Grilled Tomato, Goat Cheese, Fresh Sweet Corn & Basil Appetizer

I'm always looking for new fresh ways to serve our favorites - Tomatoes, Sweet Corn & Basil.  During the summer we get tired of just sliced tomatoes and corn on the cob - somehow - though it seems impossible right now.  This little appetizer is an amazing combo of everything we love.  Grilling the tomato adds a slight smokiness, and warms the goat cheese, offset by the cold and crunchy sweet corn kernels and fresh basil.  Though I don't always serve plated starters when we have friends for dinner, sometimes I come across something so special, it is worth washing the extra dish.  You can also serve this as a traditional shared appetizer if you cut it into wedges and serve it with grilled bread... which I think I'll do for a party this Friday.  

 Grilled Tomato, Goat Cheese, 
Fresh Sweet Corn & Basil Appetizer


4 thick slices of tomato - firm enough to grill
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper
4 ounces of goat cheese
1 ear of sweet corn, kernels cut off
2 tablespoons of basil

Place the 4 slices of tomato on a pan or plate ready to go to the grill.  In a small bowl make the brushing liquid by stirring together oil, lemon juice, vinegar garlic salt and pepper.  Brush on both sides of the tomato.

Grill tomato for 2 minutes, then flip.  After flipping, top tomato with goat cheese (a little goes a long way...) and more of the lemon garlic oil.  Grill for 2-3 more minutes until the goat cheese is warm and soft.  Remove from the grill.  Plate and sprinkle on fresh corn cut from the cob and basil.  Drizzle on more of the lemon garlic liquid.

The BEST Brownies... Truffle Brownies | LG EasyClean Oven Range

Last month, I shared one of my "Messy Recipes" (a recipe book or card that was splattered with ingredients from being used over and over again) from my little blue book that was my journal during my catering days - it contained all of my favorite recipes that I made over and over for my clients.  Well, this month, I was asked share another sort of "Messy Recipe" by the folks at LG.  

They have recently launched their new generation of LG EasyClean™ Double Range Ovens that can be cleaned in minutes instead of hours... meaning less time cleaning and more time to spend doing, well, anythingelse!    All you do is spray the oven interior with water, press the EasyClean button, then in just 20 minutes, wipe away any residual bits.  I love that there are no chemicals or high heat needed - something I always consider. To learn more about LG EasyClean click here.

1 pound of butter (4 sticks)

2 pounds of chocolate chips

2 1/4 cups of sugar

1 1/4 cup of flour

6 eggs

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of sea salt

seeds from 1 vanilla bean

In a microwave safe bowl, place chocolate chips, then top with 4 sticks of butter. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, until butter melts and covers the chips. Stir to melt.

Combine the dry ingredients, then add it to the chocolate mixture in a kitchen aid, fitted with the paddle. 

Add the eggs and stir until just combined. Bake in a large 13x18 baking sheet at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes. I let these cool overnight in the refrigerator to help the cutting process. Then enjoy!

Now it’s your turn to tell me - what is YOUR favorite recipe that leaves your oven messy? Let me know in the comments for your chance to win your own LG EasyClean™ Double Oven Range!

  

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Summer Grilling Menu : Tomato, Goat Cheese & Corn, Grilled Romaine Salad, and Grilled Pesto Shrimp

Today, I had a little fun and prepared the freshest, most flavorful, non-traditional grilled menu.  We just set up our grill last week and after making one round of burgers, I was ready to dive into new ideas for the grilling.

I started with this appetizer that is a slice of tomato topped with goat cheese and grilled.  During the grilling process, it is drizzled with a lemon garlic olive oil.  After the grill, it is topped with fresh basil and fresh sweet corn kernels.  I LOVED this... would've been great with some crusty bread.  On the grill, of course.

I recently tried a grilled salad at one of our favorite restaurants and had to try to recreate it.  I brushed mine with an olive oil, lemon, garlic and rosemary mixture, then topped it with tons of Parmesan cheese.

And finally, my favorite grilled dinner - herb shrimp with pasta tossed in a fresh pesto sauce.

I'll post all of the recipes later this week!

The Great American House | New, New Addition Plans for Our House

One of my Mother's Day gifts was this book, The Great American House by Gil Schafer.  I've been eying it for months... but since it is not available on the ipad, I hadn't gotten around to getting it for myself. 

