There are nights when I could happily eat crackers and dip for dinner.  In fact, I am ridiculously partial to a certain eggplant recipe that I haven’t posted to this website because I’ve never managed to take a good photograph of it.  This, on the other hand, I think I did fairly well with.

And I know it’s a little 80’s retro, but I loved these as little hors d’oeuvres at the beginning of a party.  Easy to make for a crowd, and hearty enough to take the edge off without spoiling anyone’s appetites.  They’re easy, can be made in advance and left out at room temperature, and ridiculously good.  Try eating just one — good luck.

Also, the winner of the Max Brenner book is Natalie (who, incidentally, chose “oreo truffles” as her favorite chocolate creation — those sound awesome)!  I’ll be emailing later today for your address.  For everyone who didn’t win, you can buy the book here!

Roasted Garlic and White Bean Dip Recipe

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans
4 large cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped chives

DIRECTIONS

Roast the garlic at 400 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

Put roasted garlic, oil, beans, and lemon juice into a food processor.  Puree until smooth, then add the chives and pulse 4-5 times.  Serve warm or cold with bread, or pipe onto crackers.  Garnish with additional chopped chives.

→ 6 CommentsTags: appetizers · food

I’m pretty sure that avocados improve any recipe out there.

Crab salad?  Better with avocados.

Parmesan cones?  Fill them with avocado!

Chocolate cake?  Ok, they’re not in the recipe so far, but I bet they couldn’t hurt.

But pair those delicious avocados with fresh summer tomatoes and crusty bread, and you might my favorite dish of the whole bunch.

Lots of recipes call for cheese in bruschetta, but that always feels a little too pizza-like to me.  On the other hand, a little richness in the form of some healthy fat is an amazing addition that makes this dish more satisfying, .

I’ve been on a big natural-fat kick, which is so great for my hair and skin.  Dishes like this are such an easy way to incorporate fresh, delicious, all natural foods into your diet — and delicious to boot.

Avocado Bruschetta

INGREDIENTS

1 avocado, cubed
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 shallot, diced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
Dash of garlic powder
Ground pepper
Sea salt
8 French baguette slices

DIRECTIONS

Combine avocado, tomato, shallot, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Toss to combine.

Brush bread slices with additional olive oil and toast for 2 minutes.  Top each toast evenly with avocado mixture, and serve.

Serves 4.

→ 13 CommentsTags: appetizers · food

Would you believe that these have been sitting in my “drafts” folder for a full year?  Well, they have.  I had a difficult dilemma when September of last year rolled around with me having shared this recipe.  I could post them in October or November, but plums would be long past their prime, and either hard to find or unimpressive in most grocery stores or farmer’s markets.  Or I could hang onto this delicious recipe for nearly a year, waiting for plum season to roll around again.

I know that many of you are partial to free-form galettes, but to me, there is something so beautiful about a tart where every slice of fruit has been specifically placed — maybe they’re a little fussy, but they’re so lovely to look at that I don’t mind.  You can bet that this tart will wow — while a galette might be forced to rely merely on taste.

So if you’re looking for a way to use up a batch of plums from your CSA or backyard tree (hey, a girl can dream…), make this.  And make it this year, because stone fruits will be gone soon, and you wouldn’t wait to have to wait another year to enjoy this delicious dessert.

Plum Tart Recipe

For crust:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 large egg
2 tbsp water

For the filling:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp white wine or champagne
4 red plums, pitted and sliced into wedges

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, wine and plums and gently toss to coat evenly.  Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place flour, sugar, salt, butter, one egg, and water in a food processor.  Pulse until blended into one large ball of dough.  Roll dough out on a floured surface, into an approximately 12? circle.  Press the dough into the individual 3-inch tart pans so it fits into all the edges, particularly on the sides.  Trim the excess dough from the edges of the pans (should create at least four individual tarts).  Refrigerate the tart dough for 10 minutes.

Remove the tart from the refridgerator, and line the inside of the tart with aluminum foil.  Place pie weights (or dried beans, or rice) in the foil.  Bake for 20 minutes (the tart is easier to bake if you place the tart shell on a cookie sheet).

Remove the tart from the oven and remove the foil and pie weights.  Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Arrange the plum slices in a flower pattern in each tart shell and bake the completed tarts for 10 minutes, or until the plum juices are starting to bubble.  Allow to cool, and serve. 

Makes four individual tarts.

→ 12 CommentsTags: desserts · food