HEIRLOOM CHERRY TOMATO SALAD WITH FARRO & GOAT CHEESE BALLS

Is there a word for the fear of missing something just before it's gone? This goes far deeper than simple FOMO...it's like a visceral reaction to something that's just about to leave a gaping hole in your life for some time. Not to sound overly dramatic, but I go through some version of this feeling every year when tomato season ends. Late summer is a glorious time for ripe tomatoes, and when it ends in late September (approximately five seconds from now), I can't help but think back in a panic over all the fresh salsas I could have made, all the juicy sandwiches I could have enjoyed, all the amazing salads I could have served. Whatever this feeling is, it deserves a word (do the Germans have one? Someone call the Germans).

Looking to make the most of the last five seconds of peak tomato season? Here's a quick recipe that packs in huge handfuls of tiny, delicious tomatoes, healthful grains, and a glamorous co-star that deserves equal billing: fresh goat cheese rolled in finely chopped sunflower seeds and za'atar spice mix. Bursting with sunshiney flavor from the tomatoes and basil, yet possessing an autumnal richness from chewy grains and creamy chevre, this dish helps to bridge the harvest season gap between summer and fall to perfection. Get this on the table tonight before that seasonal-melancholy-that-must-not-be-named sets in!

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Farro & Goat Cheese Balls

8 oz. fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup za'atar spice mix
1 cup uncooked farro
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
salt & pepper
1/4 cup chopped shallot
3 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes (the more colorful, the better)

Finely chop the sunflower seeds with a sharp knife, sprinkle on a plate. Sprinkle with za'atar mix. Roll goat cheese into small balls of about a teaspoon each (the size of a large marble), then roll each ball in the seed & spice mixture. Set aside on a clean plate and refrigerate.

In a large pot, combine farro and stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover pot and simmer until farro is chewy-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork and spread on a large platter to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey and basil, taste and add salt & pepper to your preference. Add shallot & cherry tomatoes, toss until well combined. To serve, place tomato mixture on top of cooled farro, placing refrigerated goat cheese balls here and there on top of the salad.

BUCKWHEAT CREPES WITH FIGS, MASCARPONE + HONEY

Breakfast is a tricky, hurried time. Most mornings it's all I can do to hurriedly eat a cup of Greek yogurt or, even less glamorously, pick at pieces of scrambled egg from my eight-month-old's untouched plate (I know, #momlife, right?). But that doesn't mean that I don't dream of more lavish breakfasts, and when we have the extravagant option of more free time on weekend mornings, I like to do the whole "luxury" thing right. Lighting a favorite candle is a great way to kick off that weekend meditative vibe, and lately I've been blissing out to the sweet fragrance of a buckwheat & honey natural beeswax candle from my friends at Northern Lights....in fact, it's the scent that inspired this breakfast flavor combination!

Picturing a golden stack of nutty, warm buckwheat crepes, I imagined them generously schmeared with whipped mascarpone and a drizzle of honey, accompanied by juicy, ripe late summer figs. A scattering of fresh thyme leaves adds a lightly herbaceous note that finishes these dreamy pancakes off perfectly. You can easily adapt this recipe year-round for whatever's in season, or to go with your favorite jam or preserves, but try it while figs are still in season and see if it doesn't become your new favorite end-of-summer treat. Happy brunching, all!

Buckwheat Crepes
Makes about 8 10" crepes"

FOR THE CREPES:

3 tablespoons butter, plus more for the pan
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup water
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons honey

FOR TOPPINGS (amounts vary, to taste):

Mascarpone, at room temperature & whipped until fluffy
Honey
Sliced fresh figs
Fresh thyme

Melt three tablespoons of butter, reserving the rest. In a mixing bowl, combine both flours and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together yogurt, water, egg, honey and melted butter. Slowly add flour mixture, whisking until you have a smooth, runny batter.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add a small knob of butter (maybe half a teaspoon, enough to melt and coat the bottom of the pan. Once the pan is hot and butter is sizzling, ladle batter 1/3 of a cup at a time into pan, swirling to create a large, thin pancake. Once bubbles form on the crepe surface, flip with a spatula, and cook until golden brown on both sides. Add a small amount of butter every time the pan seems dry in between crepes.

To serve crepes, fold in half on a plate, add a schmear of mascarpone and a drizzle of honey, fold in half again and finish with more honey. Surround crepe with sliced fig halves, and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves (removed from stem). Enjoy!

