Feta & Tomato Biscuits

I'd taken a nice summer hiatus from blogging, but heading to the August Food Bloggers LA meeting kicked the habit back. I even went so far as to bake (!!!) a recipe I'd never tested. I threw all caution to the wind.

Go big or go home, right?

The theme for the August meeting (always a potluck gathering) was to use either tomatoes or zucchini, or both, since they are abundantly available. At first I was tempted to make a tomato jam. But then muffins became a more attractive option. And from muffins I went to biscuits.

Notice how zucchini was never a part of the discussion?

It's hot as hell everywhere in this country, even out here on the west coast, and yet I risked burning to a crisp to turn on the oven. Thankfully these only take 20 minutes. And I did it at 7 am when it's still under the Hades heat level.

And they were good. Half of them disappeared at the meeting and thankfully Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious took the rest home. No overly carby leftovers for me to munch on!

The original recipe is actually for muffins, but it's so easy to drop batter on parchment-lined baking sheets instead. Using Greek yogurt instead of the typical milk makes for a light, tangy biscuit. And these spread. You'll end up with little disks instead of actual biscuits, but hey, they still taste good.

One little mistake I made was thinking my dried mint was basil. Oops! So a little bit of mint ended up in the finished product. And cilantro, along with the basil. Great combo. But it was only a teeny pinch of mint. Though if I make these again, I probably would repeat this happy accident.

I'm going to try not to bake again until the heat index goes back to less hellish levels. But I might finally be getting the hang of it.

It's about time.

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Feta & Tomato Biscuits

by August-15-2012

Adapted from Savoury Tomato Muffins, the biscuits are a light breakfast snack 

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, deseeded, finely chopped, and drained
• 1/2 cup feta
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch dried herbs, like mint!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.2. Lightly fry the minced garlic (30 seconds), then drain. Mix with the chopped tomatoes and herbs.3. In a bowl, beat the eggs, salt, oil, and Greek yogurt together.3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and cheese together, then add the egg mixture. Fold in the tomato mixture.4. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture on top of a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before eating.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: about 15 biscuits

Guess the Abstract Food

It's Friday. No one wants to tax their brains with words. Instead, tax your brain trying to figure out the subject of this abstract food art.

This was taken at a recent FBLA meeting, so if you were there you probably know what it is. Let's face it, this is pretty easy even for those who weren't.

Hint: I promise it's edible.

Winner gets...bragging rights!

Wordless Wednesday: Blackberry Scones Courtesy of FBLA's Adventures in the Kitchen

Wordless Wednesday: Chocolate Cake Courtesy of FBLA's Small Pleasures Catering

Creminelli Fine Meats & Eats at Food Bloggers LA

This month's meeting of the local food blogging crowd gathered, quite literally, In Erika's Kitchen. More like Erika's perfectly lit kitchen. Between the skylight and huge south-facing window, you can't take a bad shot of food. Absolutely lovely. (Thanks for hosting, Erika!)

Everyone brought tasty treats, like Shockingly Delicious' brown butter and rosemary rice krispie bars, and She's Cookin's wonton cups with mulberries. But the highlight was the charcuterie brought to us from Creminelli Fine Meats.

It's no secret we love the pork products here at G+F HQ. Having huge platters of salumi to choose from was as close to heaven as we were going to get on this particular day, since the end of the world didn't materialize.

And heavenly it was.

My personal favorite was the Sopressa, a fermented salami with flavors of wine and garlic. Suggested uses are on pizza or paired with aged Italian cheeses. I highly suggest simply stuffing your mouth hole with it until you can't eat anymore. Inelegant, sure, but delightfully satisfying nonetheless.*

An authentic Italian import, the artisan meats are rolling out to a local Whole Foods near you. Made without nitrates or nitrites, the meat is simply delicious. To learn more about Cristiano Creminelli and his company's philosophy, please see their website.

*I can't be held responsible if, while savoring the scrumptious meat, if your eyes roll into the back of your head and stay there.