Gazpacho Salad

- Elspeth Leave a comment

Even though August in the Bay Area means foggy mornings and breezy evenings, the knock of summer still falls heavily on our doors. I spent a good 45 minutes combing through various seasonal blog entries from Smitten Kitchen and The Pioneer Woman, trying to find inspiration that would do justice to this glorious month. And, there it was: Gazpacho Salad.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes spell refreshing, while the bread satisfies the fat kid within me (probably soon to be on the outside, too). My sister made this for me a few weeks ago and it was declared a fabulous find, so it wasn’t hard for me to rediscover it in my own humble kitchen.

It is essentially Panzanella, which is an Italian dish that helps rid your cupboards of stale bread. Basically, those boot-folk take rock-hard lumps of bread and soak it in water, press out the moisture, and then use it in salad with lettuce, tuna, tomatoes, or whatever is handy. Brilliant, right?

If you’re looking for a filling but still light salad, this is the decision for you. You’re welcome.

Gazpacho Salad

adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

4 cups cubed (1 in) bread, preferably a day or two old so it is stale. I used a whole-wheat loaf, which was very nice. Don’t go for a bread that is too soft, or else you will have real trouble cutting it
3 cups chopped tomatoes (I used cherry/heirloom, which were colorful and magical)
1 cucumber, seeded and diced fine
1/4 red onion, diced fine
1 c green or red grapes, halved
1 avocado, cubed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 t cumin
1 t salt
1/3 c olive oil
3 t red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 and toast the cubed bread for about 10-15 minutes. Not crispy, but not still soft. Let cool slightly. Throw the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, grapes, and avocado into a large serving bowl. Pound the garlic, salt, and cumin in a mortar and pestle until a paste forms. Whisk in the oil and vinegar. Add the bread to the bowl, pour in the dressing, and toss until everything is coated thoroughly. Let sit for about 10 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed some of the dressing and becomes totes delish.

What’s that? Oh no, the bread came like that. With a bite already taken out. Must have been a keen taste-tester at Whole Foods.

…Ahem…

A Snickerdoodle Snack

- Elspeth Leave a comment

After a flutter of tweets this afternoon over preferred baked goods, I promised vaguely hinted to my coworkers that there might be treats waiting for them tomorrow morning. A request for cream cheese put me on a Pinterest hunt for something a bit new and different, and I was not disappointed in the slightest.

I was aiming for cream cheese danish, but all of the recipes seemed to call for crescent rolls and a trip to the store sounded odious.

*You’ll have to forgive my vocabulary tonight. I have been listening to my “Pride and Prejudice” audiobook and have adopted their vernacular as I pretend to be gliding elegantly through the English countryside, with Mr. Darcy at my side*

I landed on these Snickerdoodle bars, which had me drooling instantly. I. Love. Snickerdoodles. Such a perfect marriage of cinnamon, sugar, and doughy goodness has never been seen before, I am sure.

A quick coupling with a cream-cheese brownie recipe from Joy of Baking and I had landed on my opus.

These bars are delightfully fluffy with a ribbon of richness through them, thanks to the cream cheese filling. There is a slight crust from the cinnamon and sugar, which is a pleasant texture contrast that is quite appreciated.

You will need:
For the bars:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

For the cream cheese filling:
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in the sour cream. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt. Mix in on low speed until thoroughly incorporated.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg until smooth, but do not over mix.

Grease a 9″x 13″ pan with butter. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle half in the greased pan, making sure to shake it around thoroughly so that it coats the pan. Spoon 3/4 of the dough into the pan and spread gently into the corners. Spread the cream cheese on top and then spoon the rest of the dough as the final layer. Gently run a knife through the layers to slightly swirl it all together.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just done. If you have trouble with this part, stick a knife into the center. If it comes out with any glisten of moisture, put it back in for a few more minutes. If crumbs cling to the knife, take it out immediately!

Nom!