Peanut Butter Caramel Dip with Sliced Apples

Yesterday, I packed some grapes for the girls when packing their school lunches. I thought I would make something different today. I had a little leftover caramel au beurre salé from the weekend. It's a sweet caramel  sauce with salted butter. We drizzle it over ice cream. I decided to mix a little creamy peanut butter into the caramel, along with some raw honey that I just discovered at the local market.

Peanut butter caramel is a great dip with any fruit, drizzled over ice cream or even on celery. Enjoy!

Croque-Monsieur: A Perfect Back To School Lunch Recipe

In France, the croque-monsieur sandwich is as much a staple of school children's lunches as the PB&J is in America. I grew up with them, and they are still the ultimate comfort food for me. 

The girls are going back to school today and I wanted to share with them one of the fondest culinary memories of my childhood. When I was in middle school, I would come home early on Wednesdays. Since I didn't eat lunch at school, I would always make myself a croque-monsieur.

Croque-monsieur is super easy to make. All you need is a few ingredients such as sliced white bread, emmental cheese and ham (I used smoked turkey). To make it fancier, I bind all the ingredients together with a Mornay sauce, which is basically a béchamel with cheese. I use béchamel a lot; it's really just a white sauce made of flour, butter and milk.

Creamy Ricotta and Bell Pepper Crostini

What do you do with stale bread? Make crostini. It's one of my favorite ways of turning a day-old baguette into an elegant appetizer. I love them and could eat a ton!

Typically, crostini is grilled (or toasted) bread that is covered with a flavorful topping. I made mine with a red bell pepper purée and paired it with left-over goat ricotta cheese. The cheese brings some creaminess to the topping and I love the subtle taste of the chèvre (goat in French). I flavored the crostini with some fresh mint and Meyer lemon from the garden.

Corn Chowder Recipe

Chowders, like many other Western soups, are thickened with a roux. A roux is a combination of flour, butter and milk. To make corn chowder, just add corn kernels and some diced potatoes for texture. It couldn't be simpler than that!

I think chowder comes from the French word chaudière, which is the name of the pot in which the soup is made. It seems though, that the dish first gained popularity in New England. Traditional chowder is prepared with seafood, but I only had some fresh ears of corn on hand. After making countless corn salads, grilled corn on the cob and desserts, it was time to make some good ol' comfort food for dinner.

Grilled Polenta with a Creamy Lemon Caper Goat Ricotta Cheese Sauce

Polenta is a fine-ground corn that is pretty easy to prepare. It can either be prepared soft and creamy, or dry and firm. Personally, I prefer the consistency of the firm version. The preparation is fairly simple; just constantly whisk the cornmeal in liquid until each grain swells up, refrigerate and cut into slices. Right before you're ready to serve, place the polenta on a grill pan to create some nice grill marks.

To create the perfect summer dish, I've paired grilled medallions of polenta with a creamy lemon caper goat ricotta cheese sauce. It's divine!