If heaven is real, then I really don’t think it’s made of puffy clouds and golden harps. I rather imagine it must be filled with endless tables, buckling under the weight of all the chips, dips, cheeses and crackers (all calorie-free, OBVIOUSLY) that a person could possibly want. Really, is there a better way to eat than scooping up succulent dips and salsas with crisp, salty shards of simple carbohydrates?

My obsession with chips is pretty severe. I’m hopeless at Mexican restaurants. Those continuously re-filling bowls of free chips and salsa at the start of the meal virtually guarantee that I’ll be in a food coma before my main course even arrives. I’m pretty shameless about them at potlucks and dinner parties, too. But unless I am hosting a party of my own, I actually avoid buying them: if I have chips in the house, there’s like a 70% chance that I’ll skip cooking dinner and simply dine on chips and salsa instead, strangely able to justify it by pretending they are vegetables. Sad, I know.

But I’ve found a little loophole. As long as I have corn tortillas in my fridge (which is pretty regular) I can make teeny batches of chips whenever I like! Satisfy my cravings without overdosing! Plus they are baked, which in the chip world, is code for healthy! (Right?)

It’s shockingly simple. Cut tortillas. Spray with cooking spray and salt. Flip over and repeat. Bake. Eat.

I’ll admit: it’s hard to compare these to true, deep-fried tortilla chips. But for an emergency craving, they are quite, quite sufficient. And a bit healthier, I daresay. Emphasis on bit.

Whatever. Sometimes I just want chips and now I can have them whenever I want. NOW THAT IS POWER.

Baked Tortilla Chips

Makes 24 chips, but this can obviously be flexed up or down

4 corn tortillas (white or yellow, the thinner the better)
cooking spray
salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut tortillas into six even wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Flip over each wedge and spray the other salt, also adding a bit more salt.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping chips partway through, or until chips are lightly browned and fairly crisp. Chips will still be a bit bendy while they are warm, but they will crisp up in 2-3 minutes after they are removed from the oven. Sprinkle with additional salt if needed.

Over the last few years, I’ve grown out of my delusions of I’m-young-and-can-eat-whatever-I-want and now do boring things like pack salads for lunch and box up half of my pasta when we go out for Italian. Le sigh. But there continues to be one thing that, when placed in front of me, I have absolutely no control or willpower to stop myself from eating.

Chips and salsa.

Whenever I dine at a Mexican restaurant, it’s a sure bet that I’ll eat my weight in free chips and salsa before my meal arrives. I know that I’m gonna feel like I’m dying within a few hours, but I just can’t help it. Too spicy Doesn’t matter, I’ll cry through the pain. Not hungry That’s literally not a thing.

Typically, when I make salsa at home, they are collections of diced vegetables and herbs. But sometimes I just want a nice, runny, completely blended, restaurant-style salsa.

This particular recipe includes a crap-ton of cilantro and a couple of chipotles en adobo. The combination of bright, herb-y flavor from the cilantro and the deep, smoky spice of the chiles creates a unique spin on the classic restaurant salsa.

Perhaps the best part of this salsa is that it’s SO FAST to put together. Once the onion and cilantro are chopped, everything else gets tossed in a food processor and whirled into salsa in just a few seconds flat.

You can eat this salsa immediately, but it’s even better after a couple hours of chilling in the fridge.

This salsa makes a great appetizer, and it’s great to put out at a party. You could also just get a bag of chips and eat chips and salsa for dinner for several nights straight.

Just an idea…

Smoky Adobo Salsa

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays

1 pint diced tomatoes (or a 15 oz can)
8-10 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel)
1 medium onion, diced
2 chipotle peppers en adobo
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped with stems removed
2 T lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper

Chop onions and cilantro. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly blended. Chill for 1-2 hours and serve with chips. Or on anything you like with salsa, actually.

Okay you guys.

