French Inspired Heirloom Tomato Basil Goat Cheese Tart

Tomato Slices Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar

My deep dish red pie pan and my thin french tart pan

Punch Lots of Holes! I think I punched about 30 in mine.  I don't use a fork, four holes at a time is not spaced evenly.  I use a very sharp knife tip.

All Put Together

Lots and Lots of Basil Strips

  The Balsamic Vinegar makes it a "Tart" Tart!  :)

The goat cheese balances out the bite of the vinegar.

FRENCH INSPIRED TOMATO BASIL GOAT CHEESE TART

4-5 ounces creamy goat cheese
3-4 good sized heirloom tomatoes (I used a mixture of yellow and red)
1 unbaked pie crust
2 tablespoons fresh sliced basil leaves (15 leaves?)
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1/2 cup Romano cheese

Slice your tomato slices to be about 1/3 inch thick.  Press them with your fingers just to try to get rid of several of the seeds and the gooey watery membrane.  Marinate in the balsamic vinaigrette for 30 minutes to an hour.  Set your goat cheese out on the counter so that it can come to room temperature for a spreading consistency.  Too cold and it will not spread easily for you. Turn once or twice to make sure they are all coated nicely while you marinate.  I do this in a big gallon sized Ziploc bag. I use a large french tart pan just because I really wanted this one to look pretty.  You could just as easily spread it out on a cookie sheet and roll the edge slightly.  Many different ways to do this. Punch several holes into the spread out pie dough and bake at 350 for about 6-8 minutes.  You just want to get the baking started on this.  When it comes out, let it cool for 2-3 minutes and then spread your goat cheese evenly over the bottom.  Retrieve tomato slices, and arrange one layer of them evenly over the surface.  Use any leftovers for salads.  Sprinkle basil and Romano cheese over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Let cool for 15 minutes and slice!   Such a great flavor combo!

Chorizo Quiche

This is so easy to make. Don't be dissuaded by the long ingredient list. Some dishes are best with simple ingredients, others are best with tons of them.   Great for you spicy food lovers! We make lots of quiches at home, some are very light, airy and fresh tasting.  This one leans more towards the thick, dense, and spicy.  Very satisfying.  Quiche's are great for leftover ingredients you have.  Have fun adding more ingredients to this one. 

CHORIZO QUICHE

2 links of chorizo sausage, casing removed

1 sweet onion (vidalia, use a yellow onion if you can't find a sweet one)

1/2 of a red bell pepper chopped

1 large clove of garlic finely chopped

1 small can chopped green chili peppers

1/2 small package of button mushrooms, de-stemmed and chopped

1 jalapeno, de-seeded, de-stemmed, and chopped finely

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 pie crust

1 cup of your favorite cheddar cheese, we used white pesto cheddar for this

Saute the first 7 ingredients together until the chorizo is thoroughly chopped up and cooked.  Prepare the unbaked pie crust according to directions in your favorite pie pan.  Some crusts you need to partially cook before continuing.  Pour your sauteed ingredients into the pie crust and distribute evenly.  In a small bowl, whip your eggs and milk together and pour on top of your pie crust ingredients.  Top with evenly sprinked cheese. Bake uncovered in a 350*F oven for 45-60.  You want a nice golden brown crust on this one.  Note:  It will be rounded in the middle until it cools and it will become flat again, it's just the trapped steam escaping the eggs.  Serve hot or cold.  Makes six nice sized slices. 

Serve with a small salad and some fruit like mango and peaches.  

Summer Pleaser: Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Proscuitto Wrapped Athena Cantaloupe Bites

What a perfect sweet, salty, and smoky southern summer snack! Can I fit any more "S" words?  Savory, scrumptious, succulent and salivous perhaps? Looking for a perfect brightly colored offering to bring to your friend's 4th of July celebration?  You must give this dish a try.  It is so simple and satisfying. :)

New Gourmet Southern Food Discovery:  Benton's Ham Items.   I couldn't be more happy.  This past weekend I was in Knoxville, TN visiting family and my aunt graciously sent me home with a generous sampling of Benton's products including sausage, ham, bacon, and prosciutto.  My first experiment with my new Benton's items was prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe.  I have had prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe, honey dew, and strawberries before but a good sweet cantaloupe is my favorite.  That said, my favorite cantaloupe is Athena.  They are particularly sweet and have a ribbed appearance around  them, instead of the usual roundness. 

