Being a mediocre foodie, I find this an optimal time to include a little sophisticated eating. Something only for the mommies, that makes us all feel a little pampered, right in the midst of a busy day.
I invited my friend Bethany over (using the lure of smallish kiddie pool to entice the kids into thinking this is for them), and utilized my most recent trip to the farmers market to help set the theme. On the menu: marinated heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced roasted garlic ciabatta, cranberry studded white cheddar, and honeycomb. Add in a little POM mixed with mineral water to seal the deal.
Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes
7-8 smallish (cherry sized) heirloom tomatoes, variety of colors, cut into quarters
drizzle of honey, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper
couple of basil leaves and mint leaves, thinly sliced, or chiffonade
mix well and let set, room temp, for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld
The bread can be used as a spoon to help scoop up the tomato mixture and the cheddar can be spread with a bit of honeycomb on a slice as well. If you don't have a specialty cheddar, try blue cheese or gorgonzola instead, or thinly sliced good quality swiss. And also, any bread will do, but mostly ciabatta is the best. Plain or other special tastes of ciabatta work equally well.
This summer snack takes all of 10 minutes to prep and makes a normal playdate feel like a girls day at Martha's Vineyard. Well......with screaming kids and cool splashes of kiddie pool water dazzling into sunlight as the backdrop.
It tasted as pretty as it looked!
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