Remember that plum tree I told you about in my backyard? Well, it has a lovely companion named Mr. Apple Tree who will be joining us for today’s recipe. I’m not sure what type of apples they are, but they are quite crisp and delicious, and they hurt when they fall on your head. Yes, this happened. One especially vengeful apple almost took out poor Captain, but he darted out of the way at the last second. (For those of you who are curious, raccoons also like apples, but not as much as they love plums. Hateful creatures.)

Apples earned their Health Food Merit Badge ages ago, I think we’ve all also heard by now that kale is supposed to be a miracle food. Nutritionists say this Brassica Behemoth will help prevent your risk of cancer, lower your cholesterol, improve blood circulation, and make your hair shiny like a unicorn mane. I made up that last bit, but I feel it must be the case. Regardless, kale sure tastes like it should be a health food, and I’m all for it as long as I can add bacon…

And add bacon I did! I checked in with my old friends at Real Simple Magazine for some recipe ideas, and I found a lovely sounding little dish to take for a spin. I worked in Real Simple’s food department for awhile during the time Joe and I lived in New York, so I like to flip through the magazine from time to time to see what they’re up to. This recipe is real simple, indeed (sorry, couldn’t help myself) and a perfect weeknight side dish. I made a couple of small changes (I have a very difficult time leaving a recipe alone; anyone else have this problem?) and I definitely plan to make it all through the fall. xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Kale with Bacon and Apples
Recipe adapted from Real Simple
This dish makes a perfect side to a simple piece of fish or chicken, or you can add any or all of the following to make it a one dish meal: crumble blue cheese, toasted almonds, cooked quinoa or brown rice, and/or diced cooked potatoes. Also, when adding the kale to the skillet, it helps to do so in 2-3 batches to prevent it from overflowing.

3-4 slices bacon
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, tough stems removed and cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and more to taste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and crumble once cooled. Add onions to rendered bacon fat and cook until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add apples and cook for another 5 minutes. Add kale, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water to skillet, and toss until kale is tender and wilted, about 8 minutes. Add vinegar, mustard, red pepper, nutmeg, and salt, to taste. Stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes or so. Top with reserved bacon and enjoy! Serves 4 as a side.

I’ve never met a crumble that I don’t like, so when Joe and I moved into our house and discovered a plum tree in our backyard, I knew I’d struck crumble gold. “Let’s get ready to plumble!,” said the miniature baker that lives inside my heart.

Know who else likes plums? Raccoons. Know who isn’t afraid of me stomping on my back porch? Same raccoons. They could care less. I swear to you one actually shrugged his shoulders, turned his back to me, and continued eating his plum. I bet he would have shushed me if his mouth wasn’t so full. Awful animals.

This plum crumble certainly isn’t awful, though. It is sweet, tart, buttery, and crunchy, just as a crumble should be. I got a little help from our good friend Martha, and two test runs later, I am pleased as can be with this lovely delight. One thing I noticed, however, was that the second time I made the crumble the plums I used were extra ripe, and it resulted in a much juicier final product. This isn’t a big deal, in my opinion, since I love spooning the extra sauce around the dessert, but it might be helpful to increase the amount of flour you toss the plums in.

I could have sworn I told Joe to take the plumble with him to work to share with his coworkers, but he doesn’t recall me saying it. I must have whispered it by accident. Oh well, plumble for breakfast! xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Plumble
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
This recipe works great with just about any fruit, or a combination. I recently made this with a mix of plums and blackberries, and it was oh so pleasing!

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon AP flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 1/2 lbs. plums, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Combine 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, oats, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add butter, and using a pastry blender or two knives, work in butter until a coarse crumbs form.

Combine plums with remaining tablespoon flour and 2 tablespoons sugar and place in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Top with oat mixture and bake until crumble is bubbly and beginning to brown, 40-45 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Well, this is embarrassing. Has it really been three months since I last said hello? While I feel pickled eggs are a pretty cool culinary creation, I do apologize for leaving you with such an aggressively aubergine placeholder as opposed to something more pleasing to the eye such as a fluffy muffin. Or a jolly scone. Or Captain.