I’ve done something. Changed something. Opened some sort of magic box, some secret portal to a new world. And now that I’ve glimpsed the other side, I rather doubt I’ll be the same again.

It all started with an innocent breakfast suggestion. On my recent winter escape to Oregon, all we wanted was a place to eat one misty Wednesday morning in Portland. Instead, we ordered a plate of food that, rather than fading from my memory as most meals do, has haunted my daydreams ever since.

It was praline bacon. And within moments of eating it, I knew that I wanted to, nay, that I must!  try to recreate it at home. This weekend I finally had the time, the health, and the daylight. It took four failed attempts, but I finally found the balance I was looking for. And the best part It’s so absurdly, ridiculously easy.

Obviously, we start with bacon. Then we have pecans, maple syrup, brown sugar, a little salt, and some cayenne pepper.

THAT IS ALL, PEOPLE.

Instead of pan-frying the bacon, I baked mine. It helps the bacon stay flat (necessary for topping with sugary pecans later) and the excess fat drains into the pan below. I may actually start making all of my bacon this way.

While the bacon cooks, chop up some pecans. I’ve seen some versions where the pecans are food-processed into oblivion, but I prefer a larger cut. Smaller than a rough chop but bigger than a fine chop, does that make sense About the size of a tooth (Is that gross?)

With the pecans, mix in the brown sugar, maple syrup, pepper, and salt. I know, it sounds crazy to add a little sea salt to a mixture that is going to be slathered across notoriously salty bacon, but I really thought it helped to balance out the sugary-sweetness of the topping.

After about 20 minutes in the oven, the bacon won’t be done but it will be ready for its glorious topping. Don’t be tempted to let the bacon cook to completion before you add the pecans, though: if you do, you’ll have nothing but rock solid strips of bacon-flavored cardboard topped with sticky pecans.

Past this, you will only have to wait a few more minutes. I baked my bacon for another eight minutes or so, just enough to toast the pecans and cook the sugars a bit.

The finished product is unbelievable. Slightly chewy, slightly crunchy from the pecans, salty, sweet, rich… it’s just everything. It’s quite delicious warm, which is how we ate it that fateful morning in Portland. But I’ve found I like it even better at room temperature or even cold. And it you want to pretend that you’re not eating half a pound of bacon all my your onesie, chop it into pieces and put it out for your colleagues like an honest-to-god bowl of candy.

It will not last long.

Maple Praline Bacon
Inspired by a delectable meal at Screen Door

Note: I am hesitant to call for “thick-cut” bacon here. In this age of bacon obsession, I’ve seen bacon nearly half an inch thick marketed as “thick-cut”. On the other hand, this is not the time for cheap, lunchmeat-section bacon so thin you can barely pull it apart. I recommend getting your bacon from the butcher or meat counter for the perfect happy medium.

8 strips thick-ish bacon
3/4 c pecan halves, chopped fairly small
1/4 c dark brown sugar
1/3 c maple syrup + additional for brushing
1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire cooling rack on the baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Lay the bacon on the cooling rack with a bit of space between each piece and bake for 15-20 minutes. The fat should not be completely rendered by the time you remove it from the oven.

While the bacon cooks, chop pecans and combine them in a bowl with the sugar, maple syrup, sea salt, and cayenne. Mix well. If the mixture is crumbly, add a bit more maple syrup until it forms a thick, liquidy sludge of deliciousness.

Remove pan and flip each piece of bacon over. Brush each piece of bacon with maple syrup, then flip the strips back over. Carefully spread the pecan mixture on each piece of bacon. Return to the oven for 5-8 more minutes.

Serve hot. Or at room temperature. Or cold, it’s REALLY good when it’s cold. Serve it in whole strips, or cool it down and chop it into squares to serve as candy.

