This is a time sensitive recipe.

Make it for the next 4 months or forever hold your peace.

This MUST be made with late spring/summer tomatoes. 

It MUST be made with the sweetest Vidalia onions. 

And it MUST be made repeatedly all summer long. 

Shall we begin?

Summer Balsamic Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 small heirloom tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 small Vidalia onion, finely diced

1/4 cup fresh unsalted mozzarella, diced

1/4 cup basil, cleaned and chiffonaded

1 garlic clove, peeled but whole

4 slices of thick country bread

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. salt

1. Combine all ingredients except garlic and bread, stir, and let marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. That lets all the flavors mingle and marry.

he tomatoes will leach lots of juice because they are salted, but don’t worry – that’s the point.

2. Toast your sliced bread in the broiler until it is quite brown and charred in spots. Then, rub it with the clove of garlic, like here. That really starts to perfume the bread without making it overtly garlicky. 

3. Pile the salad atop the bread and serve. 

This is super simple and super delicious. The balsamic vinegar is the secret – it adds a deep, umami flavor that brings out the best in the sweet onions, earthy tomatoes, and fragrant basil. Be sure to use the best mozzarella you can find – burrata would be sensational here! Actually, use the best of everything you can find. Since there are so few ingredients in this bruschetta, each one must be perfect.

One more must here - 

You must eat at least 3 helpings of this. 

These are possibly the most addictive things on the planet.

Why?

Because they remind you of being 19 and in college, ordering mozzarella sticks from people wearing “flare” and trying to see if you could sweet talk your way from an iced tea to a Long Island iced tea.

What, like I was the only one who ever did that?

These snacks come together in a snap, are loved equally by kids and adults, and are just plain old delicious.

Mozzarella Sticks (adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 package string cheese, sticks cut in half and each one rolled in flour

1/4 cup vegtable oil

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups breadcrumbs

2 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning

1. Drop the floured mozzarella sticks into the beaten eggs.

2. Mix the herbs with the breadcrumbs, then roll the cheese in the crumbs until totally coated.

Set aside util all sticks are coated with breadcrumbs.

3. Preheat oil in a dutch oven or heavy sautee pan until a piece of bread dropped in it fries instantly. Add the sticks and fry on each side until lightly golden, about 2 minutes per side. Take out and drain on paper towels. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan or that will lower the oil’s temperature – go for about 3 sticks at a time.

4. Serve immediately with marinara sauce.

Oh yeah, you know you love it. The gooey, stretchy creaminess. The salty, oregano heavy crunch. The feeling that all you need is a student ID and you could be back in sophomore year. These sticks aren’t as melty as some versions, but what you lose in stretch-factor, you gain in ease – you MADE these. They might not be health food, but they aren’t totally junk food either. They are still totally delicious, rich, spicy, creamy, and crunchy. Plus there is that awesome nostalgia factor.

It’s just like being in college, but now you don’t have to use the communal bathrooms.

Another Brussels sprouts recipe? Why not? It’s almost spring, after all, and then Brussels sprouts will be a thing of the past, along with squash, parsnips, and hearty stews. So get the most out of these frigid days of March with this sprouts recipe.

The secrets here are the sugar and the heat. The sugar rounds out the cruciferous taste of the sprouts and the high, high heat creates an almost candied taste. Additionally, the cheese replaces the need for salt, while adding a nutty, umami flavor. If you are looking for a recipe to bump up your side dish repertoire, this is it. 

Sweet and Spicy Italian Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, shredded

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 Serrano pepper, minced

1/4 cup Romano cheese

2 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 tbsp. sugar

1. Turn the heat up to medium high and throw the oil in. When it starts to smoke, toss in the garlic.

2. After a few minutes, when the garlic is fragrant and starts to turn golden, add the jalapenos. Saute for another minute or so – you don’t want the garlic to burn, so…

3. Add the sprouts and the seasonings. Toss the sprouts in the oil and then cover the whole thing with a lid.

Let it cook for about 10 minutes, or until the sprouts are wilted and very soft – the volume will decrease a lot and the sprouts will be glossy and smooth.

4. Remove the lid, add the sugar and cheese, and turn the heat up very high. Mash the sprouts all down into the pan in a single layer and let it cook for about 2 minutes. The kitchen will get smokey. That’s okay…this is where the magic happens. After the first side gets very charred, start flipping the sprouts so all the layers get a chance to touch the bottom of the pan. Be sure not to disturb the sprouts while they cook – the undisturbed cooking time is what makes this work.

Once the sprouts are crispy and almost black in most places…

5. Serve.

The sugar is so amazing with the sprouts – it adds a sweet, unexpected edge to an extremely savory dish. And don’t be scared of the black parts – that’s what  makes this dish so multifaceted. The crispy, deeply charred parts contrasting with the soft, delicate bites and the bite of chiles. This dish would be great the next day in a frittata and is even good cold for a midnight snack.

Eat it while you can, because this is the last time you will want to eat sprouts for many months. Warm weather, here we come!

I am not what some might call “fearless.” I don’t bungee jump. I am won’t jump the subway turnstile. I don’t even like to step on cracks on the sidewalk.

I am, however, fearless in the kitchen. I have no problem kicking ass with an exotic protein or complicated recipe. When I see something that looks good, I just grab the bull (or geoduck or epoisses cheese…) by the horns and go with it.

That’s what I did with this rainbow chard many years ago. I even posted about it, but it got lost in the great blog transfer of ’12. So I’m reposting it now, for all of you who are scared of using this gorgeous, soon-to-be-in season veggie. If you like spinach, you’ll love rainbow chard. This is sweet, savory, and altogether awesome.

Sicilian Rainbow Chard (adapted from Serious Eats)

Ingredients:

1 bunch of rainbow chard
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
7 large heirloom tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons capers
1 tablespoon fig jam
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Red pepper flakes, to taste
¼ cup pine nuts

1. Sautee the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until golden brown. Then, add the red pepper flakes.

2. Rinse the chard well, as you would romaine lettuce, then slice the whole thing, stalk up to leaf, into small pieces. Throw it into a pot of boiling water and boil for about 7 minutes or until the chard is tender, then drain it.

3. Add the chard, pine nuts, tomatoes, capers, fig jam, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan with the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until all ingredients are heated through and homogeneous.

4. Taste for seasonings, and serve.

This is a winner in every way. It’s easy to make, very quick, and extremely sophisticated tasting. The chard itself is iron-y and fresh, while the vinegar is tangy and the fig jam brings out the sweetness. The secret here here is the Worcestershire sauce. It really brings depth to the dish, and while it isn’t fishy at ALL, it does have that certain umami taste. It’s sweet and tart and delightfully Sicilian-esque. This is wonderful with a mild white fish, over pasta, or as a sauce for meatballs.

It’s also great out of the pot with a spoon.

Because, as unafraid as I am to cook it…I’m also that unafraid to eat the whole pot by myself.