturday’s pick-up into a tasty appetizer. Take it away G!
What comes to mind when you hear the word “pepper”? Other than “salt,” I mean.
For some of us, it might conjure up sensations like hot, spicy, or burning. For others, it may be colors like the vibrant red of a shiny bell pepper, the brilliant green of a jalapeño, or the fiery orange of a habanero. Still others may be reminded of a country, like Mexico, the appropriately named Chile, or even…Japan?
That’s right – Japan! Land of sushi, sashimi, New York Yankee’s outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, the world’s coolest electronic gadgets, Godzilla, books that are read from right-to-left, and the tasty Shishito pepper.
We found some Shishitos at our local CSA farm (along with all sorts of fresh and beautiful produce), and filled our weekly basket with 9-10 peppers. One of the farmers said the shishito peppers are delicious when sauteéd in olive oil and salted to taste, so that’s what we did, with minor modifications.
Instead of using only olive oil, we added equal amounts of leaf lard -the highest grade of lard from the visceral – or “soft” – fat from around the kidneys and loin of the pig. It lacks any real pork or meaty flavor, making it an excellent neutral-flavored cooking fat with a high smoking point. Leaf lard is particularly prized by bakers for use in producing moist, flaky pie crusts.( We used leaf lard it in this recipe because we had it on hand. But you could use regular lard given the savory flavor of the dish.)
We purchased the lard a few weeks back at Red Apron Butchery during the book release party for the cookbook Beyond Bacon.
Pan-Fried Shishito Peppers
Here’s how I made this amazing paleo appetizer recipe:
To make the pan-fried shishito peppers, first, I heated some of the lard along with some olive oil (for flavor) in a cast iron skillet until hot. Next, I also added the peppers and fried them for about 10 minutes, adding in some minced garlic in the last minute, then sprinkling the finished peppers with fresh lemon juice and sea salt. The result was the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and spicy – enough to please most any palate.
Getting back to the original question, when I hear the word “pepper,” I instantly think back to memories of my Dad watching football on a Sunday afternoon with a plate of jalapeño peppers and sliced cheese. He’d eat the jalapeños whole, turn beet red, and sweat like a madman. It looked painful, but he said he enjoyed it. Funny, but he often complained of heartburn…I wonder if there was a connection?
A few weeks ago, G and I attended the book release party for Beyond Bacon, the amazing cookbook by our friends Matt and Stacy from Paleo Parents. At the time, we were vacationing at G’s parents’ home in Ocean City, Maryland. After deciding to leave the boys with their grandparents, we proceeded to drive across the Chesapeake Bay (via a rather scary bridge*) to Virginia. Our destination was theRed Apron Butchery for a party celebrating the book release.
Red Apron is just about the coolest butcher shop ever, filled with delicious, pastured meat products and much more.
G and I enjoyed the meat-themed ambiance of the venue. Pastured pork products celebrated in abundance! Check out G eyeing me with skepticism while trying to peek at his phone. We spied a few tongue-in-cheek album cover recreations and sampled the “Original Sin” hard cider. (Don’t tell my mom. She once photoshopped out a beer I was holding in a photo because she didn’t think it was becoming. Oh Mom.)
After waiting in a fairly substantial line of folks wanting to congratulate Matt and Stacy, I took my turn posing with the couple of hour. Stacy looked beautiful and glowing and Matt was quite the buff Crossfit guy. They were both justifiably proud of their creation!
This basic paleo blueberry muffins recipe comes at a perfect time. It’s blueberry season around here. Blueberries are showing up at our local farmers’ markets in huge quantities. People flock to the u-pick farms for the pleasure of plucking these little nutrition powerhouses from the bushes themselves. Blueberries are anti-inflammatory and filled with good things like manganese, … Read more
Much has already been written about the wonderful new book “Beyond Bacon: Paleo Recipes That Respect The Whole Hog” – here, here and here. Matthew McCarry and Stacy Toth (The Paleo Parents) have created a true Masterpiece of a cookbook that excels in all categories. I don’t know about you, but I have become pretty … Read more
Today we have our second pick up at Uncle Bill’s Farm CSA where we will choose from among the lovely produce picked fresh this morning. New Jersey spring season means lots of greens overflowing in our bushel baskets. One of the most beautiful of them all is rainbow chard. It’s considered one of the healthiest veggies around, with high amounts of vitamins A, K and C. Rainbow chard is also rich in minerals, dietary fiber and protein.
I grew rainbow chard in my raised bed gardens last year and that is when I fell in love with the beauty of this healthful leafy green. We harvested some of it when my mother-in-law was visiting and together she and I enjoyed the beauty of the deep greens of the leaves and strikingly bright and varied colors of the stems.
