Heirloom Tomato & Halloumi Salad

When Brad and I were living in Tokyo, I used to dream of summer when we would be able to come home and enjoy the best summer produce. I know it sounds strange. We were living in the food capitol of the universe, surrounded by amazing food stuffs every single day, and I was anxious to come home to farmer's markets. I guess that just speaks to how special this time of year is when it comes to eating fresh, whole foods. This heirloom tomato and halloumi salad is a perfect example of the kind of food I craved. Sweet, juicy, colorful tomatoes, salty cheese, and loads of fresh herbs simply cannot be beat. Well, the buttery salmon sashimi we bought at the local market always made me weak in the knees. So there's that.

One year, we flew to San Francisco and stayed for a few days. It was our first time in this beautiful city and one of our first trips was to the Ferry Building Famer's Market. I immediately bought a giant heirloom tomato, some locally baked ciabatta, and locally made goat cheese. I tore off a piece of bread, slather it with goat cheese and used a plastic knife to cut a thick slice of tomato. Each and every bite was absolute heaven. Tomato juice dripped down my chin and I devoured that little sandwich like my life depended on it. Glorious.

That sandwich was the inspiration for this tomato salad with halloumi cheese and fresh herbs. This was my first time trying halloumi and I am officially obsessed. Just another reason why I've loved being part of the Go Sugar Free community. I keep learning about new and interesting foods that make my meals fulfilling without added sugar and, in this case, refined grains. The bright green herbs are all from my garden. I walked into the backyard to see what was ready to be cut and ended up with lemon thyme, basil and dill. You can do any combination of herbs you like. Oregano would be amazing.

I finished the dish off with a drizzle of good olive oil, a light sprinkling of sea salt, and a bit of fresh ground black pepper. No sugar-laden salad dressings involved!

If you like this recipe, stay tuned because I'll be posting no sugar added/refined grain free recipes from now until August 11th. During that time, I hope to open your mind to exploring new ways to be kind to your body. After all, it's the only one you've got!

If you’re ready to learn more about Go Sugar Free, you can click here. If you decide to register, you'll be making a massive change in your life that can't do anything but help you become a better, healthier version of yourself.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Jacqueline’s philosophy but aren’t ready to commit to the GSF course, I urge you to get her eBook, 5 Easy Ways to Look Radiant Tomorrow Morning, and Don’t Waste Produce (DWP) Checklist (this is a HUGE help when it comes to no-waste meal planning and encouraging the consumption of more fresh, whole foods).

*This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Heirloom Tomato & Halloumi Salad

Serves 2

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, thickly sliced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6 slices halloumi cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh herbs like dill, basil, oregano and thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt
• black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small non-stick skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add the halloumi slices and pan fry until golden brown. Flip and cook until the second side is golden brown as well.
3. Arrange the tomato slices and warm cheese slices on a plate.
4. Sprinkle with the fresh herbs, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heirloom Tomato Galette

Last night I sat with Riley at the coffee table and colored with crayons. He scribbled and mostly wasn't watching what he was doing but somehow managed to make 98% of his markings on paper and not the table. I sat there drawing a picture of Elmo, thinking about how relaxing that moment was. There was a pivotal moment after dinner when I was faced with a fork in the road. One direction lead me to a kitchen full of dirty dishes, while the other lead to crayons. I chose crayons because the dishes will always be there. But Riley will not always be 20 months old with a bunch of crayons saying, "Mama, sit!"

Homegrown Tomatoes & Basil :: Set the Table

I think gardening has taught me something: not everything can happen right this very second. This is something many of us forget with our smart phones and fully stocked grocery stores. But pulling a tomato off a plant in your own back yard after waiting for weeks or months for the perfect color and size is infinitely more fulfilling.

Heirloom Tomato Galette :: Set the Table

Yesterday, I took one of my homegrown tomatoes and sliced it thinly, layered it over homemade ricotta cheese, and wrapped it all up in a flaky whole wheat crust. Just before we ate, I picked some fresh basil from the garden and sprinkled it over the top. It was so perfectly satisfying and just what a summer dish should be. The colors were gorgeous, the flavors were bright and clean, and the ingredients were simple and few.

