Fresh Tomato Tart

I think garden fresh tomatoes are quite possibly manna from heaven. I love all the varieties--especially the heirloom tomatoes Mike grew this year. I can't stop myself from popping the tiny teardrop tomatoes in my mouth (every five seconds, like they are candy) and from slicing up the larger beefsteak varieties, topped with salt and pepper. I am always on the search for new delicious ways to use up our crop.

I missed the boat on Quiche-tastic Monday this week, so I had some extra pie crusts. I've always wanted to make a Tomato Tart--it sounds so French. This tart is so easy--it takes minutes to put together and about 20 minutes to bake. Serve it along side a green salad and it is a perfect meal!

The goods:

Refrigerated pie crust (or make your own)

2 tablespoons hot or dijon mustard (I used Nance's Hot mustard; but a good dijon would be great)

2 medium-sized tomatoes

handful (about 6) teardrop, grape or other small tomato

Salt/Pepper

1 garlic clove, sliced extra thin

Dozen fresh basil leaves, sliced

4 oz goat cheese

Olive Oil

Make it:

1. Preheat oven to 450F

2. Roll out pie crust into a tart pan. Pitch the sides to make a nice edge.

3. Evenly spread mustard onto bottom of tart crust. Let sit while you slice tomatoes--medium tomatoes should be sliced into 1/8 inch slices; small tomatoes, slice into thirds.

4. Evenly distribute larger tomato slices on bottom of pie crust. Fill in any gaps with the small tomatoes.

5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, basil and garlic slices

6. Slice goat cheese (it won't slice neatly like other hard cheeses) and distribute on top of the tomatoes and herbs.

7. Drizzle a little olive oil on top. Bake for about 20 minutes.

8. Let sit for 5 minutes and slice. This is great room temperature or even cold.

Quiche-tastic Monday: Ham & Cheddar Frittata

I know a frittata is it's own beast and is perhaps closer to an omelette than a quiche. But in spirit, it is still an "egg pie" and a delicious option for breakfast (or lunch or dinner!).

Frittata's look super impressive; but cook up super quick. Like a quiche, you can fill them with anything. I used what I had--some leftover deli ham from a picnic on the beach, cheddar cheese (a staple) and parsley from my herb garden.

I made this for my in-law's last morning in town. Served with some cantaloupe--it is the perfect meal for company. Frittata's are great reheated too--make one on Sunday and have the leftovers for a quick breakfast before your work day.

The goods:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup of deli ham diced (this equals about 8 slices)

6 eggs, beaten until light yellow and fluffy (use an immersion blender, takes 2 minutes!)

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon hot mustard (or dijon)

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook it:

1. Preheat the oven to Broil.

2. In an oven proof skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Tilt the skillet so the melted butter coats the sides and bottom of the skillet.

3. Add the diced ham to the skillet and let cook until crispy at the edges (my mom always called this "frizzled ham," because the ham would curl up at the edges). This should take 1-2 minutes.

4. Add parsley, mustard and salt and pepper to beaten eggs.

5. Pour egg mixture into the skillet with ham. Egg mixture should evenly coat the bottom of the pan.

6. Cook over medium heat until the bottom is set, about 5 minutes.

7. When the bottom is set, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Place skillet in oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the frittata. It is finished when the top sets and gets all yummy and bubbly.

8. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut frittata into wedges and serve.

Three Princesses from New Jersey

This week Lily's best friend is moving to Illinois. We adore

Maddie, Caroline and Chris. It is hard to loose them geographically--but we are friends for life. The Menold's are the sort of friends that are family. They are three of the greatest people I've ever known. Lily, Maddie and Chloe are like sisters.

The top picture of Lily and Maddie was taken 2 years ago. It was the beginning stages of their friendship. I love the tiaras. It seems these two were born in tiaras, dress up clothes and with endless imaginations. The lower left photo was taken this past Sunday at Lily's 4-H horseback riding exposition. The girls always support each other in style--fancy is the dress code!

Spending time with the Lily and Maddie is like jumping back into my childhood. Chloe adores her two older sisters. I love the love between the three. It always reminds me to love my girlfriends more fully and completely.

