Bruschetta

 One of the best parts of summer is being able to get "real" tomatoes with a rich, fresh taste that year round tomatoes from the grocery store can't begin to measure up to. I've gotten to the point that I no longer want to buy grocery store tomatoes as there just is not any flavor to them, even tomatoes from Whole Foods that are premium priced. When friends gave me that last of their harvest for the year, I looked through recipes for different things to make and came across this simple and easy bruschetta recipe. We had a portion of it for dinner with cold smoked salmon, cucumbers and capers.

Ingredients

4 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, diced

4 large tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced basil

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. salt

Bread

1 French baguette, sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick

Olve oil for brushing

Directions

Make marinated tomatoes: In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, heat oil. Add garlic and cook until lightly golden, 2 to 4 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, basil, vinegar and salt. Add garlic and oil from skillet and toss to combine. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast bread: Preheat oven to 400°. Brush bread on both sides lightly with oil and place on large baking sheet. Toast bread until golden, 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Spoon tomatoes on top of bread just before serving.

Bruschetta, bread & smoked salmon

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

Fall season makes me think of comfort food. I couldn't remember the last time that I had made eggplant parmesan and went online in search of a recipe that was appealing and not too complicated to make. I found this one from Ina Garten. I had recently listened to an interview with her and wanted to make something from her vast collection of recipes, so I was happy to find this. While shopping for ingredients and seeing I needed 1/2 cup of basil, I bought a basil plant for $3.99 which provided me with more than enough basil for this recipe. What I especially like about this recipe is that it calls for a jar of marinara instead of a recipe for making marina, which saved me a lot of time. Another possible time saver would be to spray the eggplant with olive oil stead of brushing it. This recipe says it serves 6 but with a salad a bread, we had leftovers of four more servings, so I'll say it serves 8. 

Serves 8

Ingredients

3 lbs eggplant, halved lengthwise and slice 1/4 - 1/3 thick

3/4 cup of olive oil

1 TBSP dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce

1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

I lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

8 oz garlic and herb goat cheese

1 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

For the topping:

1 1/3 fresh bread crumbs (I use Panko)

4 cloves of minced garlic

1/4 cup of chopped basil or parsley

1/4 cup of olive oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees  

• Lay the eggplant in one layer on parchment lined (my choice for easy cleanup) sheet pans and brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle oregano, crushing it in your hands, then sprinkle with     1 1/2 TBSP. salt and 1 1/2 tsp. pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn eggplant over and rotate the pan, cooking for 10 minutes longer.

• In a 10x14x2 ceramic or glass baking dish, spread 1/3 of the marinara sauce. Arrange a third of the eggplant on top in one layer. Scatter a third of the basil, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the goat cheese and 1/3 of the parmesan. Repeat twice.

• For the topping, place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dish.

• Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are one of those things you don't think about much when you live in the land-locked western United States. If they do show up on the menu at a restaurant, it is rare and they are usually rather pricey. I was picking up a few items at Costco a few weeks ago and saw shelled crab for $29.99 in a one pound container. Crab cakes entered my mind and I looked for a recipe on line and decided to get the crab and make the cakes. All I can say is "wow, are these good!"

Servings: Makes 6 large crab cakes 

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes, plus at least 1 hour to let the crab cakes set

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggs
• 2½ tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
• 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 
• 1 pound lump crab meat (see note below)
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
2. Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
3. Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve the crab cakes warm with the tartar sauce.