Damson Plum & Berry Fruit Tarts

Damson Plum & Berry Fruit Tarts

Making a fresh fruit tart is so quick and easy if you keep a box of frozen Puff Pastry in your freezer. Then whenever you have some extra fruit you can just pull it out and let it thaw according to the instructions on the box. I found these beautiful Damson Plums at the farmer's market. (This type of plum ripens in the late summer through the fall). So I decided to make some fruit tarts with these seasonal plums, and I added some berries & pomegranate seeds for color and texture. All…
Delicata Squash & Arugula Salad with Feta Cheese, Nuts & Seeds

Delicata Squash & Arugula Salad with Feta Cheese, Nuts & Seeds

Fall is in the air, which has me in the mood to make one of my favorite autumn salads. This is not so much a recipe as a combination of ingredients that make up this delicious salad. You can change the proportions depending how many people you are serving. It is the perfect seasonal salad to serve from now through the winter. In fact we usually make a version of this for Thanksgiving dinner, as it pairs well with turkey and everything else served. Delicata Squash & Arugula Salad with Feta, Walnuts &…
End of Summer Peach & Berry Crisp

End of Summer Peach & Berry Crisp

It is the last weekend of summer, Labor Day weekend...and I can hardly believe summer is over! My family is visiting us in the Hamptons and they should be here shortly, so I just made everyone's favorite dessert, Summer Fruit Crisp. I will warm it up in the oven right before we eat it, and serve it with some vanilla ice cream. It is the perfect way to get the last taste of the delicious summer fruits we all love...peaches, raspberries, blackberries & blueberries.  Soon we will be moving on to apple crisp…
Heirloom Tomato Quiche With Fresh Herbs & Pesto

Heirloom Tomato Quiche With Fresh Herbs & Pesto

I rarely make Quiche and usually stick to frittatas because of the time and mess of making the quiche crust...but I happened to have an extra "pre-made crust" in the fridge, so I got inspired to try one. (Actually homemade pie crust is really not that difficult, it just takes a little extra planning). I had recently bought a lot of beautiful heirloom tomatoes at the farmer's market. Those tomatoes and some fresh garden herbs became the main ingredients in my quiche. Some aged gouda cheese added to the egg batter made for…
Nicoise Salad with Grilled Tuna

Nicoise Salad with Grilled Tuna

Nicoise Salad is a French salad that originated in the city of Nice. It is traditionally made with tomatoes, green beans, hard boiled eggs, olives, anchovies and fresh or canned tuna. I think it is an ideal meal to serve guests in the summer. You can arrange the ingredients separately, or create a beautiful plate or platter with everything on it. The tuna can be grilled and then added to the salad - which brings everyone outside in the summer. Basically it is a one dish meal, and served with a French baguette…