Dips & Spreads

Black and Green Olive Tapenades

March 22, 2018

Traditional Olive Tapenade is hard to beat. The briny, dark purple, Greek Kalamata olives mixed with capers, lemon, olive oil and all kinds of good stuff create the ultimate spread. What do you say we go one step further? Making an additional tapenade with either buttery green Frescatrono or Castelvetrano olives puts an entire new spin on things. Serve them side-by-side so you can tell the distinct difference in taste, or mix them together for the ultimate tapenade experience. You will swoon over this spooned onto crusty Artisan bread. But this stuff isn’t just a one-trick pony – I love to keep a constant stash in my refrigerator to slather on chicken or fish before baking or grilling, and it is guaranteed to blow your mind if you dollop generously on rice or other grains. Check out the recipe below to see how incredibly fast and easy this one is…

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Homemade Fresh Basil Pesto with Fusilli Pasta

August 25, 2017

Here we have Summer in a jar. This recipe uses a lot less olive oil than most, and that’s just because I like the basil to do the talking, not anything else.. I’ve been making pesto for many years, and this recipe has changed, and gotten easier, with time. I find it’s not necessary to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and also not necessary to use the ultra-expensive pine nuts if you’d rather not. After using walnuts for eons, I changed to pumpkin seeds because so many of our friends & family have nut allergies, and didn’t want them to miss out on this sauce that finds it’s way into everything from appetizers to pasta. I really like the pumpkin seed flavor better than anything. Such is life – just keep experimenting!

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Bruschetta with Fresh Cherries, Mascarpone & Balsamic Syrup

July 7, 2017

Don’t you just love fresh cherries? Me too, and I can be found shoving a handful in my mouth at any given time of the day when they are in season. Here’s an easy way to enjoy them that makes them even more delicious than they are fresh off the tree – just about. As is the case in most of our recipes, all of the elements of this one can be made in advance and put together right before serving. Great for an outdoor barbecue, or just all by yourself, munching away in the kitchen without a care in the world. Let’s hop on over the to the blog and you can see for yourself just how easy this whole thing is!…

Fresh Strawberry Jam

June 21, 2017

I cannot bring myself to tell you how many eons I have been making strawberry jam, but it wasn’t until the last three years that I figured out how to make it so that it tastes like fresh strawberries for the entire year. I’m talking about the cooked jam recipes, which I’ve always preferred over the less ‘set’ freezer jams. The secret? First of all, play a little fast and loose with the amount of fruit you use, and secondly – don’t use a canner if you are making cooked jam. Here’s the thing….canning jam does make it ‘shelf stable’, but after a few short months both the color and flavor start to deteriorate in a big way. Freezer jam always tastes like fresh berries, so I figured, “what the heck? Let’s make the best of both worlds”, so that’s what I did. It’s a whole lot less mess and effort, and a whole lot more flavor to boot. Come on along with me and check it out.

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Grilled Mini-Peppers with Sriracha Dip

June 8, 2017

Father’s Day is right around the corner, and many of us will be firing up the grill to celebrate our dads. My dad happens to be in Heaven (I hope) but I will still be celebrating him because he was a one-of-a-kind, wonderful guy. This is just about as easy as it gets, but you’d never know it by how delicious these little bites are. For those times when chips and dips just won’t cut it, or if you want something just a little more special and you happen to have the grill fired up, this will do the trick. Quick sear those sweet little mini-peppers until just charred. And either hot off the grill, or at room temperature, smother them in this creamy and just-as-spicy-as-you-like it dip. It’s go time. Make plenty – these guys go fast….

Guacamole

May 18, 2017

Here is yet another masterpiece from my Sis. Before she pointed out – none too tactfully – that the way I made Guacamole pretty much sucked, I was content to mash up some avocados and add a couple of squirts of lime juice. Once I tasted her Guacamole, there was no turning back. This is the best I’ve ever tried, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister. Rich with ripe avocado, brightened with lime juice, the spiced with just the right amount of habanero chili, cilantro, and green onion. This guacamole is the perfect side dish to a Mexican feast, or on the other hand you could just hide in a room with a bag of chips and eat the whole batch all by yourself. By the way, feel free to change up the amount of cilantro, garlic, and habanero to suit your own taste – it will just be all the better that way.

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Creamy Two Cheese Fondue

February 16, 2017

Every time I hear the word ‘fondue’, I go immediately into mouth-watering mode. Yes, I know, it’s kind of retro, but to my mind whoever invented it is a genius. Besides, I think it’s quite timely and very appropriate for our remaining rainy evenings that don’t seem to have any interest in making way for Spring. It’s fun for a party or other gathering, but just as much fun sitting in front of the TV for solo or family scooping. If you have and old fondue pot hanging around, now is the time to haul it out. If you don’t have one, a small slow cooker will also do the trick. You can also make fondue on the stovetop, but it requires some dashing back to the stove to reheat and exceptionally fast eating. In all instances, it’s worth it. It’s also one of the simplest things to make in our entire recipe collection, so no need to hesitate…

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Roasted Tomato Butter

October 3, 2015

I know, I know. We wait for tomato season all year, then at some point in the summer become buried alive by them and wonder if it will ever be over. We do not despise tomatoes, we are just overwhelmed. Once they are out of the garden we will crave them all winter long, so here’s a little recipe that will help you remember those tomato days of summer.

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