All posts tagged: thyme

Heirloom Tomato and Herbed Ricotta and Goat Cheese Tart

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August is playing a trick on us.  It’s usually a million degrees here, but between overcast skies, afternoon thunderstorms and temperatures hovering around 100 degrees, I’ve almost convinced myself that Autumn is right around the corner.  So pervasive was this thought that I actually turned on my oven and made this Heirloom Tomato Tart! I know I’ve been waxing poetic about heirloom tomatoes these last few weeks, but I cannot resist! Tomatoes are just so juicy and sweet and plump this time of year that I cannot help myself. Fresh tomatoes are here and we are stuffing our faces with them every chance we get! Before long, it will be October and all we’ll have are canned tomatoes or at worst, those awful mealy, off-season tomatoes at the grocery store!  So, I hope you’ll bear with me for one more week while I continue to gorge myself with vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes! This tart was inspired by a dear friend and coworker who makes the most amazing comfort foods!  She is the Queen of Cream; the Baroness of Bacon!  Everything she makes is just filled …

One Salt to Rule them All: Rosemary-Thyme-Basil Herb Salt

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One taste of this herb salt and you are going to be in love and you are going to use it for anything and everything this summer–from meats and vegetables to your Saturday morning eggs; you are going to find yourself reaching for it and wondering how you’ve lived your whole life without it!  At least, that’s how I felt about it the first time I tried it!  If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that I learned about this herb salt last year from The Splendid Table.  The concept is so simple–fresh, pungent garlic is minced into a couple of tablespoons of coarse kosher salt, then fresh herbs are added, bunch by bunch until you’re left with a verdant handful of the best smelling stuff on earth! Of all the things we planted this year, the herb barrel in the front yard is truly the only thing that can be described as “bountiful”.  French Thyme, Lemon Thyme and Red Creeping Thyme are starting to climb out of the barrel and drape over the sides.  The basil is abundant! …

Lavender-Thyme Lemonade Fizz

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It’s hot out here!  Ok, it’s not hot enough for me to complain about it yet, but it’s still pretty toasty with temperatures hovering in the triple digits.  I’ll reserve my complaints for when it’s around 110 degrees in the shade; but for now, I’ll just relax and have something refreshing, like this Lavender Thyme Lemonade Fizz. It’s bright and crisp and refreshing, like lemonade always is, but made special with fresh thyme and lavender from the garden! This very grown-up lemonade is a lovely sipper that’s not too strong and perfect for weekends spent in the hot summer sun! Remember a few weeks ago when we made Lavender-Vanilla Infused Vodka? Well, you’re going to need it for this recipe, so run and go get it now!  I’ll wait… Ok, now that you have it in hand, you’ll need about a half of a cup of lavender infused vodka for this recipe. If you like a stronger drink, add additional plain vodka–lavender is a very assertive flavor so a little goes a long way. Along with …

How to Roast a Whole Chicken

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It’s a little bit odd that this is the first time I’ve written about roasted chicken. I make it when company comes over. I make it when the Husband comes home from a business trip (it’s his favorite)! I make it for New Year’s Day, then I make it again for Easter. Really, is there anything more satisfying than a perfectly roasted whole chicken?  Golden brown, crispy skin with a perfectly juicy interior; it is comfort food at it’s finest, yet it can be a perfectly elegant centerpiece of a “fancy” dinner. Seriously, bringing a well-roasted, plump chicken to the table is a beautiful thing. It’s like the Thanksgiving Turkey without all the anxiety! The Husband brags about this chicken to his friends and colleagues, and I admit, it makes me smile…a lot! There’s no sweeter feeling than when someone you love enjoys something you’ve made so much! I learned the method of cooking this chicken from a Barefoot Contessa episode many years ago and I’ve made it so many times I could make it …

Cocktail of the Week: It’s About Thyme! Plus, Parmesan-Thyme Crackers

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Last weekend, I planted four new thyme plants in my little herb garden, so in honor of that, I’m featuring thyme in this week’s cocktail and finger food! This was the first cocktail The Husband and I learned to make together.  Inspired by that year’s winner of the 2011 Signature Spring Cocktail Contest: “No Thyme Like the Present“; it was served as the signature drink at my 40th birthday party (my, how time flies)!  The original recipe is a Hendrick’s Gin cocktail flavored with fresh thyme, subtle hints of cucumber and finished with a float of white grape juice.   The drink was amazing! It was cool and refreshing and perfect for an outdoor summer gathering. What I remember most was that I only had one glass of it and I was the Birthday Girl!  Why do I always get cut off so early?  Well, that was a few years ago, and I think my tolerance has increased a bit since then! My version of the recipe uses more gin, less juice and incorporated the herbs …