For the better part of middle and high school, I was usually up in time to make breakfast for my mom and sister while they continued bustling about, getting ready for school. Most days, this breakfast consisted of “tortillas with cheese”, which is just exactly what it sounds like: three flour tortillas, each with a layer of rough slices of cheddar or colby cheese, heated in the microwave for 30 seconds or so before being rolled up in paper towels for a to-go breakfast of champions.

At some point later, upon partaking the joys of quesadillas that popped up on restaurant menus all over the place, I made the connection that I’d been making quesadillas all along (freakishly simple though they were). As with most of my cooking projects, though, I’ve stepped up my game and now make quesadillas not for hurried breakfasts on the go, but for sit-down dinners at home.

And you should too.

I will say one thing though, and don’t freak out: these quesadillas don’t have much cheese.

I know. I know. What sort of monster cuts the cheese so significantly in a dish that is literally NAMED after cheese But I tell you, it’s possible to have a delightful quesadilla that doesn’t have puddles of gooey cheese oozing out the sides and sizzling on your frying pan. Trust me on this.

These quesadillas start out very similar to my Easy Chicken Fajitas. A hearty sprinkle of Fajita Seasoning on half of a chicken breast (seven or eight ounces) will give you enough chicken for two very chicken-y entrees. You can also stretch this to four entrees if you’re okay with less chicken in each tortilla.

Chicken cooks in one pan while peppers and onions cook in another. In all honesty, though, I usually make quesadillas 2-3 days after making a batch of fajitas. It’s a great way to use up the leftover peppers and onions from that recipe and it makes this one even easier!

When the chicken and veggies are cooked, it’s construction time. I use two kinds of cheese: sharp cheddar and monterey jack. I like the contrast of colors, as well as the pungent cheddar against the mild jack. But you can really use whatever varieties make your heart happy. As you can see, you don’t need much: I have no more than two ounces of grated cheese on each. Stacked with chicken, veggies, and salsa, I like just enough cheese to form a glue to keep the sides of the tortilla together.

Quesadillas like to be squished when cooked, rather like a panini, to create a thin but full tortilla that is crispy on the outsides. I don’t have a panini press or a quesadilla maker, but trust me: you don’t need one! I use a heavy pan (in this case, my cast iron skillet) to press down upon the tortilla in a skillet heating on the stove. Not the prettiest technique, but it gets the job done without another one-trick-pony taking up precious cabinet space in my kitchen.

And that’s it! After a few minutes in the pan on each side, chop that sucker up in to quarters and serve with your favorite toppings. I adore these with sour cream, and if I happen to have it handy, with guacamole as well.

This recipe works equally well with ground beef or with steak. You can also be totally happy without any meat whatsoever! Though, in that case, I might actually add more cheese.

Not-So-Cheesy Quesadillas

Serves 2 as a meal, 4-8 as an appetizer

Note: I rarely actually cook the peppers and onions for this dish on their own. Often, I’ll make quesadillas a day or two after a batch of Easy Chicken Fajitas and dice up the peppers and onions leftover from that. Cook smart, folks.

Another Note: You can really put ANYTHING you want in a quesadilla. In the summer, I love cutting the kernels off a cob of corn. You can add green chile, beans, a different meat, no meat, different cheeses, whatever.

8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
1-2 tsp Homemade Fajita Seasoning
2-3 tsp vegetable oil, divided
about 1/2 a green bell pepper, diced
about 1/4 red onion, diced
course salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese
2 oz Monterey jack cheese
3-4 T your favorite chunky salsa
2 burrito-size flour tortillas
sour cream, guacamole, and or salsa for serving

Heat half the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breast generously with fajita seasoning and, if desired, a bit of salt. Cook until chicken is cooked through, then set aside and dice.

Heat the other half of the oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until peppers have softened and are lightly charred. Remove from heat and set aside.

While you construct the quesadillas, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Set another heavy pan or pat next to the stove.