So, we ate our tomato galette and then colored with crayons. It was the perfect end to a lovely summer weekend.

Heirloom Tomato Galette

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5T unsalted butter, placed in the freezer for 30 minutes-1 hour
• 1/4 cup ice water
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 medium heirloom tomato, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 recipe whole wheat pastry dough
• chopped fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and butter. If you froze the butter (which I highly recommend) use a medium-large sized cheese grater (not a microplane) to grate it into the mixing bowl.
2. Using your fingers, combine the dry ingredients with the butter until the mixture resembles small crumbs.
3. Using a tablespoon, slowly add the ice water 1 scoop at a time. Do this until the mixture holds together well and is not dry or crumbling.
4. Gently knead the dough until it comes together completely. Gather the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour and up to 2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough in a circle that is about 10 inches in diameter. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg. Season with a little salt and pepper. Spread the ricotta mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a boarder of about 2 inches. Layer the tomato slices over the ricotta. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the outer edge of the tomato slices, pressing lightly to seal. Brush the top of the crust with a little heavy cream.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the tomatoes look just barely cooked. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Campari-Basil Mojito

When I was a kid, my family would go camping on Lake Superior near Split Rock Lighthouse at the beginning of July. It was so much fun. My mom would make the most elaborate camping meals: lasagna, cheesecake, spaghetti & meatballs- we were quite spoiled. We would sit around the campfire, the four of us, enjoying the quiet mystery of the trees and the quirky yet comforting smell of smoke and bug spray. (There were lots of black flies and the Minnesota State Bird, mosquitoes, buzzing around at all hours so bug spray was a must!)

Sometimes, we would time the trip so that we could drive into Duluth to see the fireworks on the 4th of July. Surprisingly, I don't remember much about the fireworks, but I remember the long line of cars we would sit in as we crawled out of the parking lot at a glacial pace. My sister and I would usually fall asleep in the backseat before we even made it to the main road.

When we lived in Japan, we always got our fireworks fix at the Obon Matsuri (read more about festivals in Japan here). The festivals were amazing with delicious food but the fireworks were spectacular. Like nothing I've ever seen. Here are a few photos of our last Obon festival:

Obon-Hanabi

Hanabi-in-Tokyo

Yukata-for-Obon-Matsuri

This year, we will be here in Denver and will stay close to home, grilling hamburgers and drinking cocktails in the backyard with our family. I'm not sure if fireworks will be a part of the festivities or not, but I do know this cocktail will be.

And before you say anything, I know. It isn't Friday. Today is Wednesday. I hope I didn't cause anyone to think they missed the 4th of July or somehow, magically, made it to Friday without even noticing the days prior. Since many of you will be taking a vacation day on Friday and will likely be celebrating Independence Day if you're here in the U.S. or just celebrating one of the first, true summer weekends elsewhere, I thought it would be appropriate to give you this cocktail recipe a little early.

Campari Cocktail Ideas

I found a recipe for a Campari mojito on Campari's website. Then I got to thinking about what an insane amount of basil I already have so early in the summer, wondering if that would suffice in place of the mint. To make a long story short, I'll make it with basil rather than mint every single time. The sweet, licorice flavor of the basil works beautifully with the bitter Campari. It also make a visually stunning cocktail perfect for serving at your 4th of July celebration. There's even a little red, white and blue happening here with my glass. SCORE.

What are you up to for this holiday week? Any fabulous fireworks displays I need to hear about?

Campari Cocktail Recipe

Campari-Basil Mojito

Ingredients

• 2 oz Campari
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 oz lime juice
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, loosely packed
• Basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. In the bottom of a cocktail shaker or glass, add the brown sugar, lime juice and 1/4 cup basil leaves. Muddle together with a muddler or a spoon until the sugar has mostly dissolved into the lime juice and there is a nice basil scent released from the leaves.
2. Add the Campari and stir well to combine.
3. Fill a Collins glass or other glass with crushed ice.
4. Pour the Campari-basil mixture over the ice and top with a splash of sparkling water. Serve with basil leaves for garnish.