BB: Blueberry Streusel Muffins

The first July recipe for Barefoot Bloggers was selected by Maria of Close to Home, and we were given a choice. We could either make Ina's Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins or Blueberry Streusel Muffins (I chose the latter). We are leaving to go camping for a few days, so I thought this would make a PERFECT breakfast for camping. Costco has some gorgeous blueberries for dirt cheap right now, so this was all very good timing!

I overfilled the muffin cups a bit too much, which I think is why the streusel didn't stay put in one neat little pile, but the flavor is awesome and they are just the perfect texture and density, I think. Baking is really not my strong point, so I get real nervous anytime we have to bake, but these turned out just perfect. I was also able to yield 24 muffins with about 1/2 cup batter left over, contrary to the cookbook's yield of 20 muffins.

Here is the recipe, as it is not posted on Food Network (it can be found in Back to Basics, pg 244):

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
• 1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (2 half-pints)

For the Streusel Topping

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in to a large bowl and blend with your hands. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a fork, mixing just until blended. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Don’t overmix! With a standard (2 1/4″) ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full.
3. For the topping, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces. Pour into a bowl and rub with your fingers until crumbly. Spoon about 1 tbsp of the streusel on top of each muffin. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

BB: Greek Panzanella

...and there went July! lol

The second recipe for the month of July was for Greek Panzanella, selected by Tara of Smells Like Home (aka our fearless leader for Barefoot Bloggers). I have made this recipe before, so I felt comfortable making some substitutions and omissions based on our family's likes and dislikes. I have a wonderful bag of Walla Walla Sweet Onions that I am working through and seriously, they are sweet enough to eat like an apple. So my first substitution was for one of those instead of a purple onion (which I know would have been good too). Secondly, I cannot eat kalamata olives without my gag reflex kicking into high gear, so I left those out. And, I did not add the feta cheese, completely out of error (I forgot to buy it). I baked the bread cubes in the oven instead of sauteeing them, because I felt it gave them more crispness and density...and at my husband's suggestion, I used sourdough bread instead of french bread and we thought that was way better. Other than that, the recipe I made was identical to the original! : )

We LOVED this, probably moreso with the substitutions I made. I know my hubby would have enjoyed the kalamatas in there, and maybe next time I will let him add some to his own bowl.

Thanks, Tara, for selecting this for us!

BB: Scalloped Tomatoes

The second recipe for the month of June's Barefoot Bloggers is Scalloped Tomatoes, selected by Josie of Pink Parsley Catering. I had been really looking forward to making this, ever since I watched Ina make it on her show. My plan was to serve it alongside some steaks my hubby had grilled. I am fairly certain, considering the ease of this recipe, that I followed it perfectly, but I was slightly disappointed with the way it turned out. The bread cubes, even though they were toasted to a crouton-like consistency, actually got pretty mushy rather quickly I thought. The flavor over all was really good, but I had a hard time with the texture issue after a while. I am not sure if others had the same thing happen, but I would give this recipe an "Eh" type of rating...maybe something I would try again, maybe not. I was glad I got to try this though, thanks Josie for picking it!

Scalloped Tomatoes

Ingredients

• Good olive oil
• 2 cups (1/2-inch diced) bread from a French boule, crusts removed
• 16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.