Its tomato time, the best time of year for them homegrown tomators. You might be staring at the abundance and wondering what to do with them. Last year I decided to make a few giant pots of marinara sauce to freeze for later. I especially love the cherry tomatoes, you can pop them like candy and they are sweeter than they big ones. They also are a lot funner to cut for salsa, because you can just halve or quarter them and not have all the juice to clean up. My most favorite salsa was taught to me by one of my most favorite former roommates, Kim. Thank you Kim, thank you.
Its so simple it's ridiculous. It is so yummy it is ridiculous.
Every time I make it, it is gone in less than 12 hours, and there is no one else in the house eating it but me. Make some and you'll understand.
Mango Avocado Salsa
1 Mango, diced (ok fresh is best, but sometimes you have a baby and can't cut up the fresh one, so frozen I think is completely permissable)
1 Avocado, diced
1-2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
Lime, to taste
Salt, to taste
Green Onions & Cilantro, optional
That is really it! The three essentials to me are the mango, avocado, and tomato, the rest extras to enhance flavor, but the natural juices do the work, really!
In a word....
Different
No, No
Unique
Wait, no, I got it this time!
AMAZING!!!
I typically believe that if you mix too many flavors they start to compete against one another and you lose overall value. Especially with sacred ingredients like Peanut Butter AND Chocolate. I mean come on if you are going to make a Peanut Butter cookie, make a PEANUT BUTTER cookie! Now we all know these players, Peanut Butter and Chocolate, the Romeo & Juliet of a forbidden dessert. They were made to be joined in a never ending forbidden love affair. However oats and ginger, really? That seems too risky, that seems like we are going too far. Slow down turbo.
So I had my doubts.
But I had to know.
What did I have to lose, a few ingredients that I always have on hand because I am obsessed with making cookies. Could I risk it and take a step away from the tried and true classics?
Yes, and now I have gone down a path with which I will never come back.
Peanut butter? Yes
Chocolate? Of course
Oats? Sure
Ginger? Wow, slow down. Who knew? Yes, yes, and more yes
And each one of these ingredients parts add something invaluable to the main production. PB and Chocolate, the stars, we all love them and resonate with familiarity, comfort, and indulgence. Oats, like the beautiful back drop add texture, interest and depth. Ginger, wow, just a small part, but you prove crucial in this production adding excitement and newness.
So without further ado, I am pleased to introduce my new favorite cookie: the amazingly textured, intriguing, dynamic, chewy, charismatic, saucy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Ginger cookie:
While I can't capture the magic of my first bite of warm deliciousness fresh from the oven, I can capture the recipe, and only hope that by so doing the re-creation can happen again, and again, and then again, and then how about again, and......ok you get the point here.
Trust me, it's the stuff that dreams are made of.
Ginger Kissed PB Choc Chip Cookies
(and if saying it isn't a mouthful, eating it is even more so)
1 cup plus 1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp corn starch
3/4 cups oats (I like the texture but 1/2 cup is the original recipe)
1/2-3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp baking soda
1/2-1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
Mix dry ingredients until blended in a bowl and set aside. In a mixer beat butter until smooth, add PB and mix on high until smooth, no lumps. Add sugars and mix on high until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and mix on medium until just smooth, do not overmix.
Add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. If you are at a high altitude (like myself) the flour should be just about right, otherwise start with 1 cup and add the extra tbsp only if you feel the dough is a bit too wet. The cornstarch is optional and can be replaced with flour but adds a soft texture to the cookie. The vanilla, salt, and ginger can be adjusted to your personal taste. I used a full tsp of ginger, because it was just so rocking, and I really wanted to make sure you could pick up on it load and clear.
In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake until the tops are slightly brown on the ridges and a firmness to touch. This will take anywhere from 8-14 minutes depending on size of cookies, baking sheet, and placement in the oven. These are some you do not want to over bake.
Ok, have fun with these. I did, so will you. And let the risk takers align our course.
I searched the internet, high and low for a crust to a fruit tart that would offer a crust unlike a traditional pie, nor a sugar cookie laden with fat and sugar. I simply wanted something that wouldn't negate from the wonderful flavor of all that fresh fruit on top. After much searching, I didn't come up with much of anything so I took the powers of creation into my own hands. It's basically a half whole wheat crust with less butter, no nasty shortening, and a touch of sweetness and lemon. I'm not going to lie, it was just ok, but usually things are never perfect the first time. And since I'm a perfectionist when I do it again, I will tweak it as follows:
Crust:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbsp powdered sugar
5-6 tbps cold butter
2-3 tbsp ice water
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
touch of vanilla and cinnamon
Mix all the dry ingredients, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Slowly add just enough ice water until dough holds together. Refrigerate 15-30 minutes before rolling out. Roll out in a pie or tart pan, bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown.
Filling, there are a few options based on preference and healthy factors:
Healthiest, yogurt (6 oz cup should do)
Richer, 4-6 oz light whipped cream cheese with a few tbsp powdered sugar and touch lemon juice
Lighter and sweeter, any type of custard or pudding
Topping:
Fruit, fruit, and more fruit.
And if you don't own a tart pan don't despair. I only had a pie dish but this just gave me more room for the best part, the fruit.
Mango Avocado Salsa
