snack Archives | Page 7 of 39

It has been gloriously cloudy, rainy, and much cooler the past few days in my neck of the woods. It’s almost as if we hit September and Mother Nature decided to give us a gift after enduring another hellish summer. As far as I’m concerned, fall starts with the month of September so I’ve been using the first few days of the month to bring back all the cozy rituals I like to do this time of year. And, I’ve been racking up a lengthy list of baked goods to play around with in the kitchen now that I’m more inspired to turn the oven on. It’s entirely possible watching the latest season of Great British Baking Show miiiiight have had something to do with it 😉

I was craving a somewhat simple cookie, or biscuit as the Brits would say, to go with my tea. Since I finally replenished my cacao powder I knew it would probably go in the mix along with some flaky salt (obvs) and something herbal since I have a plethora of things from the garden drying in my studio at the moment. Thus, these vegan and gluten free biscuits were born.

Ultimately I decided to pair up rosemary and cocoa in these because it’s one of my favorite flavor combinations in baked goods. They contrast each other quite well as the resinous and piney flavors of the rosemary cut through the bitterness of the cocoa. Even though these are gluten free, I made it easy on myself (and you) by using only oat flour. Not only does oat flour perform well for binding, but it lends that signature sweetness of the oats themselves. These are finished off with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt to balance out the flavors and break up the mundane brown of the exterior.

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Roasted Garden Salsa (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

Garden tomatoes and serrano peppers are roasted with onions and garlic then blended into a thick and flavorful vegan and gluten free salsa. Use more or less peppers to adjust the heat level to your liking!

I spent last week helping my brother move up to Salem, Massachusetts. We covered a lot of miles (1,873 to be exact) and saw a lot of beautiful scenery. I think Virginia was my favorite followed closely by Tennessee. What I missed most (other than sleeping in my bed) was working in my garden. Though most days the only “work” required is watering, I usually spend a lot of time out there in observation. I’ll notice new growth or buds, or perhaps insect damage that needs to be addressed, or maybe how the subtlest of movements encourages the tulsi basil to release its lovely scent. It’s a grounding experience and one that helps me stay tethered to my tasks for the rest of the day.

Upon returning home and venturing into the garden, the first thing I noticed were the plentiful reddish-green orbs on my tomato plants! Despite having harvested a pint’s worth before leaving, there was at least another pint’s worth that had ripened in my absence. I’ve been craving a roasted salsa of sorts since I first started harvesting my tomatoes and peppers so I decided to share the results with you here just in time for the summer solstice tomorrow. And, in honor of the official first day of summer, after the salsa recipe you’ll find a collection of my favorite summer-inspired recipes from the blog. Happy Summer Solstice friends!

My Favorite Summer Recipes

honey sage ice cream (pairs perfectly with fresh summer fruits)
cooling summer tisane (make up a big batch of this cooling herbal tea and sip on it through the week)
humble plum blueberry pie with lime & cardamom
oven-fried okra with sunflower cider dip (there’s no added oil in this recipe!)
lemongrass peach shrub
spiced maple peach pancake stack (the perfect lazy weekend morning breakfast)
zucchini spaghetti with tarragon & lemon
rainbow quinoa salad with cashew tzatziki (a good option for a picnic or summer potluck)
polenta pizza with herbed cashew ricotta & summer veg
blueberry peach crumble ice cream
lemon cucumber quick pickles

Roasted Garden Salsa

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Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: about 2 cups 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 quart of tomatoes
1/2 a red onion, cut into wedges
2 large garlic cloves with the skin on
2 to 3 serrano peppers (depending on how spicy you want it)
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
sea salt to taste

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Instructions

Line a large baking sheet with foil or a silicone mat. DO NOT use parchment paper as we’re using the broiler and it can potentially catch fire! If you are using tomatoes smaller than 2 or 3 inches, put a small slit in each tomato (this will discourage them from bursting open and covering your oven in tomato juice!). If you are using larger tomatoes, cut them into 4 or 6 wedges. Place the tomatoes, onion, whole serrano peppers, and garlic cloves (with the skin still on) onto your prepared sheet. Set your oven to broil then place the sheet in the oven under the broiler.

Watch the veggies carefully. Once they begin to blacken and blister in spots, remove them from the oven and place them in a blender or food processor. You may have to do this in shifts because the smaller items (like the peppers) may be ready before the larger items (like the onions and tomatoes). Make sure you remove the skin of the garlic before adding it to the blender. To the veggies, add the lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and a good pinch of salt. Blend until you get the consistency you want, then allow the salsa to cool for at least 15 minutes. Taste the salsa then add more salt or apple cider vinegar as needed.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Makes just under 2 cups of salsa.

Notes

I used a quart of black vernissage cherry tomatoes from my backyard. Pretty much any tomato variety will work here so use what you like!
I went ahead and roasted 3 serranos for this recipe but only ended up using 2 because I liked the heat level. Feel free to adjust as you like!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: appetizer