I promise I haven’t been spending my whole summer dilly-dallying, though. Much work has been done with only a pinch of dilly and a dash of dally involved. For starters, my Etsy shop has been doing great, and I’ve been adding some fun new designs and creations. I’m also thrilled to announce that you can find my handmade wares in a handful of more stores across the country! In addition to Tender Loving Empire and Flora in downtown Portland, you can also find some of my constellation towels in Aster & Bee in SouthEast. Let’s head south, shall we, to the lovely state of California where you may stumble across some of my items at The Gardener in the Bay Area or Kitkitdizzi in Nevada City. For anyone making a sojourn to Florida, please be sure to swing by Bon Ami Confections for a handmade macaroon and a set of towels by The Apiarist! If you told me a year ago that I would be selling my housewares in multiple states across the country, I would assume you had enjoyed one too many raspberry cordials, Diana Barry-style.

Last but not least, I am also a new contributor for the very cool website Apartment Therapy! They are a wonderful resource for how to make your home lovely, useful, practical, and personal. I have been a big fan of their content for a long time, so I can’t wait to start posting Portland home tours. I had to submit a sample tour with my application which you can see here!

Whew! Just in case you are still upset with me for being MIA for so long, I offer the following granola recipe as a final apology. There’s nothing overly fancy shmancy about it; it’s just a great recipe I’ve been going back to for years tweaking here and there depending on my tastes at the time. It’s a very low-maintenance recipe, so you can be doing other things while it does its thing. Which is to be tasty and awesome.

I found this recipe in The Foster’s Market Cookbook a handful of years ago. I had just graduated from college and was living at home for the summer with minimal funds, so I went through a phase of checking out cookbooks from the library and trying whatever looked good. I don’t mess with this recipe too much, but I have started adding less maple syrup than it calls for, and I still find it plenty sweet enough. Also, be sure to use real maple syrup. The first time I made this granola all I could find in the cupboard was Log Cabin Reduced-Calorie Pancake Topping. The granola came out…gummy.

Sorry again for the long absence, but it’s good to be back! xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Perfect Granola
Recipe adapted from Foster’s Market Cookbook
Feel free to add whichever nuts or dried fruit you like best. Dried apples and pecans would be a lovely combo with a dash of cinnamon for good measure. This granola keeps well in an airtight container for about two weeks, but I promise it won’t last that long.

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut (I’ve used both, but prefer unsweetened, if available.)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (I love the extra flavor coconut oil brings to the table, but you can use all canola oil with great results.)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Spread the oats, coconut, and almonds on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are lightly toasted but not yet golden. Transfer to a large bowl.

Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Lightly grease the baking sheet with oil or line with parchment paper. Combine the oils, maple syrup, and honey together in a small bowl, pour over the oats mixture, and toss to coat evenly. Spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the granola is just crispy and golden brown, stirring several times while baking. Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps while it is still warm.

When the granola has cooled completely, add the cherries and dried apricots and toss to combine. Makes about 6 cups. Enjoy!

I hope after reading the blog title and seeing the lead photo not everyone has clicked away in horror! These eggs may look…unconventional, but I promise you they are super tasty, and your bravery will be rewarded if you give them a whirl.

I’ve been seeing pickled eggs on more and more menus around town, most recently at Olympic Provisions, and Joe was a good sport and agreed to order one as an appetizer. He was very slightly less of a sport the other day when he opened the refrigerator and saw a mason jar filled to the brim with my crimson creation; I assume he was concerned that I might be dabbling in organ harvesting in my spare time. I am not.

The beets add an obvious punch of color, but their earthy-sweetness also lends another layer of flavor. One of the great things about pickling is that you can change the flavor profile very easily by switching up the aromatics you include in your pickling liquid. I used some pretty traditional ingredients that I had floating around in my pantry, but feel free to mix and match depending on your mood. Next time I might ditch the beets and go more of a curried route using ample turmeric to give them a golden hue. If anyone here dabbles in pickling, I would love to know what types of vinegar and flavors you use. I’m becoming a pickling fool!