This prosciutto is smoky unlike it's Italian mother and a bit more salty.  It still has that perfect tenderness though. 

BENTON'S PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED ATHENA CANTALOUPE

1 cantaloupe (de-seeded and de-rined) cut into 1/5 inch cubes

1 package prosciutto (It is hard to judge size on this.  If you are using other prosciutto, make sure you have at least 6-8 good thin slices) torn into 2-3 inch pieces

Wrap prosciutto around the melon pieces, if you prefer more of the meat, you may wrap the meat around completely, we decided we liked smaller pieces of the prosciutto and generally just sat a nice sized piece on top of each melon cube and secured it with a toothpick.  The entire plate was devoured by 4 people as an appetizer to dinner.  We just couldn't help ourselves.  I think you could probably depend on it being good for 6-10 people depending though. 

Benton's is a Tennessee ham operation that is quickly growing to be known to produce wonderful gourmet delicacies. 

Please visit their website to learn more and find where you can procure it.  I loved learned about how long they cure them.  Very interesting read. 

http://bentonscountryhams2.com/

The Girl with the Big Bows on her Shoes and a Parasol!

Just a silly little post that puts together three of the estate sale finds that I have acquired recently.

Blank Postcard from around 1910 that shows a cute squinchy faced lady with a comical hat topped off by huge white roses, white long dress with puffed sleeves (thinking Anne of Avonlea with this one),shoes with huge bows on them, and a black parasol or umbrella. I wonder what the special occasion was?

I love finding antique shoes that fit me that I can actually wear. Vintage size 6 AAA generally translates to a current 5.5.  These were meant to be mine.  Not sure of a date but the label is "Snappy Steppers" and just guessing from the leather sole style I am guessing late 30s or early 40s for these, love the bow! They are actually really comfy!  I was at a Sisters on the Fly event with my mom near Mentone, AL and went down to the swap and sell show.  One awesome lady was selling these... women had been looking at them for an hour or two before I walked down there, and when I picked them up and tried them on for a test run, several ladies told me that since the shoes fit I must wear them so I bought them for a great price of $15. Aren't they cute?

My purchase from yesterday... probably from the 1950s.  Pagoda style Umbrella/Parasol with a Wood and Lucite Handle.  Great shape with some fading from being put away for so many years. I love the curvature!  I can picture a silly photoshoot with this one or somebody posing with it wearing their wedding dress.

I guess I am the girl with the shoes with big bows and the parsol now! Now... where is my big silly hat?

Cherry and Juniper Berry Pork Loin

Just a quick post, I really should wait until the fall to post it, but I didn't want to forget.   I haven't blogged frequently in the past several months, and I have a stockpile of pictures on my iPhone.  They are not always the best quality pictures, but I didn't want this recipe to go to waste.  This one was a quick fantastic crock pot recipe. I served it up with some mushroom spaetzle. The inspiration came from a Bon Appetit magazine one of my dear friends gave me and I had a small bottle of juniper berries that I had been itching to use.  I would re-do this recipe around Christmas time.  The juniper berries taste like Christmas.  This makes me think of one of my best friends.  I once asked her why gin and tonic was her favorite drink, her answer was that it tastes like Christmas Trees! : ) (Gin's most dominant flavor is juniper berries in case you aren't a partaker.)

