Simple Summer Salad

In honor of the first day of summer here is a recipe full of summer flavor and color, tomato and basil salad. Even better, it's simple.
Serve the salad with an Italian or Mediterranean style BBQ, at a potluck or for a simple snack with buttered toast points. The salad really showcases the wonderful combination of tomato and basil and allows their bold flavors to shine.

1/2 to 1 tomato per person (use tomatoes that are bright in color but firm to touch and use a variety of colors preferably local and heirloom)
1-2 basil leaves per tomato
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsalmic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
Sea salt

Chop and deseed the tomatoes, place in a bowl. Gather the basil and snip the leaves with kitchen scissors right over the tomatoes. Drizzle with the oil and vinegar. Top with pepper and salt to taste. Toss gently and serve. This salad also goes well with fresh mozzarella or feta.

Guilt Free Treat

Every once in a while I need a treat of the pastry variety. Sweet Pea, a local vegan bakery is often where I stop. Though not Celiac friendly, the shop does offer 3 to 4 gluten free and vegan options. The Nothin' Muffin is usually my pick. Packed with berries and coconut, the muffin is very flavorful, surprisingly so since its free of gluten, dairy, eggs, sugar and soy. Paired with a vegan hazelnut milk hot chocolate and you have yourself a perfect guilt free indulgence.

Sweet Pea is on the corner of 12th and Stark in SE.

You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free!

The other day my sister and I stopped by Whole Foods to get the last couple ingredients for our dinner. Much to my delighted surprise they were hosting a mini gluten free fair. Several gluten free products the store carries were being featured and sampled. It was a great idea as many of the items I had been overlooking unaware of their existence. One product rose above the others, hand held pie by Bridge City Bakery. I knew it wasn't my scewed taste buds when my gluten eating sister said, "We need to get one of these for dessert!". Brilliant idea and we did!

The company is OR based and uses only natural ingredients. There are at least four flavors. We tried the Hood River blueberry and the date with pecan variety. The filling is substantial and the crust is just what you expect from pie, buttery and flaky. The pie is very reasonable, less than four dollars and worth every penny! Check with your Whole Foods associate to find out how to get your hands on one, you won't be disappointed.

Roasted Garbanzos

Yikes! It has been way too long since I visited the world of blog. Now that I am settled into my life on the island the posts should return in more regular frequency. So without further ado, here is one of my first recipes from the island. Look forward to more recipes inspired by the island's bounty.

Roasted Garbanzo Beans

1 can organic garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 Tbs high quality grapeseed oil
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 Tbs caraway seeds (oregano would also be good)
1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients and place in a very lightly greased shallow baking dish. Place beans in a single layer in the dish. Bake at 350 until beans are golden brown and starting to crack open. This dish is a great protein serving especially for those on a vegetarian diet. I served them with a vegetable saute and brown rice. Enjoy!