There are a million reasons why I love this book and the style that Mr. Schafer presents - but mostly, I love that the book is all about embracing modern living and making it work with true American style.  He designs home with large mudrooms and open kitchens that feel like they were built 100 years ago. 

As we're planning our addition, it is something I've been struggling with as we interview contractors and architects... I don't want our house too look or feel like a brand new house.  I want it to have the charm and character of an old house that has a history. 

A couple of months ago I posted my sketches of our vision.  I got great feedback from all of you and have made adjustments accordingly.  The biggest addition to the addition as been that of a large mudroom and dry storage, and a studio for me.   

As you can see - attached to the garage is a studio (that envision to look like a classic potting shed) with french doors that will lead out to the garden.  Hopefully it will be a place that I can do projects, make messes and then just hose down.  I've also included a dog wash area in the garage - another recommendation from the readers! 

Instead of losing the charming porch off of the side of our house, we're now considering a detached garage instead of an attached.  I think the little jog over to the mudroom/studio and garage will add some charm to the exterior.  We're also hoping to add a covered porch off of the kitchen (accessed through double french doors) that will step down to the patio. 

Another new idea is instead of turning the old garage into a guest bedroom, we'll be using it as a library/dining room.  I think I would miss having a formal dining room for the holidays, so I think this will be a nice addition... and it can be more of a library/study the rest of the time.  Because the rest of the house will be pretty open, it will be nice to have place that can be a cozy quiet zone for working and studying.

THIS is exactly how I want our kitchen table and hearth area to be... french doors and all.  In fact, I love everything - the beamed ceiling, and the paneled fireplace with a stone inset.

I love the stone floor and the dutch door of this mud room.







 I wish we had room for a barn : )

Again, these are just my own preliminary sketches and ideas... I'd love your input!

Strawberry Iced Sugar Cookies

For each holiday, Emma and I have decorated sugar cookies together and Mother's Day was no exception. 

You can see all of her cookie projects :

1st Valentines Day (2 Months)
Pumpkins (10 Months)
Snowflakes (12 Months)
Easter Chicks & Eggs (14 Months)
Strawberries (17 Months)

As she's gotten older she likes to be more hands-on in the decorating process... no longer can I give her a cookie to play with while I intricately decorate the others.  So, I adopted a new, streamlined method for decorating.

Instead of classic Royal Icing, I made a simple butter glaze that I pour over cookies when they're still warm.  The glaze covers the entire top of the cookie and the remaining drips off.  Then, I go back and add very simple details with a piping bag (usually during nap time).   I found that the butter in the glaze keeps the cookies really moist and tastes better, too.    And, as always, you can find my standby Sugar Cookie recipe here.

As you can see, Emma chose to sugar some of her cookies before baking.

Butter Glaze Cookies

-Sugar Cookie (warm from the oven) recipe here
-Cooling Rack
-4 tablespoons of butter, melted
-2 tablespoons of milk
-3 cups of powdered sugar
-food coloring

In a microwave safe bowl, microwave butter with the milk until the butter is melted.  Add powdered sugar until good, pourable, but not too runny, constancy is achieved.  Add color (see my tips here).

When cookies come out of the oven, remove the cookies with a spatchula and place them on a cooling rack.  Place a clean baking sheet lined with parchment underneath.  Pour icing glaze over the cookies tilting each cookies so the tops are completely covered.

She's a very serious and precise decorator - next time I'll video!  She'll spend several minutes on each one dunking, re-dunking and tasting.

Almost nap time! 

Speaking of strawberries - it is almost strawberry picking time.  Emma and I plan to be there next week during the first few days of the season filling our baskets!

My $75 Backyard Garden | DIY Raised Bed Garden Box

Every year I proclaim that I want to have a garden.  In our old Fairway home, I tried a little herb and lettuce garden by our back steps with no luck.  Too much shade.  In Concord, I had revived enthusiasm when I ordered heirloom tomatoes from Verrill Farm that resulted in a little luck... 2 tomatoes from 6 plants.  Again, too much shade.  This year in our new house, we have a substantial backyard with a great sunny spot that will (hopefully) work great for a small garden.



Growing up we always had a fairly large garden, the kids were enthusiastic about planting, but less enthusiastic about watering and weeding.  The first couple of harvests from the green beans, onions and tomatoes were exciting, but that soon faded as the cucumbers seem to multiply and the squash would take over the entire garden.  So, while planning this garden project, I was cautious of planting too much... as I know my 31-year-old self is basically the same semi-lazy 11-year-old during the summer months while the pool is open.  However, Emma LOVES to be outside, so I think this mini-garden will be just enough to keep me busy while she chases Mr. Darcy around with tennis balls.



