The Great Tomato Caper

The amazing tomato: Courtesy of www.asithappens.me

A great ripe tomato can be like eating candy.  With tomato season in full, glorious swing, I say buy 'em up, slice 'em up, and even cook 'em up.  Funny thing about tomatoes, for me though, is that I rarely put them in leafy salads.  I know what you are thinking, lettuce and tomatoes are like oil and vinegar, bread and butter, peanut butter and jelly.  They just go together. Yet, I like tomatoes to shine on their own or used in savory dishes.  Here are a few ways I like serving this juicy red ‘fruit’.  But first a few more beauty shots...

Naturally, fresh tomatoes, basil, oil are a given.  Serve it with burrata and crusty bread and Wow!

But if you want to use them cooked, I have found two roasting methods that truly bring out their best. 
Version One: slow oven roasted with a drizzle of oil.  Version Two: oil roasted, which has these babies swimming in a bath of olive oil.   Either way, they are a sweeter version of the natural selves.

You can use almost any type of tomato that suits your fancy.  If using grape or cherry tomatoes, I definitely leave them whole.  For larger tomatoes like plum or roma tomatoes you can either cut them in half or just score out the core and leave them in their nature beauty.

Slow oven roasted

Line up your ‘maters in a roasted tin (using a size that is commensurate with the amount of tomatoes you have).  Drizzle olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, add tomatoes, salt, pepper and toss til they are coated.  You can also add whole, unpeeled cloves of garlic to the pan.  Place in a 325 degree oven and roasted for 45-50 minutes until they blister and get almost caramelized. 

Farm fresh grape tomatoes nestled up against some garlic all sliding in olive oil

Once they are done, use them for just about anything.  Here are my favorite uses.

Pizza topping

Toss with pasta.  You can even add ricotta cheese to this and put it over the top lusciousness.

Smash a few onto warm crusty bread

A couple of other uses, although I could go on forever...

• Mash up the roasted garlic adding some of the juices, then slather on roasted chicken and top with the tomatoes.
• Oven roast or pan sear a whole fish and add the tomatoes to finish
• Add the tomatoes to rice (future post Rice with Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Zucchini) 

Oil Roasted

I saw a recipe for oil roasted tomatoes in Saveur magazine years ago and have been making it ever since. For this version, leave the tomatoes whole.  Stand them up in the pan with the stem facing up.  Pour, and I mean pour a generous amount of olive oil enough to come up 1/3 of the tomato.  Add several sprigs of thyme and whole cloves of garlic with the skins. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and course ground pepper. Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are super tender and the oil is bubbling.  Let cool.

Remove the tomatoes and use as you see fit.  For the liquid gold you just created, pour that tomato/garlic/thyme infused oil into a bottle and use at will.  This oil is wonderful for pasta or rice.  Use it to sauté vegetables, or use it to create a garlic mash with those candy like cloves you fetch out of the oil.

I like to serve these tomatoes as a warm appetizer accompanied with fresh ricotta cheese that is sprinkled with coarse sea salt and coarse ground pepper and drizzled with olive oil.  I mash up the garlic cloves and place them in a small bowl and allow my guests to smear some on warm toasted bread, then some ricotta and topped with a jewel like tomato.

This rustic, comfort food has just the right amount of class for any dinner party.

Clearly, we have cracked this tomato caper and shown just a few ways to let this fruit shine, other than in your salad. And the best part of roasting tomatoes and keeping them in the oil, they are preserved for weeks on end. So cook up batches while the getting is good, and keep on hand all summer long. 

Green... Breakfast Tortillas

Verde Que Te Quiero Verde.  The translation of this line so famously written by Federico Garcia Lorca:  
Green How I Desire You, Green.  For whatever reason this phrase has stuck with me from my college days of being a Spanish Lit major.  Every time I see an abundance of green I recite those words with gusto.  So it seemed appropriate that when I created these very green breakfast tortillas during a Miami trip last year that they be announced with the same zeal.  

A little back story on Miami. Since my husband and I met in Miami, got engaged in Miami and then had part of our honeymoon in Miami, it was only fitting that after we got married we should buy a little apartment there so we could continue our to nurture our beginnings. 

The morning sunrise view from our balcony.  Who wouldn't be inspired to create, get up and take a long walk.

We try to go once or twice a year, but Juan Carlos usually has more opportunities to visit then I have in the past.  I think that trend might flip in the near future.  Hurray for me!