(Full disclosure: Northern Lights provided the candles that were the inspiration for this series of posts, but all opinions and recipes provided are one hundred percent my own! To find out more about the Beeswax Candles and their other lovely creations, visit www.northernlightscandles.com)

FOURTH OF JULY TART

Happy Independence Day! This is a day that calls for easy-to-put-together recipes, to leave more time for lounging in the sun, sipping cold beverages, laughing with family and friends, and enjoying a hot dog (or five). This patriotic tart fits that description perfectly! Lighter and summery-er than a cheesecake, this yogurt tart is perfectly creamy and just indulgent enough with a rich chocolate crust. Fresh summer berries make this the perfect dessert to bring along to a barbecue or picnic, and it comes together in just minutes! Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Fourth of July Tart

8 tablespoons butter, plus a little extra for the pan
1 tablespoon chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt (use 2% or full-fat, if you can find it)
Sliced strawberries & whole blueberries

Preheat oven to 325. Take about a teaspoon of the butter and use it to generously cover a 9" tart pan, then melt the remaining butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Add chocolate to hot butter and stir until completely melted.

Whisk sugar, flour, cocoa and salt together in a mixing bowl. Pour the melted mixture into dry ingredients, stir until completely combined (mixture will be crumbly). Press into the bottom and sides of prepared tart pan. Bake for 12 minutes, until the sides look firm and the bottom has bubbled & looks slightly dry. Remove and let cool completely.

Stir honey into Greek yogurt, then spread the mixture evenly in the tart shell. Layer with berries in the shape of an American flag. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve later.

MAKING A MESS--AND THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA--WITH METHOD

I have never, never, never been one to fear making a mess--whether from early childhood mud pit excavations or college art school experiments or full-scale kitchen assaults (how else are you ever going to perfect the art of the souffle?). But cleaning up said mess afterward, welllllll, that’s where things get a little tricky. I’ve sidestepped many a sinkful of dirty dishes, I’ve begged, cajoled and otherwise convinced my loved ones to do the dirty work for me. Baked-on olive oil and tomato sauce? Yeah, I have to admit, that is a mess that I truly fear.

So, when challenged by my friends at method to come up with something worthy of their #fearnomess campaign, I knew I was going to go for it in a big way. I was going to make a great big, mean, glorious, magnificent mess, and then I was going to CLEAN IT ALL UP with the help of some delicious-smelling dish soap by the good folks at method. Friends, welcome to the tomato sauce-smeared pizza party.

Fearing no mess and clutching my trusty, battered wooden spoon, I launched into an explosion of tomato sauce, powdery drifts of flour, basil stems and cracked eggshells...aka pizza night. There’s something so enticing about filling the kitchen with the wonderful aroma of dinner, the way it promises the rich, garlic-steeped tomato sauce, golden dough and heavenly clouds of basil aroma that are yet to come. This particular pizza recipe is a favorite of mine because not only does it come together relatively quickly, but it’s a gluten-free dough (you would never suspect it!) that’s safe for even my hardest-core grain-free friends to enjoy. It is, however, the Recipe That Makes One Thousand Messy Dishes, so it’s wise to keep some dish soap on standby...you’re going to need it once you’ve dirtied up the bowls, the saucepan, the cutting board, the pizza pan, the chef’s knife, and the myriad of wooden spoons (and possibly even the entire kitchen counter). It’s all right, you’ve got this. Serenity, baby.

Once those heavenly kitchen scents are in the air, I'm always reluctant to cover them up with the smell of average soaps and cleaners. Luckily, method agrees with me on this count--"clean should smell like cucumbers, not chemicals" is a motto I can get behind. In this case, clean smells like lime + sea salt, a wonderful combination of aromas with a tart edge to it that's a little bit savory. Filling a bowl with sudsy water for a pre-soak to throw dirty knives and spoons in while I cooked, and then a sinkful to clean up the larger pots and pans, I was suddenly reminded that even cleaning dishes can be an act of self-care. I know, it doesn't seem like the most relaxing thing on the surface, but there is something to be said for immersing yourself to the elbows in wonderfully scented, warm soapy water. It's almost spa-like (except for the scrubbing!), and I'll take my spa experiences where I can get them! With the lovely scent of lime and sea salt filling the air around me, I was done with the dishes in no time at all. WIN.

Ridiculously Simple Pizza Sauce

Makes enough for four 10” pizzas

½ cup diced white onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
14 oz can tomato puree
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
Pinch of salt & sugar, to taste

Place onions in a deep skillet with olive oil, saute over medium heat until translucent, about five minutes. Add tomato sauce, oregano and garlic, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer on low for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste & add a hefty pinch of salt and sugar, as needed. Remove sauce from heat and let cool.

Pizza Dough (Gluten-Free)

Makes enough for two 10” pizzas

1 ½ cups tapioca starch
½ cup milk
2 tbsp butter
½ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ tsp (or just a hefty pinch) freshly ground black pepper

This recipe is an adaptation of one I found on a blog and have been using forever....it's basically grain-free magic! A beaten egg and a hefty handful of parmesan take the place of both yeast and gluten, allowing the dough to puff slightly and keep its delicious elasticity just like a classic pizza base. Click here to see the original version.

