Guacamole with a Twist

In a search for an appetizer for Bunco, this one caught my eye. I already had many of the ingredients on hand and it was such an interesting twist on the traditional guacamole that I had to try it. One thing I really liked was the fact that it used oregano and parsley in place of cilantro. I know I should give credit for the source, but I don't remember where I found it! I did make a few changes to the original recipe, substituting Vidalia onions for the red onion and adding fresh lime juice. It was a hit and will be one of my "go to" recipes in the future.

Guacamole with Feta

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 avocadoes, diced

1/2 cup Vidalia onions, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Juice of one lime

4 ounces feta cheese

Combine all ingredients and serve with taco chips.

Tomatoes in the Ground!

On April 21st, our first tomatoes were planted in the garden. Thanks to Marshall, we have lots of heirloom varieties. Each plant received a dose of Kenny's Recipe for Healthy Tomato Plants and a drink of water. Now is the hard part, waiting for the plants to grow and produce.

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

My favorite time of year for salads is over. With no more fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, I am looking for a some new ideas. Tonight's salad is a started with a can of black beans with lots of flavors and color added. The highlight of the salad is the sweet, Silver Queen corn, fresh cut from the cob and used raw.

Tonight's salad is a variation of the Guacamole Salad

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears corn, cut from the cob
3 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
Zest from 1 lime
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings

Barefoot at Quail Hollow

Today started out as one of those dreary, cold days in the South. The skies were overcast and the damp wind was a sure sign that my days of blogging outside were numbered! But what started out as a nasty day, turned into a warm afternoon and evening. This could possibly be my last blog on the back porch until spring.

Dinner tonight was delicious, thanks to the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics book. The menu was simple, Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad and Baked Shrimp Scampi served over Grits Cakes. I always gauge the success of a meal by Kenny's comments. I was pleasantly surprised that he loved the tomatoes since they weren't from the garden. I followed the recipe as written and Ina was right, the long roasting brings back memories of a good summer tomato.

The Baked Shrimp Scampi was easy and tasty thanks to Mike the Shrimp Man. Mike delivers the shrimp fresh from the coast of Georgia and they were perfect in Ina's recipe. The Grit Cakes were made from leftover Nora Mill's Stone Ground Grits. The leftovers from last night's supper were pressed into a pan and refrigerated. For tonight, I cut them into wedges and browned in a non-stick pan and served with the shrimp to soak up the juices. After a meal with new recipes, I always ask Kenny if I can make it again and tonight his response was "Absolutely!"

Thanks Ina and Mike for a great dinner!

Jalopeno Cheese Grits Two Ways

For many years, Jalopeno Cheese Grits have been a family favorite. Served for breakfast, as a side with smoked chicken or BBQ, or the base for Shrimp and Grits, this is one recipe that can't be beat. This year I decided to try topping the grits with fresh tomatoes from the garden and it was definitely worth the effort. When fresh tomatoes are available, I will be adding them.

Jalopeno Cheese Grits

3 cups water
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cups quick cooking grits
2 beaten eggs
3/4 stick of butter
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated
1 - 4 ounce can chopped green chilis
3 or 4 shakes tabasco sauce
Optional: 3 - 4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped

In a large saucepan, bring the water and evaporated milk to a boil. Gradually add the grits, stirring until thick, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and bring to a boil. Add butter, chilis, tabasco sauce, pepper Jack cheese, and all but 1 cup of the cheddar and stir until blended. Pour into a grease baking pan and top with tomatoes, if using, and 1 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

Eggplant, Artichoke and Prosciutto Parmesan

I love cooking from the garden and tonight's meal centered on today's harvest - tomatoes, eggplant and basil. The inspiration came from a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan that used eggplant minus the breading. I added frozen artichokes and prosciutto to create a more balanced flavor.

