Greek Panzanella and Peach Dumplings

I want to share with you two outstanding recipes I copied from last weeks Foodie Friday. The first one is Greek Panzanella from Kendra over at Haden News. She participates with the Barefoot Bloggers in doing recipes from Ina Garten. I only have one of Ina Garten's cookbooks, but plan to purchase all of them. I really love everything she creates. This is a recipe you will want to try!

Greek Panzanella

Good olive oil

1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)

Kosher salt

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 red bell pepper, large diced

1 yellow bell pepper, large diced

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds

1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (I used Colby cheese)

1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted
For the vinaigrette:
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup good red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil
Directions:

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

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The next recipe I copied was Peach Dumplings from Yvonne over at Stone Gable. As I was reading through her recipe I couldn't wait to try the Peach Dumplings. This was my first time using the puffed pastry. I had always thought it would be difficult, but it wasn't. So here is my attempt at

Stone Gables Peach Dumplings.

I cut the leaves from leave cutters I had purchased from William Sonoma in the fall.

Rolled out the puffed pastry and cut pastry into squares.

Beautiful peaches, sliced and pit removed.

Put filling in.

Put peach back together.

Wrap puffed pastry corners up and over the peach. Use a little water to wet the ends of the pastry and gently push them together.

Using a pastry brush, brush heavy cream on dumplings and cut out leaves. Arrange leaves on dumplings and dust with sanding sugar.

StoneGable Peach Dumplings
8 large very ripe peaches
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 boxes puffed pastry sheets
1/4 cup heavy cream
sanding sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Take thawed puffed pastry out of box and roll into a square. Cut pastry sheet into 4 squares. Set aside. Cut 2nd sheet of pastry the same way.
Cut out leaves using another puffed pastry sheet.
Mix sugars together in a bowl. Add soft butter and mash together with a fork. Mixture should be somewhat crumbly. Set aside.
Cut very ripe peaches in half using the natural indent in the one side as a guide. Gently twist and the peach should easily pull apart. Remove pit from peach with a sharp knife. Repeat with all peaches.
Remove one puffed pastry square onto a work surface. Scoop a generous tablespoon of sugar mixture in the hollow of one half of a peach. Put peach together. Sugar mixture will be in the middle. Sit upright on the pastry square. Bring diagonal corners up and over the peach. Use a little water to wet the ends of the pastry and gently push them together. Fold opposite diagonal ends up and over peach tucking in the sides of the pastry. Using a pastry brush, brush heavy cream on dumplings and cut out leaves. Arrange leaves on dumplings and dust with sanding sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Serve with creme anglaise.
(I loved this.....Yvonne writes, make an easy creme anglaise.....Melt a good vanilla bean ice cream in the microwave.....That's it! Creme anglaise!

The Peach Dumplings were great!

And the Creme anglaise was wonderful:)

Hope you all will visit Kendra and Yvonne's blogs. You will find many more wonderful recipes to enjoy:)

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