Blueberries are everywhere and I really just cannot stop making things with them. I have been eating them almost at every meal. They remind me of my childhood and are so delicious they seem like they’re not possibly good for you, but they are, they really are!

I know the giant containers that I see soon (for so cheap!) will be gone and we’ll be diving into a new season (hello, apples!) so I’m trying to get as many in as I can before suddenly it’s February and I’m dreaming of June.

This crostata was easy as pie (hah! Get it. Guys, pie is not easy. BUT this is, I swear) and reminded me that sometimes dessert that isn’t chocolate is fine. Good, even! Topped with some really good vanilla ice cream, this might be my new fave way to eat blueberries. You don’t have to use too much sugar if you’ve got sweet blueberries, and the crunch of the crust with the burst of the berries is something out of this world.

If you don’t have blueberries, or not enough, go ahead and use raspberries and blueberries, or blueberries and blackberries, or huckleberries, or even a stone fruit. You get the idea. Use what you want. I used this same crust for my savory apple & goat cheese crostata, and it definitely stood up for this.

I recommend white wheat flour for this – I used King Arthur’s and it was perfectly nutty and balanced the sweet of the berries out. Or use white if that’s what you have – if you want, you can even use wheat but make sure to add a little more water to the crust because wheat will make it more crumbly.

Type: Dessert, Treats

Author: Jennie

Oven Temperature: 375°

Difficulty: Intermediate

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Inactive Time: 1 hour

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all purose or white wheat flour
• 6 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 lemon, juiced and zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoon coarse sugar
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Mix the flour, 2 tbsp. sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the butter and use a pastry blender or fork to incorporate until butter is pea sized.

2. Add 5 tablespoons of ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together (if still too dry, add additional water, a teaspoon at a time).

3. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a flattened round about 6 inches in diameter. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. While the dough is chilling, make the filling.

4. Mix remaining sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, ginger, and cinnamon together. Add blueberries and toss to coat. Refrigerate until it's time to put the whole thing together.

5. When the dough is ready: preheat oven to 375, then roll out dough onto a piece of parchment. Pile blueberries (including liquids) into the center, then pleat the dough up to the center.

6. Beat egg and put an eggwash on the dough, followed by a sprinkling of coarse sugar. Place in oven for 30-45 minutes, until blueberries are bubbly and dough is browned. Serve with ice cream!

 

I posted this last summer when I was trying out new blueberry recipes…and it’s a fave around these parts! I can’t get enough blueberries this time of year, and I’m thinking of making these this weekend…enjoy!

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We’ve made it past Monday, folks, and we’re gliding into the week just fine. I’m being helped along over here by some delish blueberry cobbler muffins that I made this weekend. Jeff loves cobbler and he loves blueberry muffins, so I thought I would make some cobbler muffins and bring them along to an outdoor movie we saw this weekend.

Have you guys seen Wet Hot American Summer? It was pretty funny to see in on the big screen here in LA. I love summer and how it’s light out until well past eight p.m., and how every night can seem like a weekend, and how weekend nights stretch out in front of you with a world of possibilities. It makes my heart light and free.

This muffins also made my heart light and free. I used the Pioneer Woman’s recipe and simply put it into muffin form, and voila! These babies cooked up in just over thirty minutes, and they literally took five minutes to put together – in my book, that’s about as easy as a dessert can get.

I recommend you go see an outdoor movie (even if it’s in your backyard!) and bring these babies along. You won’t regret it, and you might even make some friends.

Happy August! Happy Summer! Happy Cobbler Eating!

I love snacking, and I love hummus. But I don’t always know what kind to buy, and sometimes I just want some extra garlic in mine (am I right?) So recently I made some white bean hummus with extra garlic. Because isn’t that what this blog is all about? Garlic? I think yes.

Hummus is definitely easy to make and somehow tastes a lot fresher when you do it yourself – maybe the lemon has something to do with that. I made this one with half white beans and have chick peas, but feel free to use chick peas all the way if that’s what you’ve got.

You can also use this basic recipe and make what you want with it – add basil, cilantro, parsley, or sundried tomatoes, chopped up olives, peppers…you get my gist. Make whatever flavor of hummus you’re in the mood for – and you can make it as thick or as thin as you want – I like mine nice and thick, but if you want it thinner, just add a bit of oil.

This hummus was super garlicky, but I maintain it’s because I used garlic cloves that were HUGE and super fresh…which made it very potent. I will admit, I enjoyed this with some salt & vinegar chips because I am a monster.