These photos were taken after chilling in the fridge for 2 days. I ate another egg on the third day for a little afternoon snackle, and the pickling liquid had colored the egg all the way to the yolk! I’m a little nervous about what I will find today (Day 4!) but I will just have to put on my Big Girl Pants and have a crack at it. Crack…eggs…anyone? Moving on. I was poking around a pickled egg message board the other day (yes, these do exist!) and one Rogue Pickler claims he has had pickled eggs in his fridge for 16+ months, and other than being a little rubbery they tasted great. Right. I want no part of his hardboiled tomfoolery, so I would maybe recommend two weeks tops in the fridge to ensure peak flavor and consistency.

I’m enjoying these little guys with a drizzle of oil and some salt and pepper, but some day soon if I’m feeling fancy, I might try turning them into deviled pickled eggs for a fun twist. The possibilities are eggless! Er…endless. Enjoy!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Pickled Eggs and Beets
Inspired by Olympic Provisions
I left the beets in with the eggs to ensure intense color saturation, but feel free to use the cooked beets for another purpose, and the beet juice should do the trick on its own. Also, canned beets in water can be substituted in place of cooking your own.

6 large eggs
1 large, or 2-3 small red beets
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
1 whole star anise
4 green cardamom pods
Fresh dill

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover by an inch with cold water. Bring to a boil, then immediately cover the pan and remove from the heat. Let sit for 12 minutes, then remove the eggs and run them under cold water or place them in an ice bath to cool. Once cooled, peel the eggs and set aside.

If using fresh beets, cut into 2-inch chunks and place in a sauce pan with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until beets are just tender, about 15-20 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Combine the reserved beet liquid and the remaining ingredients except for the dill in a sauce pan, and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, 2-3 minutes. Place the peeled eggs in a quart sized mason jar and pour the pickling liquid and contents (beet chunks optional) over them. Add a few springs of dill. Seal and refrigerate at least 12 hours or up to 2 weeks. Makes 6 pickled eggs.

I eat often and enthusiastically, so when I come across a completely new flavor, I get nerdily excited, and must discover the source of my culinary conundrum. I get even more excited when I find out it’s something super-simple, and I already have the ingredients at home, so I can make it again RIGHT AWAY. To the kitchen! Whee!

Garlic, almonds, bread. That’s basically it. Oh, and some water. Crazy, right? A little quick research on the interwebs revealed this magic soup is called Ajo Blanco, and it is a very popular Spanish dish. I love me some gazpacho, but Ajo Blanco has been been flying under my recipe radar up until now, so I need to make up for lost time! It is instantly refreshing with a richness from the almonds and a touch of zip from the garlic.

One word of caution, however. As much as my husband loves and adores me, I think he would be a little sad if I ate this soup every day. Raw garlic, however small the clove, has a tendency to…linger, so make sure your loved one is on board the garlic train with you before you slurp down a whole bowl. That being said, I also recommend serving this as a small first course (perhaps in cute, small teacups!) since it really awakens the palate. (That’s a euphemism for bad breath, if I ever heard one.) I’m mostly kidding.

Come winter I plan to try a warm version using roasted garlic and toasted almonds. I might even throw in a potato. I’ll keep you posted. Until then, though, consider trying this cold soup as a fun dish at a summer dinner party perfect for any of those pesky vegetarian or vegan friends you may have. (Side note: I was having some red wine the other evening and written on the bottle was “Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly.” That is…reassuring?)

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Chilled Almond and Garlic Soup
Recipe Inspired by Olympic Provisions
Another popular garnish for this soup that I have yet to try is sliced green grapes. Perhaps the sweetness would help temper the garlic? Also, be sure to use the best quality ingredients you have since the preparation of this soup is so simple.

