Slow-Roasted Tomato Pizza and Blueberry Popsicles

Whenever I am in Holland, I love to take advantage of the local farmers market. Perusing each vendor's offerings as you saunter slowly down the brick sidewalk, tasting jams and dips while listening to various street performers; it's the perfect way to spend a lazy summer morning.

It usually goes something like this: First you see some tomatoes. Mmm, 'maters. Pass them by. Then you see some blueberries. Dessert, perhaps? Next, organic basil. Oooh, organics! And wow, half the price in Michigan! Finally, a freshly-baked herb pizza crust. Um, yes. You see where I'm going with this? Voila, dinner!

This pizza we put together was probably better than any pizza I've had from any restaurant ever. That seems like a bold statement. But it's true! Everything about it was incredibly fresh and local: slow-roasted tomatoes and garlic, spring onions, basil, fresh mozzarella (from the store), and a little olive oil. No sauce, only delicious ingredients fighting against the curse of the dreaded red sauce. Dun dun duuuuuuun....

And then (as if we were just going to stop at the pizza, psh) we made popsicles! Found the molds at the local thrift store and brought them home for a dollar. Those blueberries I was talking about from the market? Yep, blueberry popsicles. Don't you just love Holland now??

The popsicles were quite amazing, minus the popsicle molds (apparently they were at the thrift store for a reason). Very creamy and rich--almost like a cheesecake. They were a really nice pairing with such a light and fresh dinner, I would definitely make them again. Maybe add a few more blueberries next time, though. I do love me some fruits.

Ok, here we go. A few of these little summer gem recipes just for you! And a picture of Eleanor.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Fresh tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Unpeeled garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cut tomatoes into a thick, round slice and arrange on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a handful of unpeeled garlic cloves around the tray, and place in the oven to roast for 3 hours. Take out of oven, peel garlic, and place on pizza.

Blueberry Swirl Popsicles

from Food Everyday

6 ounces (1 cup) fresh blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 cup heavy cream

Add blueberries and 1/4 cup sugar to a small saucepan and heat over high until boiling (I know, this sounded confusing to me too at first, but it will boil eventually). Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often. Crush blueberries against the side of the saucepan with a wooden spoon and continue stirring until it looks like syrup, about three minutes. Pour into a small bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to cool.

Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, yogurt, and cream together in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Alternate pouring a little bit of each mixture (blueberry and yogurt) into the molds until full, making about 5-6 layers in each. Using a long skewer, swirl the layers together with an up-and-down motion. Place sticks inside and freeze for 6 hours (or up to 2 weeks).