got grapes?

have you ever walked down the aisle at the farmer's market and seen the huge section of grapes? all colors, black, red, green their glistening hues shining in the sun, just begging you to buy them and snack away. hands down there is nothing better than icy cold grapes on a hot day, but have you ever thought what else could you do with that fabulous flavorful tiny little fruit? believe it or not they can be used in all sorts of fun recipes, salads, cheese trays, even main courses. so i am having a summer fling with grapes and finding all kinds of ways to use them. this recipe is an easy breezy summer appetizer that is great for a warm day with an ice cold glass of prosecco. (throw a few frozen grapes in your glass just to keep the chill on)

grape and prosciutto appetizers

1 baguette, sliced 1/4 inch
4 Tbls olive oil
36 green, red or black grapes**
1 Tbls balsamic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
4 oz softened goat cheese
6-8 slices of proscuitto

preheat oven to 350. lightly brush baguette slices with half of the olive oil and lay them on a sheet pan and place in oven. toast 5-10 mins until golden brown, and remove from oven and set aside to cool. put the remaining olive oil in a small saute pan and warm over med-high heat. add the grapes and saute for 2-3 mins. or until soft and warmed through. remove from the heat. sprinkle the balsamic vinegar over the grapes and add a few grinding of pepper.
spread each baguette slice with goat cheese. cut each slice of proscuitto in half and drape over the cheese. top each of the baguettes with grapes and drizzle with remaining oil and vinegar in pan. serve right away or at room temp.
** you can slice grapes in half (use half the amount) before heating if you desire so they don't roll off baguette slices, but if softened enough they usually are just fine.

not only is this recipe tasty, it looks beautiful. you can just imagine sitting in a small italian cafe on a warm summer day, enjoying the sweet and savory tastes of the grapes and proscuitto together. so as my summer fling continues i will try and photograph and post my new found creations. i feel a chicken, brie and grape sammie of some type in the near future.

adventures in dining with bite san diego!

a few months back a friend posted a groupon on her fb wall for a walking food tour of san diego, asking if she had any takers in organizing a trip together? being the foodie i am, i jumped at the offer. so thanks to the organization of a few gal pals we purchased some tickets, set a date and booked the tour. let me tell you, some of the best decisions are made on the spur of the moment and this was one of them!



so excuse some of the blurry photos, i forgot my camera and resorted to my iPhone, which is always hit and miss.

our first stop was royal india, where we met our very knowledgeable tour guide eddie. as we enjoyed our first treat of samosas and other indian delights, eddie started with some history of san diego and all the fun facts it has to offer.

our first course...

we then ventured out into the city on foot, after all, exercise it the best way to work up an appetite!
can you believe this used to be considered a sky scraper back in the day? our next stop on the trip was croce's, opened by famous singer/songwriter jim croce's wife after he passed away, fulfilling their life long dream of having a place together.

we were treated to their fiery and fabulous chili bacon bloody mary's. i'm not going to lie, this drink can cure anything that ales you. they make their own chili bacon infused vodka for this cocktail and it is every bit worth stopping in for.
the girls enjoying the cocktails and yummy firecracker shrimp, while listening to great live music.
back out on the street, we headed to a little gem of a pizza place in the keating hotel, called crust. this place will make anyone who has longed for a slice of what new yorkers call real pizza, think died and went to heaven. they employ their own full time baker and it shows, the crust and bread are perfect and the flavors of pizza, tantalize the taste buds. being italian i am skeptical about fruit on my pizza, but i tried the pineapple, capicolla, and jalapeno pizza and was happily surprised by the sweet and spicy flavor on the perfectly crunchy crust! other flavors including the cheese and pepperoni standards, were pesto and gorgonzola and artichoke and chicken! all fabulous!




the pizza, tom working the oven's and the wonderful hand made breads.
out onto the sunny streets to continue our sight seeing, while heading to our next destination. our guide eddie pointed out great buildings, along with fun history of the growth of san diego through the years. the next stop was karl strauss for some much needed refreshments after the long walk.




we enjoyed a tour at karl strauss while sampling great beer. i am not a big beer drinker, but i really enjoyed their lager and their raspberry ale!
here's our tour guide eddie posing for a pic with our rowdy group!













next my personal favorite place, little italy. our final savory stop of the day was indigo grill, where we enjoyed chips and scallop ceviche with fresh homemade guacamole.











on to the best part of any one's day, at least i know it's the best part of the day for me, DESSERT. what better way to finish off a great day of food, fun, and laughter than with a delicious cannoli.


a great bakery and restaurant right in the heart of little italy is cafe zucchero. i'm telling you, your italian nona would be proud to serve these little packages of heaven.
it doesn't stop with these, the bakery cases are loaded with mouth watering pastries and even some creamy italian decadence, gelato. check out these pics, to get you off your chair and into your car heading south!
all in all, this was a great way to spend the day with friends. we enjoyed wonderful food and drink and eddie was beyond great! i would recommend this tour to anyone with a taste for culinary adventure and history. bite san diego wraps all this into one beautiful package. next stop, i think we might have to try their coronado tour next! you can check them out on the web at
http://www.bitesandiego.com/

the lighter side

as summer fast approaches and temperatures rise, the thought of turning on the oven or stove floats right out the window. now your dilemma is, what do i serve with that beautiful chicken, steak (insert your main course of choice) that i have on the grill? here is the no sweat, literally, side that is appealing to everyone. this no fuss salad requires nothing but a knife to make. come on admit it, anyone can slice a few strawberries right? just so you know i employ my 6 yr old daughter to do this with a serrated butter knife, so if she can do it so can you. if your really crafty, like i am, i have both my kids put the whole salad together, while i sit and do nothing. talk about no sweat!

Summer Fruit Spring Salad



1 bag of washed spring salad mix,
1 cup blueberries,
1//2 cup slice strawberries,
1/4 cup of crumbled feta (more if you like),
salt & pepper,
olive oil**,
balsamic vinegar**,
1/4 -1/2 cup of candied walnuts,

ready, here's the hard part... ;-)

place spring mix in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, do this before adding the other ingredients. sprinkle salad with blueberries and strawberries. drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. sprinkle feta and walnuts over the whole thing and serve. really, how easy is that? light, healthy and the perfect compliment for any main course. you can really go wild and top with some grilled chicken, before adding the oil and vinegar, and you've turned an easy side into a quick, beautiful summer meal.

so turn off the heat and enjoy dinner alfresco. for those of you not watching your calories or carbing up for a big run or swim the next day, serve the same oil and vinegar, sprinkled with salt and pepper to dip fabulous crusty bread!



** use an olive oil that you like the taste of all by itself, the better the quality, the better the taste.

** when it comes to balsamic vinegar, the longer the aging process the better the taste. this also makes the vinegar thicker often giving it a more syrupy consistency. sometimes spending a few extra dollars on staples like these add a lot to your cooking in the long run. they also last quite a while so it's worth it.