Summer Sauce

September 3, 2026 by Leave a Comment

This has become a staple for me. I use it as a tomato sauce replacement in recipes, or in place of crushed tomatoes for bolognese, for pasta sauce, pizza sauce, or even just warmed as is for tomato soup. I’ve made it with all kinds of tomatoes. Heirloom, cherry, sungolds, whatever I had on hand. It is inspired by Alexandra Stafford’s Simple Roasted Yellow Tomato Sauce.

Last year our tomatoes did poorly so I bought over 60 pounds at a local farm. I used 40 pounds yellow tomatoes and 20 pounds red tomatoes since most of my family needs low acid. I just made sure to use 2/3rds yellow in every batch. The smaller tomatoes with blister more than the larger, as it’s really the skin that will blister. These don’t need cored or cut at all.

Using larger tomatoes, simply core and quarter.

Don’t worry about getting much color on your garlic, as that will add some bitterness.

And we’re going for a sweet summer sauce.

A taste of summer to get through the winter! I still have a few containers left from last year and they taste exactly the same as when they were made. I like to freeze in quarts and pints. The pints are handy for pizza sauce or to use in place of a can of tomato sauce.

Don’t forget the butter as it emulsifies the sauce giving it a smooth and creamy texture and prevents it from separating and becoming watery. I love cooking with herbs but for this I don’t add any since I’m going to use in in a variety of dishes.

SUMMER SAUCE
Yield: approximately 6 cups

2- 2 1/2 pounds tomatoes*
2 1/2 cups chopped onions or shallots
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6-8 garlic cloves
3/4 cup water
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Quarter large tomatoes or leave small cherry tomatoes whole. Place in 9 x 13 or casserole pan.
Add onions or shallots and garlic and sprinkle with salt.
Roast at 475 degrees for about 30 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and starting to blister. (Note that the large, quartered tomatoes won’t blister as much)
Let cool slightly before transferring to a blender and add water.
To help steam escape if your lid has a small opening in the lid leave it open and cover with a tea towel. Start blender on low and increase speed slowly. Add butter and continue blending until well emulsified. Mine usually looks good with about a minute total blending time.
Add additional water if needed and blend until smooth.
Let cool before transferring to freezer containers. Store in the freezer for long term storage or use within a week from the fridge.

*For a less acidic sauce use at least 2/3rds yellow tomatoes. This sauce turns out great using small cherry tomatoes, sungolds, heirloom tomatoes, or a variety of any.

Filed Under: Freezer, Pasta, Sauces / Condiments Tagged With: , ,

Croissant Irish Soda Bread

March 16, 2026 by

Awhile back I made the sourdough croissant bread from Amy Bakes Bread and the other day I started thinking about making my soda bread with added shredded butter like that. I am so glad I did!

This is the basic Irish Soda Bread I make usually, though often I make 2. One regular and one with cheddar and chives. Today I instead of regular I added in some Kerrygold butter. It did not disappoint.

I couldn’t remember how much butter Amy’s loaf used and went ahead with an 8 ounce stick of Kerrygold butter. It was probably more butter than necessary. And probably exactly how I’ll make it from now on.

It wasn’t as flaky as the sourdough croissant bread, which I expected with it being a quick bread. But it had my favorite part, the crusty buttery bottom like good biscuits. You could use whatever butter you have, Kerrygold is my favorite for special dishes.

If you have Rose’s Lime Marmalade it was perfection smeared on a hot slice. I was introduced to Rose’s Lime Marmalade when I worked in a tea room on a historical farm when I was a teenager and I’ve been hooked on it since!

Filed Under: Bread, Quick & Muffins, Irish Tagged With: , , ,

Viral Candied Cranberries (Simplified)

December 22, 2025 by

I recently had a Christmas Tea Party and made these for a garnish. I love all things tart and crispy so they are one of my favorite things. I’ve seen many different versions of these using various techniques but I’m going to share a simple recipe for them and explain why I think it’s the best.

-Don’t bother soaking in juice: Cranberries are not the most porous food. They do float after all. Sure, after enough time in something with citric acid it will break down the skin a bit but the flavor is not going to be very noticeable if at all. Plus, they will probably not keep as long since you’ve started to break down that skin if soaked long enough.

-Use a simple syrup instead: By using a simple syrup the cranberries are sticky enough for the sugar to stick without starting to cook them or break down the skin. You could use juice in the simple syrup to add flavor as well but again, you won’t taste this much. Another option is to add a sprig or rosemary to the simple syrup as it simmers to add an herb tone.

-Using premade syrups: A good option for something quick with a little more flavor is using a premade syrup (such as Torani) to coat instead of a homemade simple syrup. Orange or lime would be my first choice.

