Elizabeth here today, with a new edition of One Last Bite recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth. I love fall, but I can’t help clinging to the last dregs of summer. I buy as many tomatoes and peaches and berries as we can possibly eat, because soon enough they’ll be replaced by squash and apples and pumpkins. I desperately tend to my herb garden and even drag the pots inside at night to keep them going as long as I can. I’m not quite ready to wear tights—and you can forget about sweaters.
So this month, I present to you a sweet treat with no sugar, no flour, and no baking pans. And no, you don’t even need to turn on that oven that has been gathering dust over the last few, very hot months. I give you my favorite warm-weather recipe: a gazpacho that is bursting with summer flavor. It replaces the traditional cucumber and garlic with juicy peaches and shallot. Add a handful of strawberries and some slices of creamy avocado, and it’s almost like eating dessert for dinner.
I hope you enjoy this one last bite of summer.
Peach and Tomato Gazpacho
Yield: 4 first course servings or 2 main course servings.
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes (4 cups)
1 pound fresh peaches, pitted and chopped (2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño, seed removed
A large handful of strawberries, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 avocado, sliced or chopped
Pureé two-thirds of the tomatoes, half of the peaches, and half of the strawberries with shallot, jalapeño, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute. Force the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a large bowl and discard the solids. If the gazpacho is too thick for your taste, add water 1/4 cup at a time until it has reached the desired consistency. Let chill in the refrigerator.**
Make tomato peach salsa: Toss together remaining chopped tomatoes, strawberries, and peaches with remaining tablespoon oil, remaining 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, remaining teaspoon chopped basil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl.
Serve soup in bowls or tumblers and top with the tomato peach salsa and avocado.
**If time is of the essence, add a 1/4 cup of ice to the blender to chill the ingredients as they puree. Serve immediately.
In just the last six years since we got married, we’ve been fortunate to travel to 10 countries across three continents. We’ve managed to fit in a few domestic travels too, to places like Portland, Cape Cod and the Hudson Valley, among others. I often get asked by friends and acquaintances for tips—Cape Town, Barcelona, Bangkok and Cartagena being the most popular requests—and I’ve loooong been meaning to pony up my favorite places to stay, eat and see into abbreviated city guides right here.
By no means will these “guides” be all-inclusive, as I’m simply a visitor and not a local expert. The quantity of recommendations will vary depending on whether we spent 5 days or just 24 hours in a place. And to be clear—to me, traveling is not so much a checklist of attractions but rather an exploration of a different culture. It’s discovering the pace of the people, walking around neighborhoods and venturing down alleys, exploring markets, using public transportation, tasting traditional cuisine at great restaurants (preferably recommended by a local), even just sitting at a café to simply watch life somewhere else. And then, yes of course, snapping some photos and seeing the “big attractions” along the way.
So think of these guides as my pocket-sized tidbits—a quick reference for the important highlights but also a few not-to-miss restaurants, stylish places to stay, how to get around, and what to wear. Let’s kick off with Athens today.
MUST SEES: the Acropolis, new Acropolis Museum, Plaka, Central Market
DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT: watching sunset from the top of Lycabettus Hill
WHERE TO EAT: Dionysos Zonar’s for an unbeatable nighttime view below the Acropolis or Orizontes for romantic, sweeping city views from Lycabettus Hill
As I shared on Channeling Contessa earlier this week, the farm-to-table movement has become near and dear to my heart after living in Madison for the last five years. A trip to the farmers’ market is our standard Saturday routine, where we load up on fresh produce, organic meat and eggs, locally-made jams and bread, and cheese (of course)! Not only that, but almost every restaurant in our city celebrates local ingredients too, prominently displaying the farmers they work with–which is why Madison was recently touted as a top “foodie paradise.”
This time of year the market is ripe with an amazing selection that still includes summer favorites like heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn and peaches, but also now boasts fall crops like squashes, cauliflower and apples. It’s the time of year when we come home with our bags filled to the brim…To me there’s no better way to celebrate the start of fall and a bountiful season than with a farm-to-table meal, featuring local-only ingredients, a simple table setting, and great friends gathered round.
Fitting the relaxed vibe of a morning at the market and an afternoon in the kitchen, for dinner at home I like to wear simple, pared-down favorites. Navy is my favorite color, and one I often like to wear full-on–in this case in the form of a crepe tank and dark denim, paired with a hint of brass and a fun kilim slipper (just brought these back from our trip to Turkey!) for a little global flair.
A trip to the farmers’ market is our standard Saturday routine, where we load up on fresh produce, organic meat and eggs, locally-made jams and bread, and cheese (of course)! Come fall, the market is ripe with an amazing selection that still includes summer favorites like heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn and peaches, but it also now boasts seasonal crops like squashes, cauliflower and apples. It’s the time of year when we come home with our bags filled to the brim…and to me there’s no better way to celebrate the start of fall and a bountiful season than with a farm-to-table meal, featuring local-only ingredients, a simple table setting, and great friends gathered round.
One thing I vividly remember about my first trip to Greece 12 years ago: horiatiki salata (village salad in Greek). A celebration of a few simple ingredients, this is the authentic Greek salad. No lettuce, no mixing, no cubed or crumbled feta here. Just ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, juicy Greek black olives and capers, and a slab of mild feta on top. We happily ate our fair share of horiatiki during our recent week in Greece, and last night I was craving those fresh flavors so I whipped up the salad with heirloom tomatoes from our garden. Perfection!
Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata)
2-3 heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 cucumber, peeled, sliced into ½” rounds, rounds halved
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
½ green bell pepper, thinly sliced
8-10 Kalamata olives
1-2 tablespoons medium-sized capers, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh feta, cut into thick slabs
Dried oregano
Add tomatoes to a bowl and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add cucumbers and onions to the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, add a splash or two of vinegar, and season with freshly ground pepper. Divide the tomato-cucumber-onion mixture into two shallow bowls. Top each bowl with the green pepper, olives and capers. Place a piece of feta on top and sprinkle each salad with oregano.
Meet my new travel savior—Truffle pouches! You probably spied the little one in yesterday’s travel beauty post? Truffle’s collection of see-through pouches come in a variety of colors for effortless organization on the go. They come in five sizes, helping you keep just about anything tidy in your purse, beach bag, or carry-on. That’s right—say so long to digging in the bottom of your tote for lip balm or sporting a Ziploc bag for the plane. Keep reading to see how I used my two pouches for our recent trip, and I think you’ll see why these are life changing for travel!
I found this size to be perfect for corralling passports, maps, thin phrase and guide books, a highlighter, receipts, business cards, and other odds and ends we picked up along the way. Can you imagine the chaos that would be in the bottom of my bag if all this was let loose? I can, and it’s not a pretty sight!
This is what won me over when I first heard about Truffle—a TSA-approved pouch for carrying travel-sized products in style. I promptly tossed my plastic baggie and was happy to find this held everything I needed. The best part is the horizontal format ensures a flat profile, so it can slip in the front pocket of your suitcase for easy removal during security check.
Needless to say, I’m a bit Truffle obsessed. I’m already thinking of reasons why I might need to collect a few more pouches to drop into other bags.
This post is not sponsored, Truffle is just a brand I love and think you will, too!
While I’ve shared how I pack light for carry-on-only travel, a friend preparing for a trip to London was recently mystified over how to fit all her toiletries into a TSA-approved, clear bag. I’d imagine many people struggle with that very same question, and it’s taken me years of traveling to get it down. So on the heels of my own recent trip, I wanted to share my tried-and-true tips for getting my beauty routine into that one tiny, quart-sized bag. I’m also spilling my must-have travel products. Hope it’s a handy guide for your next trip!
Downsize your beauty routine. An absolute must if you’re planning to carry on. Narrow to your must-haves versus nice-to-haves. I skip the extra serums, eye creams, moisturizers and even leave my cleanser at home. I keep makeup super minimal with just tinted moisturizer, mascara, and a favorite lipstick. For hair, I bring shampoo and conditioner so I don’t need many additional hair products, but maybe the opposite will work for you.
Find travel-sizes of your favorites. Travel sizes are readily available at Sephora, the drugstore or online. If your favorite brand doesn’t, transfer product into travel containers or ask for samples at Sephora.
Find liquid alternatives. From face towels to powdered makeup, try to substitute some liquid products with non-liquid versions.
Skip the sunscreen. Packing it, that is. Particularly for beach vacations where you’ll need sunscreen everyday, that tiny bottle won’t last you long enough. Avoid the airport and hotel gift shops and buy a full-sized bottle at a local grocery or drugstore when you arrive.
And the travel-sized toiletries I can’t live without, pictured left to right above:
Living Proof Frizz Shampoo & Conditioner. My foundation for frizz-free hair.
Living Proof Prime Style Extender. My secret weapon for a good hair day, whether I wear it naturally wavy or blow dry it straight.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir. I spritz this on my face to freshen up between flights and use as a toner for day.
Caudalie Divine Oil. A delightfully scented multitasker for body, face and hair.
L’Occitane Lavande Hand Cream. Great for hydrating dry hands–the light lavender scent is unisex enough my husband likes it too.
L’Occitane Moisturizing Lip Balm. Nothing worse than dry lips.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. A moisturizer and foundation in one is the ultimate in low-maintenance–plus it has SPF.
Opti-Free PureMoist Contact Solution. One of those things you can’t get around if you wear contacts!
*Note: My husband packs toothpaste and shaving cream, which I borrow.
Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. I love that it has a long growing season that starts in the summer and goes well into fall. And this year, I’ve even been growing my own in my garden! While there are numerous ways I love to use fresh zucchini, one fall favorite I recently shared on Made By Girl is this zucchini-lemon bread. It’s perfectly moist, not too sweet, and has just a hint of lemon for a fresh twist—credit goes to my mother-in-law and my husband for that great idea. I love eating it with coffee in the morning, and sneaking a piece as an afternoon snack, too! Keep reading for the recipe…
Zucchini & Lemon Breakfast Bread
3 cups of all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
Zest of half a lemon + juice of half a lemon
1 cup chopped walnuts
Grease and flour two 8×4 inch pans or two muffin tins. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. In a bowl, combine shredded zucchini, lemon zest, lemon juice and chopped walnuts. Set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a third bowl, beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar together until well combined. Add your bowl of sifted ingredients into the egg-sugar mixture and mix well. Stir in the zucchini-lemon-nut mixture until everything is combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans or muffin tins.
Bake for 40 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center of your bread or a muffin comes out clean. Time will vary based on whether you use the bread pans or muffin tins. Let the pans or muffin tins cool on a rack for a few minutes.
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