It's Been Awhile

The end of July always feels strange to me. So much of the summer has already passed, and yet I have the sense of it just starting. June rushes by, Independence Day festivities seem to consume the whole month of July, but our annual Outer Banks trip doesn't happen until August. 

On Saturday I'll leave for my eighth (!) beach week with Davy's family (it would be my ninth, but there was a one-year lapse to celebrate Cary and Brian's wedding in Chicago), which will also be the first Jones/McCulloch/Goldberg beach week. My parents are joining us from Monday-Saturday, and I'm excited for them to experience a tradition that's become a big part of my life. I have a feeling it's going to be a happy, indulgent vacation for everyone.

Just as a new component is being added to our annual beach trip, I experimented last night with a twist on the normal tomato and cucumber salads that I make nonstop in the summer. Instead of cucumber chunks, I combined a ripe peach with medium-sized red and yellow tomatoes, and added diced feta and ribbons of basil. For a dressing, I reduced the amounts of the ingredients in this recipe and added a teaspoon or so of minced shallot.

Even though peaches and tomatoes are both sweet, the bite of vinegar and lemon juice kept them under control, and allowed for the underlying flavors to come out. The salty feta and fragrant basil balanced everything together, and the salad still tasted fresh today when I ate it for my mid-morning snack.

As a side note, all of the tomatoes we've gotten from Amy and the few that started coming from our own garden have all been fantastic this year. Apparently I can't get enough - on Sunday I had the privilege of eating Proper Pie's tomato pie. My mouth is watering just looking at the picture of it.

I'm going to do my best to get a few Greece posts up here soon, and hopefully capture some of our beach week dinners, which are always delicious and eventful. Happy almost August!

Dessert for Breakfast

My standard, eaten-at-my-desk, weekday breakfast is one of two combinations: whole wheat toast with peanut butter, or yogurt with cereal or granola and (often) Craisins. Or it was, until I discovered this Peach Breakfast Bake via Pinterest yesterday.

It looked easy enough to prepare, healthy enough to pass as the most important meal of the day, and I happened to have a ripe peach at home. Voila! A special Friday breakfast, made ahead of time, and reheated in the office kitchen.

This really does taste enough like luscious fruit cobbler to satisfy an early morning dessert craving (don't judge - it's not chocolate). Peaches may not be in season for much longer, but I'm certain that this would work well with apples or various other types of fruit.

I consumed about a third of the portion shown above, and am already anticipating next Monday at 9 AM to have another round. Well, anticipating may be a strong word, but my new favorite breakfast will certainly take the edge off of any work day morning.

Peach Breakfast Bake (adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie)

(Serves 2-3)

• 1 1/4 cups sliced peaches
• 1/4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/8 cup shredded wheat, crushed (I used the Trader Joe's version)
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp applesauce (For a more buttery taste, replace this with an extra tbsp of the margarine)
• small amount of vegetable oil, if desired
• 1/8 tsp salt 
• yogurt for serving

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the peaches, lemon, cornstarch, cinnamon, 1/2 the salt, and 1/2 the sugar in small oven-proof serving dish. Let the mixture rest for ten minutes. 

Meanwhile, stir the crushed cereal, remaining sugar, remaining salt, and applesauce in a bowl until well-blended. If it seems to be dry, pour in a small amount of vegetable oil. Top the peaches with the cereal mixture, and bake for 20-30 minutes.