A SIMPLE SEASONAL MEAL

Last night I still had a few things left from my last Bountiful Sprout order and decided I'd better go ahead and cook them, just in case we lose power when the storms hit. Both items were old standbys that I've cooked over and over, but this time they each got a little tweak.

First up was the Baked Tomatoes With Goat Cheese recipe that I shared with you here. But, perhaps I should back up.

About once a month, while Hubby is over in Austin attending one of his discussion groups or hearing a speaker, he stops into Central Market to pick up some of my favorite tea (they sell Republic of Tea flavors in bulk!). Usually, he brings home something extra as well. He knew I was getting low on my favorite olive oil, so he decided to bring me something new to try. He's awfully sweet that way.

But, did he stop with just the one bottle? Of course not! He brought me all of these as well.

That's why we make such a good pair. He knows how much I enjoy purging and decluttering (I'm working my way through Marie Kondo's Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up right now), so as soon as I get a space emptied out, he fills it right back up for me! (wink, wink) Anywho, as I was assembling the tomato recipe, which calls for both olive oil and fresh basil, I remembered that one of those little jewels above was a basil flavored oil, so I added a dash of that as well. YUM!

What I love most about this recipe is that, not only is it simple to make and absolutely delicious, it's pretty much a one dish meal for the two of us. All you need is a bit of toasty baguette or focaccia to sop up the juices!

For dessert we had a simple little galette made from our remaining fresh peaches.

When it's just the two of us, a whole pie is too much to have around, so I go with a simple one crust galette or tart instead, which can be made with just about any fruit, alone or in combinations. You can make the crust from scratch, but I usually keep a box of those Pillsbury ready made crusts in the freezer, and they work just fine.

FRUIT GALETTE

Preheat over to 400 F. Cover a cookie sheet with a sheet of baking parchment or a silicon baking mat. In a bowl, gently toss fruit (1-1.5 cups raspberries, or 1 pint blackberries, or 3-5 sliced nectarines or peeled and pitted peaches, or any combination thereof) with 3 T. sugar and 1 T. cornstarch. Lay pastry crust on cookie sheet and place the fruit mixture on the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Gently fold and pleat the border up over the filling. Bake for 30 minutes, until crust is brown and the juice has formed. Cut and serve once cooled and set.

So, that's the basic recipe, which is quite delicious as is. But, if you really want to take it over the top, try adding some of this!

Just roll the entire tube of almond paste out into a circle and lay that over the pastry, before topping it with the fruit filling. Not only will the flavor curl your toes in delight, the paste also forms a protective layer that keeps the fruit juices from soaking into the crust and making it soggy. Try it, you'll like it!