I found this recipe in a cook book a couple years ago and photocopied it for later use. This summer was the first time we tested it and Brant ate it up. Literally – he ate the entire platter, by himself, moaning over and over again that this was so good. Can’t argue with a guy who has dressing oozing out of his mouth, can you?

tomato salad with corn and basil

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced (or to taste)
sea salt and pepper
1 pound mixed tomatoes, preferably heirloom
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 dozen fresh basil leaves, cut or torn into small pieces

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and shallot. Season highly with salt and pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes for flavors to blend.

Core the larger tomatoes and slice. Halve any cherry tomatoes. Arrange the tomatoes attractively on a platter and sprinkle corn kernels over the top. Drizzle dressing over the tomato and corn mixture and then scatter basil leaves over all.

If you follow me on twitter or faceboook then you know that I have spent the last 3 days helping my friend move. This has involved all the usual moving chaos – painting the new place, packing the old place, figuring out how to stay sane and not bite each others’ heads off in the meantime. I’ve moved before and the only thing that makes people more grouchy than packing is packing when you’re hungry. This is where I come in. I came to LA with an arsenal of easy to prepare, great tasting recipes to whip up. Among them were these sandwiches, this pasta, and today’s recipe: garbanzo bean salad. Clearly summer is here: the overarching theme in all these meals is tomatoes, basil, raw garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I’m not complaining, although I’m sure anyone else that smells us is probably graciously keeping their mouths shut.

garbanzo bean salad
www.allrecipes.com

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (optional – it’s good with and good without)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup fresh dried basil, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt

In a medium sized bowl, toss together all the ingredients and let marinate in the fridge for at least 45 minutes. Serve chilled.

On Friday I got a wireless remote trigger that allows me to take my flash off camera and therefore add far more interesting lighting to my photographs. Our chef friend Dave gave me lots of reasons to try this when he made dinner for us that evening. Here are some of the photos I took of his creations.

Dinner was tomatoes layered with goat cheese and basil and then drizzled with a balsamic reduction; a fried potato pancake; and fish covered with a sherry chocolate sauce.

Oh, and edible flowers. How could I forget about those?

Dessert was apple tart served with ice cream with more of that balsamic reduction sauce that had been spooned over the tomatoes earlier in the evening.

Delicious? I should say so.

What is that you said? You want a friend like Dave? I totally understand. But Dave’s my friend and I’m not very good at sharing.

roasted tomato soup

• 2.5 pounds fresh tomatoes
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 small yellow onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste (see note)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
• cooked, sliced bacon to top (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F.

Wash, core, and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and onions into a baking try. Drizzle with half a cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by a third. Remove bay leaves.

Add basil leaves to the pot. Using a blender, puree the soup until smooth.

Add cream, if desired, and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add brown sugar to taste. Garnish with a splash of cream and diced cooked bacon, if desired.

I stumbled upon this recipe last summer when I had pounds and pounds of cherry tomatoes coming out of my garden that I needed to eat NOW. I made it, tasted it, and nearly wept with joy. I love this recipe so much that I planted 5 extra cherry tomato plants this year just so that I could have an excuse to make it.

roasted tomato pasta sauce
www.foodnetwork.com

2.5 pounds tomatoes, cut into large dice (or halved cherry tomatoes)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
sprinkle of teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

Chop your tomatoes into bite-sized chunks. Layer the tomatoes on a sheet pan that has sides. Add olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Mix well.

Cook for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are bubbly and browning in spot, stirring once or twice.

While tomatoes are cooking, chop your herbs. No need to have exact amounts. If you want a little more basil or a little less of something else, go for it! I personally love LOTS of basil!

Remove tomatoes from oven and add fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Serve over pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

I had a friend visit unexpectedly a couple weeks ago and I had to come up with something fast and easy for dinner. I immediately thought of pesto pasta – most people love it, and Lord knows I have enough basil to make a couple batches. And Jen’s a suburban girl with no real experience gardening, so I was able to give her a taste of what it’s like to harvest your own food for dinner. We picked handfuls of basil and proceeded to cook.

We took our meal outside while some other girlfriends were hanging out inside. By the time I came back inside, I’m pretty sure every one of the girls that were hanging out inside had taken a couple bites of the extra pasta I had made. I got compliments left and right, and one foodie told me that it was the best pesto she had ever had and that I’m welcome to make it for her *any* time. Quite a compliment coming from this woman!

I absolutely love the taste of homemade pesto. This year, I planned accordingly when planting my garden, and I have 10 basil plants that I pick from regularly to make this awesome sauce. At some point, I’ll need to start freezing it so I can have the taste of summer in the dead of winter, but for now, I get it fresh, which is the best way to have it.

This recipe is from Cooks Illustrated with only one minor change (I decreased the olive oil because I figured that my waist wouldn’t miss the extra two tablespoons). If you haven’t figured it out by now, I LOVE Cooks Illustrated recipes. I recommend that at some point you either buy their online membership or get their magazine or both. I think what makes this particular pesto recipe so great is that garlic is neither raw nor cooked – it’s right in the middle, lending the perfect potency to pair with the rest of the sauce.

pesto

2 cups packed basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, threaded on a skewer
5 tbps olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound penne or bow tie pasta (if using)

Start a pot of boiling water for the pasta. You need it to have enough water it in that you can completely submerge the skewered garlic.

Put the basil leaves in a bag and pound them, mush them, bruise them, or crush them. Call it what you want, but you want them to be darker in color and a bit wrinkly looking

Toast the pine nuts in a pan on the stove until golden brown. Watch these carefully – they burn quickly.

Skewer the garlic and place in a pot of boiling water for 45 seconds. Remove skin. If you’re making pasta, start cooking it now.

Add pesto leaves, nuts, garlic, and salt to food processor. Blend until everything is well ground. Add olive oil and blend until well mixed. Remove from food processor and put in another bowl.

Add Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season with salt to taste.

Add to cooked pasta, if using.

Serving suggestion: add some sun-dried tomatoes and cubed chicken to make it an even more filling and tasty treat!

big tomato sandwich

1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut into individual sandwich portions
1-2  large, ripe tomatoes (preferably heirloom)
roasted red peppers, sliced (you can buy these in a jar or make your own)
fresh mozarella cheese
sliced turkey (optional)
1 cup homemade pesto (store bought can be used, but it won’t be as good!)

vinaigrette:

1 tbs fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)*
1 tbs fresh marjoram (or 1 tsp dried)*
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 4 tsp dried)*
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 tbs balsamic vinegar (to taste)

Combine spices and garlic in a food processor. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar and blend until mixed.

Spread some of the vinaigrette onto one side of the bread. Spread pesto on the other half. Layer with tomato, cheese, and turkey (if using).

Lastly, grab some napkins because these sandwiches can be juicy!

*Fresh herbs are ALWAYS better, but dried will work in a pinch. I would definitely try to use fresh basil if you can, seeing as how it makes up a good portion of the vinaigrette.