Home - Jenna Helwig

Real Food for the Whole Family

SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER

Photos by: Lauren Volo

Sign up for my newsletter

Follow Jenna Helwig on Instagram

Follow on Instagram

Nectarine galette—all my summer dessert dreams i

Nectarine galette—all my summer dessert dreams in one easy package! I found a disc of homemade pie dough in the freezer, so that was a good start. But I swear this would also be delicious with store-bought dough. So, if you’re never going to make your own crust, don’t be shy! Buy some dough and some perfectly ripe nectarines or peaches and get baking because galettes are summer perfection.

I didn’t follow a recipe, but here was the method:

Slice up 5 medium nectarines (I would never bother peeling them). Toss in a bowl with a couple spoonfuls of sugar, a dash of vanilla, a pinch of salt, and a couple spoonfuls of cornstarch. Let sit while you roll out the crust on parchment. Transfer to dough on the parchment to a baking sheet.

Using a slotted spoon (this is key!), mound the fruit in the center of the crust leaving about an inch and a half or two inches around the edges. Leave the juices behind in the bowl. Fold the dough edges over the fruit.

Brush the crust with beaten egg and sprinkle the whole thing with turbinado sugar. Bake at 400 until well-browned, about 45 minutes. 🍑🧡

Galette filling ideas welcome!! I will be making more of these this summer.

#baking #pie #galette #summerbaking

I over-bought at the Greenmarket this morning like

I over-bought at the Greenmarket this morning like it was my JOB…which, couldn’t we make the case that it actually is? At least that’s what I tell my husband. 😜 I literally couldn’t sleep last night because I was so excited about what I would find today after two Saturdays away. And I was rewarded with raspberries, and fairy tale eggplant, and apricots, and zucchini blossoms! I also bought two loaves of bread for some reason 🤷🏻‍♀️. Anyway, if you’re looking for me over the next few days I’ll be here eating. #farmersmarket #greenmarket @grownyc_brooklyn #grandarmyplaza #grandarmyplazagreenmarket

For the July issue of @real_simple, @ananda_eidels

I decorated a beautiful cake today thanks to Rebec

I decorated a beautiful cake today thanks to Rebecca’s expert guidance at a cake styling workshop @the_upstate_table! I see many more cakes in my future, preferably all topped with a peony. #cakedecorating #cakesofinstagram #upstateny #upstate

Yes, I did make another strawberry rhubarb crisp l

Yes, I did make another strawberry rhubarb crisp last night (see my Stories!), but I swear I’m also using all the summer veg. This salad looks like more cheese than kale, but there’s a pile of greens under there. AND, I finally found caulilini! 👉 I’d been seeing it on restaurant menus, but hadn’t found it to cook until yesterday at @willowwisporganicfarm at the Greenmarket. I cooked it very simply 👉👉 and loved it. Happy summer vegetables! #summercooking #farmersmarket #vegetables

Tonight my parents (👉) and I had dinner at one

Tonight my parents (👉) and I had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, @thekitchen in Boulder. Almost nine years ago, I threw them a small surprise party at The Kitchen for their 40th anniversary, and we eat there pretty much every time I come home. The food is always so so good, and I just love the overall vibe—friendly, but polished. Tonight we started with burrata with salsa verde and crispy fried artichokes. My dad had black spaghetti with shrimp, and my mom and I shared an amazing (vegan!) cauliflower and carrot dish with chutney and parsley—packed with flavor. Dessert was sticky toffee pudding (👉👉), because I can’t resist if it’s on the menu. If we ever move back to Boulder I will present myself on the restaurant's doorstep and beg for any job that’s available. (Don’t worry @thekitchen, we’re not moving back anytime soon.)

I haven’t seen my parents since February 2020, and I’m so grateful that we're all vaccinated, and that I was able to safely take a quick trip to Colorado to visit. Dinner out tonight was the very sweet cherry on top. #familydinner

Still in the market for a pasta salad for MDW? Hig

Still in the market for a pasta salad for MDW? Highly recommend this Hazelnut Romesco Pasta Salad I developed for @real_simple last summer. Blitz a sauce using jarred roasted red peppers and hazelnuts, although almonds or walnuts would work too. Toss with pasta and chunks of spicy chorizo and top with mint leaves. It’s hard to stop eating (in a good way!). Recipe link in my bio; I hope your long weekend is delicious! #picnicfood #pastasalad #pasta

When I was 30 years old and had a one year-old bab

When I was 30 years old and had a one year-old baby, I decided to go to culinary school. I continued to work during the day at my job in the TV business and went to school at night with an eye towards transitioning into the food world. I didn’t know what I wanted to do beyond “think about food all the time.” (✔️) I knew I would likely be one of the oldest students in my class @iceculinary, and I wasn’t a natural-born chef. I really needed to LEARN. Of course, I was scared. But, one of the things that made me brave was Julia Child. I knew that she didn’t go to culinary school until her late 30s and that her first cookbook was published when she was almost 50. It sounds funny to say, “Well, if Julia Child could do it, so can I,” since of course she was a culinary icon. But something about her down-to-earth personality, her hunger to always keep learning, and her genuine delight in food and cooking felt relatable and like I could do it too. Thank you @cherrybombe for this issue celebrating Julia. I am inspired all over again! #juliachild

More mid-week dinner inspo! These Crispy Mushroom

More mid-week dinner inspo! These Crispy Mushroom Reuben Sandwiches are a STAPLE in my house. @ananda_eidelstein developed this recipe for the February issue of @real_simple and it is really so easy and so good. My favorite part is the flavor BOMB of a dressing you make by stirring together mayo, tomato paste, soy sauce, and horseradish. (My mouth is watering as I type this.) Anyway, make this before it gets too hot out! You won’t be sorry. Link in my bio. Photo by @gregdupree

Are sandwiches part of your dinner repertoire??? I was slow to come around, but I’m all in now.

#easyrecipes #easydinner #easydinnerideas #vegetarianrecipes

I will probably lose my food editor license for sa

I will probably lose my food editor license for saying this, but I think ramps are sort of overrated. Yes, they’re pretty and I love what they symbolize (spring! strawberries are coming!). But I can’t really get excited about cooking with them. I know @ananda_eidelstein disagrees, so I must be doing something wrong 😊. Friends, tell me your secrets to rampy deliciousness!