2 cups day-old white bread, crusts removed and torn into 1-2 inch pieces
1 small clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup blanched almonds, plus 2 tablespoons toasted for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2-2 1/4 cups water
Pinch of red pepper flakes, for garnish
Minced green onions or chives, for garnish

Place bread, garlic, almonds, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and let ‘er rip until contents are finely ground, about 1-2 minutes. With motor still running, add the oil and vinegar, and process until well combined. Add one cup of the water, pulse until combined, and then let the motor run until mixture is very smooth. Pour contents into a medium bowl, and whisk in 1 more cup of water. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.

Give the chilled soup a good stir, and add an additional 1/4 cup of water if you feel it’s too thick. Give it a taste and add any additional salt or vinegar, if necessary. Pour into bowls and garnish with a sassy swirl of good olive oil, some toasted almonds, a pinch of pepper flakes, and some green onions. Serve chilled. Makes about 3-3 1/2 cups.

I love a loaf. There, I said it. They may be considered dumpy little things in some fancier circles, but I consider them to be the humble heroes of my limited baking repertoire. They are quick, hence the name quick loaf, and they can wear a sweet or savory hat with equal success. I acquired some more rhubarb from my in-law’s garden, so I knew sweet was the road to take on this particular baking expedition.

Oh, and what a sweet loaf! I used another one of the rhubarb recipes that JoAnn gave me, and was very pleased with the outcome. I couldn’t resist making a couple of small changes, though, such as adding a small pinch of nutmeg to subtly perfume the batter and I also substituted some coconut oil in place of all vegetable oil. Next time I might try subbing in some applesauce as well. Joe will not allow nuts in his baked goods (hmph), so I left them out and slightly upped the rhubarb count. Follow your own heart, and if you want a nutty loaf, by all means make it the nuttiest loaf in all the land.

This recipe yields two standard-sized loaves, but I decided to take a walk on the wild side and made one regular loaf and two mini loaves. Crazy, I know! Nice Me wanted to give the small loaves as gifts to friends, but Hungry Me wanted the loaves all to herself. I’d like to retain an air of mystery, so I will decline to tell you which Me won out.

A hot cup of coffee and a generous slice of loaf makes for a happy morning in my book, but I would also recommend heating some butter in a hot pan and lightly sautéing each side until just golden brown and topping it with some vanilla ice cream. Yum! Whatever path you and your loaf take, I hope you enjoy yourself. Happy Baking!
xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Rhubarb Loaf
The batter will look a little dry when you pour it into the loaf pans, almost similar to a cookie dough. Never fear, for the rhubarb will add quite a bit of moisture as it cooks.

2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil (or a combination of vegetable oil, coconut oil, and applesauce)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1-2 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 standard loaf pans, and set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Combine, and set aside. In a large bowl blend brown sugar and oil. Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla; stir to combine. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until just blended. Gently fold in rhubarb and nuts, if using. Pour batter into pans and smooth tops. Dot with butter and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Bake until tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean, 35-40 minutes for mini-loaves, 55-60 minutes for standard. Yields 2 standard loaves, 1 standard and 2 minis, or 4 minis.

Yes, Dear Readers, that is a purple potato. There are very few foods that are naturally blue or purple on the inside (nice try, eggplants), so to have the pleasure of eating something so aggressively hued it quite a treat. I would also call these potatoes aggressively adorable as well. They’re called marble potatoes, and I don’t think anyone here needs an explanation as to where they got their playful moniker. They cook up quick as can be, and they are just darling in a potato salad as opposed to using a diced über tuber.

As much fun as eating a bowl of plain (cute) potatoes sounds, I decided a simple homemade buttermilk ranch dressing would suit them nicely. This recipe is extremely flexible depending on personal taste, so feel free to take it with (or add) a grain of salt. Do you like horseradish? Toss it on in. Love a little spice in your life? A few shakes of hot sauce would give it a fun zing. Can’t live without chocolate? Well, try to because that would just be gross in a potato salad.