Cherry and Juniper Berry Pork Loin

1 unflavored pork loin

2 cups Pinot Noir (or Beaujolais, no sweet reds, you get enough sweet with the cherries)

1 small bottle of your favorite cherry preserves (not jelly, you want fruit bits, European ones are better because they tend to be made with sugar and lemon instead of corn syrup)

2 Vidalia or sweet onions sliced in rings

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tbsp whole juniper berries

tbsp olive oil

In your crock pot, first put down the tablespoon of olive oil and roll it around to cover the bottom.  Add the sliced onions and spread out in an even layer.  Place your pork loin on top.  In a small bowl, combine all your other ingredients and pour on top.  It will be lumpy because the preserves won't want to completely dissolve in the wine yet.  Pour the mixture over the top of your pork loin and set your crock-pot on low for 6-8 hours. We ended up pulling our apart like BBQ but you may want to slice and serve. A small sprig of rosemary would also complement this pork loin if you have fresh growing.  Just throw the sprig in whole and fish it bag out at the end.

 Warning:  The juniper berries impart great flavor but are not fun to bite into, we remove ours, but many people like to just crush them and pulverize them before use so you don't have to fish them out.  You could also tie them in a cheese cloth bag to retrieve.

I served mine with mushroom spaetzle this time, but next time I will be making rosemary black pepper polenta to go with it.  Roasted carrots and parsnips would also go well with this one. 

Oh yes, please admire my wood paneled kitchen and 60's snowflake and chrome countertops! I know you are so jealous of them! In high school I got the highest average in the house design class, I already have two alternate plans drawn up for the kitchen including all the wiring and plumbing placements. :) In 5 years, I think I may have my dream kitchen. I see white subway tile backsplashes, white beadboard, antique fixtures,  a black and white tile floor and stainless steel in my future.  First I am going to apply to every HGTV and Better Homes and Gardens Kitchen Contest I can first. If you find any contests, please send them my way.  

     

Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken with Greek Wild Rice

This summer's goal is to buy most of our fresh vegetables, cheeses, honey, and meat from the local farmer's markets in town. We had grand plans for a big garden this year at our new house, we even have all our seeds ready to go, but we have put it on hold and are just doing herbs in pots.  Next year, I will not be deterred.  I really think it is important to support your local farmers, and it is much better for your body to eat locally grown, organic ingredients.  We had so much fun at the Green Street Farmer's Market on Thursday in Huntsville, Al.  So many delicious things other than wonderful fresh veggies: multiple goat cheese stands, chow-chow, ice-cream, spices, honey, locally raised meats, flowers, gourmet popsicles, and even stands with complete meals ready to go.  We came home with some veggies, sourdough bread, and a mini bundt cake that was to die for.  Caramelized ginger, powdered ginger, fresh ginger, and Guinness Beer! What a combination!

Mango Habanero and Pear Riesling Popsicles! 

Ommmmmmm.....My husband enjoying his ice cream. 

 If we hadn't already bought some peach and blackberry ice cream cups, those popsicles would have been quite an experience.  It was a seersucker kind of day!  I wouldn't let him take a picture of me.  I had just come from getting an MRI and then went to a physical therapy session: Millenium Falcon t-shirt, Nike shorts, and hounds-tooth toms.  Needless to say, we were quite mismatched that day.  Must do better! 

Now on to our healthy dinner! We bought raw pre-made stuffed chicken breasts from our Earth Fare grocery store.  These are stuffed with spinach and feta and lightly coated in panko breadcrumbs and  parsley.  These would be really easy to make yourself and I think I will next time because I found them a bit bland.  I would have added more spinach, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper to them, still tasty though.   We marinated some zucchini and yellow squash slices in Caesar dressing for 20 minutes and quickly grilled them up. Now for the fun bit..... my new Greek Wild Rice.  Not exactly Greek, but you get the point. It can be served hot or cold as a salad. The special ingredient in this recipe is to buy the marinated artichokes in the glass jar, not the regular kind in the can.