Place tapioca starch in a large mixing bowl, set aside. In a saucepan, combine milk, butter and salt and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the heated mixture directly into the tapioca starch and stir quickly--it’s going to clump A LOT, you’re going to panic and think you’ve done something wrong, but you haven’t. Just keep stirring until it all looks very dry and crumbly, then walk away and let it cool for five minutes.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, and line two pizza pans or baking sheets with parchment paper. Add beaten egg to crumbly dough mixture, stir until fully incorporated. Add parmesan, garlic powder and pepper, stir to combine. Turn dough out onto a cutting board or clean countertop and knead for a minute or two until the mixture becomes smooth, elastic and dough-like. Divide into two even balls, and roll each one out into a circle about ⅛” thick. Place one on each parchment-lined pan, poke a few holes with the tip of a knife and then bake each for six minutes until lightly golden brown.

Remove from oven and top with sauce, cheese, and any desired toppings. Two of my favorite combinations made here are a classic margherita with mozzarella and fresh basil (basil should be added after baking), as well as a ham, red onion, mozzarella and arugula (again, all greens go on after baking) concoction. Place back in oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and just barely browned. Cooking times will vary slightly depending on the toppings, so stick close and keep an eye on the pies.

This post was sponsored by method which is--that whole 'sponsored partnership' thing aside--a brand I already love (I'm as hooked on their ethical and socially responsible ways as I am on their unique scents). As always, you can count on all opinions to be 100% honest and my own! Thank you for supporting the brands that partner with Sweet Laurel.

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP....AND AN ACTUAL WEDDING

Reader, I married him.

And then we had Italian wedding soup! Okay, yes, lot of other things happened leading up to the events of the last few days, but I'll try and catch you up quickly.

I met a man once, when I was seventeen. It was the spring of '99, and at that age I was all jangly nerves and awkward elbows, much as I was at twenty-seven, and just as I'll surely be at thirty-seven. Still, at seventeen, the jangles were...more apparent. Most of the time I felt small and odd and unnoticed, which is fair, since that's exactly the way I moved through the world. I was in my first year of college, having just spent all of my high school years admiring our flamboyant theatre crowd without squeaking a word to any of them. With my mouth twisted in shy jealousy, I'd never dared to so much as volunteer as a stagehand, let alone go out for a speaking role. I'd never have come up with the idea of auditioning for a play on my own in college, either, but because one night I was hanging out with a friend and that friend's friend (who I never even saw again after this evening, but who I've always felt I ought to thank, somehow) wanted to audition for a local show, we all trooped along as a show of support. The show--truly, you can't make this stuff up--was "Romeo and Juliet."

My friend's friend, as it turned out, was a new actress and suffering attacks of nerves all her own, hoping we'd take the stage with her. And in a fit of very uncharacteristic devil-may-care-ness--I seriously don't know what came over me, other than there was a blue-eyed guy sprawled in a chair near the back of the room that had been catching at the corners of my vision all night--I said "Sure, I'll do it too," and I stomped up there in sneakers and jeans and delivered my very characteristic shaky Shakespeare. I didn't have a headshot, so I sent them a high school track team photo of me and my awkward elbows posed in uniform that was already two years old, and a "resume" that must have just been a blank sheet of paper. In the local theatre company's infinite kindness, they did cast me--in a smallish role that had a few great lines, and meant that I got to see more of the blue-eyed guy for the next few weeks.

Weeks passed, and that summer was lovely. Years passed, and I married a different man and he married a different woman, until both of those unions imploded spectacularly. Finally one day I found myself, heart's blood pounding in my ears as it did the day I uncharacteristically took the stage for no good reason, poised to jump on a plane to New York City and find out the reason I'd never forgotten the blue-eyed guy in all those intervening years. Awkward elbows and all, I took off on that first flight, and my whole world changed again.

Literally half a lifetime away from when we'd started (always a sucker for those whirlwind romances, I am), last week I finally got to stand with that same blue-eyed guy's hands in mine, promising in front of a tiny gathering of family members that I'd be his wife, friend and love for the rest of our days. His blue eyes are the same ones that gave me vivid fever dreams from which I'd wake, dazed, during those eighteen years between meeting and marrying. His devilish grin is the same one that makes me laugh every single day, and his kind voice is the one that makes me feel like I'm truly at home. The commitment is one we've been making to each other daily for years now, but the ceremony we held ten days ago was a beautiful affirmation of that fact, spoken aloud in front of the people we love most. Reader, I am finally at home.

