Roasted Tomato Bruschetta

I couldn’t decide what to do with these lovely little tomatoes I got from the farmer's market.

I love the flavor of tomatoes when they are roasted, so I decided to roast a bunch of these little cuties and make some simple bruschetta.

 

It made a lovely lunch in between baking and doing laundry!

What you need,

1 pint of tiny tomatoes, any kind you like

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1 large clove of garlic, peeled

¼ cup fresh basil leaves

1 baguette

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss your tomatoes with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Place them on a sheet pan and roast for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes have popped open and the flavors concentrate.

Remove them from the oven and place in a bowl. Turn your oven to broiler. Cut your baguette into pieces, and toast both sides until well browned and crispy. Remove the bread from the oven and rub one side with the clove of raw garlic.

Chop the basil and toss with the tomatoes. Mash with a fork a little to break up all the tomatoes.

Pile the roasted tomatoes on the garlic side of the toasted bread. 

So simple and delicious. The tomatoes are sweet and soft but have a nice acidity to them. Rubbing the bread with the garlic gives it just a little hint of flavor, subtle but perfect!

Jen

Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake

I am very fond of blueberries, well let’s be honest, I like all berries really! The local blueberries are in all their glory right now so I always try to use as many as possible while I can. These are the ones I bought at the farmer's market the other day.

 

This blueberry lemon buttermilk cake is heavenly! I love the tartness of the lemon with the sweet berries. They cake is soft and moist but the top has a thin super crispy crust on top, it is lovely!

You could make some whipped cream to go with it, but really you don’t need it. I could just eat this whole cake with a fork all on its own. I guess that is why all my pants are too tight!!

Here is what you need,

1 cup all purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar, plus 1 ½ tbsp. for sprinkling on top

½ tsp vanilla

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 egg

½ cup buttermilk

5 oz fresh blueberries

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and move the rack to the middle position. Spray an 8 inch round pan with cooking spray and line with wax paper, then spray the wax paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; Set aside.

Beat the butter and 2/3 cups sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest, Mix well. Add in the egg and blend well.  On low speed, add in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions. Mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries with spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth off the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 ½ tbsp of sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Serve as is with a fork, or add a little sweetened whipped cream; even a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream would be good.

This is a perfect summer dessert. It would also be a great addition to any brunch. It is so light and tasty.

Enjoy!

Jen

recipe from Tasty Kitchen

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

I bought these lovely beets at the farmer’s market the other day.

Aren’t they pretty! I decided to make one of my favourite salads, roasted beet and goat cheese, with arugula and toasted pine nuts. 

If this salad is on the menu at a restaurant I always order it! I love it. I have never tried to make it at home, but when I saw these beets I thought I would give it a whirl.

It was amazing and way easier than I thought it would be.

Here is what you need,

1 batch of my Favorite Salad Dressing

1 package of baby arugula

1 package of goat cheese

3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

4-6 medium sized beets, any color

First start by roasting the beets. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. Trim the tops and bottoms off each beet and wash any dirt off with cool water.

Wrap each beet tightly in a large piece of tinfoil and place on the baking sheet.

Roast for 40-60 minutes or until the beets are tender. I test mine by poking them with a sharp knife, if it slides in easily they are cooked. When they are done pull them out of the oven and carefully unwrap each beet and let it cool. Once the beets have cooled completely you can peel them, the skin comes off really easily, just use a sharp knife to pull it off.

Slice beets into rounds and set aside.

Next, make a batch of salad dressing. Toast the pine nuts over medium low heat in a dry pan. Be sure to watch them the whole time it only takes a second before they burn! 

To assemble the salad, place a few beet rounds on a plate. Dress the arugula with the salad dressing, toss gently. Pile a bunch of arugula on top of the beets. Place a few dots of goat cheese around the plate and top with a few pine nuts.

That is it! A fancy salad that tastes amazing!

Now that I know I can make this at home I will be making it often!

Jen

Farmer's Market

Every year there is a local Farmer's Market just down the block from my apartment.

It is so great to be able to get fresh organic fruits and veggies that you know were just picked today!
I got some great stuff today. Like these amazing beets,

and these heirloom carrots,

a nice little bunch of mixed tiny tomatoes,

and finally a bowl of plump local blueberries. 

I will cook up some goodies with this tasty bounty and post the recipes for you this week!


If you have a local farmer's market, go check it out. You will find all kinds of great stuff, and eating locally is not only environmentally friendly but it tastes better too!


Have a great weekend.
Jen

Watermelon Mojito

It has finally been sunny and warm here in Vancouver, about time!

There is nothing better than coming home from work on a Friday and having a nice cool refreshing cocktail out on the balcony.

I love Mojitos, a lot!  I thought I would spiff up my usual Friday cocktail.

I had a lovely watermelon and figured I could puree some up and add it to my usual mojito mix. It ended up being super tasty. The watermelon added a really nice sweetness but it still has the refreshing taste of the mint and lime.

What you need,

3 cups watermelon, cubed

12 mint leaves

2 tbsp fine sugar

6 tbsp fresh lime juice

6 oz of white rum

Soda Water

Lime and Mint for garnish

Makes 4 normal sized drinks, or 2 BIG ones!

Puree the watermelon in a blender and then press through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds and pulp. You will end up with a lovely red juice! In a large pitcher add the mint leaves, sugar and lime juice. Now muddle together to break up the mint and release its juice. Add in the rum and stir to combine until all the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add in the watermelon juice.

Stash in the fridge until cold. 

When you are ready to serve pour the Mojito mix into a glass and top with a splash of soda water. Add as much as you like, I like just enough to make it fizzy. Garnish with a wedge of lime and a sprig of fresh mint.

Instead of regular ice cubes I froze cubed watermelon until it was hard, and then just used those to keep my drink cool. That way your drink won’t get watered down and you can eat the lovely watermelon bits after. 

Have a cocktail, enjoy the weather!

Happy Weekend everyone!

Jen