Greek Wild Rice

1 1/2 cup Royal Blend Rice (found everywhere now, it is a blend of texmati, white, brown, wild, and red rices..... very tasty stuff)

2 1/2 cups water

1 tsp olive oil

3 tablespoons dry white wine

1 tablespoon drained capers

1 cup of your favorite gourmet green olive (we get them at the olive bar in Earth Fare, love the garlic ones)

1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts drained

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp fresh minced garlic

Combine the rice, water, olive oil, wine, garlic and lemon zest in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil and cover.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add in the rest of your ingredients and mix it up.  Place on another non-hot surface and recover.  Let is stand for 5-10 minutes.  This lets it all marinate together without cooking your olives and artichokes.  This stuff is seriously delicious and healthy. Enjoy!

There is nothing more difficult than trying to plan a meal for two people with completely different dietary needs. Luckily, my husband and I love pretty much all foods, so variety is not an issue. Currently I am trying to work this out by making really healthy food, and eating only half the portion my husband eats. We'll see how that works out.  Last week I had X-rays done of my lower back, and yesterday I had an MRI.  I don't have the MRI results yet, but from the initial X-rays I have a collapsed S1 (lower lumbar) disk that is squished like a pancake.  :(  Bottom line, it will probably never get completely fixed, but to prevent chronic pain, I need to exercise a lot more to get strong again and losing 25 pounds to get back to my 21 year old self (now 27) won't hurt. I wish I could blame the stress of graduate school, but I can only blame myself. My husband recently had an emergency appendectomy and needs to gain some weight back.  So far my plan of tempting him with a variety of homemade cookies and frozen gourmet popsicles has worked.  Upcoming posts will try to be very healthy, I just need to stay away from the cookies that I bake and not taste test them! Delicious butter, white sugar, white flour, and chocolate are my enemies!  Fruits, Veggies, and non white items I shall force to be my new friends!

Mother's Day: Smoked Almond Encrusted Salmon With Gorgonzola Carrot and Zucchini Salad with Amaretto Cake topped with Tipsy Fruit

Mother's Day Special

This year for Mother's Day we celebrated it a few days early.  This is what I made for my mom at our house. She and I have both started new diets so I wanted to try to be  partially good with our menu this year.    I can't take any credit for the salmon and salad recipes, but they are so wonderful I have to share them with you.  If you have Publix Supermarkets in your area, then you must be familiar with their Apron tasting stations.  This is the first time that I tasted the meal and then proceeding to buy everything to make it.  I have made it twice this week by request, and the second time I adjusted several ingredient quantities to tweak it. This is a great choice for a light and healthy Mother's day meal.  Very affordable too.  The following salmon and salad recipes are my versions of Publix's.

Smoked Almond Encrusted Salmon

4 salmon center cut fillets (1.5-2 lbs.)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp powdered garlic

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup whole smoked almonds ( I used Blue Diamond)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Place almonds in a gallon zip top bag and crush them using a rolling pin.  Crush them as small as you can, not powdered but try to get them pretty broken down so they stick well to the salmon.  Add the chili powder, paprika, garlic, and pepper to the bag and mix all up.  Place salmon in bag, seal it and shake it.  This worked partially for me and then I just scooped up part of the remaining mixtures and pressed it into the top of the salmon fillets.  Preheat large saute pan on medium for 2-3 minutes, add in the olive oil.  Place salmon skin side down first for 3-4 minutes, don't move the salmon around in the pan, and then flip them for an additional 3 minutes.  Remove the salmon from the pan and put on a serving plate.  To the pan, add the syrup and soy sauce, cook for 1-2 minutes stirring frequently and pour the sauce over the salmon.  This spice mixture and the searing makes this look and taste like a professionally wood fire grilled salmon.  The smokey almonds and the salmon are a perfect pair!

Publix wanted you to take the skin off the fillets, this is time consuming if they don't come this way, and I think you get a better seal and better moisture control if you leave it on.  Plus my silly husband loves to eat crispy salmon skin. Don't buy frozen salmon for this, just go to a good seafood counter and get fresh.  It changes the taste and texture if you want to do a really impressive meal.  For just everyday meals, frozen would be fine, but not for special occasions.