One addition I highly recommend for this salad is some bacon. As much bacon as you can find! Well, a few strips would probably do the trick, but I am just very fond of bacon. (Mmmmmm, bacon…). This is my go-to potato salad recipe, but I would love any suggestions how to jazz up this summer staple; feel free to post ideas in the comments!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Buttermilk Potato Salad
I personally enjoy a rather saucy potato, but if it looks like too much dressing to you, you can reserve some extra and use it on salads or as a dip. I don’t specify how much salt to use, but I recommend being pretty liberal with it since potatoes are quite bland.

3 lbs. marble potatoes or small red-skinned potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Large handful of fresh herbs, chopped (any combination of parsley, basil, thyme, chives, scallions, oregano, dill)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 oz. cooked and crumbled bacon (optional, but highly recommended!)

Place potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Drain once potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. If using larger potatoes, cut into bit-sized chunks. Set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, combine remaining ingredients except for bacon and a few of the herbs in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt (don’t be shy!) and pepper. Add drained and slightly cooled potatoes to dressing and toss to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature, and top with bacon and extra herbs before sering. Serves 6-8 as a side.

Spring has sprung in our garden, and I couldn’t be more peased! Er…pleased. This is our first year attempting a vegetable garden, and despite some patchy looking kale, things are progressing quite nicely. My track record with house plants is spotty at best, so I’ve been very grateful for the friends and neighbors that have been offering tips and seeds (of wisdom, and actual seeds) to help our garden grow. One plant that even I can grow is mint. We put a couple small seedlings in a container on the front stoop recently, and it has already quintupled in size and is slowly plotting to swallow Captain whole. I couldn’t bear to lose my furry little sous chef, so I decided to make this lovely little spread utilizing some of Spring’s finest flavors.

The two types of mint I’m currently growing are chocolate mint and apple mint. I munched on an apple mint leaf recently, and maybe my lady brain was swayed by the power of suggestion, but it really did taste like an apple! An apple wrapped in a mint wrapper. Brilliant.

Fresh or frozen peas would work fine here, and feel free to adjust the pea to mint to cheese ratio. Did I forget to mention there was cheese involved? Silly me. I started with just some peas and herbs, and it looked so gosh darn green and healthy, so in went some ricotta with a satisfying plop. Plop! The end result is a lovely combination or sweetness from the peas, richness from the ricotta, coolness from the mint and a little zing from the lemon juice and zest. If you have the time and motivation I highly recommend making your own ricotta, but store bought is perfectly acceptable as well. I served it on some garlic-rubbed crostini, but crackers or crudités would also make for lovely vehicles. If you have leftover spread, you can fold it into some hot pasta with a little parmesan grated on top for an easy dinner. If you’re feeling a little more daring with your leftovers, you can spread it on a freshly baked pizza crust or flatbread, and top it with some sliced lamb sausage. Happy Spring!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Spring Pea Spread
This recipe makes a fair amount, so it would work great if you’re entertaining a group or need to bring a dish to pass. Otherwise feel free to adjust the amounts as needed.

2 cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed if frozen
2-3 tablespoons mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 – 2 cups ricotta, or a 15oz. container
Salt and freshly grated pepper

Place peas, mint, lemon juice and zest, and olive oil into a food processor and give it a few pulses until the peas and mint are roughly chopped. Add ricotta and give it another whirl in the processor until blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Makes about 3 cups.

Looking over my recent blog posts, I realize they have been a little dessert heavy. I don’t think anyone has really minded (especially not Joe) but I thought it was due time for something of the savory sort. The warm weather is slowly but surely making its way to the Pacific Northwest, so I’ve been in a summer state of mind. When you think about food as much as I do, that means tomatoes, fresh herbs, and quick and easy dinners. (And ice cream!) This pasta dish is insanely simple, but when you start with good ingredients, the depth of flavor makes it taste a lot fancier than it really is. But you don’t have to tell anyone else that.

