Indian Summer! happy weekend

PFR Design wishes you a very happy

Indian Summer Weekend!

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An Indian Summer Inspired Menu Ideas

Work with what's in season. Do not try and recreate a summer menu with ingredients that will taste bland and bitter.

Use what the season's best has to offer.

Work with fresh mushrooms, fresh herbs, fresh corn and sweet first harvest apples. Create a menu that is fun, yet still warms the heart. Here are a couple of ideas to inspire your weekend menu.

(Image PFR Design via Three Little Hungry Birds))

Include the children in helping to pick fresh ingredients if you are lucky enough to get to a local market.

(Image PFR Design via Three Little Hungry Birds))

The variety of tomatoes you can find at the end of the summer are fresh, varied and taste amazingly sweet. Take advantage and make fresh salads and fresh tomato sauces.

(Image PFR Design via Three Little Hungry Birds))

(Image via Sunday Suppers)

(Image PFR Design via Three Little Hungry Birds))

If you have the time and love to create beautiful fresh sauces make an extra batch jar them and keep them for the cold winter months when the thought of eating a tomato just isn't an option.

(Image PFR Design via Three Little Hungry Birds))

(Image via Sunday Suppers)

Make extra batches for cold winter months. Simple and easy you will thank yourself later deep in the frost of January when you open a fresh tomato sauce that screams of summer.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

1. Fresh Roma Tomatoes

2. Olive oil

3. Basil

Cut your tomatoes in half and place inside a large pot over medium high heat and a significant pour of olive oil.

Allow to simmer for about 8 hours.

Pass the sauce through a mill to remove unwanted skins.

In a skillet lightly saute diced onion and garlic add the sauce and another pour of olive oil.

prepare your jars by steaming them and sanitizing them in the dishwasher.

Place chopped or whole basil in the bottom of each jar. ladle sauce through a funnel into your jar.

Seal immediately and viola, fresh pasta sauce!

adjust your proportions according to volume and taste, but here is a sample of a sauce made to feed four.

Makes 4 portions, on the small side
3 pound plum tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
Small handful basil leaves, most left whole, a few slivered for garnish
1/4 cup olive oil
12 ounces (3/4 pound) dried spaghetti

We are very exciting to share some photos and recipes with you with a food blog that I have been following for years. beautiful photography, inspired recipes, beautiful story telling and journalling. This is a truly inspired blog.

Here are some fabulous recipes to add to your end of summer tomato menus!

Enjoy.

All images Aran Goyoaga via canelle& vanille.

Green Heirloom Tomato and Celeriac Soup

2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 leek, washed and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 medium green tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and diced
1 medium celery root, peeled and diced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
1 Tbs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of sugar
2 cups chicken stock (just enough to cover the vegetables)

Garnish
cherry tomato confit
celery root fried in olive oil
celery salt
fresh thyme

To blanch the tomatoes, bring water to a boil. Score the end of the tomatoes with a paring knife. Submerge the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 15 seconds. Strain the water and shock them in ice. The skin will peel right off.

In a medium pot, saute the leek, garlic and carrots in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the diced tomato, celery root, potato, salt, pepper, thyme. Saute for a minute and add the chicken stock, enough to cover the vegetables. Cook for about 20 minutes until all vegetables are tender.

Puree the soup and adjust the salt, pepper and sugar as needed. Depending on the acidity of the tomatoes, the seasoning will vary.

Garnish with cherry tomato confit, celery root fries, celery salt and fresh thyme leaves.

Cherry Tomato Confit

1 pint of cherry tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
fresh thyme
Olive oil

Cut the tops off. Score the bottom of the tomato. Blanch them in boiling water for about 10 seconds and immediately shock them in ice. Peel the skin.

Cut the tomatoes in half and place them cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and fresh thyme on top.

Bake at 225F for about 2-2 1/2 hours until half way dry. Store them in a jar covered with olive oil.