Do not skip on the tahini, though. Tahini is what makes hummus just leveled up. Tahini is made from sesame seeds, and it is a great addition to a salad, sandwich, a falafel wrap, kabobs..I could go on. I also could put tahini on everything, and I think you should, too. The recipe is below – enjoy with pita, pita crackers, tortilla chips, or veggies!

Type: Snacks

Author: Jennie

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 cup cannellini beans
• 1 cup chick peas
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3 tablespoon tahini
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• s/p

Directions

1. Drain cans of cannellini beans and chick peas.

2. Chop garlic and juice lemon.

3. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

I typically don’t eat a ton of tofu, because I am skeptical about soy products and because no one can make it as good as Rebecca, and now that she’s in London I have no reason. HOWEVER when Becca was visiting we bought tofu and didn’t end up eating it all, so I had to make the tofu in the fridge, and I’ll say that this recipe makes me thing I should eat tofu more often.

I also got sent some delicious peanut butter from the people at Pic’s Peanut Butter and I was anxious to use it for something equally delish. (Their peanut butter is made with hi-oelic peanut butter, and let me tell you this peanut butter is GOOD. Makes me wish I lived in Australia, because you guys know how I feel about eating local. If you can get your hands on some, you should try it – truly a great peanut butter.)

This recipe is basically a stir fry of whatever I had around the house – bok choy, red onion, some sweet peppers, and tofu, with a peanuty sauce. You could use whatever veggies you like in stir fry – sugar snap or snow peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, white onion, kale, spinach…you get the idea.

For this dish, I also tried cauliflower rice for the first time, and I am really into it, you guys. TJ’s sells a bag of it already riced, and I found it really filling and not at all like I thought it would be – it really tasted like rice, no mushiness or anything. I even convinced Jeff to try it. Have you guys tried it? What do you think??

I’m thinking of making this with chicken soon and adding it to our rotation (or I guess we could make it with tofu, we’ll see if I am compelled to buy it again!) Recipe below!

Type: Main Course, Quick Meals, Vegetarian

Author: Jennie

Oven Temperature: 375°

Difficulty: Intermediate

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients

• 1 package firm tofu
• 3 small heads bok choy
• 1/2 red onion
• 7-10 small sweet peppers
• 1 package cauliflower rice
• 1 teaspoon Hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoon peanut butter
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• grated ginger to taste
• olive oil
• peanuts

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375. Press your tofu to remove water, then cube and bake on parchment paper for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, chop your bok choy, red onion, peppers, and if needed rice the cauliflower.

3. Mix your Hoisin, chili garlic, peanut putter, and soy sauce in a bowl. Grate some fresh ginger into the bowl and whisk.

4. Remove your tofu from the oven, then place in a bowl. Put half the sauce on the tofu.

5. In a sauté pan, sauté cauliflower rice in about a teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. (This can be done at the same time as the next couple of steps, about 10 minutes.)

6. Meanwhile, place your veggies in a cast iron with a splash of sesame oil and the other half of the sauce.

7. Sauté veggies about 5 minutes, then add tofu and warm, about 5-7 more minutes. Serve veggies and tofu over cauliflower rice, then top with more ginger and peanuts.

Another month, and oh goodness are there goodies to collect from the farmers market! I love end of summer because the bounty is almost too good to be true. August means lots of tomatoes, all the fresh herbs, and tons and tons of stone fruit. Plus, watermelons slices, anyone? Here’s a round up of just a few of my fave things for August:

This White Wine Sangria is chocked full of summer fruit, including peaches, plums, or whatever your fave stone fruit is. Load it with some citrus, too, for good measure.

These Tiny Peach Crisps are a great dessert for peaches that might have gone a little soft (who can eat them all before they’re ripe) or for individual desserts after a dinner party. Sub in plums if you’d like, these are flexible!

I come back to these Steak Fajitas a lot because they’re easy to make and delicious for a couple nights in a row. Use any peppers you want – we have lately been using a combo of bell and sweet peppers, or even a jalapeño for good measure!

This End of Summer Pasta is great with basil, tomatoes, squash, or maybe throw some peppers in…the possibilities are endless! Go crazy, see what’s good, and add it in.

And, if you’re in need of a great dessert, look no further than these Fig Popsicles. They’re the perfect treat after a long walk or hike…I love figs so much, and this is one of the best ways to have them!

Enjoy all that August has to offer, and for ideas, and stay tuned for more seasonal recipes this month!