Recipes and ideas so you never have to ask what the forks for dinner!
Summer is officially over and gardens nearing the end of their season. Perfect time for Summer’s End Panzanella Salad.
Panzanella or bread salad is Tuscan in origin. Popular in the summer in Italy, chunks of stale bread, tomatoes, onions, and basil are dressed with a simple olive oil and vinegar vinaigrette. Continue reading “Summer’s End Panzanella Salad”
When your cherry tomatoes have taken over the garden…….mine actually buried my pepper plant…..you need to get creative. Balsamic Honey Glazed Cherry Tomatoes are my nod to creativity…..and the intense desire to not have my beautiful cherry tomatoes go to waste.
For having such a small garden, we had a big harvest. Especially cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. My poor neighbors must have wondered where we got all the produce we keep pawning off on them. I just hate to see food go to waste, thank goodness for neighbors.
With summer winding down I wanted to make the most of summer tomatoes. Nothing in the world beats their flavor, and nothing is more satisfying than growing them yourself.
Place red ripe cherry tomatoes in a cast iron skillet, with just a sliver of the top cut off. Mix together garlic, honey, olive oil, balsamic glaze, a good amount of salt, and pepper, and roast for about 30-35 minutes. Then garnish with fresh snipped chives.
Side dish, on top of pasta or rice, or bruschetta like on top of crusty bread with cheese. There is nothing these little beauties cannot enhance the flavor of.
Roasting them brings out extra sweetness and a touch of honey is icing on the cake…well maybe cake is a bad analogy. Balsamic and tomatoes are a classic combo, and this dish is no exception.
If you do not have balsamic glaze, you can either purchase or make your own. Balsamic glaze is easy to make and can store in the frig for recipes, or if you just need a little something for a garnish.
Speaking of garnish, fresh snipped chives make a perfect garnish for Balsamic Honey Glazed Cherry Tomatoes.
1 pound cherry tomatoes, stems removed, rinsed and patted dry
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Coarse ground salt and pepper
Fresh snipped chives for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400°
Spray a cast iron skillet lightly with non stick cooking spray.
Cut a small slice off the top of the tomatoes and place them cut side up in the cast iron skillet.
Whisk together the minced garlic, honey, olive oil, balsamic glaze and a large pinch of salt and pepper.
Drizzle mixture over the cherry tomatoes. Roast for about 30- 45 minutes until juicy, and bubbling.
If you have too much liquid after 45 minutes you can place the cast iron skillet on the stove top and reduce to desired consistency.
Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh snipped chives if desired.
Keywords: cherry tomatoes, garlic, honey, balsamic, roast, cast iron skillet
Brussels Sprouts Goat Cheese Bacon Pizza
Brussels sprouts are a love – hate vegetable. Most either love them or hate them. Tim and I happen to be of the love’m group.
I’ve roasted them with grapes, topped a brat with them, made a salad, and now have made two pizza’s with them. Our first brussels sprouts pizza was Scallop Bacon Brussels Sprout Pizza and it was delicious….brussels sprouts and scallops with bacon……yum!
Sometimes, you just know flavors that pair well together. Bacon and brussels sprouts, goat cheese, roasted garlic, and parmesan. Is it a traditional pizza…..oh heavens no, but the flavors are so perfect together, they deserve a turn on a pizza crust.
Marinara was the odd duck out for this recipe, but I needed a sauce and I had a jar of it in the pantry, so I took a chance. When making a recipe, I will get so excited over it, I neglect to write things down….such was the case of the marinara, so I don’t remember the brand. It had a touch of heat too it that was right up TIm’s alley. For all my misgivings about the tomato part… it was perfect.
Precooking the brussels sprouts until they are tender crisp gives them a light caramelization and enhances the flavor. Bacon fat doesn’t hurt either.