To construct the quesadillas, fold each tortilla in half to form a visual crease. Unfold, then sprinkle the Monterey Jack cheese evenly on one half of each tortilla. Evenly layer on the chicken, peppers and onions, chunky salsa (use as little liquid as possible so it doesn’t squeeze out during cooking), and finish with the cheddar cheese. Fold the top of the tortilla over the filling and press slightly.

Working one at a time, gently place each quesadilla into your hot pan and rest the heavy pot or pan on top. Cook for 4-6 minutes, checking periodically to make sure you don’t burn the tortilla. Once the tortilla is golden-brown and crisp, carefully flip the quesadilla and rest the heavy pot on top of it again. When the second side closely matches the first, remove to a cutting board and cut into four wedges.

Serve immediately with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or whatever your little heart desires. If you save any for leftovers, I highly recommend re-heating the quesadilla in an oven or toaster oven so avoid the soggy-licious future that awaits it in the microwave.

As far as Brad is concerned, they are the only potstickers worth eating – why even bother, he asks I, on the other hand, have yet to find a filling for these fried little dumplings that I don’t like, so I occasionally play with alternatives. This is, currently, my favorite alternative.

If the Pork & Ginger Apple potstickers taste like autumn, these ones taste like spring. The ingredients are fairly simple: crisp green onions and peas accompanied by sautéed spinach and mushrooms. The bright flavors of the onions and peas are balanced out by the dark, earthy spinach and, my favorite, mushrooms sautéed in butter and soy sauce.

Though the filling is mixed, the tedious (and somewhat off-putting) aspect of potstickers lies ahead: assembly. Though it’s not difficult to create these little pouches with a frilly, folded edge, it does take some time and is usually the reason I only make potstickers as a treat rather than a weeknight meal. However, because they freeze so nicely, putting the effort in for a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon can result in multiple super-quick weeknight meals from the freezer.

Plus, folding your potstickers be a simple or as complex as you like. When I first started, I just folded them over and squashed the edges together. I’ve seen fancy ones at restaurants with TONS of folds that must have been created by people with less chubby fingers than me. These days, I like my six-fold method, which provides makes them nice and pretty but also helps the bottom stay nice and flat for a larger crisping area.

Suddenly, after working six at a time, you’ll have a whole army of perfect little pouches.

At this point, you can freeze the potstickers for future quick dinners. Or, you can cook them by crisping the bottom, steaming the dumplings, and then re-crisping the bottom again before serving.

The resulting potstickers are delightfully springy. You could certainly put all the ingredients in a food processor if you want a smoother texture, but I like the contrast between the bright, crisp peas and the soft, salty mushrooms. You can also mix up the ingredients, if you like. Prefer edamame instead of peas Tofu instead of mushrooms They’re quite flexible.

Happy spring dining!

Sweet Pea & Mushroom Potstickers

Makes about 48 potstickers

2 c frozen or fresh peas
1 bunch scallions
1 pound white mushrooms
2 T unsalted butter
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp freshly-grated ginger
4 oz fresh spinach
40-50 dumpling wrappers
canola or vegetable oil
chicken stock
soy sauce for dipping

Pour peas into a large mixing bowl (if using fresh peas, blanch peas and drain thoroughly before adding to the bowl). Chop scallions and add them to the bowl. Slice mushrooms, then wash and pat dry spinach.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add butter, mushrooms, soy sauce, and ginger. Sauté until mushrooms have cooked down and are nicely browned. Pour the mushrooms into the mixing bowl and return the pan to the stove, reducing the heat to medium. Add spinach and toss until it cooks down to be quite wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach tot he mixing bowl and mix all ingredients well.

To form the potstickers, work in batches of no more than 6-8 at a time to prevent the wrappers from drying out. Place about two tablespoons of filling on each wrapper. You’ll want enough filling that the pouch will seem like it almost won’t close, but not so much that it doesn’t close. Dip your finger in a small bowl of water and wet the edge of the wrapper all the way around.

