RUSTIC TOMATO TART

RUSTIC TOMATO TART
This beautiful and colorful dish is great for every day but it is also a lovely way to treat your guests to a vegetable that is not only delicious but pretty as well.  This recipe came from www.tasteofhome.com.  It called for plum tomatoes but Olivia used cherry tomatoes instead.  This time of year you may have a variety of tomatoes still ripening on your vines so use any kind of tomatoes you like or mix them up for an even more interesting look.  The recipe calls for basil but Olivia used rosemary.  Again, use the herbs you like and experiment with various tastes.  Olivia made this for friends who came to her home for dinner and they requested she make it again!  That is without a doubt the ultimate compliment.  Try this wonderful tart and you'll add it to your vegetable recipe favorites.

-Nanette

RUSTIC TOMATO TART

Ingredients

• 7 sheets phyllo dough (14 inches x 9 inches)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 7 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
• 4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon goat cheese. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Repeat layers, brushing oil all the way to edges.

Sprinkle onion over top to within 1 in. of edges; sprinkle with fontina cheese. Arrange tomato slices in a slightly overlapping pattern over fontina cheese. Sprinkle with chives, basil, salt and pepper. Bring up edges of tart over filling.

Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Yield: 12 servings.

HOT CROSS BREAD

HOT CROSS BREAD
Hot cross buns are traditionally an Easter season treat that reminds us of the holy nature of the season by making a cross shape on top of the buns, but Olivia thought outside the Easter season and outside the box by making this delicious treat in her bread machine.  You can still add icing if you like and it would be a delicious breakfast bread or just about anytime bread.  The combination of lemon rind and raisins or candied fruit is what gives this bread its delightful flavor.  If you have a bread machine and perhaps you haven't used it for a while, give this a try.  We think you will really like it.
-Nanette

Bread

• 1 egg, plus
• 1 egg yolk
• 3⁄4cup  milk
• 1⁄3cup  butter
• 6 tablespoons  sugar
• 1 1⁄2teaspoons  lemon rind, grated
• 3⁄4teaspoon  cinnamon
• 1⁄2teaspoon  nutmeg
• 1⁄4teaspoon  ground cloves
• 3⁄4teaspoon  salt
• 3 cups  flour
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1⁄2cup  raisins or 1⁄2 cup candied fruit

• Glaze

• 1⁄2cup  icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon  milk
• 1⁄2teaspoon  lemon juice

Put all ingredients except fruit into bread machine.

Regular bread and light crust.

Add fruit at signal.  

After you've cooled the bread and removed it from the pan, make glaze adding sugar or milk to make consistency to drizzle but not run.

Drizzle icing on bread.

CARROT CAKE POKE CAKE

CARROT CAKE POKE CAKE
Fall is moving in where we live and the temperatures are starting to edge downward.  This usually means more people start making fall dishes.  Dishes featuring carrots, pumpkins, and various root vegetables and squash seem to take center stage.  If you like gooey and moist desserts, this one is for you.  If you like desserts that are one the sweet side and you want a recipe that is fairly easy but still very impressive, this cake is for you.  Olivia found this delicious recipe and made this beautiful creation.  Add this to your fall recipe collection.  We hope you enjoy this season as much as we do!
-Nanette

Ingredients

• The 9x13 Carrot Cake recipe of your choice, baked and cooled (I used a box mix)
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 8 oz Cool Whip
• 10.6 oz Cool Whip Vanilla Frosting (Cream Cheese flavor if your store carries it, mine doesn't)
• 6 oz (half a tub) of whipped cream cheese (must be whipped)
• Approx. 1/2 cup caramel sundae sauce (just pour on as much or as little as you'd like)
• Approx. 1 cup chopped pecans (sprinkle on as much or as little as you'd like)

Instructions

1. Leave the cake in the dish it was baked in-- this is not a free standing cake.
2. Poke approximately 20-25 holes, spread evenly, over the top of the cake with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over top, trying to fill the holes as much as possible.
3. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the cool whip, the cool whip frosting, and the whipped cream cheese until smooth. Spread over top of the cake.
4. Pour the caramel sauce over top of the cake, and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, really overnight is best.
6. Cut into 12 squares to serve (you can cut more, 1/12 is a pretty large piece!).

JALAPENO DR. PEPPER BEEF JERKY

JALAPENO DR PEPPER BEEF JERKY
Olivia found this great recipe on a website called Hey Grill Hey.  This quirky recipe can be made in either a smoker or an oven and makes this delicious beef jerky.  The spicy sweetness of it makes a great jerky combination.

I don't know if you have ever tried to make your own jerky but it can be great fun.  My father used to make a teriyaki jerky using a food dryer when I was a kid.  Boy was it good.  Beef jerky seems to be all the rage these days, at least it is around where we live.  It is a great protein snack, but you may have noticed it can be kind of pricey as well.

The biggest complaint I have about store bought jerky is the consistency.  Sometimes it can be melt in your mouth tender and other times it is so tough it can rip out your dental work.  Making your own can help you control the amount of dryness, the texture, and the amount of spice or salt you use  If you have never tried making your own beef jerky, I would recommend you try it and experiment until you get something you really like.  .  Don't worry if you don't have a smoker.  Try the oven and enjoy!
-Nanette

Ingredients

• 1 2-3 pound beef eye of round roast thin sliced against the grain

For the marinade:

• 2 cups Dr. Pepper
• 2 jalapenos sliced
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the marinade. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has reduced by half. You should have just over a cup of marinade. Chill the marinade completely.
2. Transfer the sliced beef to a gallon sized zip top bag and pour in the marinade. Massage the marinade into the meat and refrigerate for 8-12 hours, or overnight.
3. Preheat your smoker or oven to approximately 170 degrees. 
4. Remove the meat from the marinade and dry each strip thoroughly by laying on paper towels. Transfer the strips to the grill grate, jerky rack, or cooling rack and smoke/cook for 2-3 hours (depending on the thickness of your slices, some thicker pieces can take 4-5 hours). Check often after the first hour to be sure your jerky is drying evenly. You are looking for jerky that is firm and still slightly pliable, but not soft. If you bend your jerky and it breaks, you've cooked it a little too long.
5. Place the finished jerky in a gallon zip top bag while it is still warm. Don't seal closed all the way. The jerky will steam in the bag slightly and this step will make the jerky moist. The jerky will last 3-4 days on the counter or 2 weeks in the fridge.