Morning  Glory

When we are down there we tend to eat a bit differently.  We definitely eat lighter, making BIG salads for lunch and big fruit salads throughout the day.  But since we always head to the beach in the mornings for long walks, we need a bit more energy provided by breakfast. So I found myself looking through the ingredients I bought and to see what might give us that extra ummph.  Fortunately, our supply didn't disappoint.

The main GREENS to build our breakfast tortillas.

On that day,  I grilled up corn tortillas,  cut up baby spinach, thinly sliced cucumbers, scallions and avocado squeezed and layered them with smoked trout and some lime for JC.  (He is allergic to dairy.)  

Corn tortillas grilled in a cast iron pan for maximum crispiness.

Start layering your ingredients

You can keep the spinach fresh or sauté it. 

Both versions, raw spinach on the left, sautéed on the right. 

For me, I use all the same but replaced the smoked trout with feta cheese.  I love smoked trout but was in the mood to have a warm, slightly melted element to contrast with all the crisp fresh greens.  It was delightful and we were ready with energy as we headed off to the beach for our 4 mile walk. 

The best part about these opened faced tortillas is that you can fill them with whatever you have in the fridge.  Hummus, red onion, cucumber.  Or scrambled egg, bacon, tomato.  Or Ham, cheese. Or leftover pulled pork.

Of course those might not qualify for the original chant, Verde Que Te Quiero Verde but they certainly qualify for a Something from Nothing creation.   Start your morning with something green and enjoy the sunshine whatever state you are in.

Plentiful Platters

"Summer breeze makes me feel fine...Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom. July is dressed up and playing her tune."  You have to sing that last part to yourself.  And be grateful that I've only written the lyrics and you can't actual hear me butchering that beautiful Seals & Croft song. I've been told my singing voice is for internal use only.  But the sweet days of summer have arrived and for JC and me it signals a time for entertaining and calling on friends and family to join for BBQ, drinks and chilling.  One way to easily serve and satisfy a big crowd is present everything on a big platter and let your guests pick and choose what they like.  The combinations are infinite. The preparation usually pretty simple. The best part, it looks amazing and feeds the masses happily. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the past. For the most part the veggies are either grilled or oven roasted.  I have posted several recipes with oven roasted veggies before, so no need to photo walk you through all that again. (But for a reminder, check out  Roasted Vegetables - Lunch 3 Ways)  Remember, there is no step by step recipe for this.  Buy, prepare and assemble what moves you. 

Grilled veggies, roasted potatoes and grilled tomatoes

This big platter of chick peas/celery/scallions, sautéd string beans, grape tomatoes and cucumbers served as the side dish to an abundance of pizzas.  It made the ideal accompaniment to those crispy, yeasty delights. 

Here it is on the table.  I think I also added roasted potatoes.

A simple Boston salad with fresh tomatoes and grilled asparagus.

The combinations are whatever you like, really.  I usually try to complement the main protein and use vegetables and herbs that will enhance and brighten the meaI. I also love combining roasted veggies into a salad, if you will.   Chopped up and tossed into something starchy and hearty like Israeli Couscous. When I was able to eat wheat this was one of my favorites.  It's not a full pasta but plump little pearls that won't overfill your guests but have just enough heartiness to round out a meal. 

Israeli Couscous with grilled zucchini, summer squash, roasted red pepper, hearts of palm and a basil dressing.

For this dish, cook the couscous as you would any other type of pasta.  Simply grill or roast your veggies of choice and chop them into bite size pieces.  Toss them together.  Then I usually make some dressing for additional flavor and moistness.  You can smash some garlic, salt, pepper and basil and add olive oil for a super fast full of flavor dressing. You can serve this on its own or take that simple Boston salad and turn it up a notch by adding the couscous atop the lettuce.

The Boston lettuce platter making room for the fluffy couscous mixture.

Another great feature of the big platter, you can easily make some of these the morning of or even the day before with the extra bonus of room temperature serving.

Greens and Whites platter is made up of arugula simply dressed with lemon juice, salt and olive oil, next to hearts of palm, sautéd string beans, 2 bean salad and roasted broccoli.

Various grilled vegetables atop Aborio rice.

So choose what you like and whatever is available at the farmer's market, or at the grocery store. Start grilling, roasting and assembling your platter.  Your guests will love the abundant choices and you will love the abundant time you have to share with them during your party.  Plentiful platters, plentiful in so many ways, just like a summer's breeze.  

