Summer Basil Tortellini

BasilTortellini1

BasilTortellini2

This hearty pasta salad uses local basil, tomatoes, cucumbers and peas. It's a great way to show off the flavors of the season! To make this pasta salad you will need: 4 cups tri-color cheese tortellini 1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved 1 cup fresh tomatoes chopped To make the dressing you will need: 1/2 cup basil, chopped 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 1 cup asiago cheese, shredded 3 tablespoons lemon juice 4 tablespoons olive oil Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl combine all dressing ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour over cooled tortellini and toss to coat. Add prepared veggies and toss to combine.

One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes

EricaW Photo 3 50mm f1.8

These delicious vanilla cupcakes are easy as....well, pie. They require one bowl, ingredients you probably have in your house right now and self-restraint because boy, are they tasty! We like to top ours with vanilla or chocolate buttercream and then garnish them with some small local blooms. These have mini zinnias on them and we think they add some nice color. To make the cupcakes you will need: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sour cream 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 1 large egg, room temperature 2 egg yolks, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the paddle add butter, sour cream, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until smooth; scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula. Divide batter evenly among cups in muffin tin. Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20-24 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and transfer to wire cooling rack. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

EricaW Photo 1 50mm f1.8

To make the vanilla buttercream frosting you will need: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 3 cups powdered sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together beginning on low and moving it up to medium, whisking for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and cream and whisk until you reach the desired consistency, adding more cream or sugar as needed.