Basil Pesto

My neighbor called and asked me if I wanted some basil. Of course I said yes. She was cutting hers back and hated to throw it away. I'm thankful for thoughtful neighbors. What she brought over was more than I could use before it went bad, so I decided to make some pesto. It's a classic that can be used in so many different things. Of course it's great on any pasta, used instead of tomato sauce on a pizza, mixed with mayonnaise for a tasty spread, and so on... Since fresh basil is so abundant in the summer, I like to make a big batch of pesto and freeze it in ice trays to use throughout the year. Just grab a cube or two out of the freezer any time you need some. Here's what you'll need:

2 C packed fresh basil
2/3 C extra virgin olive oil
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 C pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
salt & pepper

In a blender or food processor, add the basil and garlic and blend until finely chopped.

Add the Parmesan cheese and blend.

Add the pine nuts and blend.

With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil. Once it's all blended, season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you're freezing your pesto, spoon it into ice cube trays and freeze.

Once they're frozen, pop them out and store in a zip top bag. Any time you need a little pesto, just grab one and let it thaw and you're ready to go.

Enjoy,

Lynn

Texas Sheet Cake Balls

I was having a little get together to show off my new grandson and wanted to serve snacks but I didn't want to have to use silverware. My daughter's favorite cake is Texas Sheet Cake and that was her request, but that meant that forks would be necessary. Or were they? Cake balls are all the rage these days so I decided it was time for me to give them a try. The first thing was to make a Texas Sheet Cake. This is a cake that has been around forever. It's super easy to make, very moist, and chocoholics love it. Here's what you'll need:

2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 C water
1 stick butter
1/2 C oil
5 TBL cocoa powder
1/2 C buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Icing

1/3 cup water
1/2 stick butter
3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
about 11 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar
3/4 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup coconut

Frosting for balls

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 stick butter, softened

3 - 4 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups confectioners' sugar

First thing is to make the cake. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cocoa, butter, oil, and water until the butter is melted and whisk until well combined.

Add this to the dry ingredients--stir well. Now add 2 eggs, beating after each addition. Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda in 1/2 cup buttermilk and add to batter. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat all of this well and pour in greased and floured sheet pan.

Bake at 350 for about 30 min.

While the cake is baking, you can make the icing. In a sauce pan, combine 1/3 cup water. 1/2 stick butter, 3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa and heat for about 1 minute. Add about 11 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar, stirring to combine. Add 3/4 cup chopped nuts and 3/4 cup coconut and stir. The icing should be loose enough to pour onto the cake. As soon as the cake is done, pour the icing on, spreading it to cover.

Once the cake has cooled, it's time to make the cake balls. In a big bowl, crumble the sheet cake. Just use your hands and break it apart until it's pretty evenly broken down into crumbs. Now you have to have something to bind the crumbs back together. How about more icing?

Sift sugar and cocoa together into a large bowl. In another bowl combine 1 cup of sugar mixture with butter and 1 tablespoon cream, beating until smooth. Add another cup of sugar and another tablespoon of cream, beating well. Continue until all ingredients are combined and frosting is fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Now start adding the frosting to the crumbs, one big spoonful at a time.

This is a feel thing. You want just enough frosting mixed in to hold the crumbs together to make the balls. The easiest way to figure it out is to just test it. Using my small cookie scoop, I scooped up some of the mixture and rolled it into a ball. You don't want to have to pack it for the crumbs to stick together, because you can do that without adding any frosting at all. The problem is, they will fall apart without the frosting. The frosting is the binder.

Now you just roll them all. I would like to be able to tell you how many this made, but the problem is that so many people were "tasting" along the way that I don't think my count would be accurate. I decide to pretty them up a bit by drizzling them with melted white chocolate chips. Then I refrigerated them to set. They were pretty and delicious. We had plenty left over so I froze them and they freeze beautifully! Great to pop in your mouth frozen or thaw and eat.

I used pretty skewers to serve them. I was so excited to show off my grandson that I forgot to take a picture of the final product. Sorry!

Enjoy!

Lynn

Tomato and Gruyere Tart

I love home grown tomatoes and anxiously await their arrival each summer. I use them every chance I get, enjoying the sweet, juicy goodness that just isn't there the rest of the year. However, in my enthusiasm I realized that even for me, I had too many tomatoes. I needed to use some up before they spoiled. That's when I came up with this tart. It's super simple, only 4 ingredients, so you still get that great tomato flavor. Here's what you'll need:

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
5 medium sized tomatoes
dijon mustard
1 C Gruyere cheese, grated

Start by thawing the puff pastry in the refrigerator, keeping it chilled until you are ready to assemble the tart. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Now you need to prepare the tomatoes. Cut the stem end off, then cut into about 1/4" slices. After you've cut all the tomatoes, lay the slices out on a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle them with salt. Fresh tomatoes are loaded with juice which in this recipe is not what you want. The juice will make the pastry soggy. The salt will help draw out the extra juice, so let the towel absorb as much of the liquid as possible.

Now get the puff pastry out of the refrigerator and place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread a layer of Dijon mustard over the surface, stopping about 1/4" from the edges. With a fork, dock the pastry all over and make a line around the edge where you stopped the mustard. These holes will keep the pastry from puffing up in the middle. At this point I added a little chopped fresh rosemary, but you can add any herbs you like or none at all.

Lay the tomato slices in rows, slightly overlapping, until the surface is covered. I had 5 rows, but that may vary depending on the size of your tomatoes.