In order to make use of the produce while it is still fresh we need a few different quick and easy recipes that combine some of the ingredients. After seeing the absolutely perfect rainbow chard last week at the farm, I determined to create a dish that makes use not only of the chard but of the wild garlic that was also available. The addition of the shiitake mushrooms makes this a heartier side dish that could pass as a main dish for you vegans and vegetarians.
Rainbow Chard with Shiitake Mushrooms and Wild Garlic
Being the mother of boys is a wonderful thing. I have never been a “girly girl” so perhaps God, in His infinite wisdom, knew I would be a better mother of boys than girls. Of course I might be saying the exact opposite if I had been blessed with girls. But there’s just something special about the relationship between mothers and sons and I am so grateful I have the opportunity to raise these two precious souls.
“…and she loved a little boy very, very much – even more than she loved herself.” – From ‘The Giving Tree’ by Shel Silverstein
Our boys like to get dirty. My husband and I have an ongoing joke about our differing views on the acceptability of how dirty they get when playing outside. G is a stickler for cleanliness and even though he knows it’s not a big deal, he cannot help but cringe when he sees the boys in the dirt or mud. Meanwhile I have always maintained – at least when being contrary with G – that “a dirty boy is a happy boy”. My point is when they are outside getting dirty it means they are using their imaginations and bodies. They are not just vegetating inside playing computer games (hey, computer games have their place). But even I was a bit mortified when I spied Nathaniel in the back yard recently.
He started out looking innocent enough. I thought perhaps he was planning on helping me garden. He likes to garden. So I figured he was gearing up to assist with planting or weeding or something productive like that. But no, evidently not. He had something much more important to attend to.
He was making mud pies, people!
“Whoa, I really am kinda dirty now. Maybe I shouldn’t have done this” I imagine him thinking. But no, he doesn’t care. I assure you he does.not.care.
And how can I resist this face? The only thing to do with a sweet boy covered in mud from head to toe is to kiss him on the cheek, while keeping a safe distance from his mud-covered parts, and hose him down.
And maybe, after he’s cleaned up a bit, you can feed him chocolate chip cookies. Well, make that paleo chocolate chip cookies.
This recipe for grain-free chocolate chip cookies contains walnuts. But the walnuts are an optional ingredient. And, in fact, my Nathaniel can eat most nuts except for walnuts and pecans. So for him I leave them out. But the day I was testing this recipe, the boys had a good friend over who is not allergic to nuts. I asked their buddy Jonah to help in a couple of ways. First, he agreed to help with photos (that’s him holding the plate) with the promise of a couple of cookies. And he was also asked to offer his opinion on those cookies. It was my version of market research. And according to Jonah, who is one of my most favorite people in the world, by the way, these paleo chocolate chip cookies are awesome!
You will not miss “regular” chocolate chip cookies one bit.
So make these cookies soon and share them with someone you love – boys OR girls. Who knows, you might get a mud pie in return.
Even though we’ve frequented farmer’s markets for years, this is our first year joining a CSA (community supported agriculture). This past Saturday was the first weekend for pick-up and I took my camera to capture the occasion. Our local CSA is Uncle Bill’s Farm which is owned and operated by Sarah Carden and Alex Cookfair. The farm is right smack in the middle of New Jersey horse country. In fact, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters is practically around the corner. Given that we’re in horse country, it should come as no surprise the 40 acre property is a former horse farm which has been slowly converted over the last few years to a small scale produce and poultry farm.
After visiting the Uncle Bill’s Farm in April for a tour I have been anxiously awaiting opening day of the CSA. And because I was so excited to feast my eyes on the veggie bounty I was one of the first to arrive. (Well, that and I was getting nagged to hurry so we could drive down to Philly for Comic Con.)
Upon entering Uncle Bill’s Farm, the first thing I encountered was the veggie washing station that included a groovy claw-foot tub.
Getting closer to the pick-up area, I spied a cool table holding some herbs and veggie plants for sale. Those are some serious table legs.
The first step was to sign in. Sarah verified my purchase of one full share (one bushel basket) and one full egg share (one dozen eggs) per week.
Now it was time to check out what was available for the week – all picked fresh that morning.
First up, wild garlic. I swear this is the stuff I have been weeding out of my yard! I had no idea it was actually edible.
Next up – beautiful, fresh radishes in different varieties and baby turnips. Lovely.
And then my favorite – beets! It never ceases to amaze me how many people have never eaten fresh beets. Beets and their greens are both wonderful. I’ve posted several beet recipes because I love them dearly. (Links at the bottom of this post).
The freshly picked greens were in abundance, delighting the early members. The offerings included common curly kale, lacinato (dinosaur) kale, mixed greens, arugula, butter lettuce and chard.
The rainbow chard was especially spectacular. (I’ll be posting a recipe for rainbow chard in a day or two.)
