Tomatoes Galore: Tomato Fennel Spread & More

What do you do when you buy 25 lbs of tomatoes? 

Make a spread... that is, after making a ton of other tomato goodies. But first, I bet you are wondering why I bought so many tomatoes.  Well, it's the end of the season and our farmer's market had an offer I just couldn't refuse.  So after making containers upon containers of Roasted Tomatoes...
 

AND Tomato Sauce, to freeze for the fall months...

AND Oven Dried Tomatoes...

These were easy.  Place on parchment paper & sprinkle oregano on tomatoes. Roast at 200 degrees for HOURS.  These took 7 hours, then I let them dry out more in the warm, but turned off oven overnight.  

Just like sun dried tomatoes, pack these in olive oil and use at will.

I looked at my cutting board and saw tons of tomato tops.  

I know, you are thinking, just toss those away, don't I have enough tomato product already?  But it seemed like so many to just throw out. (I must have been channeling my grandmothers who never wasted anything.)  I then realized I had a fennel stalk that needed to be used before it was abused by age and I got the idea for a tomato jam.  I figured it would be like making regular ole fruit jam, but thought I would quickly google tomato jam to see if I was on the right track.  It seems no matter how you slice it when making tomato jam, besides the usual need for sugar, you also need an acid. I took what I had and cooked up the following.  I'm calling mine a spread because it's more spread-like than jam, which I think is pretty darn good.

Ingredients

3 c Tomato tops (core cut out)
1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly (no stalks or fronds)
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 T honey
3 T sugar
2/3 c white wine vinegar
salt, pepper, oil

Onions & fennel sweating up a storm, getting caramelized together.

Tomatoes cooked down with vinegar, sugar & honey.

Buzz it up, but leave it a bit chunky.

INSTRUCTIONS

Sweat the onions and fennel in a tablespoon of olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Once translucent, add the honey and sugar and let melt down.  Add vinegar and tomatoes and simmer over low heat for an hour to hour and half until all the vegetables breakdown.  Use an emulsion blender to puree it all up.  I took out some of the liquid, as I could see it would have been too much and made it soupy instead of a chunky spread.  Store in an airtight jar. Here are some used ways to use this "leftover tomato top" spread.

• Add it as a condiment to a cheese platter
• Top grilled fish
• Slather it on a baked potato
• Jazz up a plain salad
• Spread it on a sandwich and grill it up, like I did below.  Enjoy 'spreading' the love.

The "spread": Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, baguette and of course, tomato fennel spread

Slather it one side, olive oil on the other and start adding the rest of the goodies.

I grilled the sandwich in a cast iron pan to get the bread crispy and the cheese melted.  Served it with some Spicy Crunch Slaw and rice/beans.

My sister, Jilly & niece, Gabrielle: Happy Customers !!

Spicy Crunch Slaw

Slaw is perfect for a crowd and perfect for pairing with a variety of proteins, especially ones prepared on the grilled. One of the reasons it's ideal for a large amount of people;  Cabbage. Since it is the base for slaw, the sheer density of this cruciferous veg creates a huge volume.  Next best thing, if you not making it for a crowd, is it's ideal to chop it all up once over the weekend and have extra batches all week long as side dish for lunches or dinners.  The reason I stated 3+ ways is that for years now, I have been making various versions of this spicy crunch slaw depending on what is fresh and crisp at the store and which dressing I stir up that day. The important factor to this slaw is finding items with great crunch factor, and then pairing it with the dressing you like or best goes with your meal.

Since JC and I avoid mayo due to our egg allergy, my dressing eliminates the creamy mayo and replaces it with a tangy, spicy one.  Which I believe provides the perfect, sharp complement to a ton of main courses, ie: pulled pork sandwiches, plain ole pork, burgers, seared tuna, grilled chicken, roasted or sautéd fish. Shall I go on...

Let the chopping begin!

This version's line up of crunchy crunch veggies. Each trying to out crunch the next.

INGREDIENTS

(This makes a huge amount that will easily feed at least 12+.  What I do if I have less people is I only dress the amount I need and keep the rest of the chopped veggies in an airtight plastic container or bag.  It stays fresh for a while and then you can dress close to the time of serving. I suggest at least 1/2 hr prior to allow it to really soak in. One important note if you are saving it for during the week; leave the cucumber out and cut that right before serving. It's the only vegetable that will get watery and soaky if you let it sit. )
 

8 c Napa cabbage, shredded
6 c Purple cabbage
1/2 jicama, cut into strips
1 English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, sliced on diagonal
1 c celery, thinly sliced
1 c fennel, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced, also on the diagonal
1 c red onion, thinly sliced
Mint or cilantro, whichever you prefer
(Also, please remember that it's just slaw, so amounts are arbitrary.  If you want more celery, add it.  If you only have 3 scallions, so be it.  Seriously, don't stress over the amounts.  I have never measured anything, but have here to give some guidelines.)

