It's been a while since I wrote. A very, very long time. It's not without trying - I can count on the fingers and toes of all the people I live with (which is a lot) the number of times I've made something and thought to myself "I have to write down this recipe and post it!" As far as food is concerned, this has been a summer of extreme highs and lows. I feasted on strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus here in Toronto; I ate loaves and loaves of bread with pasta and vodka sauce in New York City; I devoured a whole watermelon to myself beside the Hudson River; I singlehandedly cooked a local dinner for a party of 30 at my graduation; I made cupcakes that looked like penguins. Those were good. The bad? My favorite two weeks of the year at Trafalgar Castle: camp! Let's just say, the food has never been great. This year the cafeteria provider Armark sunk to new lows. Note the piece of art we made out of stale fortune cookies and a sweet and sour sauce that had the consistency of Jello and the colour of, well, Jell0.
too cute to eat.
food art!
sprawling children's vegetable garden in New York City Botanical Gardens, the Bronx
Addiction to farmer's markets intensifies when the berries begin to appear.
first real food at camp: a giant tray of sushi.
more cupcakes: nests for the penguins!
my boyfriend's not so healthy choice. he regretted ordering a large coke.
But now the weather's getting colder, and I'm back at my computer. Also, no more gluten excuses. From now on, all my recipes will be without gluten: wheat flour, rye, oats, barely soy sauce, etc, etc. It's time to start writing down recipes again. So here we go:
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
I'm not going to lie, I actually got sick of eating tomatoes. I know I'm going to hate myself when January comes, but it's true. My Juliet, Wild Cherry and Green Zebra plants were so prolific that the tomato bowl on my counter was never empty, July to September. This week I gave up and threw them all in the oven for later in the winter.
tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 300. If using cherry, juliet or plum tomatoes, cut them in half. Anything larger and you'll want to cut them in wedges or slices. Lay out the tomatoes on parchment lined cookie sheets. Drizzle with a very small amount of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 or 4 hours at 300, the turn the oven down to 200 and cook for a few more. Just keep checking them - you'll know they're done when they're completely dried and shriveled up! Watch out if you're cooking different types and sizes of tomatoes at once, they will be done at different times.
Duche de Leche
Here's a simple, easy thing I was first introduced to, strangely, by my diabetic friend. It couldn't be easier if it tried. If you've never had it, it's kind of like caramel sauce, but thicker and more delicious. Try it in crepes, with apple slices, or on top of ice cream. I even used some as a filling in some gluten-free brownies.
1 can of sweetened, condensed milk
Bring a large, deep pot of water to boil. Add can of milk, unopened. Boil for 3 hours. That's it! Just be sure to keep adding water, making sure the can is always covered. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge. I've read that it keeps for a month, but it would never make it that far in my house. I've also read that this method is dangerous, but no cans have ever exploded in my kitchen, and I know a bunch of people who make it this way with no problems.