Fold the edges together to form a half moon shape by making a small fold in the front flap and pressing that fold against the back flap between your thumb and finger. Create another fold to the right of that and press against the back flap, and then another. Repeat with three more folds down the other side so that the entire pouch is sealed. You can daub additional water onto the wrapper if needed. Place completed potstickers on a cookie sheet and cover with a cloth to prevent the edges from drying out. Continue until all filling is used.

To cook the potstickers, heat a sauté that has a lid over medium heat. Add just enough oil to the pan to cover the bottom and heat until the oil glistens. Add the potstickers to the pan (as many as can comfortably fit with a bit of space in between) with the frilly seam facing up. Allow potstickers to cook without moving them for 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is golden-brown and crisp to the touch. Add 1/4 chicken stock to the pan and quickly add the lid. Steam the potstickers for 2 minutes.

Remove the lid and cook for one additional minute so the bottoms of the potstickers crisp back up. Remove to a serving tray and repeat with remaining potstickers. You may need to add more oil between each batch.

Serve immediately with soy sauce. You can jazz up the soy sauce a bit by adding a pinch of garlic, ginger, or red pepper if you like.

To Freeze: If you want to freeze your potstickers, freeze them before you cook them by laying them on a cookie sheet so they are not touching and freeze until solid. Then place them all in a freezer-safe plastic bag and store. To cook, use the same sear/steam/sear instructions as above, though you may need an extra minute of steaming.

The answer should be YES. I felt for years that pizza rolls were just one of those things that could only be purchased in the freezer section, compliments of food scientists and packaging specialists. But no! You can make your own, and I daresay they are even better than their freezer-burned counterparts. For one thing, you can know exactly what’s inside and make that choice yourself.

For this, my first foray into homemade pizza roll-dom, I stuck with the basics: pepperoni, zesty red pizza sauce, and the three cheeses I put on all my pizzas all the time always: mozzarella, parmesan, and asiago.

I like my pepperoni in little chunks for pizza rolls. Instead of buying your pepperoni sliced, you can ask your local deli for a few inches of the pepperoni “stick” (I asked for four inches, which turned out to be six ounces). I also know that Boar’s Head makes a stick that would work equally well. Or, if you don’t want to fuss with it, cutting up sliced pepperoni will also suffice.

Since there’s no cooking involved until you fry these suckers up, the only well time commitment is the making of the rolls. Pizza rolls are basically wontons or ravioli, pick your filling-filled-pasta name of choice. You can make these any shape you want, but I wanted a nice round little pouch of pizza. Don’t be scared of folding your own, it’s easy!

First, add 2-3 teaspoons of filling to the center of the wrapper. Don’t worry about being too precise, you’ll know pretty quickly if you’ve put too much in. Then, after running a wet finger along all four edges of the wrapper, begin folding it like a little letter.

Look how pretty! Now repeat a gazillion times (okay, 50 times).

Once the rolls are made, it’s time to fry. You don’t need a deep fryer for this, just a candy/deep fry thermometer and a medium sauce pan. For most everything that you want to fry at home, this is all you’ll need. Since these rolls are so small, a couple of inches of oil in the bottom of the pan is all you’ll need.

Working a few at a time, you’ll fry all of your pizza rolls in no time.

I took a bite of one after I let it cool for a bit, thinking there was no way it could be as good as the ones the food scientists make and package and sell from the freezer: I was dead wrong. They are pizza rolls exactly as I dream they should be. And next time, I may expand beyond pepperoni! For as many toppings as pizza can have, rolls can have just as many fillings.

Happy pizza rolls to you!

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

Makes about 50 rolls

6 oz pepperoni (from a whole stick, chopped into small cubes)
4 oz mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1 oz parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)
1 oz asiago cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)
1 c pizza sauce
50 wonton wrappers (one package)
2-3 c vegetable oil

Once pepperoni has been chopped and cheese has been grated, combine them in a medium bowl along with the pizza sauce and mix well. Working one wrapper at a time, place 2-3 teaspoons of the mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper. Dip your finger in water and run it along all four edges of the wrapper. Fold the two side corners over the mixture the press one over the other. Then, fold the bottom corner up over the mixture, then roll the whole wrapper so that it presses onto the top corner. If any gaps remain, press them closed. Set aside and repeat until all filling is used, making sure to exclude as much liquid as possible to prevent the wraps from getting soggy.