Slices of celery, thin enough to mingle but thick enough to provide crunch.

Jicama. Love this root vegetable. Its flavor is the cross between an apple and a pear. You have to peel the rough brown outer layer, then cut into slices

Jicama cut into strips

Raw red onion provides a bit of a spicy bite.

DRESSING

1 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c rice wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 line
1/2 large jalapeño, finely chopped
1 t Thai chili paste
Olive oil
salt, pepper

Whisk together.  Add more chili paste or jalapeño if you want more heat. (If you still want to have the creamy factor see dressing options below.)

Dressing Options
                  
Thai Style Dressing
1/4 c Canola or Peanut Oil (if you only have olive oil, use that)      
2/3 c chunky peanut butter  
1/3 c Tahini
1 T Thai chili paste
Cilantro, chopped
juice of a lime
1/3 c rice wine vinegar
salt, pepper

Creamy Version: 
Use the base dressing recipe above using less oil then add mayo or a smashed avocado to it.

Ingredient Options

Fresh raw corn, cut off the cob  
Red, Yellow, Orange peppers
Snow peas                       
Snap peas
Radishes   
Arugula
Peanuts  
Cashews  

Slaw with mayo dressing version

Instructions

Chop, slice, cut the vegetables in thin slices.  I usually use a mandolin because it's fast and easy giving you consistent cuts. But a knife does the trick too.  Another important note when slicing and chopping is to make the pieces similar.  Harder crunchier veg should be thinner than ones that are not, ie: cucumber can be a thicker cut.

Toss all the cut ingredients with the dressing of our choice and set in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour before serving. It's better when the dressing breaks down the rawness of the veggies ever so slightly and allows the salad to absorb that spice.

As I mentioned above, the crunch factor is what you are looking for here.  With the dozens of times I have prepared this salad,  I have altered it according to what is fresh or in season switching out the dressings too. Below are several ingredients that I have used in the past that crunch nicely with, or can replace some of the ingredients above plus two other dressing options. I do recommend that you keep the cabbage as one of the mainstays in this salad.  As you can see, the possibilities for creating a crunchy slaw are entirely up to you.  It can be different every time and still be full of spicy flavor. Hey, if you don't like spice, just leave it out.

Here's a version I recently made using cabbage, celery, fennel, cucumber, red onion, scallion with the Thai style dressing topping it with chopped peanuts and extra cilantro

This salad gets better the next day, and because it's so crunchy it last several days.  However, be forewarned, you might not have leftovers!  So whichever ingredient mix you choose, Crunch away!

Corn & Fruit Salad

I had to do it.  I had to use corn again, and oh when fruit is ripe, it's ripe for the picking.  Such is the time for grabbing peaches, nectarines and yes, corn.   At first this might sound like an odd mix, but when you think about some of those sweet salsa mixes, this doesn't sound so odd at all.   In fact, it's just like a salsa but each of the pieces cut larger to make this a hearty salad instead of topping for something else.

I love how all the textures and different flavor notes play off of each other with this combo.  First you have the crunchy, sweet yet savory of the corn, the creaminess of the avocado, the soft, uber sweetness of the peach and nectarine playing nice with that sharp bite of the scallion.  Oh, how I love when fruits and vegetables play nicely with one another.  If only we all could dance together but shine separately like this salad, the world would be an even better place.

Ok, here are the nuts and bolts of this cut' em up, toss 'em up salad.

Ingredients

3 corn on the cob, kernels raw, cut off cob
1 avocado, cut in cubes
2 small peaches,  cut in cubes
2 nectarines,  cut in cubes
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Arugula (optional)

Dressing: juice 1/2 orange, orange zest, juice 1/2 lime, salt, pepper whisk in olive oil

Instructions

I don't mean to be sassy... Alright, I mean to be sassy, but seriously just follow what is written above (or the visuals below).  Cut 'em up. Toss 'em up (gently).  Eat 'em up.

Serve it up.

You can also add arugula on a big platter as a bed for your 'salsa turned salad' to rest. Actually, this is a great idea because the arugula adds that pepper note that truly rounds out all the flavors on your taste buds.  This one is a refreshing winner.  We ate this at home one night with grilled fish.  We also brought it a BBQ where they served grilled chicken and pork skewers.  It added that perfect sweet/savory flavor to the meal.

