if you have been following me for any length of time, you know i'm a freak for tomatoes. if you are new, well, i'm a tomato freak. 

as a kid, i would take tomatoes to school in my lunch with a homemade salt shaker made by my mother and eat that bad boy like an apple. i would salt each bite perfectly and didn't give a rats patootie that everyone on the school lunch tables was looking at me like i was crazy.  

looking back now, there were so many signs i would be a cook someday that just didn't seem to mean much then. 

and in my older age, my love of tomatoes has only increased. i'm not really talking about the mealy, all water, no flavor type you get in the off seasons at the super markets. i'm talking about juicy, multi color, crazy shaped and sized SUMMER tomatoes. and friends, we are in the middle of tomato season. i'm in heaven. 

i had picked up a ton of tomatoes from my local produce store for my heirloom tomato & plum salad that i was making for a catering event and got lucky with a few left over. and so this tasty dish was born. you could make this for a delicious summer lunch date or as an appetizer for your next summer gathering. or hell, just for a snack like i did today. 

summer tomato + ricotta toast

serves: 2

prep time: 5 minutes

active time: 15 minutes

total time: 20 minutes

ingredients: 1 cup diced summer tomatoes (whatever you can find, bonus points if they come from someone's garden). 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tsp lemon juice. 1 tbs fresh basil, sliced thin. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. 4 x 1 inch slices of ciabatta bread. 2 tbs butter. 4 tbs whole milk ricotta. balsamic 2 tbs balsamic glaze (my favorite is from trader joe's, but you can find balsamic glaze at most major super markets near the vinegar/salad dressings). 

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. while the oven heats, lightly butter both sides of each slice of ciabatta bread. place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes a side. until the bread is nice and toasty on the outside. while the bread is toasting, combine the tomato, lemon juice, the garlic and the salt & pepper in a medium bowl.

add in the basil and stir to combine.

when the bread is done toasting, spread 1 tbs of ricotta on each slice of bread.

top each toast with a big spoonful of the tomato mixture.

drizzle the toasts with the balsamic glaze.

serve and enjoy. 

xo, a

summer tomato + ricotta toast

serves: 2

prep time: 5 minutes

active time: 15 minutes

total time: 20 minutes

ingredients: 1 cup diced summer tomatoes (whatever you can find, bonus points if they come from someone's garden). 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tsp lemon juice. 1 tbs fresh basil, sliced thin. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. 4 x 1 inch slices of ciabatta bread. 2 tbs butter. 4 tbs whole milk ricotta. balsamic 2 tbs balsamic glaze (my favorite is from trader joe's, but you can find balsamic glaze at most major super markets near the vinegar/salad dressings). 

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. while the oven heats, lightly butter both sides of each slice of ciabatta bread. place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes a side. until the bread is nice and toasty on the outside. while the bread is toasting, combine the tomato, lemon juice, the garlic and the salt & pepper in a medium bowl. add in the basil and stir to combine. when the bread is done toasting, spread 1 tbs of ricotta on each slice of bread. top each toast with a big spoonful of the tomato mixture. drizzle the toasts with the balsamic glaze. serve and enjoy. 

this weekend, wes and i are catering for a small back yard wedding. and the very clever hostess of the party selected a menu of mostly pizzas. in the past, i've always used a dough purchased at the local italian specialty store. but it has always been my experience that things made fresh and with excited, passionate hands, make the best tasting foods. so i decided it was time to take the dough into my own hands and develop my own recipe and technique. 

homemade pizza dough is surprisingly easy to make. it requires few ingredients and little effort. the one main ingredient you need to make it right? time. 

don't try to rush your dough. make it the night before. giving your yeast time to activate and make your dough rise is not enough. it needs time for the starches to transform to delicious sugars that will give your crust extra doses of flavor. sure, you cane make the dough a few ours a head if you are in a pinch, but for full results, be patient! 

homemade pizza dough
serves: 4 small pizza crusts (each pizza serves 2 people)
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
inactive time: 12 hours
total time: 12 hours 35 minutes
ingredients: 4.5 cups bread flour + a bit extra for dusting the surface and rolling pins. 1.5 cups warm water (about 105-110 degrees f). 4 tbs olive oil, divided. 2.25 tsp dry active yeast. 2 tsp salt. 1 tsp sugar. stand mixer with dough hook attachment. large bowl. plastic wrap. rolling pin. 

start by combining 3.75 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. turn your mixer on slow to gently combine the ingredients. 

with the mixer on, pour in the warm water and let it mix to combine. 