In a medium sauce pan, add enough oil to fill the pan about two inches deep. Place a candy/deep fryer thermometer over the edge and heat on high until the oil is about 375°F. Working in small batches, add rolls to the oil and fry until golden brown in color. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Continue with all rolls.

Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving to avoid squirting yourself in the face with boiling hot pizza sauce. Be amazed at how quickly these will disappear.

We took a spectacular trip to Oregon the first couple weeks of July. We did the normal vacation things: saw beautiful sites, had outdoor adventures, met new people, and engorged ourselves on all the best food the state had to offer. One delicious meal after another, Oregon pulled out all the stops and left our bellies almost constantly full. On our last night in Portland, we ended up at Montage, a cozy little southern restaurant famous for its mac and cheese and the elaborate aluminum foil animals that enclosed their leftovers.

Their mac and cheese was really good. And the foil animals were amusing. But it was the appetizer that stuck with me: deep-fried gems of creamy corn that we ordered on a whim. I knew immediately I had to re-create them.

To be honest, I was a little unclear about what a croquette actually was. My experience at Montage, and a previous one at a restaurant in Durham, seemed to suggest that croquettes were deep-fried balls of, well, whatever one might want. Searches for recipes for “corn croquettes” led to surprisingly few results, but I eventually found a recipe with photos that somewhat resembled the ones we’d had in Oregon.

The filling for the croquettes is fairly simple: onion, fresh sweet corn (you can use canned, but straight from the cob is better) some milk and chicken stock, and some flour, butter and egg to stiffen up the liquids into creamy goodness.

The filling itself comes together fairly easily. The butter and onions sauté for a few minutes before flour is added to form a chunky roux. The milk and chicken stock will thicken up, and finally the corn and a few cranks of black pepper are added to the pan.

The egg is added to provide just a little bit more structure, and to thicken even further, I rested the filling in the fridge for a while. The trick with this recipe is to create a filling that is creamy and liquidy, but solid enough that you can roll it in panko crumbs and deep fry it. I was skeptical that such a feat was possible. The mixture formed a ball, mostly, but barely held itself together while I put the rest together. I was nervous that I would end up with a hot, oily, creamy disaster once they went in the fryer.

But lo and behold, success! The croquettes held together perfectly, and not a single one of them burst in the oil. Each one needed only a few seconds in the oil before it emerged crisp, golden-brown, and ready to be eaten.

And eat them you should. Brad and I scarfed down an entire batch in a matter of minutes. They’re great when they’re really hot, just a few minutes out of the oil, but they also hold their own as they cool down. I’ll wager they’d make a great splash at a party, too — aside from the messy fingers you’ll get making them. Totally worth it.

Sweet Corn Croquettes
Adapted from Cookpad

2 ears of fresh sweet corn
1/2 medium onion
2 T unsalted butter
2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 c milk
1/2 c chicken stock
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 egg
2 c panko crumbs
3 c vegetable oil

Shuck the corn and remove the silks. Cut the kernels off the cobs as close to the cobs as possible. Discard the cobs and set the corn aside. Finely dice the onion.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onions have softened. Add the flour and stir well. The mixture will be quite clumpy. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Slowly add the milk and chicken stock, whisking constantly until the flour clumps have smoothed out and the only texture that remains is from the onions. Add the corn and black pepper and stir. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has thickened almost to a paste: it should be thick enough that it very slowly slides back when wiped away from the pan with a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg, stirring well. Place in the refrigerator on a hot pad for 30-45 minutes to allow the mixture to cool.

