Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce

Cherry tomatoes are tiny versions of the wonderful, ripe tomatoes which I love so much in the summertime. There are many varieties of cherry tomatoes and they all grow prolifically in Louisiana gardens. This bowl of assorted minature tomatoes was grown at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden on their research farm. The tomatoes were “on sale.” Some were “research” tomatoes — all were difference sizes, shapes and colors. “Take as many as you want,” the kind lady said. That was music to my ears. I came home with over three pounds of these small tomatoes. This was more than I could use in salads. I did not want to let the tomatoes go to waste and decided to experiement making a pasta sauce with most of them. How did the sauce turn out? Quite unique, very tasty.

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Hot Pink Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

What a pleasure, the “Barbie” movie came out this summer turning our world into a sea of pink. I love the bright and splashy color, “pink,” and the vibrance which it has added to our universe. A little fantasy and imagination helps balance all the sobering news in our world. To celebrate the Barbie theme, I devised a shortbread ice cream cookie sandwich to share. And, it is delicious. Cherry-infused ice cream filling and bright pink icing make the cookies mighty tasty. I named them “Hot Pink Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches” to avoid any copyright infringment issues with the Mattel folks. It takes several steps to make this dessert, but it is worth it. The shortbread cookies with pink icing can stand alone, but why not add a cherry ice cream filling?

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Brabant Potatoes — a New Orleans Classic

When you are given a cookbook which has more recipes for oyster dishes than vegetables, there’s a good chance that it may relate to the cuisine of New Orleans. A friend gifted me an old cookbook which she no longer wanted. Since I live in Louisiana, I seemed like the natural person to get the cookbook. Little did she know what a treasure it is — if you like cookbooks. The vintage cookbook, era 1960s, is written by the parents whose daughters attended the Ursuline Academy of the Old Ursuline Convent — which dates to 1727. The cookbook is filled with classic recipes of New Orleans — these Catholic parents would have come from established families in the city. As I skimmed through the pages, I stopped at “Brabant Potatoes.” Now, here’s a dish you won’t find outside of New Orleans. I decided to make a version of this classic Louisiana dish of “French Fries.” If you like potatoes, you will love this dish!

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Cajun-Asian Fusion Stuffed Gypsy Peppers

I decided to get creative and find a way to use the sweet-flavored gypsy peppers which I grew in my summer garden. I concocted a dish which has both Cajun and Asian elements which I am calling, “Cajun-Asian Fusion Stuffed Gypsy Peppers.” I used a traditional Cajun stuffing of pork, rice and lots of vegetable seasonings. The Asian fusion component comes from Indonesian Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste which I added to the stuffing. This paste gives a different flavor “twist” to the stuffed pepper dish. And the mild gypsy peppers are a great pepper to use for stuffing. The result is a flavorful rice and pork casserole and supper entree.

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