Gorgonzola and Zucchini Ribbon Salad

This is the first time I have ever eaten raw zucchini.  I didn't know what to expect at first, I thought raw zucchini would taste kinda chalky.  It was fabulous in this salad.  You marinate it for 1-2 hours and the vinegar takes care of that taste.  So light and healthy! Just try it once, you will be convinced! The reason this salad was so easy for me was buying the pre-chopped boxes of green onion, tomato, and matchstick carrots.  Just saves time, but if you have some great heirloom tomatoes or something it would just make it that much better tasting.  My only deviations from the Publix version on this one is the basil and more carrots.  I doubled their quantity of basil and used fresh not paste. 

1 cup diced fresh tomatoes

1 cup matchstick carrots

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette

2 tablespoons fresh chopped sweet basil

1/2 cup Gorgonzola crumbled cheese

3 medium zucchini

Combine all ingredients except zucchini in a salad bowl.  Peel the outside dark green skin off of the zucchini with a vegetable peeler.  Now start peeling ribbons of the flesh off from top to bottom, stop when you start exposing the zucchini seeds, turn the zucchini 1/4 of the way and start stripping again.  Discard inner portion.  Cut long strips into 1 inch pieces and mix all together.  Marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours.  Stir occasionally.  Leftovers are still good, but I think you have a 2 hour window where this salad is at it's peak.  it keeps for several days, but it is the mostly crunchy at the 2 hour mark.  Less than that and your flavors aren't really developed. 

Amaretto Liqueur Cake Topped with Tipsy Fruit

This is just a quick dessert that I mixed up.  I had a box of pre-made amaretto soaked cake.  I took a bag of mixed frozen fruits (Mango, Peach, Pineapple and Strawberries) and added 1 shot of peach schnapps and 1 shot of amaretto and let it sit in the fridge stirring occasionally for 2 hours.  Spooned it over the sliced cake and added some mint for decoration and smell!  Delicious!  This kind of cake I have found many places.  This one I got from Aldi, but I have found them often at TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, and Fresh Market.  It is a small preserved cake that has a small amount of different liqueurs poured over them.  They are around $3-12 each depending where you get them.  When you slice them, you get a small portion about the size of a brownie. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Double Rainbow!

Just had to share, double rainbow picture in Moulton, AL looking off the back porch at my father-in-law's house.  It was very beautiful!  Just a few days after St. Patrick's day.

Double Rainbow.... all the way!  :)

Romancing the Stove Cookbook Giveaway

Hilarious women empowerment cookbook giveaway. To enter, leave a comment telling me what dish you made for your significant other (current or past) that made them beg you to make it again. If you are not registered as a google follower, leave your email address. Good Luck!

Here is the amazon.com link.  You can click on the image of the book on the web page linked below and see some of the inside pages.  http://www.amazon.com/Romancing-Stove-Celebrated-Recipes-Delicious/dp/1573248584/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323827854&sr=8-1

Creating Antique Style Wedding Ephemera

I have finally collected as many wedding photographs as I could and I will be publishing many wedding related posts in the next few weeks.  This one is dedicated to all the paper ephemera I used.  I tried to use many antique wedding traditions and ideas in all the stationary items.  The only thing I had professionally printed were the actual invitations and we had silhouettes cut.  I made the programs on my own, my mother drew a wonderful antique style map to be included in the invites, I drew the guest sign-in tree, and my mother hand wrote the geneology chart onto a blank fan geneology poster. The silhouettes were copied and transferred onto the backs of the programs, onto wine bottle labels, and I had the originals framed and displayed on a table. Click on the pictures to see them enlarged.

I ordered and received a custom antique style thermography invitations from the White Aisle.  Rebecca worked diligently with me to get the right look and feel to it.  I just looked online to try to link back to her web page and discovered that Rebecca had been diagnosed and passed away from brain cancer in a very short period of time.  I am so devestated over this.  She was the owner of the most wonderful letterpress company. In her photos, she was absolutely gorgeous, the best way I can describe her is that she belongs in a Waterhouse painting. Here is her blog and some pictures of her. I cried as I read through her last several posts. The world has lost a very creative and a beautiful person inside and out. http://www.whiteaisleweddings.com/

We had our friend Tiffany ( http://serendipitybytiffany.com/) take some side-view photos of us that we sent to Tim Arnold, The Silhouette Man (http://www.silhouette-man.com/). They both did a wonderful job. 

