Grilled tomatoes from One Perfect Bite

I follow several food bloggers and Mary at One Perfect Bite is one of my favorites. She recently wrote about grilled tomato salad which was a step or two from insalata caprese another favorite of mine. I didn’t have pesto but I had fresh basil and garlic. So I chopped the basil and mixed it with olive oil and garlic. I cut Beefsteak tomatoes into thick slabs and brushed them with olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper.



I grilled one side of the tomato and turned it over…..


I covered the tomatoes with chopped basil mixture….


Then the mozzarella…..




Served with grilled hamburgers and they were wonderful – thanks Mary.

Shopping Thursday

We went to North Conway for a food shop and lunch at the Scarecrow Pub. We had a good time. And the sun made an appearance so I could get some pictures. Everything I see now is a picture but I can't stop the car every 50 feet.

Across from Sherman Farms I saw these bee hives and couldn't resist a picture. There is lots of clover in that field. We stopped at the farm stand. I really need to live close to a market because I want to buy some of everything!

I wanted to make pickles but resisted the urge for this month because there is too much I have to do.
I did buy some "real tomatoes" and made Insalata Caprese or my version of it.

Slice 2 big tomatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. Slice1 fresh mozzarella ball into slices (about 4 - I ate the small end). Layer the tomatoes and cheese. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with good olive oil and garnish with fresh basil. When time to serve you can add some Balsamic vinegar but that is optional. I make this mid-afternoon so that the tomatoes have time to react to the cheese and the olive oil.

On the way back to the cabin, in a lovely little cove up the street, there was a loon! Just looking at me and daring me to take his picture. They are magnificent. I will try to enlarge his image with my new PhotoShop software and book that is supposed to show you how to do everything!

Sunday suppers

I love Ina Garten's recipes. I have never had a failure or been disappointed in the results. This recipe is one that I make periodically based on one of hers using ricotta and Gruyere. It is perfect for a Sunday night supper.

Frittata

8 tablespoons butter divided
8 extra large eggs
1 cup onion, chopped
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tomatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute the onions in 3 tablespoons butter. Melt remaining butter. Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the ricotta, Gruyere, melted butter, salt, pepper and basil. Spray Pam in a quiche pan and lay ½ tomato slices on the bottom. Pour egg and cheese mixture on top. Place remaining tomato slices on top. Add a few basil leaves to garnish. Bake for about 50 minutes until puffy and a knife inserted into the frittata comes out clean.

The porch on the cabin is where we have most of our meals. The table in the cabin is usually covered with my sewing stuff. The table on the porch is usually set with dishes that I bought for the cabin. I have started collecting vintage tablecloths for both tables. I bought the set of dishes (lots of them!) for the chop plates and the large bowls that could be used for pasta. Of course, there are only 4 of each! They don't have a name - they have a number. They were made by the Edwin Knowles China Company in 1938 and the number is KNO154. They are perfect in the cabin.

It is still raining. We have been poking around antique shops and going out for lunch. We do not ask for a table by the window! Can't believe it is the 4th of July weekend. The sun will come out. The sun will come out.....