The counter was full of ripe tomatoes that needed to be cooked and preserved for later. I roasted the tomatoes as described in an earlier post and used some of them for the sauce. The Japanese eggplants were peeled, sliced and salted before frying in hot olive oil to a golden brown. The preparation was simple and easy and packs a lot of flavor in one dish.
Eggplant, Artichoke and Prosciutto Parmesan

2 Japanese eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil
3 cups roasted tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 - 9 ounce package frozen artichokes
1 ounce prosciutto, thinly sliced
4 ounces fresh mozzarella
1 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano

Salt the eggplants and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Rinse, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat olive oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees F. Add eggplant and fry until golden brown. Drain in a paper towel.

In the same skillet, remove all but 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the minced garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the white wine and cook rapidly for 5 minutes. Add the basil and remove from the heat.

Cook the frozen artichokes in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.

In a baking dish, add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of the eggplant and artichokes. Separate the proscuitto into thin strips and layer on top of the artichokes. Top with mozzarell and more tomato sauce. Repeat the layers one more time. Top with Parmesan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 servings

Roasted Tomatoes

It has been a long, productive day in the kitchen. Our 72 tomato plants are flourishing and now is the time to save them to enjoy during the winter months. In the past, the process for freezing tomatoes has been to dip them in boiling water, remove the skins, chop and freeze. This year I am trying something new. It all started with the selection of tomato plants. This year we planted Roma tomatoes in hopes of having a meaty tomato to use in sauces and soup. Inspired by this month's Gourmet magazine, I tried roasting the tomatoes with olive oil and garlic. After roasting the tomatoes, I used a food mill to remove the skins and crush the tomatoes which resulted in a very thick sauce with lots of texture and great flavor. The best part was the ease of preparation and cleanup. Today the garden yielded a harvest of Romas, Juliettes and Sun Gold tomatoes. The Juliettes look like a smaller Roma and have a great flavor. I cut the the Romas and Juliettes in half, drizzled with olive oil and added 6 cloves of garlic to the mixture. After roasting for 1-1/2 hours in a 425 degree F. oven, and run through the food mill, I had a thick rich sauce, suitable for soup for a rich sauce for pasta.Now for the Sun Gold tomatoes. These tiny, marble-size tomatoes are full of flavor. They were roasted for 1 hour along with the Romas and Juliettes. After being food milled, the sauce was thick and a beautiful gold color with a very sweet flavor. I don't think these will make it to the freezer, but will be added to pasta with some basil for dinner tomorrow night!

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

It was another "Cooking with Michael" day at Quail Hollow. Michael Chiarello is one of my favorite Food Network stars. He creates a menu on each show and uses ingredients easily found in a regular grocery store. In It's All Here, Michael creates a wonderful meal with pantry items. I decide to check out the recipes and prepare his Spaghetti all'Amatriciana and Whole Leaf Caesar Salad for our dinner. Now I'm sure my pantry is quite different from Michael's, but surprisingly, I had most of the ingredients. The tomato puree was in the freezer from last year's harvest and the parsley and basil were from our garden. I did buy the pancetta and put it in the freezer to harden so it could be easily sliced. There was even a box of bucatini from a trip to the Dekalb Farmer's Market.

This menu was a success. Kenny's comment was "Wow!" which translates to "you can make this again." I will definitely do this again, but next time I am going to use fresh pasta so it will soak up the goodness of the sauce.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana
adapted from Michael Chiarello

1/3 pound pancetta, partially frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup tomato puree
3/4 pound bucatini
Freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.

Cut the pancetta into thin slices across the grain. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for about minutes, but not crisp. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the red pepper, parsley, basil and vinegar and cook until the vinegar evaporates. Add the tomato puree and a ladle of pasta water. Simmer briefly to blend.

Add the pasta to the boiling water while preparing the sauce and cook about 8 minutes or until al dente. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan. Yield; 4 servings.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Black-Eyed Pea Salad meets all the requirements when feeding a crowd. It is simple, make-ahead salad that looks and tastes good. We served this at Melissa and Trey's party. If I were making this for the family, I would double the amount of jalopeno peppers since we all like our food a little spicy. If you have any leftovers, serve with tortilla chips as a snack.