I've included photos of the project, but I'll tell you - it was silly simple.  It took me a total of 2 hours start to finish (with a trip to Home Depot for an extra load of topsoil...) and cost about $75.  I watched this "This Old House" (my absolute favorite show!) "Gaden" video online before I started, but simplified it a little.  Because my box is smaller (6x4 vs. 4x10) I didn't feel the need to brace it.  I might regret it later, but for now, my 2 hour project looks perfect for me! 
 

Supplies :

2 - 2x10x10's (cut into 2 - 4ft & 6ft pieces)
Outdoor Wood Screws (decking screws)
Electric Screwdriver
30 Bags of Topsoil
1 Bag of Mulch

Plants:

10  Tomato Plants
1 Rosemary
2 Basil
3 Thyme
3 Chive
1 Oregano
1 Cilantro
1 Italian Parsley
Arugula
Leaf Lettuce
Radishes
Green Onions

The spot is shaded just in the morning, but has full sun from 10am - 6pm.  Hopefully, that will be enough... we'll see.

The wood frame is completed after joining all of the sides with 3 screws each.   The box measures 6ft x 4ft.

I feel almost silly typing the "instructions" - too easy.

Hauling 30 bags of topsoil = good morning workout




Planted!   The tomato plants line the back and the herbs are in the middle and front left.

I got the tomato plants from my cousin Bret's produce Farm, Fahrmeier Farms.  He recommended that I plant them very deep to create a strong root system.

My plants were already anxious for a good drink!  The right front side of the planter will have lettuces, radishes and green onions later this week.

Next step is to mulch and water.

Complete!

I like the dark brown mulch the best - it will help to keep out the weeds, help keep moisture in... and help it look nice!

I staked the tomato plants with wooden 6 foot stakes.  I'll tie them to the stick with twine later.

Watering time!

I'll keep you posted on the progress and status of the garden... wish me luck.

 

Simple Spring Supper | Brown Sugar & Sesame Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Last Sunday we hosted Mike's parents for a casual Sunday Supper.  I love cooking on Sundays - it is the only day that I get to spend some alone time in the kitchen while Mike and Emma play outside.  It is so nice to be able to leisurely prepare dinner without keeping little hands entertained (which usually means she's putting them in the flour canister, then the sugar, and back again...). 

I've used this marinade several times before -it is one of Mike's Mom's signatures.  It works great with beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, vegetables... anything.  Especially on the grill.  Unfortunately, we don't have a grill right now... it had to stay in Concord, Ma. when we moved because it was the last thing packed and it wouldn't fit in the Pod!  So... I just roasted it in the oven and it worked great, too.

We're working on our outdoor grilling area + new grill this week (Mother's Day & Father's Day joint gift), so you can look forward to lots of grilling recipes soon!
 

I love using drinking glasses as vases for small arrangements.  I found these hyacinth at the grocery store and make the perfect little bunch in these short glasses.



While I finished dinner Mike and his parents entertained (or were entertained by...?) Emma outside and sipped on this sparkling lemonade from Trader Joes.  What is it about playing outside and sipping on lemonade?!



Along with the Brown Sugar & Sesame Pork Tenderloin, I served Ina's Orange Braised Carrots and Parsnips and Green Been Gremolata. 

Brown Sugar & Sesame
Pork Tenderloin


2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 teaspoons chili paste
1/2 cup sliced green onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds

Stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, chili paste, green onions, garlic, ginger and sesame seeds.  Put the tenderloins in a ziplock and pour in the marinade.  Marinade for 1 hour and up to over night.

If baking/roasting, remove from marinade and place on a baking sheet.  Roast at 450 degrees for 18-25 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees.  Remove and cover with foil.  Reserve the juices in the pan from resting.   Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Slice, then pour juices over sliced pork.

If grilling, grill for 5-7 minutes on each side (totaling about 18-22 minutes depending on the temp of the grill) until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees.  Remove and cover with foil.  Reserve the juices in the pan from resting.   Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Slice, then pour juices over sliced pork.

 

A big bountiful platter for a Sunday Supper.

This classic lemon pie with graham cracker crust topped with whipped cream is the perfect dessert... but, you'll have to wait for the recipe!  It will be featured on Snippet & Ink soon!