as it is mixing, pour in 2 tbs of your olive oil. 

when all of your liquid is combined, and the dough is starting to become more of a wet mixture, turn the speed on your mixer up to medium. mix your dough until it starts to form a rough, but still sticky ball. here is where you will need to use your judgement. many factors like the temperature and humidity in the air can effect how wet or dry your dough is. if it seems too sticky and unworkable, add a bit more flour to the dough, 1 tbs at a time until right. if it seems really dry and not sticky at all, add in some warm water 1 tbs at a time. getting your dough together should take about 4-6 minutes in the mixer. while your dough is mixing, use 1 tbs of olive oil to lightly oil the inside of your bowl. 

on a clean and dry work surface, sprinkle half of the remaining flour. turn the sticky dough out onto the surface and light work it till it starts to come together in a ball. by the time you are done with it, it should not be be sticky, but should not be covered in flour and difficult to work. 

when your dough is in a ball, place it in your bowl and cover with plastic wrap. place the dough in a warm, dry spot and allow it to rise for 12 hours.

when the dough has risen, sprinkle a dry, clean work surface with the remaining flour. turn out your dough onto the surface. cut the dough into equal quarters and work each into its own dough ball. now you have a choice. you can use the dough right away or you can store balls of dough individually in an airtight container lightly brushed with oil for up to 5 days. 

to use your dough, start by preheating your oven to 450-500 degrees f. whatever you are baking your pizza on, put it in the oven while it preheats. gently flatten out your ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface. lightly dust your rolling pin with flour and roll the dough until your dough is about an eighth of an inch thick. add any desired toppings and brush the crust with the remaining 1 tbs of olive oil. use a pizza peel or large, lightly floured spatula to move the pizza to its hot baking vehicle. bake the pizza for 7-10 minutes, till the crust is golden brown and the pizza is crispy. allow the pizza to cool till the cheese has stopped bubbling and has solidified a bit. slice and serve.

xo, a

homemade pizza dough
serves: 4 small pizza crusts (each pizza serves 2 people)
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
inactive time: 12 hours
total time: 12 hours 35 minutes
ingredients: 4.5 cups bread flour + a bit extra for dusting the surface and rolling pins. 1.5 cups warm water (about 105-110 degrees f). 4 tbs olive oil, divided. 2.25 tsp dry active yeast. 2 tsp salt. 1 tsp sugar. stand mixer with dough hook attachment. large bowl. plastic wrap. rolling pin. start by combining 3.75 cups of flour, the yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. turn your mixer on slow to gently combine the ingredients. with the mixer on, pour in the warm water and let it mix to combine. as it is mixing, pour in 2 tbs of your olive oil. when all of your liquid is combined, and the dough is starting to become more of a wet mixture, turn the speed on your mixer up to medium. mix your dough until it starts to form a rough, but still sticky ball. here is where you will need to use your judgement. many factors like the temperature and humidity in the air can effect how wet or dry your dough is. if it seems too sticky and unworkable, add a bit more flour to the dough, 1 tbs at a time until right. if it seems really dry and not sticky at all, add in some warm water 1 tbs at a time. getting your dough together should take about 4-6 minutes in the mixer. while your dough is mixing, use 1 tbs of olive oil to lightly oil the inside of your bowl. on a clean and dry work surface, sprinkle half of the remaining flour. turn the sticky dough out onto the surface and light work it till it starts to come together in a ball. by the time you are done with it, it should not be be sticky, but should not be covered in flour and difficult to work. when your dough is in a ball, place it in your bowl and cover with plastic wrap. place the dough in a warm, dry spot and allow it to rise for 12 hours. when the dough has risen, sprinkle a dry, clean work surface with the remaining flour. turn out your dough onto the surface. cut the dough into equal quarters and work each into its own dough ball. now you have a choice. you can use the dough right away or you can store balls of dough individually in an airtight container lightly brushed with oil for up to 5 days. to use your dough, start by preheating your oven to 450-500 degrees f. whatever you are baking your pizza on, put it in the oven while it preheats. gently flatten out your ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface. lightly dust your rolling pin with flour and roll the dough until your dough is about an eighth of an inch thick. add any desired toppings and brush the crust with the remaining 1 tbs of olive oil. use a pizza peel or large, lightly floured spatula to move the pizza to its hot baking vehicle. bake the pizza for 7-10 minutes, till the crust is golden brown and the pizza is crispy. allow the pizza to cool till the cheese has stopped bubbling and has solidified a bit. slice and serve.