Roasted Summer Vegetables

Roasted Summer Vegetables is a great side dish. What I like about it is that it's really easy to put together  and the taste of seasonal vegetables really shines through this dish. This recipe is a no brainer. 

This colorful dish is very versatile too. With the left overs (if any) you can make a really delicious sandwich the next day or even toss it with some pasta. 

On a different note, super talented Sylvie from Gourmande in the Kitchen, is doing a series of food photography and styling posts with really great information and tips on how to achieve beautiful images. If food photography is you passion but don't know how to start or even if you are a pro, head over her blog to get inside information from amazing people in the industry.  

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini, cut into 1 inch slices

1 large yellow summer squash, cut into 1 inch slices

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 heads of garlic

2 red onions, quartered 

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

few rosemary sprigs 

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss all the ingredients and arrange them in a baking sheet making sure they are in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes or until veggies are tender. 

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Fig Ice Cream

It's fig season!! I've been waiting all summer for this. As I mentioned before, I'm fortunate to have a fig tree in my backyard and I already have been taking advantage of it. We have been eating figs in salads, desserts, and the latest treat, fig ice cream.

Fig ice cream is one of the best ways to enjoy perfectly ripe figs. This recipe makes a creamy, sweet and rich ice cream. I don't break down the figs too much because I love to find pieces of it in my scoop. I also love the texture from the seed of the figs, is that too weird? I love it anyway. 

I hope you like figs because more recipes are coming :). Last year we had so much fig all the way to late October,  I gathered the last bunch from the tree and made a huge batch of fig jam that I ended up giving away. I hope this year will be as good.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 egg yolk

1/2 cup sugar, divided 

2 cups figs, quartered 

2 tbsp honey 

1/2 tsp vanilla bean extract

In a large saucepan, combine the figs, half of the sugar and honey. Let it macerate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens. At this point, break down the fig (as much as you like) with a potato masher, cook for 3 minutes more. Let it cool completely, cover and refrigerate it for a couple of hours  until well chill. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the rest of the sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow. In another saucepan, combine milk, heavy cream and the vanilla bean. Heat the mixture until just begin to boil (but don't let it boil) Temper the milk mixture over the eggs, mix well and return the saucepan to the heat. Cook for three minutes more stirring well. Don't let the mixture come to boil. Let it cool completely, cover and refrigerate it for a couple of hours  until well chill. When ready, combine well the figs and the milk mixture and pour it into an ice cream maker and follow manufacture's instructions. 

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Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp

What's a Summer without strawberry and rhubarb crisp? It's like saying no apple pie in the Fall. I must confess,  I was not a big fan of rhubarb before but I learned to love it through this dessert and now it's a must-have during Summer for me. 

This Summer classic has everything I love about a dessert, a warm filling contrasting with a scoop of silky vanilla ice cream and the crunch from the topping. It just makes me happy. I love to make individual servings but it's totally ok to make it in a large container (cast iron skillets are great for it). 

Another thing I enjoy is rhubarb jam, have you had it before? It's amazing! I had it for the first time last year and I immediately fell in love. Well, that's another post but for now I leave you with the recipe. Enjoy!!  :) 

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

Topping 

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick of butter (cold and cut int pieces)

1/4 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp cardamon

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Filling

1/2 lb. rhubarb, cut into 1-inch diced 

1/2 lb. strawberry, hulled and quartered

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp corn starch

2 tbsp water

Preheat the oven 350 F

For the filling, mix the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and add it to the fruit.  Cook the whole thing for about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture in individual ramekins  (or one 8-inch pan) and set aside. For the topping, place the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, oatmeal, cardamon and cinnamon into a food processor and pulse  few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse a few more times until the mixture gets a crumbly consistency. Mix in the almonds (with a spoon). Sprinkle the topping over the fruit mixture covering completely and bake for 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.  

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Peach Iced Tea

It's been HOT HOT HOT in New York. I know I always complain about how hot it gets here but I can't help it. All I want to do is get into a pool filled with iced water, ok, maybe not iced water but really cold water. 

Ok, I'll just stop complaining and share with you this recipe that makes my hot Summer days much better, peach iced tea. It's light and really refreshing which makes it impossible to drink only one glass. 

The sweet taste of ripe peaches enhanced with a little bit if agave against green tea  works fantastic. Not only does it taste good but it looks good too, that beautiful yellow color contrasting with the green from the mint makes it nice and colorful for a Summer party. A true crowd-pleaser. 

Happy 4th of July!

Ingredients:

makes 4 to 6 servings

3 cups of water

3 tsp green tea (or whatever you like)

4 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 cup of cold water

4 tbsp organic agave nectar 

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Turn off heat. Add tea and steep for 3 to 5 minutes, be careful not to over steep your tea or it will become bitter. Strain the tea and allow to cool. Place the peaches and the remaining 1 1/2 cup water in a blender and puree until smooth, strain it and discard the pulp. Combine the cool tea, peach puree and agave nectar in to a pitcher. Serve with lots of ice and garnish with mint.

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