White Eggplant App - Greek Style

Last Saturday's farmer's market adventure led me to buy items I don't usually purchase.   I love eggplant but haven't ventured too far out with all the different varieties.  So when my hubby, JC, put these long, white beauties in our basket I knew I needed to come up with a fresh plan. They look like the albino version of a Japanese eggplant. Having never cooked these before I figured grilling them might be the way to go.  From there, it might have been the bright whiteness of these that reminded me of those stucco houses in Greece that sparked the inspiration to create a Greek style appetizer.  With that in mind, feta and herbs seemed like the next logical step.

The gathering of my thought process in visual form

Kids, I'm going to keep this one super simple.  

Ingredients

5-7 White eggplant
8-10 cherry tomatoes

Feta 'Cream'
1/3 c feta cheese (I used French)
1/8 t red pepper flakes
¼ t oregano
1 T olive oil
2 t fresh lemon juice
1 t crushed garlic
pinch of salt & black pepper
2 t parsley, chopped for garnish

Instructions

Slice the eggplants lengthwise in half.  Rub with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Do the same with the tomatoes.

Grill them on both sides until tender.  Add the cherry tomatoes to the grill, to give them a nice warm through and slightly grilled.  Assemble both on a plate.

In a mini blender, add feta cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, oil, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and blend up until you get a chunky cream.  That's right, garlic, black pepper AND red pepper flakes. Oh, did I forget to mention that these would have a spicy kick?  Why not, hot.

Smear the feta 'cream' over the top of the grilled eggplant while they are still warm.  Garnish it with some chopped parsley.  You could even try mint, as I think that herb would also be great with these flavors.  If you are a cheese junky, go ahead and crumble some more feta on top. This app is bright with a kick.  I have to say, I was tickled pink with this creation (or should I say, tickled WHITE).  At first, I had no idea what I would do with these and now I can say this is on my favorite's list to serve to our guests for any occasion. Truly simple entertaining, elegant and chock full of flavor.

Tarts of Summer

Now you can take that title any way you like, but like any good tart, these are cute, sassy  and seriously 'easy'. as any good tartlet should be.  Flavorful, flaky and light, they can work equally as well as a chic addition on a buffet table, a perfect starter for a dinner party or cut a huge slice for lunch with a side salad.  Better yet, as a last minute dish to bring to a BBQ.

Of course, we have all seen these types of tarts before.  As a matter of fact, I was motivated to create these after stumbling upon a new hot spot in Grand Central Market, Great Northern Food. I wandered around and was lusting after all the stunning open sandwiches, pizzas and breads. TORTURE!! for me since I can't eat any of those yeasty, wheaty items, but in awe of all the simple yet elegant presentation.  

Inspiration struck on Saturday at my farmer's market as I filled my basket with summer vegetables: zucchini, summer squash and, of course, tomatoes. I thought I'd make my own version of what I saw at Great Northern.   Since I can't eat the puff pastry and wasn't expecting a crowd at my house, I was grateful for the perfect timing that I was heading off to a BBQ. These tarts, along with my Corn Salad: Fresh & Roasted, would be my offerings to the hostess.  And yes, this is typical me; invent something that I have never made before and bring it to someone's house, or test it on my own guests.  Fearless!  Why the hell not?  With good ingredients how can you go wrong? 

I will admit that although I love baking, I do take some short cuts when in a rush or think up a recipe on the fly.  I had some store bought puff pastry in the freezer which takes no time to defrost.  It's folded in thirds, so when you open it up it literally has three equal pieces. That's when my mind kicked into making three different tarts instead of one.  Plus, everyone always seems to like having a piece of crust so this method gives you more edges.  Because I'm a people pleaser, folks!  

Store bought puff pastry

Ingredients

Puff Pastry
1-2 small zucchini
1 small yellow summer squash
Cheese of your choice, goat cheese, Tetilla, ricotta
Olive Oil, salt, pepper
Basil

Instructions

I rolled each one out to a slightly larger size.  Added water to the edges to fold over a little rim, then poked the bottoms with a fork.  I would have liked to have used goat cheese, as that is such a classic combo, but didn't have any.  I did however, have Tetilla which is a creamy cow's milk cheese from Spain that melts like nobody's business.  (P.S. This cheese is wonderful for grilled cheese sandwiches.)  By all means slather on the cheese of your choice.   

I sliced the tomatoes and roasted them at high heat because I wanted to dry them out as much as possible so as to not make a soggy tart.  I used a mandolin to thinly slice the zucchini and summer squash and left that raw. Then I arranged the vegetables in the simplest but prettiest manner, dividing the veggies three different ways. Mix, match, arrange however you like. Do whatever floats your boat but be sure to season them with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and basil.

I popped them in a 425 degree oven and let them bake until perfectly crisp on the edges. These look so professional you could sell them.  But instead I brought them to the BBQ where they got the 'oohs and ahhs' these tartlets felt they deserved.  So summer sassy, they are.