Good-bye Summer!

The temperature has literally dropped like 40 degrees since Saturday.  It's a beautiful 58 F outside right now.  It's the first morning I've had to actually put on a sweatshirt to walk around the house.  And it feels amazing!

I'm still dreading going back to work after a nice and relaxing long weekend, but the bills gots to be paid, right?!  Anyway, in honor of letting summer go, I'm leaving you with a bowl of summer.  Because from here on out, the food is gonna get "comfy" and hearty... just like fall intended it to be!

No real recipe here.  Just combine your favorite fruits of summer (in my case, just simply green grapes and chunks of watermelon), and get your snack on!

I'll be back tomorrow with something less-lazy... I promise!

Swiss Chard Smoothie

 

Okay, I know what you're thinking.  I've gone off my rocker.  That debate is still open for interpretation though. 

Anyway, there is a TON of swiss chard in this, but you would never be able to tell.  I mean, for one... the color isn't green - but that's due to the addition of certain fruits.  Fruits that help ease me into the realm of "green" smoothies. 

Back in the early weeks of the CSA, we had tons of greens that I kept needing new ways to use up.  And so I decided to delve into smoothie making.  While I'm not completely on the bandwagon with all-green smoothies - I really need the fruit in there! - this was definitely something I can find myself drinking after a weekend of really bad eating.  You know, we all have those weekends every now and then, but downing one of these smoothies just might make you feel a little bit less guilty about it!

Ingredients:

1 bunch swiss chard
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 cup frozen peaches
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
Ice
1/4 cup orange juice

Combine swiss chard, raspberries pineapple, peaches, and orange juice in a blender.

Add a few handfuls of ice to the blender (this is really up to your discretion) and puree until all ingredients are smooth.

Pour into a tall glass and garnish with additional mint, if desired.

This is definitely one of those feel-good drinks.  I thought the greens would make me not like this, but really, you couldn't even tell.  So a great way to sneak in some healthy greens to your unsuspecting children!  It's not evil, I promise.


What's your favorite smoothie?

Have a great weekend guys!

Grilled Peaches

Happy Monday!  This Monday is especially great because I officially started vacation today!  I don't have to go back to work until next Wednesday!  Major excitement there because I've needed a break from that place for quite some time.

Just a reminder, voting for Challenge #3 of Project Food Blog has started today and continues until Thursday, so if you would be so kind, check out my entry here, and vote here.  As always, you guys are THE best!

This past weekend was the first time I had to bust out my green pea coat because it was a tad on the chilly side.  I love this fall weather!  So to reminisce about the summer, and I'm sure this can count as an early fall snack too, I've included this grilled peaches recipe!  I just absolutely love grilled fruits and peaches are BY FAR my favorite from the grill.  It's simple, it's flavorful... and there's nothing better than having that juice run down your chin.  Yes, it's sublime.  So let's remember summer together and bring in the fall with these peaches!

Ingredients:


4-5 peaches, cut in half and pitted
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 tablespoons brown sugar
cinnamon (optional)

Preheat charcoal grill to medium high heat.

Brush each peach half with some melted butter and sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar on top, as well as a dash of ground cinnamon, if desired.

Grill peaches face down for about 5-7 minutes.  Flip over and grill about 2-3 minutes longer, or until peaches just start to wrinkle and get juicy.

Remove from grill and enjoy pure happiness.  Seriously... grilled peaches are one of the simplest pleasures that I find absolute joy every time.  Enjoy guys!

P.S. The blog Torview is doing an awesome Food Palette series and a couple of my dishes are featured on there right now... so check it out!

Cinnamon-Spiced Plum Crostada

I think this might actually be my first "dessert" type post.  Well... a dessert that I haven't had to come up with on the fly for a Foodie Fight battle or what not.  I have this trend of either making main courses, or as of lately, appetizers and sides.  But when do desserts get to shine?  Well, honestly, I don't fancy myself to be a very great baker or pastry artist.  I mean, with the likes of the Brown Eyed Baker, Joe Pastry (one of Louisville's own! btw), and Monet over at Anecdotes and Apple Cores... it's kind of intimidating to post dessert recipes. 

Another reason I think I stray away from posting dessert recipes is that I'm not one to stick to being precise.  Yeah, I have certain measurements depicted on my recipes, but that's just for formality reasons.  You know, I'm one of those cooks that doesn't stick to a recipe.  There's always room for improvisation.  With baking and desserts, I don't always think that's the case, and possibly why I fear them the most. 

But that's also not to say that I don't make desserts at home.  I make plenty.  And Andy can attest to that.  Just this past weekend, I experimented and made a bacon and french toast ice cream.  Was it good?  Hell yes, it was good.  Some say there was too much bacon, and I might have to agree on that, but interesting and new nonetheless.  Will I post about it?  Probably not... unless you guys REALLY want me to start branching out into the dessert world.

But this is a blog of trial and error.  So I might just be easing myself into the dessert world, but just know that it will be slowly.  Who knows when the next dessert post will be... but we'll just have to determine that from the feedback of this one!


Dough Ingredients:

1 & 1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 lb. butter, cut into small cubes
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling Ingredients:


5-6 plums, pitted and sliced thinly
6 tablespoons sugar
juice from 1 lemon 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour

To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the butter and work into flour with fingertips until mixture starts to look like a coarse meal.  Add enough cold water to bind the dough together. 

Form dough into a ball and flatten out.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 400 F. 

In a medium bowl, toss the plum slices with 4 tablespoons of the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Set aside.

Roll out the dough to your desired thickness and size.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.  In the center of dough, lightly sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour.

Mound the plum mixture in the center of the dough, and reserve any remaining juices.  Sprinkle the plums with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.  Fold border of dough up around the plums like a free-form tart.

Bake in the oven until golden brown for about 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, pour the reserved juices into a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 3-4 minutes, or until mixture has thickened and slightly reduced.  Brush plums and outer edges of crostada with mixture, if desired.

Andy will say this is not a dessert.  He doesn't believe dessert should include fruit.  This is where we differ in our dessert palates.  Me, I'm MORE of a fruity dessert lover.  He, on the other hand, is a "dessert MUST have chocolate" snob.  But he ate this.  And he said it was quite good.  And would have been better with chocolate.  Go figure.

Enjoy the weekend guys!  I know I'll be studying for most of it, but I don't have to work, so that's worth looking forward to!