The key is to give the tomatoes a quick blast in the oven before you toss them with the pasta. They get soft and juicy, and their flavor is super duper heightened. I love to add a garlic clove or two (or four if I feel like a wild woman!) to roast along with the tomatoes, and then I mash it up and swirl it into the juices to add some oomph to the sauce. The addition of either sherry or balsamic vinegar at the end adds a simple yet effective extra layer of flavor.

My favorite way to use these tomatoes is in pasta, but they are also just delightful spooned onto some crostini as an easy appetizer or served on top of some grilled chicken or fish. I reckon a frittata would be a happy home for them as well. The possibilities are endless!

Roasted Tomato Pasta
This pasta recipe is a perfect base for additional ingredients. A thinly sliced grilled chicken breast or some grilled shrimp would be excellent. Or a few dollops of fresh ricotta and some toasted pine nuts would put a smile on any vegetarian’s face.

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
A few sprigs fresh thyme, optional
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
6 oz. capellini pasta (aka angel hair) or any other long noodled variety
2 teaspoons balsamic or sherry vinegar
Fresh herbs (such as basil, thyme, marjoram, chives)
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine tomatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper, thyme, if using, and garlic in a medium-sized baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are collapsed and juicy.

While tomatoes are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the tomatoes are out of the oven, drop the pasta and cook according to package directions. (Capellini is very skinny, so it only takes a couple of minutes which is the perfect amount of time to finish dressing the tomatoes.)

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and discard the thyme sprigs. Add the vinegar, most of the fresh herbs, and 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Using the back of a spoon, mash the garlic clove into a paste and mix it in. Drain the pasta reserving about 1/2 a cup of the hot pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot and quickly add the tomatoes and give it a toss. If the tomatoes aren’t particularly juicy, add some of the reserved pasta water to help coat the noodles and keep them loose. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, and garnish with remaining herbs and Parmesan. Dig in! Serves 2 as a (hearty) main or 4 as a first course.

First of all, thank you to everyone who came to the Crafty Wonderland Spring Show last weekend! I had such a great time and came away feeling very excited, inspired…and a little tired! I had been doing a lot of late night crafting up until the show, so I took some much needed rest the next day. I’ve been spending the last week restocking my Etsy shop and have added some new designs and colors, so be sure to pop by and check it out!

After all that hard work I decided I needed some dessert in my life, and as luck would have it my in-laws had recently brought over some rhubarb from their garden along with some tasty sounding recipes. This is no ordinary rhubarb, mind you. This is fancy pants 5th generation heirloom rhubarb we’re working with, so I knew I needed to do something special. And something quick since Joe and I were having people over for dinner in a few hours and I still had gnocchi to make, a house to clean, and I was still in my PJ’s with only one sock on. I still don’t know where that other sock went. Luckily one of the recipes they provided looked pretty easy, so I took my other sock off and put my game face on.

The whole dessert was ready in about an hour, and hands-on time was 15 minutes tops. I dressed it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but it would be lovely on its own with a strong cup of coffee. It wasn’t too sweet and had just the right amount of tartness from the rhubarb; plus you can never go wrong with a shortbread crust! I can’t wait to try the other rhubarb recipes, and hopefully Joe and I can inherit some of this blue ribbon rhubarb and carry the torch for another generation.
xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

P.S. My next post will not be a dessert. I promise. Maybe.

Rhubarb Dessert Bars
Recipe adapted from JoAnn
I added a touch of lemon juice and vanilla for kicks, but these additions are purely optional. Next time I might grate a teaspoon of lemon zest into the crust for an extra zing. Whee!

For the Crust:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup AP flour
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)

For the Filling:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 AP flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups diced rhubarb (2-3 large stalks, diced into 1/2-inch chunks)
Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8-inch square baking dish and set aside. Combine ingredients for crust and mix well. Press firmly into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

While crust is baking, combine ingredients for the filling. Pour onto hot crust and give the pan a shimmy-shake so it’s level. Bake for an additional 40 minutes until the filling is set and starting to lightly brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature with topping of your choice. Makes 9 servings.