For as long as I can remember I’ve romanticized Hawaii. It’s a place I’ve always wanted to go but, as of yet, I have never been. Initially, it was the beaches that drew me in. The color palette kills me. The pinks, the greens, the violets, and blues. Just imagining a Hawaiian sunset is enough to make me weak in the knees. But as I grew older and came to the sharp realization that my life would never be Blue Crush, I became fascinated with the cuisine. It makes perfect sense really. I’m not blonde, I can’t surf but I can sure as hell eat.
T
Hey guys! So summer is definitely winding down and while I am bummed I realize I’m totally part of the problem. The other day I made a pasta dish with pumpkin. Pumpkin! I’m really not serving my make-summer-last case here. I definitely am still in love with summer but I can feel my focus shifting. I’m starting to look forward to fall. The chill in the air, the cozy dinners, the vats of mulled wine. But I know wishing for these things prematurely will be regrettable come February. So, instead of sharing the creamy pumpkin pasta I made the other day (don’t worry, it will make an appearance soon) I’m going to squeeze one last ice cream recipe out of this summer. Say hello to this Mint Chip Brownie Sundae.
It’s that magical time of year when tomatoes come into their own. They are so juicy, sweet and flavorful they trigger a sort of high. Well, they do in me anyway, I tend to get giddy in a ripe tomato’s presence. I think what I find so striking about in-season tomatoes is how different they are from the hothouse duds I eat the rest of the year. These vine-ripened, sunshine-rich tomatoes taste almost like a different species. They have a sweetness and a grassiness that you never find in a mid-November beefsteak. In-season tomatoes are never mealy and watery. And every inch of them screams “Tomato!” at full volume in surround sound. So what do you do with these supersonic tomatoes? As little as possible. So, allow me to introduce you to my Ricotta Gnocchi with Raw Tomato Sauce.