Clams, Clams and more Clams

Ok, linguine with clam sauce may not be such new recipe but I would venture to say that everyone has their own little twist to making it.  Back in the day when I didn't have a lot of extra cash, or time to buy fresh clams, I used to buy canned clams.  I bought whole, chopped and minced and used all three types to make a clam sauce.   Yeah, yeah, I know what you are thinking, "she used CANNED clams".  The girl who touts 'buy what is fresh.'  Sometimes, a girl had to do what a girl had to do when fresh wasn't available, when $$$ were not available and when that was what was in the cupboard. (And if memory serves, shhhh, the canned version was quite tasty.) But I've grown up since then and realized that if you can't get fresh just wait till you can.  And such a day arose. With the beautiful summer breeze, the unlimited sunshine, and a glorious Sunday with no plans, I embarked on RE-creating the 3 clam recipe but with fresh clams.  

Like with any recipe, building up flavor is the key.  Here are the key items.

I love using small bowls for mise en place (which in French means "everything in its place", your set up)  Ron Miller artfully handcrafted these perfectly sized bowls that work just great.  They come in various sizes and depths for all the different items you need for prep.  Check out his site, Miller Pottery HVNY

The Stars!

Ingredients

Littlenecked Clams
Shortnecked Clams
BBQ Clams
2 shallots, minced
6-8 garlic cloves, sliced
1 1/4 c White wine
3 cups grape tomatoes, halved
Olive oil
red pepper flakes, optional
2/3 c parsley, chopped
1 T fresh Thyme

Instructions

Sauté shallots, garlic until softened and red pepper flakes.  Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes breakdown.

Since there are three sizes of clams, it is best to cook in stages, as the little ones don't need as much time and will get tough if you put them all in together.  

Big one first

Next size goes in next

These babies starting to open and release their essence of the sea!

Add the largest clams first and add 1/4 cup wine and cover.  After about 5-8 minutes or until the clams just begin to open.  Add the 2nd batch of clams with 1/2 cup of wine and cover.  After 5 minutes or so add the smallest clams adding the thyme and 1/2 the parsley and the last 1/2 cup of wine. Cover and let cook for another 5-8 minutes until all clams are opened. You shouldn't need to add salt to this dish since the clams emit the nature salt of the sea but taste the sauce to check if seasoning needs adjusting for salt and the red pepper flakes, depending on much heat you like.  Right before serving, top with the remaining chopped parsley.

Of course, this dish is perfect with linguine, but can also be served with polenta or crusty bread.   Do not forget to enjoy this with a crisp white or rose wine.  I would highly recommend a Spanish Albariño or French Rose.  JC and I love having this on a Sunday afternoon where the two of us just sit in front of a big bowl and have at it.  My dad is a huge seafood fan and we try to make this for him when we can.  When he is not around, we torture him by sending photos.  I guess that is kinda mean.  

It's summer time and this dish is a great starter for a BBQ.  Place a big bowl on the table and watch the party take on a new life.  Your guests will love just digging.  What better way to begin a meal than to share gifts from the sea.  Party of 10 or party of 2, clams, clams and more clams!

Lox on a What?

As some of you may know, I have a food sensitivity to wheat and try to be as wheat free as possible.  A few months back on a glorious Sunday morning, my hubby went out early to buy warm, soft, billowy bagels for our houseguests.  He also was thinking of me, as he opened the bag and pulled out scallion cream cheese and luscious lox.  I quickly went through the cupboards in search of my favorite Mary’s Gone Crackers  (gluten free!) only to find the cupboards bare.  What's a girl to do?  I peeked into the bagel bag breathing in their yeasty aromas.  I even starting eyeing the one who would be my wheat free wrecking ball. Oh, my temptation was deep but my WILL was stronger.

As I looked around the kitchen I spied an apple.  At first thought, it seemed like it might be too sweet, but upon realization that this would be my only delivery vehicle for my cream cheese-lox combo, I quickly washed and sliced away.

I knew it wouldn’t taste bad, but I had the bagel in the back of my head.

Much to my surprise the balance of flavors played off each other beautifully.  The crispness of the apple was so fresh against the creaminess of the cheese and the salty bite of the lox. An added bonus for me, since I like different textures in my food, was the apple provided a crunchiness that a bagel fails to give.  

Oh my friends, I dare say I might never be tempted by those soft billows again. The weekend is approaching and Sunday is as good a time as any for this combo.  Give it try. I would go as far to say these would make a great brunch plate or even a light appetizer for a fall party.  You might want to cut the apple with cookie cutters or into smaller bite sized pieces. If you choose to serve these in that way, squeeze some lemon juice over the apple slices to keep them from turning brown.  Heck, do that anyway, it will just enhance the overall flavor. 

Lox on a what? Yes, on an apple.