goat cheese |

The thing about dogs is that they don’t understand when you say “it’s too hot for a walk.”

When I tell him that, I’m met with a head-tilt to the right and then to the left.

So off we go. I wear the only shoes I can bear to wear in this heat. Much better for walks than flip-flops but not as hot as sneakers. Yes, they are TOMS. Yes, they are kind of ugly. But they are stupidly comfortable and I suppose I’m almost approaching that point in life where I accept comfort over style. Almost.

I read this face to say “come on lady, quit taking pictures… let’s go!”

Of course we stop at every hydrant/telephone pole/STOP sign for a sniff around.

When we made it home, both panting, I needed sustenance and remembered these “brown tomatoes” I picked up the other day.

Kind of weird or kind of cool? A Kumato, developed in Spain, is often referred to as a “gourmet tomato”. It is sweeter than a regular tomato due to a higher level fructose. The Kumato also has a longer shelf-life than a regular tomato.

Buying these on a whim, I had no idea how I was going to use them. After some consideration, I went with a simple salad.

I couldn’t have picked a better way to showcase these tomatoes, I mean “kumatoes”.

{Cold Kumato Salad}

6 Kumatoes, quartered and then quarters cut in half
2 scallions, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
2 oz goat cheese crumbles

Whisk olive oil and vinegar together. Add Kumatoes and scallions to a bowl. Pour olive oil and vinegar mixture over them. Mix together. Gently mix in goat cheese crumbles. Chill salad for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.

*Serves 2-4 as a small side

Have you ever seen/cooked with Kumatoes before? How are your pets fairing in this heat wave?

Hey hey. I hope everyone is keeping cool, wherever you may be. From the looks of it most of the country is experiencing some pretty toasty weather. I honestly can’t really complain because I drive to work, work in an office with AC and have AC at home. But if you don’t have those luxuries in this heat wave, I suggest you go jump in a body of water and then eat an ice cream cone, k?

Last night for dinner I made some Socca. Don’t know what it is? It’s pretty much a bread made with chickpea flour. This was my second attempt at making it, the first was a complete failure, and I’d say I’ve almost figured it out. In any case, it was mighty delicious topped with Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, goat cheese and fresh Basil.

{Socca}

3/4 chickpea flour
3/4 c water
2 T olive oil (I used only 2 t which may have contributed to the slight pan stickage I encountered)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Oil round cake pan very well.

Mix chickpea flour, water and olive oil with a wire whisk. Pour batter into round pan.

Bake for about 40 minutes until cracks form on top.

Carefully remove from pan by running knife along edges then flipping pan onto another plate. (Hopefully yours doesn’t stick!)

Serves 1-2

Like I said, I topped mine with tomatoes, goat cheese and fresh basil. I stuck it under the broiler for a few minutes to warm the tomatoes and cheese. Aside from the Socca being a bit under seasoned (next time I’ll add a touch of salt and perhaps some herbs), it was delicious! It had a bit of chew yet crumbled and held up to the toppings when sliced.

To celebrate my mostly successful Socca making attempt, I whipped up some banana soft serve.

I’m sure most know what banana soft serve is and how it’s made but if you don’t, it’s simply frozen chunks of ripe bananas pureed in the food processor until they achieve a soft-serve like consistency. It’s easy, tasty and the perfect solution for a lazy girl who wants ice cream but doesn’t want to go get it.