Black-eyed Pea Salad

1 gallon can of black-eyed peas
16-ounces frozen corn
2 (28-ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 red bell peppers, chopped
4 onions, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 jalopeno peppers, chopped
4 limes, juiced
2/3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Rinse and drain peas. Cook corn in boiling water for 5 minutes until tender. Combine peas, corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, celery, garlic and lime juice in a large container. Whisk together apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard in a bowl. Slowly add canola while whisking. Pour over vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Yield: 40 - 45 servings.

Roasted Tomatoes

I am craving the tomatoes of summer. It has been 5 months without those tasty treats and it will be several more before we have fresh tomatoes from the garden. At our March meal with Dale and Susan, we used Ina Gartin's recipe for Roasted Tomatoes. I was very skeptical about the results and pleasantly surprised with the intense flavor. This is a very simple dish and a great way to enjoy tomatoes during the winter months.

Roasted Tomatoes

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, cored and seeded

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place the tomatoes, cut side up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are slightly caramelized. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

Tomato Grits

Tomato Grits is a family favorite. This spicy dish packs a punch and is delicious as a side dish for barbeque and smoked chicken.

Tomato Grits

2 cups water

1 1/4 cups 2% milk

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup quick cooking grits

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup green onions, diced

4 ounces Velvetta cheese, diced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 1/2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 can lime and cilantro Rotel tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil. Add salt and grits and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, cover and cook over low heat until the grits are creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup butter. Saute onions in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Add onions, Velvetta, 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese and garlic powder to grits and stir until the cheeses are melted. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Pour into a greased 8"x11" casserole pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serves

Laura's Kitchen Sink Sopa de Lima and Farmer's Market Salsa Verde

For my first Taste and Create, I was paired with Laura of The Spiced Life. Laura has a great blog with lots of recipes so it was extremely hard to select just one. Laura's Kitchen Sink Sopa de Lima caught my eye because of the limes used the season the soup and the leftover roasted chicken in my frig that needed to be used.

This is simple recipe that packs a lot of flavor. I began by making chicken broth with the remnants of the roasted chicken last night. Today I assembled the soup using frozen tomatoes from our summer harvest and leftover corn. I also substituted flour tortillas for the corn tortillas in Laura's recipe. The results were delicious. I added jalopeno peppers to Laura's list of garnishes so Kenny can add as much heat to the soup as he wants!

Sopa de Lima

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
20 ounces of diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth
2 (14 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups whole kernel corn
3 cups shredded roasted chicken
2 flour tortillas, cut into small strips
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice from 3 limes
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and onions and cook the onions for 8 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Add the chicken broth, beans, corn, chicken, tortillas and cilantro and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Before serving, add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garnishes. Yield: 13 - 14 cups.

Garnishes
Salsa Verde
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Homemade tortilla strips
Chopped jalopeno peppers

Laura loves green salsa so I decided to give it a try and created a variation of her Farmer's Market Salsa Verde.

Salsa Verde

1 poblano pepper
12 ounces tomatillos
1/2 large onion chopped
4 cloves garlic. crushed and peeled
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
jalopenos to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Wash the poblano pepper and pat dry. Remove the husks from the tomatillos, wash, and pat dry. Place pepper and tomatillos on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven until the tomatillos are olive green and the pepper is charred, turning as needed. The tomatillos will cook faster than the pepper, so remove them when they are done and continue to broil the pepper until it is charred all over. Place in a bowl to cool.

Turn the oven to 425 degrees F. and roast the onions and the garlic for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned.

Peel the poblano and remove the seeds. Place the poblano, the tomatillos, and juices in a food processor and pulse until pureed. Add the onions, garlic, and remaining ingredients to the food processer and pulse until pureed. Refrigerate. Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

Laura, thanks for these wonderful recipes that are sure to become a family favorite.

