Heirloom Tomato Tart

As the garden begins to overflow with tomatoes (my favorite homegrown item) we find ourselves working to eat them as fast as they ripen. Tonight we tried this delicious little twist on an Italian Tart with my favorite cheese, goat cheese. It was super yummy! I will be making this again soon.

Shakshuka

So when you are jet lagged and you get home from being gone for several days and there is no food in the refrigerator except the beautiful fresh eggs your daughter in law gave you from her farm, what do you make for dinner....???? Shakshuka with fresh bread, of course. Tunisian in origin, it is popular in Israel as a substantial breakfast or lunch. Eggs, in my opinion, are so underrated. Packed with protein and delicious I love any recipe that incorporates them. I even love putting a fried egg on top of a hamburger! But, I digress....In this recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi, the egg is the season variant for the summer and early autumn, but can be switched out to eggplant in the spring or potatoes in the winter. Any way you make it, the richness of the tomatoes and the spiciness of the harissa adds a real punch to this dish. Super simple, served with fresh warm bread, done in 30 minutes, only a handful of ingredients I normally keep in the pantry...what's not to love. Bon appetit!!!!!!!

https://food52.com/recipes/65845-yotam-ottolenghi-s-shakshuka

Lobster Corn Chowder

Lobster is certainly a treat and not everyday fare in these parts. Prices up to $25 per pound. But I couldn't resist this lovely lobster corn chowder from Williams Sonoma. All good stuff...lobster, wine, chicken broth, CREAM, corn, bacon, fresh herbs...what's not to love here?! Made a double batch and enjoyed sharing it with friends two nights in a row. Simple, but took some time. Served with fresh homemade bread. Everyone loved it. Of course, it's lobster....who wouldn't love it?!

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/lobster-and-corn-chowder.html

Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb...a memory from my childhood when my Great Grandmother, Gigi, would make the most delicious rhubarb strawberry pies. Now, I am not a huge pie maker, but I still remember the delicious tartness of the pies and when my sister in law hands me a pound of fresh cut rhubarb I wasted no time making a rhubarb compote. SUPER simple. I chose Jaime Oliver's recipe for the simplicity and the added orange and ginger side notes. Delicious! The first night I served it alongside grilled chicken. Second night, a small dish aside some cheese and delicious crackers at a party and tomorrow will see it at a picnic on top of homemade vanilla ice cream. Very versatile. A short lived and often overlooked "vegetable", but it adds a zest to so many things that I will continue to try to find uses for this easy side dish. Bon appetit!!!!!!!

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/stewed-rhubarb-and-vanilla-yoghurt/

Thailand Spicy Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato

I love this soup. Very fresh flavors melding together to make soup, one of the most nourishing comfort foods on the planet, and a bright finish to the flavor. Although it is summer in VA we still are enjoying soup! This particular soup is light, but filling. A perfect soup for this time of year as it is light and bright and the flavors just explode. It's beautiful as well and the crowd was impressed! The recipe calls for chicken, but shrimp would work well also. Bon appetit!

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spicy-curry-noodle-soup-with-chicken-and-sweet-potato

Julia Child's Provencal Beehive Cake

Only about four times in my life have I set out to make this cake, but it is one of my very favorites. The brioche dough is what I use to make cinnamon rolls, etc. and is a delightful French treat that is not sappy sweet and more of the consistency of a pastry than a cake.  Filled with amazing rum flavored butter cream and served with a side of fresh berries and a cup of tea/coffee you feel as elegant as if you were having high tea with Her Majesty. Published in Julia's original cookbook, The Way To Cook, you can find a miriad of uses for the dough. While delicious, a word of caution when making this....the ambient temperature can have a huge impact on the results. It is spring here in Virginia, and although not super hot, I found the butter (yes, there is a lot in this dough) began to ooze out and I had to turn on the air conditioning and keep it a bit cooler, despite the fact that I wanted the dough to rise. It is a complex, but rewarding balancing act of time and attention to get this one right. Julia makes it look so simple. And then there is the full time and attention you must devout to the butter cream filling...trying to get the sugar water to the perfect stage and then incorporate it into the eggs without precooking them, only to beat the heck out of them to insure they are cooked, but not overcooked....Not a recipe for the faint of heart.  The good news??????? How can so much butter and so many eggs be bad?????????? While there is a trick to every stage to get it just right, in the end, the amazing ingredients taste so awesome that I'm sure Julia would give you an A just for effort. I find that making 1/2 the dough is sufficient and feeds a large number of people. It is very filling. Bon appetit!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Julia, for making it OK to eat so much butter!!!!

https://books.google.com/books?id=pzzHQdIXlPYC&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=julia+childs+beehive+cake+recipe&source=bl&ots=5yPI1w7OhQ&sig=c2y0i6-TJ6BqpcsTZwM3llyHudc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje9bbRxu_aAhWIMd8KHWfJDKcQ6AEIeDAO#v=onepage&q=julia%20childs%20beehive%20cake%20recipe&f=false

Pulled Pork BBQ

This recipe is so tangy and yummy. The guys all love it and beg me to make it whenever possible. Making pulled pork couldn't be any easier, (seriously?! If the guy who has the show 'How to Boil Water' can do it, anyone can) just rub it and cook it low and slow. Then just pull it and serve with sauce and homemade coleslaw.  The cider vinegar sauce is super tangy, but you can make any kind of sauce to serve with the pork. We just happen to like this one. Bon appetit, all my Southern friends!  (No pictures as they devoured it immediately).

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pulled-pork-barbecue-recipe-1953137