Can I offer you some wedding soup now? It's rich, velvety, and lovely in its simplicity, which makes it nothing at all like the complicated twists and turns of life & love. It is, however, a pretty perfect soup.

Italian Wedding Soup

Makes about 6 servings

8 oz. ground beef
8 oz. ground pork
1 large egg, beaten
⅓ cup bread, torn into small pieces or pulsed into crumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup shredded Parmesan
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

2 quarts chicken stock
2 cups Tuscan (lacinato) kale, ribs removed, washed & sliced into ribbons
2 large eggs, beaten
salt & pepper, to taste
Parmesan & Italian parsley, to garnish

Stir all ingredients for meatballs together in a mixing bowl until just combined, then shape into 1 ½” balls. Set aside and refrigerate until using.

Add stock to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to medium low. Add meatballs and kale together, then simmer until meatballs are cooked through (kale will also be nice and tender at this point), about 10 minutes. Ladle hot soup a tablespoon at a time into the bowl containing the beaten eggs, to bring the temperature up gradually and temper the eggs (this will give you a beautifully smooth soup). Once the egg mixture is hot, pour it into the rest of the soup and continue cooking for two more minutes. Taste soup, add salt & pepper as desired, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with a sprinkling of Parmesan and Italian parsley, then serve.

Having something to dunk into each bowl and absorb its rich flavor--I strongly recommend a few nice, crusty garlic & Parmesan toasts--makes this a perfect meal.

SUMMER OF THE HOT DOG

Hot dogs, man. What more can I say about them that hasn't already been said? They're emphatically trashy, they're a punchline, they're not cool (which means they kind of are), they're a pure dose of uncut Americana, and I love them. Grilling them at home always gives me the welcome opportunity to experiment beyond ketchup and mustard, so we brought some friends in on the challenge of re-inventing the hot dog topping. The results of that party were a Hawaiian-style pineapple & pepper dog, a combo that involved crunchy peanut butter AND Cracker Jacks (a fantastically weird pairing which made my pregnant-lady heart sing with joy)....and these two regionally-flavored inventions below. 

The Southern Comfort

I have never lived in the South, but I’ve always had an affinity for their amazing comfort foods. After all, show me a person who doesn’t love rich, creamy pimento cheese spread, crisp slaw, and the decadent-but-lowbrow crunch of pork rinds, right? I decided to combine all these contrasting tastes and textures with my number one comfort food, the hot dog. The sweet layer of caramelized onions glazed in cola (you could go super-local and use a Southern classic, since Coca Cola is based in Atlanta...but any cola will do) tempers the heat of the pimento cheese & slaw perfectly. Get these all up in your grill, y’all. You're welcome.

Ingredients & Instructions:

Pimento Cheese

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons diced pimento
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in bowl and mix well.

Cola-Glazed Onions

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup diced red onion
2/3 cup cola
pinch of salt

Warm a skillet over medium heat, add butter and onions and cook (about 20 minutes) until softened and brown, stirring often. Raise heat to medium high, add half the cola and reduce until liquid is almost gone. Add the rest of the cola, reduce until liquid is almost gone—the onions will be deep brown and sticky like an onion marmalade. Remove from heat; taste once cooled and add a pinch of salt as needed.

Spicy Pickle Slaw

1 cup slivered dill pickles, plus 1 tablespoon pickle juice
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon roughly chopped (1/2”) fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Crumbled Pork Rinds

Break unevenly into small pieces and crumbs with your hands. This is a very important condiment. Do not skip this step.

To assemble The Southern Comfort:

Open hot dog bun, spread pimento cheese along one side, top with cola-glazed onions. Nestle a perfectly cooked hot dog next to this, then spoon spicy pickle slaw into the space on the other side. Gently squeeze hot dog together, top with crumbled pork rinds, and serve with sweet tea.

The New Yorker

I used to live in New York City, where street food is king and the humble hot dog is a regular ritual. In fact, I decided to bring two NYC rituals together in one mouthful by riffing on another classic: the “everything” bagel thickly spread with cream cheese and covered in smoked salmon or lox. This breakfast-meets-whenever treat is a surprisingly harmonious new invention, worthy of being eaten while walking down the street with all the attitude you can muster.

Ingredients & Instructions (makes one finished dog):

1 hot dog bun
2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
1 perfectly cooked all-beef dog
1 oz. smoked salmon/lox, torn or sliced into ribbons
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

Everything Bagel Spice (you will have extra)

1 teaspoon dehydrated onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

To assemble The New Yorker:

Open hot dog bun, spread cream cheese along the sides and bottom. Place perfectly cooked hot dog in the middle, gently fold sides of bun together. Top with ribbons of smoked salmon, chives, and a hefty sprinkling of everything bagel spice. Serve, and enjoy two great New York street food traditions rolled into one!