Sweet Tomato Relish

Our friend, Marshall, was kind enough to share with us his late crop of tomatoes. It is a real treat to have tomatoes in October. Since there were more tomatoes than we could possibly eat, I decided to try my hand at making a tomato relish. My first batch didn't include peppers. For the second batch, I used the few remaining sweet banana peppers from the garden. The result was 18 jars of a wonderful, sweet, spicy relish to serve with peas and greens. Thanks ,Marshall!

Sweet Tomato Relish #1

8 pounds tomatoes, peeled and diced

2 pounds onions, finely minced

3 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or until the mixture has thickened. Pour into sterilized canning jars. Wipe rims with a damp cloth. Adjust prepared lids and rings. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield: 12 half-pint jars.

Sweet Tomato Relish #2

4 pounds tomatoes, peeled and diced

1 pound onions, finely minced

8 ounces banana peppers, seeded removed and finely minced

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons salt

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or until the mixture has thickened. Pour into sterilized canning jars. Wipe rims with a damp cloth. Adjust prepared lids and rings. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield: 6 half-pint jars.

Green Tomato Relish

It is the end of tomato season in our garden. As we pulled up the vines, we collected all the green tomatoes. This recipe is a great way to use those tomatoes. Serve as a condiment with peas, butter beans and greens.

Green Tomato Relish
5 pounds green tomatoes
1 pound red bell peppers
1 pound onions
2 jalopeno peppers, seeded
4 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1/4 cup Kosher salt

Coarsely chop the vegetables in a food processor. Combine all the ingredients in a dutch oven and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars. Wipe jar rims with a damp towel. Adjust prepared lids and rings. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Green Tomato Pickles

You know how it goes, you have your day planned when you receive that unexpected phone call. My task for the day was to clean out the laundry room and pack up the unused items for Wesley Woods yard sale. I was working diligently to make a dent in the mess when Kenny called. His friend Henry was cleaning out his garden and had harvested a bunch of green tomatoes. Did I want them? Of course I can't say no to fresh veggies, especially tomatoes, and I wasn't thrilled with my task for the day, so I said "Yes" without hesitation. Today's cleaning day quickly turned into a day of preserving nature's bounty for those cold winter days when we will enjoy the harvest of the summer.

So what do you do with a bucket of green tomatoes? Many years ago as an Extension Home Economist, I tried my hand at pickling and preserving just about everything. One of our favorites was Pickled Green Tomatoes. They are a wonderful accompaniment to the crowder peas and butter beans in the freezer and very easy to make. The hard part is waiting a couple of weeks for the tomatoes to pickle. Try these for a real treat when the weather is cold and you are looking for the warm thoughts of a summer garden!

Green Tomato Pickles

Green tomatoes

Apple cider vinegar

Garlic

Hot peppers

Wash the tomatoes, core and slice into wedges. Sterilize your canning jars in boiling water. Put one clove of garlic and a hot pepper into each jar. Pack the tomatoes tightly into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Pour boiling apple cider vinegar over the tomatoes. Wipe jar rims and adjust lid and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Jennifer, I have a jar for you! I'll bring it to Charlotte next week.

Pappa al Pomodoro aka Tomato Bread Soup

Several weeks after our Tomato Festival, I was tuned into the Food Channel and Michael Chiarello was making Pappa al Pomodoro. It reminded me of a recipe I had seen earlier in Bon Appetit. I immediately put it on my "must try" list. It is very simple to make and is quite tasty.

Pappa al Pomodoro

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

8 ounces day-old Italian bread, sliced

1/2 cups water

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped basil leaves

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch heavy saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices and cook for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender.

Place the bread in a bowl and cover with water. Using your hands, break up the bread into small pieces. Add the bread to the saucepan and simmer until the bread absorbs the liquid. The mixture is very thick. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve hot, topped with the Parmesan and fresh basil. Serves 4.