Filed Under: Appetizers / Dips / Snacks, Christmas / Winter

Browned Butter Salted Caramel Rice Krispy Treats

September 23, 2025 by

I haven’t been adding many recipes for a few years because I was focused on my cottage bakery. Now that I’m retiring from that I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes and best sellers so you can make them at home! For this recipe I use my Pink Salt Caramel Sauce which is really my absolute favorite! But you could of course use premade as well. If it isn’t salted just add a little extra salt to the recipe.

The sea salt caramel chips I use are from Trader Joes, I keep a stack on hand in my pantry. You could also make these with chocolate chips as well.

I always add whole milk powder when I’m browning butter as it increases the milk solids to toast and really pumping up the browned butter flavor. Judee’s is the brand I buy.

Filed Under: Brownies / Bars, Desserts

Citrus Carne Asada

September 29, 2022 by

Carne Asada marinade usually contains some citrus but I like mine very citrusy. Adding Ponzu might seem an odd choice, using an Asian ingredient for a Mexican dish, but it really works well. Every time I make it it turns out tender, flavorful, citrusy, and even my daughter who doesn’t like steak devours it.

If you don’t have Ponzu on hand you could substitute soy sauce and a little more lime juice. It is fairly readily available though and worth keeping on hand. I like to buy it at the Asian market where it is usually very inexpensive but most grocery stores that have an Asian aisle will carry it.

I usually serve this in corn street tacos with salsa and radishes but we loved it in taco salad as well (and I’m sure pretty much any way would be good!) I usually make a double batch then use it for 2 meals we like it so much!
You could cook it in a skillet but if you aren’t able to grill a grill pan or broiling would probably be better.

Filed Under: Beef, Mexican

Sourdough Bagel Bread

June 14, 2022 by

I have been making this bread for awhile now and recently when we did some kitchen renovations and in the midst of starting a cottage bakery it was all. I. could. think. about. It was the first bread I made when I got my kitchen back!

Using active sourdough starter adds a lot of flavor but also health benefits. Adding a little yeast means I can make it in a shorter time frame and for this bread we get the right texture.
It won’t raise double, just about to the edge of the pans or a little under (if you are using a 9 by 5 pan those are actually for quick breads. Using a 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 pan will yield a higher loaf)

Dumping your loaf in water seems ridiculous but just go with it!

A big slotted spoon or spatula helps flip it.

Coat your pan while the bread simmers. Everything bagel is our favorite!

You can use your towel to dump it back into the loaf pan.

Use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to make slits in loaf.

Brush with egg wash, sprinkle more coating on.

And bake to perfection!

Warm is amazing, but toasted with a little cream cheese or avocado toast is my favorite!

Filed Under: Bread, Yeast, Sourdough

Mexican Rice

April 27, 2022 by

If I’m making enchiladas, burritos, or just a side dish for taco nights odds are this is the rice I’m making.
I always use my rice cooker but stovetop works well if you don’t have one. Sometimes I make this with brown rice but for this recipe I prefer white. It’s mild enough my picky eater and flavorful enough for the rest of us.

If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand don’t worry, the tomato paste adds most of the flavor there. Much of the time I make it without fresh tomatoes and can’t tell much difference. Don’t skip the cumin as it really gives a lot of flavor and smokiness to the dish.

Filed Under: Mexican

Sourdough Milk and Honey Rolls

April 6, 2022 by

Do I need another roll recipe? Probably not. But I have no regrets about these. Adding milk and honey to rolls make them more rich and tender and perfect for holiday meals… or a Thursday. Whichever.

We like them best with a drizzle of honey or slathered with honey butter!

Filed Under: Bread, Yeast, Sourdough

Whole Wheat Sourdough Tortillas

March 23, 2022 by

These tortillas surpassed all my expectations by a REALLY long shot. I love when that happens!

I’ve been tweaking the recipe around for awhile and a few things I’ve found is adding vital wheat gluten really helps make the dough more elastic and you’ll be able to roll out thinner.

You can use active or inactive sourdough starter but using active will make the dough slightly easier to work with and more fluffy.

Using hot water helps the dough come together easier and I also like the texture olive oil gives the dough as well. You could substitute butter as well, just cut down on the salt if you’re using salted butter.

These tortillas are very soft and pliable, great for wraps or burritos. I even made a big batch and used them for freezer burritos and they reheated wonderfully.

Filed Under: Bread, Quick & Muffins, Sourdough, Whole Grain

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry (updated)

January 26, 2022 by

Beef and Broccoli has always been one of my favorite dishes. I first posted Beef and Broccoli like 10 years ago. I have tweaked the recipe and sauce and it’s even better now! I used to make it in a wok but anymore I use my large electric skillet because it has more surface area and everything cooks more evenly. This makes a big batch but it is one of those meals that everyone loves.
Sometimes I roast the vegetables in the oven to speed things up. While they are roasting I cook the beef and then it all gets tossed together with the sauce.

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Filed Under: Asian, Beef