In my Nana's spare bedroom, she had a low shelf full of children's books. I loved when I slept over and could explore all the treasures on the shelf (plus there was always some fun trinket from my Nana's travels on the upper shelves). There was one book that was personalized for me (my name was misspelled "Trisha", but I loved it anyway). The main character had my name and I loved to read it. I always felt the story was really about me and my imaginary adventures.

Lily helped me write a fairytale about the Three Princesses from New Jersey. We had a blast writing it and throwing in some personal details and memories from the past. (Like the growling, one day Maddie was upset about something and had no words and was uttering a low noise. Caroline said, "Maddie, no growling." I nearly died laughing. ) I've never written a children's story before--but I think there might be more stories about my three princesses in the future.

I added the surprise ending and gifted my three favorite girls with a special pink rock. (Read the story and you will understand. . .). Feel free to share with your favorite princesses (put their names in the story).

Three Princesses from New Jersey

by Trish Adkins

Once upon a time, in the far away kingdom of New Jersey, there were three princesses. Maddie, the oldest princess, was beautiful, brave, kind and strong--so strong she could swim across a river just like Pocahantas. Maddie also liked to live dangerously.

The middle princess was Lily, who was beautiful, brave, kind and very courageous--so courageous that she could face a very scary VooDoo man and not not even shiver or cry, just like Princess Tiana. Lily also loved to dress in disguise.

The littlest princess was Chloe, who was beautiful, brave, kind and sweet--so sweet that she could charm all the forrest animals just like Sleeping Beauty.

The three princesses were best friends. They were so close, that they were really like sisters. They loved to do everything together--pick strawberries, visit with other princesses, make new friends at Build-a-Bear, clean, cook, avoid eating, dance, put on shows and go on adventures.

One day, Princess Maddie found out that she had to move to another far away kingdom with her family. All three princesses were very sad.

“Oh Princess Maddie how will I ever keep it fancy without you?” cried Princess Lily

“Argh Faggle Babablaaaaaahhhhh,” wailed Princess Chloe.

“And who will swim across the river to get us princess dresses, tiaras and glitter glue? WHO?” added Lily, who was now so distraught that she began pulling out her fake hair.

“We will only have our mother’s cell phones and text messages. It is devastating,” moaned Princess Maddie.

“I am so sad and now, Chloe is eating my shoe!” screamed Princess Lily.

Sure enough, in her hysteria Princess Chloe was eating Lily’s shoe. Princess Lily shook her off and went to the corner to continue pulling out her pink fake hair. Princess Lily had no words. She could only growl.

“My real concern,” began Princess Maddie, “Is the kingdom. How will we ever control our mothers and make sure they don’t stop being fancy? Surely someone must be able to help. And I think I know just the person.”

“Bababa?” asked Princess Chloe, spitting out the toy she was chewing on.

Princess Lily paused from growling and hair pulling.

“We must go through the Pine Barrens and visit the Little Mermaid in Atlantic City,” exclaimed Princess Maddie.

“But the Pine Barrens are forbidden and filled with lots of spaghetti. What if we get tangled or worse--forced to eat meatballs?” asked Princess Lily.

“Lily, it is the only way. Chloe, are in you?” asked Maddie.

“Yessssss,” hummed Princess Chloe.

Lily nodded in agreement. “I will begin packing for our journey. We will need Polly Pockets, LIttlest Pet Shops and all our Build-A-Bears. Oh and footie pajamas for an entire week!” declared Lily, getting into the spirit.

The next day the three princesses set off on their adventure through the forbidden Pine Barrens and to Atlantic City. They wore footie pajamas and tiaras everyday to protect themselves from getting tangled in spaghetti. Princess Maddie swam across rivers with Lily and Chloe on her back. Princess Lily bravely guided the trio through the dark. Princess Chloe charmed the meatball trolls with a wink and a smile.

When they arrived in Atlantic City, the three Princesses were starving. So, they stopped at the Rainforest Cafe for french fries and gigantic chocolate milks. After drinking, the trio went to the beach to look for the Little Mermaid.

“I see the pink rock!” exclaimed Princess Maddie.

“YAY!!!” screamed Princess Lily doing a dance.

“WOOHOO!” agreed Princess Chloe.

The girls ran to the glittering pink rock and to the Little Mermaid, who was painting her finger nails.

