​The much celebrated and loved Forth of July holiday will be here before you know it and if you’re mentally preparing your menu and wondering what will go well with your traditional BBQ, why not consider a nice potato salad? We’ve been making this recipe in my household since I can remember.  We used to make this in Italy with the wonderful summer tomatoes and our own olive oil and it’s just so addictive! It’s a very easy recipe (salads usually are) and I suggest using farm tomatoes as they’re juicer and overall just that much tastier. Since it doesn’t have all that many ingredients, be sure to use the best you can find. As far as proportions, it’s a salad so it’s very hard to quantify, so the below are really just estimates, adjust depending on the number of servings you need. As far as the olive oil, this will require more than you might think.  Potatoes are like sponges and will soak it right up, which will make it really tasty! This makes the perfect accompaniment to BBQs or enjoyed by itself for a wonderful lunch on the porch. 

​Ingredients
5 - 6 medium size potatoes (I prefer red ones)
4 - 6 eggs
2 - 3 vine ripen tomatoes
2 - 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus a few more for decoration
¼ cup olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
 
Directions

1. In a large pan bring the potatoes and eggs to boil until cooked – time depends on size so test the potato with a pointed knife.
2. While the potatoes and eggs are boiling, dice your tomatoes and add them to a large salad bowl. Sprinkle some salt on them so that their juices are released, which adds great flavor to the salad.
3. Peel and dice your potatoes and add them to the tomatoes. (I prefer the salad warm, so I don’t cool the potatoes under cold water before peeling, just use a paper towel to help you with the temperature of the potatoes or allow them to cool slightly)
4. Dice your hard-boiled eggs and add them to the salad.
5. Dress salad with the oil, additional salt, pepper, and chopped basil.
6. Using two large serving spoons, mix salad well, you might end up needed more oil than what is listed above.

 

Let them eat cake!

There are days when only cake will do. If you have a sweet tooth, like I do, those days are often! I love anything lemon, so this cake's right up my alley. Plus the fact that it comes together in only a few minutes, makes it that much more appealing. I didn't call my blog "lazy Italian cooking" by coincidence.  

When it comes to ease, it doesn't get any easier than this for a cake. A boxed cake wouldn't be any easier! Yet this is all homemade! You can bake it the day before serving and glaze it the day of. It stores well for a few days, not that I have had it last that long. It goes well with a shot of limoncello, of course, or tea or a good cup of coffee. It's surprisingly light and moist.

I tell myself that because this has olive oil in it as the fat, as oppose to butter, that it's healthier for you. Whatever helps me justify a second piece is what I will tell myself! The ingredients are basic, I bet you already have them in your pantry! I use extra-light tasting olive oil in this recipe, because, well, EVOO is just too strong for my taste. I don't want my baked goods to taste like a salad! That said, you can use EVOO, but it will effect the overall taste a bit, so personally, I would not recommend it. Enjoy!   

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
 
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup extra light-tasting olive oil 
4 tablespoons Limoncello
zest of one lemon
 
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons limoncello
1 -2 teaspoons milk (if needed)
 
Directions:
1) Preheat over at 350
2) In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
3) In a larger bowl or stand mixer blend the sour cream, eggs, sugar, olive oil, limoncello and lemon zest until blended.
4) With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to sour cream mixture. Do not over mix.
5) Pour cake batter in a 10-inch cake pan that has been sprayed with baking spray.
6) Bake for 35-40 minutes. Start checking the cake at about 30 minutes, since everyone’s oven is different, if could be done sooner or take a few minutes longer. Test with a toothpick in the center, if it comes out clean, it’s fully cooked. If it looks at all moist, leave it in the oven a few more minutes.
7) Cool completely before removing from pan.
 
Glaze
1) Prepare the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar with limoncello. If it looks dry, add a teaspoon of milk. 
2) Using a teaspoon or kitchen squeeze bottle, drizzle glaze over cake. Allow glaze to dry before serving or wrapping for gift-giving.