Prep the Tomatoes

Wash your tomatoes and remove the stems.
Poke 2-3 holes through your tomatoes with a skewer. This allows the brine to seep in. You could also peel the tomatoes, but they tend to turn to mush and peeling cherry tomatoes is a pain, trust.
Place the tomatoes in a sterilized jar (simply boil the jar or run through the dishwasher with no soap).
Add some fresh dill on top. You could also add some pearl onions or peppers or whatever you like.

Prepare Your Brine

In a small pot combine the following (adjust seasonings to your taste if you like)
1.5 cups apple cider vinegar
1.5 cups filtered water
2 tbls salt
2 tbls sugar
4-8 garlic cloves, sliced
Pinch coriander
10  peppercorns

Direction:

• Pinch of dried fennel seeds
• Small, small sprig of fresh dill for each bottle.
• Bring the mixture to a boil for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool 20 minutes.
• Pour the brine into your jars over the tomatoes. It’s enough for about 3, maybe 4 pints depending on how much evaporated and how many tomatoes are stuffed into your jar.
• Cover the jar with a sterilized lid and screw your ring on. Put them in the refrigerator and let them sit for at least 24 hours to soak up the goodness. They will last a long time refrigerated, a few months.
• *Courtesy of and INSPIRED by the blog: Prudent Baby – http://prudentbaby.com/2012/09/entertaining-food/how-to-pickle-tomatoes-a-yummy-recipe-to-preserve-tomatoes/

Ingredients:

5 or 5 large carrots washed and cut into long strips (I did not peel these but washed them thoroughly!)
1 ½ T olive oil or light oil if you prefer
Salt and pepper
¼ C orange juice
Zest from one orange
½ C simple syrup (I had this premade as I keep some in the fridge at all times – Simple syrup is 1 part water to 1 part sugar. Dissolve in water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and then remove from heat and cool to room temp.)
1 pinch of salt
1t corn starch
¼ T cinnamon pear balsamic vinegar

Directions:

• Toss carrots in oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on large baking sheet. Bake in 425 degree oven for 2 minutes. Remove and place in glass bowl and lets it for 15 minutes.
• Add all liquid ingredients except vinegar for glaze in small saucepan and bring to boil, whisking the whole time.Add the cornstarch and stir until it starts to barely thicken, hardly any evidence of it happening but the mixture should have reduced by about a third. Then add the vinegar. Let it sit on stove for 20 minutes and cool slightly. Stir from time to time.
• Toss with carrots, top with small slice of orange for garnish. Place in fridge and serve cold with other picnic foods.

Ingredients:

4 C Fingerling Potatoes, washed and halved into about ¾ inch pieces (some of the potatoes are very small
and don’t need cutting, others are a
bit too large and may need to be quartered.)
3 large celery stalks, angle cut
¼ white onions diced small
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ T fresh thyme minced

Download

¼ C fresh lemon juice
¼ C sunflower oil
1 dollop Duke’s mayonnaise
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
2 T sugar (white refined)
½ T cinnamon pear balsamic vinegar (from Olive This! In Charlotte NC)
½ T minced fresh oregano leaves

Directions:

• Boil fingerlings until tender. Drain and shock in cold water. Pat dry and place in bowl. Add the celery, onion, garlic,and fresh thyme. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Chill until ready to serve.

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet of puffed pastry (one square) thawed
• 4 ripe white plums, sliced (no need to peel)
• 2 fuji apples, peeled and diced
• 3 T sugar
• ½ t cinnamon
• ¼ t allspice
• A touch of salt
• ½ t vanilla extract

Direction:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Put pastry on baking parchment paper lined baking sheet dusted with flour. With a knife, trace around the perimeter of the square, about ½ inch inside the edge, and cut without going through the pasty. Place in freezer while you assemble fruit. About 10 minutes. Toss fruit and other ingredients together. Place in the middle of the puff pastry, arrange as needed and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.