“Little Mermaid!!! You have to help us!” yelled the three girls in unison.

Princess Maddie told the Little Mermaid the entire story and then got her nails painted.

While giving the girls manicures, the Little Mermaid told the princesses a similar story--about her two best mermaid friends who left Atlantic City to live in Ocean City.

“I was so sad. But, we do girls weekends all the time and we have our special pink rocks,” explained the Little Mermaid, who picked up three beautiful pink stones and handed one to each of the princesses.

“What’s this?” asked Princess Lily.

“This magic pink rock is for each of you. When you hold it, you will always be connected with your Princess sisters. It does not matter where you live or where you go, because you will always be together,” exclaimed the Little Mermaid.

“I love pink!” exclaimed Princess Maddie.

The three princesses took their magic rocks and set out on the adventure back to New Jersey. Princess Maddie went to rule a new kingdom. Each morning, in each of their kingdoms, the three princesses held their magic pink rocks and thought of each other. And they were always best friends and sisters.

The end (or really the beginning! the princesses are only nearly-6, 4 1/2 and 18 months!)

Pattypan Squash and Zucchini butter bake

The thing I love most about squash is the variety. There are hundreds of varieties. My first favorite has always been acorn squash--cut in half and baked with butter, salt and pepper, until it melts. Or butternut squash roasted and made into a smooth, hearty soup. And then there is spaghetti squash--which is divine when prepared like pasta.

My new farmer's market find is the Pattypan squash. I've seen this little summer squashes before the grocery store--typically about an inch in diameter. The pattypan squash I found was gigantic in comparison; about 5 inches across. It sat in my refrigerator while I obsessed about what to do with it. One crazy Wednesday night (Lily has horseback riding and then I teach), I came up with this delicious butter bake as a side dish for vegetarian sloppy joes (Morning Star crumbles plus sloppy joe sauce).

This recipe is so easy and the squash melts like butter in your mouth. Feel free to substitute any summer squash and to use whatever herbs you have on hand.

The goods:

1 medium to large Patty pan Squash or a handful of small patty pan squash, sliced thin

1 small zucchini, sliced thin

4 tablespoons ghee or melted butter

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

kosher salt

black pepper

3 tablespoons fresh herbs--parsley, chives, basil and cilantro

The cooking:

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a baking dish, begin layering as follows:

Pattypan & Zucchini, (to cover the bottom of the pan)

a sprinkle of garlic

a tablespoon of herbs

a tablespoon-ish of butter

Keep layering and top with any remaining butter.

Bake for 20 minutes (or until soft and buttery).

Nana Spotlight: Baking Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies with Olga

There are few things more precious than baking

chocolate chip cookies with your Grammy. Lily got the delicious treat of baking with her Grammy (a Nana-extraordinaire!) today. On the menu: delicious Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies and memories for a lifetime.

Grammy (or Olga, my mother-in-law) is a wonderful cook. While my Nana, mother and father all influenced my culinary loves, Olga really taught me how to cook. I learned by watching and asking and helping. She has taught me to love food--appreciate the flavors and textures. She has also taught me how to make something out of nothing. All you have is a lime and some steak--well, how about fajitas? Some stale bread--make some french toast that puts room service to shame. Olga exposed me to all the best gear for cooking--from herb snips to the perfect cork screw--the things that inspire me to add more herbs and drink more wine.

I could write a book about Olga--an official Nana (to 5 fabulous kids) and a master home cook!

The recipe below is wonderful! The cookies are light and crispy and chocolately. Lily and Grammy mixed the batch in a beautiful heirloom bowl--the same bowl that Olga's mother, Grandma Rudko, used to mix bread and cookies. There is history in that bowl--and when we eat something mixed in that bowl--we share in the history of the Rudko family.

Bake these cookies with your favorite Nana (or Nana-in-training!)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups rolled oats

9 oz chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, cream shortening, brown sugar and white sugar. Add eggs and mix thoroughly.

3. Combine the baking soda, salt and flour and stir into creamed mixture.

4. Add oatmeal and chocolate chips and stir until well blended

5. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Quiche-tastic Monday: Nacho Quiche

I am a complete sucker for Nachos. No matter how I try to avoid junk food--I just can't go without loaded nachos once in while. I love the cheese, the salty chips and the spicy peppers. Yum!

