Pico de Gallo

I don't bother much with salsa these days. Sure, it may be easier to make; throw all of the ingredients into a food processor and voila! Perhaps that is why I get so much pleasure out of eating pico de gallo; it ain't that easy. Getting you knife sharpened, because we're doing some chopping!

image from www.mexicanfoodandmore.com

Here is what you'll need:

5-6 roma/plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 of a large sweet onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or grated
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
juice of one ripe lime
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
couple dashes of Cholula hot sauce
kosher salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and cover. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Tastes best when it sits over night!

If you've never made homemade tortilla chips before, you are truly missing out. It's super easy and worth the little bit of extra time.

You will need:

1 bottle vegetable oil
1 package small corn tortillas (usually found near cheese and butter)

Pour bottle of oil into a wide pot (at least 10 inches). Turn heat to about medium. If you have a thermometer, great. You want the oil to reach 350 deg. If you don't have a thermometer handy (which I never do), allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes and test with a piece of tortilla (use tongs!).

While oil is heating, take 6-8 tortillas and cut into quarters (one horizontal and one vertical cut). Cut as many as needed. I figure half a package of fifty usually is enough for the amount of salsa prepared above.

Carefully place about 8 "chips" at a time into the hot oil. Once the color of the chips darken and the bubbling of the oil slows down, they are ready. Remove and place on layered paper towels or brown paper bags.

You can salt if you'd like, but it isn't necessary. This is a delicious summer treat, and the possibilities of it are endless! Enjoy!

Best English Scone Recipe!

I've had my fair share of scones. Some good, some were like eating hardened mud. Of all the recipes I've tried though, this one is my absolute favorite! The trick is to use COLD butter and a hand pastry blender.

Here is what you'll need:

from top left: two bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons, pastry blender, sifter, pastry stone, hands

2 cups flour

5 TBS sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick of cold butter, cut into 1/2 cubes (approx)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pastry stone in oven (if using baking sheet, omit this step).

In a large bowl, sift in dry ingredients. Working quickly, add cold butter to the mix. With pastry blender, cut butter in until the consistency is similar to coarse meal. Set in cool place.

2 medium eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In another bowl, beat eggs. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Add to the flour and butter mixture'

With hands, and working quickly , combine wet and dry ingredients until moist ONLY! Pat dough ball into an 8 inch round. With a large knife, score the round (without cutting all of the way through) into 8 wedges and place on pastry stone (or well buttered baking sheet). Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool only slightly. Serve with Devon Cream and preserves (recipe to follow). Enjoy!

Summer Salads

I was a vegetarian for 14 years, so salads were a staple of my diet, and still are today. I was always coming up with new concoctions, like a mad scientist, and the kitchen was my lab.

Here is a super easy recipe I came up with a few years ago and at for almost a month straight! If you must have a protein, grilled chicken would be alright, but honestly, the recipe is better without it.

1 bunch of Arugula

If you are fortunate to have a little plot of tilled dirt outside of your back door, grow this. It doesn't require extra care and the rewards a many. The taste is peppery, verdant, and a compliment to all salads.

Tear off the very bottom of stems if they appear discolored.

1 small head of Radicchio

Radicchio has crunch that is able to hold up in most salads.

Use about half a head, cut in quarters, and give it a rough chiffonade.

3 medium sized Carrots

I always buy organic carrots in a bunch with leaves on. It gives you a pretty good idea of how long they've been out of the ground. If you're in a pinch, 1 pre-shredded bag of carrots will work fine (use about 1/2 of the bag).

Shred the carrots with a box grater. If your carrots are on the small side, shred 4.

1 cup of mixed Olives (with their oil)

I get mine from the olive bar at the grocery store and mix the different

varieties. If you want a little kick, get a few of the marinated Greek olives with red pepper flakes. Spoon in some of their oils too. Pit in or out, depending on how much of a purist you are.

8 ounces of good Bleu Cheese or Gorgonzola

I buy chunks and crumble myself. I don't know if this really has anything to do with the end product, but it makes me feel a little less Sandra Lee.

I like Maytag and farmhouse buttermilk bleus.

4 medium sized Sun dried Tomatoes (packed in oil)

Just give a rough chop and reserve some of the oil.

In a serving bowl, add your bleu cheese, olives (with 1tbs oil) and sun dried tomatoes (with 1/2 tbs oil). Give it a toss. Add the carrots and radicchio and toss again. Pile on top of the arugula just before serving.

You can make this recipe a day or two before hand, omitting the arugula. Add some mild herbs like parsley or chervil with a squeeze from a lemon quarter.

Serves about 4 as a side. Double amounts for a dinner get together. Perfect with a vodka martini!