This weekend is for relaxing, or trying to relax and welcome in the summer months. For us that means we are trying to round up one or two bbq's with friends as there is beer to be shared and basketball to be watched. A great salad is a win at any pot luck as it can be the balance to all the crunchy, salty, meaty things happening on a grill. Sometimes its fun to play with herbs and flavors to bring something a little special.
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This dressing does just that for us, it adds that extra something something. Its a twist on our usual lemon and olive oil classic with the addition of the tarragon and basil. Tarragon is a herb we are just beginning to explore as it has a powerful and specific flavor sort of like licorice, that can easily over shadow. However, in this dressing, that flavor it is nicely balanced with the Dijon mustard and basil and provides the salad, or any salad, with a floral and herbaceous note. The kids love it for dipping carrots, we always keep a little on the side for their "cruditès" and we liked it especially with a grilled chicken breast or two. Try it this weekend and let us know!


Fresh Herb and Mustard Vinaigrette
Makes about ¾ of a cup of dressing
 
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
1 tablespoon of water
½ tsp. salt
1/3-cup fresh tarragon
1/3-cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
2/3 cup Olive Oil
 
*Can sub in flat leaf parley for any of the herbs, or add to the mix
 
Place all ingredients except the Olive oil into a blender. Pulse until garlic and herbs begin to break down and then stream in oil, blending dressing until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may need a bit more oil, or salt.
 
Serve with any salad, or as a dip for crudité. It holds up well to hearty lettuces like romaine and grilled vegetables or chicken.

 *If you are looking for hostess gifts for the upcoming holidays, be sure to check out our greeting and note cards and our prints on our Etsy site! 


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We have to admit that we were shocked that these worked and by worked we mean that the kids ate them and thought they were doughnuts! We are always looking for ways to get more fiber and protein in the kids and while you may think buckwheat is just that, wheat, but it isn't! Buckwheat is actually a seed, so for those that are gluten sensitive, it is gluten free, grain free. We didn't replace all the flour with the buckwheat, so this recipe is not gluten-free, but we did cut down quite a bit of it, and the buckwheat imparts a nutty, earthy flavor to these baked doughnuts. The kids preferred the chocolate drizzled ones, and we liked the powdered sugar so make some of each! 


Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Doughnuts
Makes about 6-8
 
1 c. flour
½ c. buckwheat flour
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 c. sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup dark chocolate chips
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 350
 
Grease doughnut pan
 
In a bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together. In a stand mixture beat butter with sugar and honey until light an fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix until resembling sand. Add a little bit of egg at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix. Fold in the mashed bananas and then the chocolate chips.
 
Carefully fill the doughnut pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, checking at 25 to see if a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes then remove from pan.
 
Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkles. 


Be sure to check out our Etsy store for our BAKED GOODS blank notecards! 

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Summer fruit really doesn't need much to make it sing. A little sugar, a little acid, perhaps a touch of spice and boom, you have a tasty dessert worthy for any summer evening spread. This crumble gets a little twist with the use of the hazelnut flour, as it imparts a nuttier flavor to the topping. Use any selection of stone fruits, we used some plums and some peaches and any berry, we used blackberry. Really anything you have at hand will work and this is a nice dessert to use up any fruit that is on the verge. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream or eat it cold for breakfast!

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Hazelnut Oat Crumble with Stone Fruit and Berries
Makes 1 9x13 inch baking dish
 
6 stone fruits, sliced
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup blackberries
½ c plus ½ c sugar
1 lemon, zested
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. plus ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup hazelnut flour
1 cup oats
½ cup flour
 
 
Preheat oven to 350
 
In a large bowl mix the fruit, lemon zest, ½ c. sugar, ½ tsp. cinnamon and let sit. In another bowl mix melted butter, the rest of the sugar, hazelnut flour, flour, cinnamon, salt, and oats. Squish with your finger tips until it comes together in crumbles. Pour onto a baking sheet and let air out for about 10 minutes.
 
Grease your baking dish and pour in the fruit. Top with crumble, being sure to squeeze some pieces together into large crumbs.
 
Bake for 30-40 minutes until fruit is bubbling and the topping has begun to brown. 
 
Serve with ice cream or whip cream!

Another great dessert to use stone fruits is our Plum Galette recipe and you can now get that recipe and more in our set of NEW GREETING CARDS! Check out our Etsy store and order now! 
And, for just a few more days if you use the code ENDOFSUMMER you get 15% off all orders! 
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Summertime equals salads as there is no better season to relish in the bounty that nature provides. With minimal prep and tweaking, simple ingredients shine and taste epic. We have been playing around with the addition of fruit into some of our favorites, and the addition of these juicy strawberries from our garden into a traditional Caprese was a game changer. The sweetness of the fruit paired with the Meyer lemon dressing invented by the seven year old was a tangy counterpoint to the creamy cheese and acidic tomatoes. Sometimes, just a little fruit goes a long way! 


Strawberry, Mozzarella, Tomato Caprese Salad
Serves 6-8
 
1 cup strawberries, sliced in half or quarters depending on size
3 tomatoes, diced
2 balls fresh mozzarella, diced
1 tablespoon basil, sliced into thin strips
¼ cup Olive Oil
½ Meyer Lemon,  zested and juiced
2 tsp. honey
¼ tsp. salt
 
In a small jar make the dressing by first adding the lemon juice and salt. Shake. Add olive oil and honey and shake again. Set aside. Add the rest of the ingredients except the basil to a bowl, toss with dressing then sprinkle with basil.

We have also launched a new set of cards this time with our recipes on the back! Each set comes with 6 5x7 inch blank cards and envelopes and all have your favorite Farmers Market photos on the front and a recipe inspired by the ingredient on the back! From Cherry Cream Pie to Bacon and Eggplant Pasta, we are sharing some of our favorites! And, for a limited time we are offering free shipping on orders over 20.00$ with the code FREESHIP20.  Check out our Etsy store to order! ​

We are still loving all things stone fruit this summer. There is no better time then now to enjoy the tangy sweetness of these delicious fruits. Throwing it back to our amazing collaboration in June with over 60 other food lovers and bloggers #summerlovespeaches this salad is a new twist on a classic. Adding in peaches and nectarines to your favorite Caprese salad, brightens up a much loved dish. The sweetness of the fruit pairs nicely with the acidity of the tomatoes and the burrata, oh the burrata, brings it all together with its luscious creaminess. 

Nectarine, Peach, Tomato and Burrata Salad
Serves 6-8
 
2 ripe peach, sliced into wedges
1 ripe nectarine, sliced into wedges
2 large heirloom tomatoes, your choice, sliced into wedges
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 balls of Burrata
1-tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-tablespoon fresh basil, diced or torn
Salt and pepper to taste
 
On a platter, arrange the tomatoes, peaches and nectarines. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over. Tear cheese into bite-sized pieces and scatter over the tomatoes and fruit, and then sprinkle with basil.