Pour the panko crumbs in a small bowl and the oil into a medium pot (the oil should be at least 1.5 inches thick) fixed with a candy/deep fry thermometer. Carefully form balls (they may be somewhat runny) of the corn mixture and coat them completely with panko crumbs. When you are about half-done forming the croquettes, heat the pan containing the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches about 375°F.

Once all croquettes are formed, gently place 3-4 croquettes at a time in the oil, cooking for 10-30 seconds or until panko is a dark golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Scarf up as soon as possible.

I wish I could say that I’ve been harboring this recipe for years, that I’m embarrassed to be posting it only now after summers and summers of enjoyment. I wish I could say that I’ve been adding it to my menu every week of every tomato season for as long as I can remember. I wish that the glut of tomatoes that I harvested this year, the glut that caused me to try this experiment, had happened years ago.

Well. I can say none of those things. The truth is I’ve never been a big fan of fresh tomatoes, and as such, I’ve spent my life picking them off of salads, sandwiches, and pastas. But I’ve vigilantly planted at least a couple of varieties each of the last few years in an effort to force myself into using them, and this year, the strategy paid off handsomely. It seemed wrong to take such ripe, beautiful fruits at their peak and cook them down into sauce, and the internet seemed to agree that bruschetta is a great way to feature them raw.

Lord. The internet was right. I’ve already whipped it up three more times after we inhaled the inaugural batch, moving this straight to the top of our meals-to-look-forward-to-in-the-summer list.

If you’re a tomato-avoider like I can be sometimes (though it seems I’m becoming less of one every year) I urge you to set aside your skepticism and give this a shot. The acidic flavor of the tomatoes is tempered by the mozzarella, brightened by basil, and deepened by gently-cooked garlic and dark balsamic vinegar.

Once the chopping is done, the rest comes together pretty quickly. Toss everything in a bowl, along with some balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper and leave it to soak while you prepare the second half of this perfect marriage: buttery, toasty bread.

Now the bruschetta is good, very good, eaten straight from the bowl with a spoon. But atop a slice of warm, toasted bread that’s been brushed with butter, it’s just… OH. So sublime. So wonderfully tasty.

And I warn you: do not, under any circumstances, skip the buttering and toasting. We tried it, and a slice of untoasted bread is practically a different ingredient. And it doesn’t take long. You can buy a whole baguette and slice it yourself. Or, I’ve had pretty good luck buying day-old bread that the shop will slice up and bag for me. A brush of butter and a few minutes under the broiler will wipe away any deficiencies of using not-quite-fresh bread.

Bruschetta is typically served as an appetizer, a beautiful presentation that can easily serve 8-10 people as a starter. But I highly recommend it as a main course. Especially with the addition of mozzarella, this makes a perfectly filling meal for two people.

Besides, as of now, it’s all I can do to share with Brad, let alone try to limit myself to an appetizer-sized portion.

Bruschetta Mozzarella
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Serves 2 as a main course, 8-10 as an appetizer

1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 pint roma tomatoes
12 leaves basil
8 oz fresh mozzarella
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
about 1/2 a baguette, sliced in half-inch slices
4 T unsalted butter

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Mince the garlic and add to the hot oil; sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is a light golden color. Empty the garlic and oil into a medium mixing bowl.

Dice the tomato and slice the mozzarella into small pieces, about the size of a thick coin. Chiffonade the basil by stacking the leaves, tightly rolling them length-wise, and then slicing the resulting log into thin strips. Add the tomatoes, cheese, and basil to the mixing bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly. Set the bowl aside while you prepare the bread.

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the broiler on high. Slice the baguette and spread the slices on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Melt the butter completely and brush lightly over each piece of bread. Toast the bread under the broiler for 4-5 minutes or until the edges of the bread are golden-brown, but keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Remove the tray and place the bread on a serving plate.

Serve immediately. You’ll hardly be able to resist.