Printed onto sticker paper on my computer and trimmed to size.

Not quite sure where we got it, but it is similar to this one with different shading. 

http://misbach.org/9-generation-fan-chart.html 

See previous blog post about this one.  Real 1880s wedding certificate that had never been filled out.  Photography done by Serendipity by Tiffany and Historic Walnut Ink Calligraphy done by Melinda Sapp (http://www.calligraphybymelinda.com/)

My mother drew the map, and I formatted the crest. We printed them on ivory colored post card cardstock that tore apart.  On the backs we printed accurate google maps directions in a calligraphy font.

So many etsy stores now sell hand drawn trees for use as a creative guest sign in.  "Leaf your fingerprint and name"  These are sooo expensive that I decided to buy a sheet of large sketch paper and do it myself.  I started off in pencil, then traced in fine point sharpie.  The bottom I used a stencil for.  

I made the two of us into little birds.

We had 5 colors of green inks for people to choose from.  One of the five pads was different and the ink pad smudged the ink pen marks.  The four pack of green that we bought from Joanne's was the best and we highly recommend it.  This turned out great because you never know what people will actually do with art projects.  We have a cute family of Beaver's at the bottom, their last name is Beaver how could they not be beavers, some wanted to be fallen leaves, one didn't understand and just signed, some thumbs have no names, and we have some spare birds. Currently hanging in our hallway, love it! I think I still have 10 people to track down, I have a few spare branches to fill in.

Scissor Art

weddingchicks.com has wonderful DIY free downloads

My Bridal Tea in April: Traditional English and Shabby Chic

   This is a very belated post.  I hate that word because I have been using it entirely too often lately.  Finally found all my completed wedding thank you's that had been misplaced in tornado/move and got them sent out today. " Belated Thank You!" Martha Stewart would be ashamed of me.  Happy Belated Birthday seems the most tame form of using it.   A few Christmas cards didn't get mailed, but a Merry Belated Christmas isn't effective.... must do better next year. Maybe my New Year's resolution should be not to create situations where I have to use the word "belated." 

This post is all about the classic English tea that was thrown for me the day before my wedding.

April 22, 2011 I was given a beautiful Bridal Tea hosted by my mother's best friend and my aunt. 

Knowing that someone loves you enough to break out their best china that will all have to be washed by hand I think is a great indicator of true love! Slaving away for hours to create perfectly matching tea party fare is also equally as proving of true love.  I am a very lucky girl to have such people in my life.

The table looked gorgeous! I loved her silver centerpiece.

Picture of me playing bride dress-up when I was 6. I was VERY into dress-up.

Part of the decoration on this table: Paperweight I got off Etsy.com

Inside the gold and glass rim there is a metal word art that says Fred & Anna

Back Side of Paperweight

Me and my Bic-Bic, Stephie and Merby

The stunning antique M monogram silver covered vegetable dish they gave me.

My Bridesmaids : Maiben, Anna, Stephanie, Me, Becca, Alex, and Mary Elizabeth

I love my girls!

Recipes will be and posted for the cookies, the apricot bites, and the espresso beef soon in a separate post.

Sugar Cookies with a Lavender and Lemon peel Glaze

Love the center tray! My old Madame Alexander Bride sitting on top of all the delicious petit fours.

Me and My Aunt Dana Bug

Southern Cheese Straws

White Chocolate Roses

Smoked Salmon Skewers with Red Onion Cream Cheese

Tomato Cups filled with Chicken Salad

This pictures is a bit fuzzy, but these were wonderful.  They are espresso encrusted fillet of beef bites with a horseradish thyme sauce on toasted rounds of bread.

Goat cheese apricot bites with a rosemary walnuts

Pimento and Cheese

Cucumber sandwiches

So delicious and pretty!