This quiche is a fabulous fill-in for nachos. It has a crunchy corn tortilla crust, spicy jalapenos, creamy cheese, hearty black beans and flavor out the wazoo. Serve it up with your favorite nacho toppings-fresh avocado, pico de gallo and hot sauce.

Like every one of my quiche recipes--make two-eat one now and freeze the other for later.

The stuff

Cooking Spray

6 corn tortillas

1 cup of cooked black beans

4 eggs, beaten until they are frothy

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon no fat sour cream

1 medium jalapeno

1 1/2 T. fresh cilantro

2 green onions, diced

8 black olives, diced; plus 1 whole olive

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Canola Oil (just a bit)

The crust

Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray. Arrange 5 corn tortillas around the outside of pie plate, overlapping. Place last corn tortilla in the middle. Spread black beans evenly on the bottom on the pie plate (on top of tortilla crust.

Get cooking

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Slice eight thin slices of jalapeno. Remove seeds. Reserve slices for later. Dice up remaining jalapeno.

3. Beat 4 eggs, by hand until pale yellow and frothy. You want to add air to the eggs--this could take 5-10 minutes (it is a fabulous arm workout, like yoga in the kitchen). Beat in

the sour cream and then the milk.

4. Fold into the egg mixture: diced jalapeno, 1/2 cup of the cheddar, all the monterey jack cheese, cilantro, diced black olives and green onions. Add salt and pepper to season.

5. Pour egg mixture on top of black beans in tortilla crust.

6. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Evenly place 8 slices of jalapenos around the outside edge of the quiche. Put a black olive in the center.

7. Brush the exposed outside edges of the crust with canola oil (will help it to brown instead of burn!)

8. Bake for about 40 minutes or until quiche is set. If edges of crust burn too quickly, just cover with foil.

Enjoy!

Quiche-tastic Monday: Go greek with zucchini and feta

Zucchinis are abundant this time of year. It is a versatile summer squash--but so often I buy a bunch and I am left wondering what to make. One of besties, Rachel, always has an abundance of zucchini from her backyard garden. Rachel came over for lunch today, so I thought I'd give a zucchini quiche a try.

This yummy and summery quiche is filled with fresh zucchini, carmelized onions, fresh tomato and topped with feta cheese. I love feta cheese--it reminds me of a trip I took to Lesvos, Greece. The island was bursting with tomatoes, zucchini and feta. It seemed every meal included a sprinkling of this distinctive cheese (and a gallon of Ouzo).

And like all my quiche recipes--make two at a time and freeze the second--makes for a great meal in a week.

The stuff

2 small zucchinis

1/2 small red onion, sliced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 eggs, beaten until they are frothy

1 cup whole milk

1 1/2 T. mixed fresh herbs, chopped ( I used a mixture of parsley, chives, marjoram, basil and mint--use what you have)

1 teaspoon of dried dill

4 cherry tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Crust: make your own OR be lazy like me and use the pre-made kind from the refrigerated section of the grocery store OR go crustless, just spray your pie pan with olive oil before baking.

Get cooking

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Slice eight rounds of zucchini (about 1/8- 1/4 inch thick). Reserve for later.

3. Grate remaining zucchini using a hand grater (it grates up super fast.) Place in a colander and press with a bar mop or paper towels to squeeze out excess moisture.

4. Melt butter in skillet over low-medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook until caramelized (translucent and caramel-y brown at the edges) about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Beat 4 eggs, by hand until pale yellow and frothy. You want to add air to the eggs--this could take 5-10 minutes (it is a fabulous arm workout, like yoga in the kitchen)

6. Carefully unroll your pie crust into a pie pan. Pinch the edges. Indent the bottom of the crust with a fork (let's steam escape).

7. Stir 1 cup milk, shredded zucchini, fresh herbs, dried dill and salt/pepper into beaten eggs. Pour into crust.

8. Top with caramelized onions. Then arrange 8 reserved zucchini slices along the outside edge of the quiche. Arrange the 8 pieces of cherry tomato on the inside ring of the quiche, seed side down.

9. Evenly sprinkle feta cheese on top.

10. Bake for about 45 minutes or until quiche is set. If edges of crust burn too quickly, just cover with foil.

And of course, Eat it!