Heirloom Tomato, Peach & Fresh Mozzarella Crostini

Tomato Peach Crostinis

Over the weekend I spent some time working in the garden with my pops – weeding, picking oranges, checking sugar levels on the wine grapes and harvesting a large batch of heirloom tomatoes.

Homegrown Heirloom Tomatoes

I absolutely LOVE heirlooms due to their refreshing and sweet flavor and unique colors and shapes.  Now what to do with this batch of colorful beauties? Recently I experience a delicious dish from French Blue in St. Helena, California which inspired tonight’s appetizer. They offer this irresistible house made farmers cheese over grilled bread topped with strawberries and tomatoes. It’s to die for. So, that is the inspiration to this Heirloom, Peach and Fresh Mozzarella crostini. Sweet and savory, this is the perfect summertime appetizer.

Heirloom Tomato, Peach &  Fresh Mozzarella Crostini

3 – 4 small / medium heirloom tomatoes (or 1 large one), sliced
1 large peach, thinly sliced
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
Baguette of your choice (I used Casa LaBelle Rustic Baguette)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Heirloom Tomato Crostini

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch slices and coat with olive oil. Season lightly with salt & pepper and bake them for about 8 – 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove crostini’s from the oven and layer with a peach slice, tomato and mozzarella. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

How to Make Tomato Crostini


Ingredients used:

  • Casa LaBelle Bread – Casa LaBelle is a small bakery located in the tiny resort town of Monte Rio in Sonoma County.
  • Peach, Mozzarella and Sweet BasilMike’s Truck Garden (one of my favorite local produce stands)
  • Heirloom Tomatoes – homegrown and straight from the garden.

Enjoy! ~Crystal

Build-Your-Own Watermelon Salad

Watermelon Salad

It was a warm summer night when a group of us decided to go out to dinner after a fabulous “Wine Down Friday” of vino & music at Muscardini Cellars in Sonoma Valley, California. We headed over to Glen Ellen Inn  and decided to enjoy the beautiful weather by dining on the patio. After 10 minutes of deciding which wine we were going to enjoy with dinner (2006 Gundlach Bunchu Mountain Cuvee) we ordered some appetizers to share – one of which was the inspiration to today’s post: WATERMELON SALAD. Now, I’m a big fan of watermelon salads – arugula, onions, feta. Served in a carved out empty watermelon shell and even on skewers (great for parties). But this salad was different, beautiful and SO delicious. I posted the picture from dinner on instagram and my neighbor and I were inspired to make our twist on this delicious, summer salad.

Watermelon Salad Close up

BYO Watermelon Salad

  • 1 small watermelon (sliced into 1/2 – 1 inch rings – rind removed)
  • Greens of your choice: Arugula, Mâche, Spinach (we used arugula)
  • Cheese of your choice: Blue, Goat, Mozzarella (we used Blue)
  • Want to add nuts? Try Pecans, Toasted Walnuts or Almonds
  • Try adding additional fruits or veggies: Honeydew, Cantaloupe, Onions
  • Dressing: Olive Oil, Mustard Vinaigrette, Mint & Lime dressing (we simply used olive oil)
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Build-your-own watermelon salad is the perfect summertime treat and so easy to make. Grab the ingredients you like, place the watermelon ring on a plate and begin to build with your favorite cheese, lettuce, nuts and dressing. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. You can use as little or as much as you want. When we made the salad above, we simply used arugula, blue cheese, olive oil and sea salt.

Enjoy! ~Crystal

It’s Party Time | Superbowl XLVII

Superbowl Spread

It’s almost here – Superbowl XLVII! Get ready for the game with some of our favorite game day snacks!


Spicy Artichoke-Spinach Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10 oz fresh spinach (I prefer fresh over frozen)
2 cups Agiago, Parmesan and Fontina cheese, shredded.
1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz can jalapeño peppers, chopped (I used 1/2 the can, feel free to use more!)
2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbl red crushed peppers
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Drizzle olive oil and a little bit of the jalapeño juice in saute pan and wilt the fresh spinach. While this is sautéing, mix together the Italian cheese blend, artichoke hearts, sour cream, cream cheese, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and crushed red pepper in a bowl until well blended. Remove the spinach and drain well before adding it to the mix.  Spread the dip into the prepared baking dish topping it with any extra cheese you may have. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese has melted and is bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with homemade crostinis.

Cajun Prawns Wrapped in Bacon

(Thanks to Jason for making these!)

Cajun Shrimp

2 lbs 16/20* prawns, thawed, peeled and deveined
¼ extra virgin olive oil
1 package bacon
¼ cup Cajun Spice Mix

Spice Mix

4 T paprika
2 T garlic powder
2 T cayenne pepper
2 T black pepper
1 T dry thyme
1T dry oregano
1T onion powder
2 T salt
1 T white pepper

Toss the freshly cleaned prawns in the extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle spice mixture on the prawns and wrap with a small piece of bacon, securing with toothpicks. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until bacon is done. Serve immediately.

Grilled Sausages with Brandy-Mustard Sauce

Sausage with Mustard

1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage
Korbel Brandy mustard sauce

Enjoy the grilled sausages with the mustard sauce alone or add the sausage slices and sauce to homemade crostini’s and top with cole slaw.

Korbel Brandy-Mustard Sauce

1 tsp olive oil
2 T chopped shallots
1 cup Dijon mustard
1 T whole mustard seeds
½ cup chicken or veal stock
½ cup Korbel Brandy
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Saute shallots in olive oil until soft. Add mustard seeds and Dijon to the shallots and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add brandy and chicken stock to the mustard and let cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or room temperature over grilled meats and sausages. Makes 1 ½ cups

Beer & Pretzel Cupcakes

Beer & Pretzel Cupcakes

1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons(1.5 ounces) Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Guinness Stout

Ganache Frosting

3/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add 1/4 cup of the beer into the mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add remaining beer. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool.

To make ganache frosting: Bring heavy cream, butter and vegetable oil to a light boil. Pour hot heavy cream mixture over chocolate. Using a spatula gently fold chocolate through heavy cream until well combined. Set aside to cool for at least an two hours or until frosting consistency is achieved. Frosting will thicken as sits. When cupcakes are cooled, apply the frosting and pretzels. Drizzle chocolate and caramel on top. (Adopted from Bakers Royal blog )

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Sliders

(Click here for recipe)
Pulled Pork Sandwhich