Strolling through the local specialty grocery store the other day, I saw what could be called the biggest scam of all time.  Now, I’m not so “do-it-yourself” that you’ll see me on a Saturday cleaning my own roof gutters or even changing my own oil, BUT!!! $7.99 a pound for roasted garlic!!  You must be joking!  Does that come studded with pearls or gold….maybe some diamonds?  Or is that just plain ‘ole heated garlic you’re selling there?

Here’s how you can save yourself some dinero and gain bragging rights on how savvy you are.

What you do:
Start with whole, unpeeled garlic.  Cut the top quarter of the stem end off.  Slather the cut side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place cut side down in a casserole dish.  Cover with foil.  Roast in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  When slightly cool, you can just squeeze the root end and the roasted cloves will pop right out!  You can pass the garlic through a fine mesh strainer with a spatula if you like or leave the cloves whole.

Tip:  Roast a large batch and store in a lidded jar cover with oil and store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.  Use the infused oil later for sauteed vegetables.  They’ll never figure out where all of that sweet garlic flavor came from!

Today is the day!!  Every year on the last Wednesday of August (that’s today), thousands of people gather in Bunol, Spain for the annual tomato fight, “La Tomatina”.  Participants go through 90,000 pounds of fresh tomatoes in under an hour!!  The only rules are that the tomatoes are squeezed before thrown and that you go with a good sense of humor.

I can imagine that this festival would be very messy and equally fun…..but if you can’t participate, here’s another Spanish use for fresh tomato.  Pan con tomate is a Catalan recipe meant for just this season - when tomatoes are ripe and the weather allows for al fresco cooking/dining.

Pan con Tomate (Bread with Tomato)

You will need:

A loaf rustic bread

A head garlic

Fresh, very ripe tomatoes

Good quality extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

The drill:

Cut your bread into substantial slices.  Grill the bread.  Rub grilled bread first with a garlic clove and then with the cut side of a fresh tomato.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Buono Appetito!!

In these days of SUPER CONVENIENCE we can get “a rice casserole with the meat baked right in.” It can be cooked at the lightening speed of 12.2 seconds and on the table before little Billy can take off his soccer shoes!! But what if we want it fast and our way? Burger King is not the answer! We can, however, offer one cheat that is time-saving and not packed with preservatives.

Take advantage of the summer bounty by trying old vegetables in new ways. Baby beets are becoming more readily available, the more people see how sweet and mild they are. These are definitely NOT your grandma’s old canned beets!!

What do these cheeses have in common??

*Port Salut
*Munster
*Stinking Bishop
*Gethsemane

We’ll give you a hint….They would be great with a Chimay beer….

They are all made by Trappist Monks!!

Try this or any other themed cheese plate for entertaining friends! First one to figure out the similarity gets a bottle of Frangelico (based on a Trappist recipe).   We recommend your Monk-made snack with ripe summer fruit, crackers and a Chimay (also made by monks).

When we think of “summer food” heavy dishes don’t tend to come to mind.  This is the season to really let the ingredients speak for themselves.  That’s where one of our favorite bites comes into play.  There is nothing simpler than a bowl of pasta, a little garlic and a full flavored olive oil.

Pasta Aglio e Olio

Serves 2

Time 15 minutes

1/2 pound dried Long Pasta (Spaghetti, Spaghettini, Angel Hair)

4 cloves garlic (peeled and slivered)

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Pepper, to taste

Shredded Parmesan, if desired

1.  Place pasta in boiling salted water.

2.  Just before pasta is cooked, heat a saute pan on medium heat and add olive oil.  Cook garlic in hot oil until just toasted.

3.  Strain pasta and add to olive oil/garlic mixture.  Season to taste.  Toss and serve right away.  We like a little parmesan on top, but you can be a purist if you like.

Throw in a glass of crisp white wine and a crust of bread and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven!!

A great way to impart extra smoky flavor into corn without burning the kernels is to leave nature’s protective layer on while cooking.  This steams/smokes the corn on the grill.

Peel back corn husks carefully, without breaking off, and discard silks. In large bowls cover corn with cold water and soak 10 minutes.  Drain corn on a rack.  Place tabs of butter and seasoning all over corn.  Fold husks back into place and tie ends together with strips of outer husk or kitchen string. Grill on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals*, turning occasionally, 15-20 minutes.

*If you have problems with grill flare-ups, keep a spray bottle of water on hand.

If you don’t have a fancy plug-in ice cream maker, you can still enjoy the luxury of homemade ice cream without the hard work of an old fashioned hand crank machine.

Ice Cream in a Bag

Time:  40 minutes
Yield: One pint

3-4 pounds ice (about 10 cups)
1 cup kosher salt, plus a pinch
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Pour all the ice into a large bowl, cover with salt and stir.
2.  Pour milk, cream, sugar,vanilla and extra pinch of salt into a 1-gallon freezer bag.  Push as much air out of the bag, seal and shake rigorously until sugar dissolves.
3.  Place a wide plastic bowl on a towel.  Fill half way with ice/salt mix.  Place zip-top bag on ice.  Leaving the zipper edge exposed, place more salt/ice mix on top.  Cover and allow to sit 15 minutes.  Shake once or twice to redistribute ice mix.
4.  Without touching ice mixture (it is cold enough now to cause frostbite), pour half of the ice mixture into another bowl.  Remove the bag and lay onto a towel.  Cover with another towel and knead frozen areas to mix with liquid.
5.  Lay the bag back onto the ice mixture and cover with the reserved ice.  Cover again and allow to freeze for an additional 15 minutes.
6.  Remove bag and carefully clean the outside with a towel.  Serve ice cream or reserve in freezer until ready to serve.

**Note:  This recipe is for a basic vanilla ice cream.  Go crazy with additions.  There is no limit to the flavors you can come up with!!

Want to make restaurant-style bacon at home?  Skip the frying pan and go straight to your oven for the answer.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a single layer of bacon on a rack over a baking sheet.  Cook for 10-15 minutes.  Carefully remove from oven and drain on paper towels.  This method yields flat, crisp bacon every time without the hazard of popping grease.