Heirloom Tomato Towers and Streusel-Topped Zucchini Bread

I had a lot of fun with our new CSA produce last night! First off, I made an Heirloom tomato starter salad for dinner. The Parmesan crisps were inspired by this blog. I layered them with the tomato slices, then drizzled with white truffle oil and sprinkled over chopped basil.

Heirloom Tomato Towers (serves 2)

about 1 cup grated Parmesan
various colors heirloom tomatoes
white truffle oil
2 fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 375. If you are grating the Parmesan yourself, use the smallest setting. Spread in an even layer over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown...about 8-12 minutes. Remove and let cool. (It's best if you can do this at least 30-45 minutes ahead of time so it can set up.)

Slice tomatoes into fairly thick slices. Chop basil. Break the Parmesan into pieces and layer in between tomatoes on the plates. Decorate as desired. Drizzle over truffle oil and sprinkle over basil. Voila!

Make sure you serve these right away so the cheese doesn't get soggy. The rest of the dinner was made on the grill. And even though Ryan claims not to like zucchini or yellow squash very much, he did a fine job grilling it along with the sweet potatoes!

I also made some deliciously healthy zucchini bread that is extremely simple! I've been experimenting with a new technique to achieve my eternal goal: making healthy food that tastes delicious. I've found that if I make basic desirable tastes, such as sweetness or saltiness, forefront in the dish by adding them on top or last in the cooking processes, this allows me to reduce the sugar or salt in the overall dish with no difference in taste.

Proof that it still tastes good:

The loaves when I got them out of the oven last night

What's left less than 24 hours later

Here's the recipe!

Streusel-Topped Zucchini Bread (adapted from A Full Measure of Happiness)
Makes 1 loaf...or 1 small and 1 medium loaf

1 cup AP flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp milled flax seed
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
generous 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg
1 1/4 cup shredded zucchini
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/4 cup skim milk

Streusel*
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Coat loaf pan with cooking spray.

Mix dry ingredients together. Shred zucchini and add to mixture along with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and pour into loaf pan. Use a fork to mix streusel ingredients then crumble over the batter. Bake for 45-60 minutes.

Told you it was simple.

*I just used some streusel I kept in my freezer. I like to make it in large batches and then freeze the rest so I have a super quick topping for muffins, quick breads, or cobblers.

Nutrition Information for 1/12 loaf:

Amount Per Serving
Calories		171.2
Total Fat		4.8 g
	Saturated Fat	1.4 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	2.0 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.0 g
Cholesterol		19.8 mg
Sodium		258.4 mg
Potassium		176.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate		31.7 g
	Dietary Fiber	2.4 g
	Sugars	12.7 g
Protein		4.9 g