Marinated Tomato Salad with Herbs

The Pioneer Woman now has a television show on The Food Network. I watched a sneak peek a few days before it came on, and they showed her making this dish. I love fresh, homegrown tomatoes, so I wanted to give it a try. It is amazing! We had friends over for a barbecue dinner and it was definitely the hit of the evening. Even brawny meat and potatoes guys were going back for seconds. I highly recommend this!

Ingredients:
6 to 8 ripe tomatoes
4 green onions
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful fresh parsley leaves, lightly chopped
12 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions:

Cut the tomatoes into 4 wedges, then cut the wedges in half and add to a bowl.  (I forgot to cut the wedges in half again.)

Lop off the tops of the green onions, then slice the white and mostly light green parts really thin. Add to the tomatoes.

Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, dash of salt and pepper to a jar. Screw on the lid and shake to combine. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and toss.

Add the herbs and gently toss to combine. 

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

There is no way this would be good with store-bought tomatoes in the winter, so make it now while you can get good homegrown ones!  I got mine at the produce stand and they were excellent!

Sugared Rhubarb Muffins~by Kelsey

 I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  It was quick, easy and good!  I doubled it, because 12 muffins don't last very long around here.

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg, milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in rhubarb.
2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

One muffin equals 226 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 153 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1-1/2 fat.