You can add extra olive oil or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Making Fresh Pasta

My latest kitchen tool is a pasta maker. One of my goals for retirement was to make fresh pasta. I have watched many a chef make pasta and it seemed so easy. And it is! I followed the recipe that came with the pasta maker - 2 cups flour and 2 eggs. After letting the dough rest, I divided it into 4 pieces. The hardest part was finding a place to mount the pasta maker. Running the dough through the machine was quite simple. The first batch was for experimenting with the machine. It took a few tries before I realized that the larger number, 6, on the pasta maker was the narrowest setting. So for the second batch, I used the largest setting, 1, and worked down to 6. With the fettucine cutting attachment, I made some wonderful strands of pasta. I lightly floured the dough to keep it from sticking together while I started the water boiling and made the sauce.

With no plan for the sauce, I looked to the garden for inspiration and found 2 of my favorite ingredients, fresh tomatoes and basil.

Garden Fresh Tomatoes and Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup white wine

3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Fresh pasta

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic and onions and cook until onions are tender. Add wine and tomatoes and cook on medium high for 5 minutes. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 3 minutes or until al dente. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, and stir in basil and mozzarella. Simmer until the mozzarella begins to melt.

Pour into a serving bowl and top with grated Parmesan and garnish with basil. Serves 2.

My Favorite Meal

It doesn't get any better than a dinner of fresh vegetables from the garden. This is my favorite combination -- crowder peas, cream-style corn, fried okra, sliced tomatoes, a slice of Vidalia onion, and a wedge of cornbread. The okra was dipped in egg and a mixture of equal parts of cornmeal and flour, seasoned with salt and fried in canola oil until golden brown. The cream-style corn is a combination of Trucker's Favorite and Silver Queen white corn. This is a messy, time consuming process, but definitely worth the effort. Cut the kernels from the cob, not too deep, and scrape the cob to render all the goodness from the ears. To cook the corn, we started by frying streak of lean (often labeled salt pork) and add the drippings to the corn. Cook over low heat with the drippings from the streak of lean, stirring frequently. Add water as needed to thin the corn. Season with salt and pepper. This simple meal is a real Southern favorite!

Tomato Fest 2008

Tomato Fest is all about the tomato. The meal included Tomatoes and Goat Cheese; Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly; Gazpacho (thanks Nan); BLTs, Tomato, Basil and Feta Pasta (thanks Tonya and Scooter); BLTs with Basil Mayonnaise; Tomato Tart; and Watermelon for dessert (thanks Payton and Terri).

Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
4 - 5 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons Williams-Sonoma Pesto Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup julienned basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
10.5 ounces goat cheese

Mix together tomatoes and pesto dipping sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over goat cheese and top with basil. Serve with crostini and crackers. Note: olive oil can be substituted for the pesto dipping sauce.

Tomato Basil Tart
1 purchased pie pastry
4-5 large tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons Williams-Sonoma Pesto Dipping Sauce
10 -12 basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 half cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll pastry on a floured board to fit an 11-inch tart pan. Place pastry in pan and trim to fit. Prick the pastry, line with parchment pastry and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly brown. Allow to cool. Arrange the mozzarella over the pastry and top with onion slices and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Dip basil leaves in pesto dipping sauce and add to tart. Sprinkle garlic slices over tart. Pour pesto dipping sauce over tart. Top with grated Parmesan. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes. Allow tart to set for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve hot. Yield: 8 servings. Note: Olive oil can be substituted for pesto dipping sauce.

Steve and Cheryl

Summer's Harvest

There is nothing better than a summer garden. This year's garden includes tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, crowder peas, speckled butter beans, okra, La France green beans, eggplant, zucchini squash, yellow squash, patty pan squash and a variety of herbs. The results are great summer meals! No garden is complete without flowers. Zinnias and nasturtiums adorn the table and the food.