Summer Lovin'

Fresh figs make the best summer dessert, dip them in some mascarpone with a bit of brown sugar and vanilla-YUM!

I'm in love with all the amazing produce I've consumed this summer.  I know some people (you know who I'm talking to) think that here in Southern California we get pretty much everything all year, but we have seasons, too.  I think the fruit helps mark our seasons the best.  It's peach, fig and tomato season right now.  Hot, dry, summery and we have peaches and tomatoes galore.  When it's cold, we have oranges and a lot of kale.  We are spoiled rotten, no doubt about that, but if you eat the way I do, you love the abundance of choice that comes with summer. 

Zucchini has been one of the easiest things I've grown this year.  The plants are huge, with leaves well over a foot across, bigger than my pumpkin plant leaves.  They steadily produce several zucchinis a week and I sure wish I'd thought ahead and made sure I had a vacuum sealer and deep freeze for all the extra zucchini.  It would be nice to prepare some sautés for the winter months that I could just toss in a pan when I don't feel like cooking.  Recently, one of my favorite things to do is chop a bunch of summer veggies up and toss them all in olive oil, seasonings and pop in the oven on a cookie sheet for about 20 mins at 450.  I usually toss them once about mid-way.  Cooking fast and hot works a lot better so you don't end up with mushy squash.  That with a bit of meat or even a big caprese salad is so good and zero effort.

Roasted summer veggies (eggplant, zucchini, patty-pan squash, bell pepper, onions), pork tenderloin and my mother-in-law's amazing peach chutney.

Roasted summer veggies

My most favorite thing to eat in the summer are caprese salads, or tomato salads or whatever you want to call them.  Fresh picked tomatoes and basil and sometimes some cucumbers just for fun, fresh mozzarella, bit of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and you are good to go.  Super filling and incredibly delicious.  Nothing better on a hot day than a huge, cold caprese salad for dinner. 

Caprese salad and Italian sausage

I'm sure you can sense a theme.  Easy and delicious.  I don't have time to slave and more importantly,  with kids to referee on a constant basis and existing in a state of continual sleep deprivation, I don't have the brain power.  I just want to be able to sit down to a yummy dinner and maybe a glass of wine after a day of laundry, dishes and breaking up fights and cleaning up spilled food and all that other fun stuff that comes with kids.

Brain saver-one of my new favorite champagnes, $17 at Canyon Gourmet, dry, lightly pink, tiny bubbles and oh so tasty

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Ok, how many of you have paid $10-$15 for a so so "heirloom tomato salad"? I know I have on a number of occasions because apparently I'm a sucker for that kinda thing.

Anyhow, the day before yesterday I was starving and I had a ton of heirloom tomatoes from one of my CSA boxes (last week I experimented with getting not one, but two!! different CSA boxes in the same week).

An heirloom tomato salad is pretty much one of the tastiest, prettiest and easiest salads you can make. Here's how I made mine:

I sliced 3 different tomatoes, about 3 thin slices of each (I saved the rest for another salad later on). I placed them on the plate, then I sliced several thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and placed those on the plate. Took about 8-10 smaller basil leaves and sliced thinly. I tossed those on, then sprinkled salt, pepper and a tiny bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I had some fairly tasteless but quite spicy radishes I got in my CSA box as well, I'd planned to microplane one on top just to give the salad a little kick, but I'd eaten the whole salad before I noticed the lone radish sitting on my counter, forgotten. So, that's an extra idea for you!

Fried Tomato and Bacon Salad

Well, Experimental Friday came and went with zero experimenting. Life got in the way, as it often does.

My house is currently much quieter than normal with the hubby and toddler on their way to their first solo camping trip. It's very weird to have such a quiet house. I have Pandora going and of course there is still munchkin number 2, but he's pretty quiet when he's happy. It's peaceful!

On Thursday I was starving and it was about 4pm...too early for dinner, but too late for lunch. I was sorely craving a very decadent fried tomato and bacon salad I've made in the past. I got the recipe from my friend Marlyn and we'll see how my arteries thank her in a few years! I'd literally eat this salad every day if I could.

So here is how the recipe goes:

You need some sort of green, I prefer spinach as the green is going to be slightly wilted by the dressing and tomatoes and there really isn't another green I like both raw and wilted. I think I'd like it with arugula, as well, but I've only done spinach. In the pictures I'm posting here, I used Bloomsdale spinach, which is why it's so curly.

At least 2 thick slices of tomato per serving of salad (if you cut the tomatoes thinly they will just fall apart when being fried). I like to use those big, meaty, purple/green heirloom tomatoes.

Bacon-I like at least 2 slices per serving, but you could do one (really, if you are worried about the fat and all that fun stuff you shouldn't be eating this salad!). My favorite is Whole Foods' black forest bacon you can get from the butcher. When I'm curbing my Whole Paycheck addiction, my second favorite is the Trader Joe's apple smoked bacon.

And lastly, whatever vinegar and herbs you'd like to use to make a dressing. I usually just use a little apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar and some Italian seasoning. Quick, easy and tasty.


First you prep your greens (wash, drain, etc.). Then fry up the bacon and set aside to drain on some paper towels. Keep the bacon grease hot (the hotter the better) and gently slide your tomato slices in. Tomatoes are full of water, water and hot bacon grease really don't go well together, so don't cook this wearing your favorite $200 top. Wear an apron and stand back! Now just wait and let the tomatoes fry. After you feel like you've waited long enough (a minute or so), you can gently check the bottom of one, see if they are browned at all, if they are, flip and repeat! As soon as the tomatoes are cooked to your liking, remove directly onto your plate of greens (you should put each individual serving of greens on their own plate). Turn the heat off and swirl in some vinegar and herbs with the grease. Again, this is going to pop like crazy and if you've ever heated vinegar, it's a good idea to turn a fan on so you don't shrivel your nose hairs. While the dressing is still bubbling and hot, pour over the salad. Next crumble your bacon (or in my case I just chopped the bacon) on top and voila! Eat immediately, while your tomatoes are still hot!