A Taster’s Journey

Heirloom Tomatoes

August and September are the best time for tomatoes. I must admit that during the rest of the year I typically use canned tomatoes. But this time of year, the tomatoes are fresh, and bursting with flavor. You are probably already adding these beauties to your salads, and serving them with fresh mozzarella and basil, but I though I would share three other ways I use tomatoes this time of year.

The Five Minute Pizza
Yield: 2 servings
2 Flour tortillas, 8″ in diameter
10 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
8 thin slices of fresh mozzarella
5 basil leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 400° . Lay tortillas on a cookie sheet and cover with a thin coat of olive oil. Place cheese and tomatoes (open side up) on tortilla and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 5 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and add basil - I prefer to freshly rip the basil into thin strips before adding to the pizza. Add more salt or perhaps red pepper flakes if desired. Cut each pizza in four and serve.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Yield: 2 servings
24 cherry tomatoes, whole
5 basil leaves, ripped into strips
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400° . Put tomatoes on a cookies sheet, and season with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until they are just starting to break apart. Add to a bowl and add basil and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with a high quality olive oil. Serve.

Corn and Tomato Salad
Yield: 2 servings
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
3 ears of fresh corn
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°. Boil a large pot of water. Roast tomatoes for about 5 minutes till warm. Note that we are not fully cooking tomatoes to maintain their freshness. While the tomatoes are roasting, boil the corn for 3 - 5 minutes. Since the corn is so fresh it takes very little cooking time. When corn is done, remove the kernels from the ears and add to a bowl. Add the tomatoes to the same dish then season with salt and pepper and lightly toss. Drizzle with a high quality extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Summer is my favorite season because you can enjoy the entire day outdoors. And what better way to enjoy a beautiful evening than to start up the grill and eat under the stars. Although everyone has their own grilling favorites, I though I would share a couple dishes I enjoy hopefully stimulating new menu ideas. I have also included recipes for a couple common side dishes, but with some unique twists.

Spicy Hanger Steak
Hanger Steak (from a good butcher)
1 tbs. adobe seasoning
1 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne chili powder
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
1 tsp. honey
1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil

Rub the steak with the top 4 powders and place in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and marinade for 4 - 24 hours. An hour before grilling, remove the meat from the marinade, scrape off the excess cilantro, season with salt, and let rest till it reaches room temperature. Grill over high heat for 3 minutes (for rare) per side. Actually the meat is a little undercooked when it is removed from the grill, but let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Stuffed Turkey Breast
Grilled chicken is a crowd favorite, so why not try something new and stuff a chicken or turkey breast. The presentation is beautiful and the stuffing adds some interesting new flavors. I prefer turkey because it is larger, making it easier to roll.

Stuffed Turkey Breast

1 small turkey breast (5 lbs.), deboned and butterflied
1 box frozen spinach
1/2 small onion, chopped
7 tbs. olive oil
60 pine nuts
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano
10 sage leaves
salt and pepper

Debone and butterfly a small turkey breast keeping the skin intact, or ask you butcher to do this for you. To make the stuffing, add 3 tbs. olive oil to a frying pan, once heated add the onions and cook over medium heat till translucent. Squeeze all the liquid out of the defrosted spinach, chop coarsely then add to the frying pan with another 2 tbs. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. While the spinach warms, toast the pine nuts in a separate pan till light brown, approximately 10 minutes. Add both crumbs to the spinach with an additional 2 tbs. of olive oil to keep the mixture moist. Season again with salt and pepper. Remove the frying pan from the heat. Chop 5 sage leaves and add to the spinach mixture with the grated parmigiano and the pine nuts. Add the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate till it has cooled. Lay the butterflied turkey breast on a cutting board skin side down, spread the stuffing mixture evenly over the turkey, then roll the turkey and tie with butchers twine. Season the rolled turkey breast with olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper. To grill the turkey, initially place it directly over the heat on your grill, and roll the breast so that you brown the outside, being careful not to burn the skin. Once brown, move the turkey off the direct heat, cover the grill, and roast for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 160° F. Remove from the grill, cover lightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

SIDE DISHES…

Potato Salad
3 lbs. round yukon gold potatoes (size of golf ball)
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 cup fresh chives, chopped
1 tbs. dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Place potatoes (unpeeled) in a large pot of cold water, then boil for about 15 minutes till cooked. Drain in colander, and let cool for about 10 minutes. Cut potatoes in half and place into a bowl. Toss in scallions, chives, and parsley. Mix vinaigrette using oil, vinegar, mustard, and ample amounts of salt and pepper. Pour dressing over potatoes and gently mix. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm, or chill and serve cold.

Cole Slaw
1/2 head green cabbage, cut into thin strips
1/2 head red cabbage, cut into thin strips
2 carrots, peeled into strips
7 tbs. apple cider vinegar
5 tbs. grape seed oil
1 tbs. dijon mustard
1 pinch dried dill
salt and pepper to taste

Shred red and green cabbage into thin strips and add to a bowl. Using a potato peeler, add long strips of carrot to the bowl. Make the dressing using the vinegar, oil, mustard, and dill, then taste to assure the acidity level is to your liking. Add liberal amounts of salt and pepper to the vinaigrette and then add to the cabbage. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld together.

Fresh asparagus is so delicious this time of year, and it is really easy to prepare. I prefer medium size asparagus. I feel the really thin ones are very easy to overcook, and the very thick spears can taste woody. If you hold your asparagus near the bottom of the stem and snap it like you are breaking a pencil, you will end up with the best part of the stem. Now cut the spear into 1 1/2 - 2 inch segments. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the asparagus with with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes and serve.