I have a little garden plot in a rooftop garden at my job in Columbus. It’s a challenging thing, really, to grow food on a cement slab 30 feet above the ground, but for one reason or another, my tomato plants are thriving. In an effort to keep up with the continuous supply of plump, crimson tomatoes I’ve enjoyed for the last few weeks, I’m trying to expand my repertoire of fresh tomato recipes. With the first breaths of autumn already trying to make their way into Ohio, I just can’t quite stand the idea of peeling these tomatoes and cooking them into a slurry of marinara or bolognese. I started with this, a common salsa where fresh tomatoes are the stars of the show.

Along with the tomatoes, an array of other fresh veggies add crunch, zest, and flavor to this simple but flavorful salsa.

After lots of chopping, dicing, and mincing, this salsa is almost ready to serve. Toss all the ingredients together with a bit of salt and lime juice and sample it on a chip!

If you can, give this salsa a couple of hours in the fridge to let the veggies chill and the flavors blend. It’s delightful on tacos, on chips, in eggs… pretty much anywhere you want a fresh and zesty salsa!

Pico de Gallo

Adapted from AllRecipes

1 pint roma tomatoes
1/2 medium-sized red onion (or 1/4 of a large one)
1 jalapeño
2 cloves garlic
1 green onion
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T lime juice
1 tsp salt

Dice the tomatoes and onion. Slice the japapeño in half and discard the seeds and white lining from one half, then finely chop the rest. If you prefer more heat to your salsa, you can keep all the seeds and lining. Finely chop the garlic, green onion, and cilantro. Add all of the chopped and diced vegetables to a mixing bowl and add the lime juice and salt, starting with half of the recommended quantities and adjusting up for taste.

Refrigerate until serving.

Perhaps associated with the first burst of warm-ish weather, I tend to also get an itch to vacation at this time of year. It might also be years of Spring Break indoctrination, but I suddenly yearn to pack my bags for some tropical adventure! Not that I actually did a lot of that growing up, but the once or twice that we did vacation somewhere warm over Spring Break were enough to permanently spark anticipation every February. Unfortunately, we have no imminent vacation plans for this spring. So! To ease my wanderlust, I’ve settled by making some charred corn salsa.

Now obviously, fresh sweet corn on the cob and peppers are not exactly in season in the midwest. I fully admit that. But what better way to pretend it is summer than to dine on some wonderfully summery vegetables?

This salsa is pretty quick to make. Once the ingredients are prepped, the only cooking involved is a little charring of the peppers and corn. In theory, you could even go without this step and mix it all together raw, but I love the smokiness that comes from a little bit of pan-charring.

The onions and cilantro, though, should remain raw. They’ll provide a delightful bite and lovely color.

When it’s done, I like to chill this salsa for a couple hours before eating it, but you could also eat it while the corn and peppers are still warm. And this isn’t just for chip dipping: it makes a delightful filling for quesadillas, breakfast burritos, and omelettes, and it makes a wonderfully spicy salad when mixed with some chopped romaine.

Here’s to the return of warm weather!

Charred Corn Salsa
Inspired by Chipotle

2 tsp canola oil
1 poblano pepper, seeded and minced
2 cans (or two ears) sweet corn, drained
1/2 red onion, diced
1 T finely chopped cilantro
dash lemon or lime juice
1/4 tsp cumin
pinch or two sea salt

Prepare all ingredients that require chopping or mincing. If using ears of corn, cut the kernels off the cob raw and discard cobs.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add minced poblano pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the peppers begin to char a bit, stirring once or twice. Add corn and sauté for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. For the last 3 minutes, turn the heat up to medium high to allow the corn to char, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and transfer corn mixture to a mixing bowl.

Add onion, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Mix well and taste, adding more salt or cumin as necessary.

Chill for 1-2 hours before serving. Delicious in quesadillas, breakfast burritos, omelettes, or simply on chips! Stores for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.