tomato pomegranate salad

i put this salad together

for a fall brunch

using what i had on hand

starting with the beautiful yellow tomato

adding ingredients for contrast

in

flavor, color and texture

creates a delicious and beautiful salad

tomato pomegranate salad

heirloom (or other flavorful tomato)

fresh chevre or fresh ricotta

pomegranate seeds

toasted and coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

chopped chives

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

arrange the tomato wedges--cut into one bite pieces, on platter.  drop chevre or ricotta evenly over the tomatoes.  sprinkle pomegranate seeds, chives and pistachio nuts.  the idea is that each bite will have a bit of each element, but not an overwhelming amount of each.  so be mindful of the proportion.  add a bit of sea salt and black pepper to taste and lightly drizzle a "finishing" olive oil on top

serve room temperature. if you prepare in advance, allow to come to room temperature before serving

tomatoes!

in the dog days of summer

gardens overflow with tomatoes

i find myself

with 

stores of the fruit

and

preservation on my mind

here are a few 

ways to preserve  the bounty

to enjoy

when days are not so long

Sun Dried Tomatoes

(recipe here)

Tomato Chutney

(recipe here)

Tomato Vodka

this is really simple.  peel tomatoes and cram into a jar, use a skewer to secure tomatoes if they start to float to the top.  fill the jar with vodka and store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days.  i make several jars because i like to use the tomatoes and the vodka for pasta alla vodka sauce. leftover vodka is really great for a bloody mary pick me up.

gophers kidnapped julia child

ugh

double ugh

triple ugh

a couple of weeks ago, we planted 61 gorgeous tomato plants...all in a row, perfectly spaced, bordered by marigolds. it took hours.

2 days later we noticed that rabbits had nibbled on the leaves of a few, and 2 plants had disappeared completely

i drove to town, picked up supplies and fashioned a secondary fence to protect the plants

6 more plants disappeared....and fresh gopher mounds appeared in their place

we planted gopher bombs, traps and ran water in the tunnels...and went to bed

the next day, all looked good

3 days later...

julia child was gone

a special tomato that i can only imagine would have been colorful and plump

a real vivor

 we will never know

a gopher kidnapped julia child and michael pollan and 40 other tomato plants

this is what the tomato patch looked like when it was all said and done

decimated

no ransom notes, just holes, mounds of dirt & tipped name plates--where julia, michael, cherokee and others once stood

rather than feed another generation of gophers, we pulled the plants, and are starting again.  we transferred the plants to larger pots as a transitional step.  it was slightly heartbreaking, as they were  rooting really well, and had begun to sprout roots from the deeply planted stalks.  i gave them a good feeding and mixed up a delicious soil (1 part dirt: 1 part organic potting soil: 1 part compost) and crossed my fingers

today

the plants we saved are doing very well...and should produce a nice healthy crop of tomatoes

soon

we will plant again. in gopher safe-raised beds

(this post is from my other blog which catalogs our journey on our new ranch--www.keepingupwiththeclampetts.blogspot.com)

tomato chutney

basically

i am obsessed with this stuff

its a recipe

i swiped

from my visit to

ca' di gosta

in the hills of umbria

it was served one afternoon

and

 after catching me

licking the jar clean

jenny shared the recipe with me

great on a turkey sandwich

or a perfect condiment to

kalua pork

make it

make.

it.

now.

tomato chutney

(printable recipe)

makes approx 6 pints

3 lbs cherry tomatoes-cut in half

1 head garlic-peeled and finely chopped

1 heaping tsp crushed red pepper

about 2" root ginger--peeled and finely chopped

10 oz cider vinegar

1 1/2-2 lbs dark brown sugar

generous pinch of kosher salt

place all ingredients in a large pot, stir and allow to sit for 30-60 minutes.  place over medium heat, stirring occasionally and allow it to get to a dark, jammy like consistency.  this should take the better part of an hour. when you think the chutney may be ready, taste for flavor. you can adjust the sweet/sour/spicy at this point by adding more sugar, vinegar or red pepper.  test for doneness by placing a small bit of the chutney on a cold plate. if the chutney allows you to run a finger through it leaving a clean break, it is ready. you do not want it to get hard like a candy. place in glass jars and store in the refrigerator or if you are familiar with proper canning procedures, process for 15 minutes (at sea level) in sterilized jars.

"sun dried" tomatoes

our first tomatoes to ripen

this season

were our romas

unfortunately

they ripened 

while we were away from home

by the time i picked them

they had

shriveled on the vine

handfuls upon handfuls

baking in the sun

going from

sun-kissed

to

heat stroke

solar energy

had zapped my tomatoes

once picked

i sliced each tomato in half

placed cut side up on a sheet pan

sprinkled with sea salt

and

placed in a 175-200 degree oven to dry

about 2 hours later

or maybe 3

i lost count

(check on them every 30 minutes after the 1st hour)

they were done

dry but not dried out

after cooling 

i stuffed the deep red chewy goodness

 into a fancy jar

and 

smothered them 

with good olive oil

spaghetti alla vodka

my grandmother was famous for her alla vodka 

but not exactly like this 

for one thing--she was a traditionalist

and used penne

she also didn't make her own tomato infused vodka

because

she was a widow

raising 5 kids

with limited amount of time on her hands 

not all sorts
like i do

our garden produced so many late harvest tomatoes
that

i found myself using them in a variety of ways

sundried, oven roasted, confit

and soaked in vodka

this is really simple.  peel tomatoes and cram into a jar, use a skewer to secure tomatoes if they start to float to the top.  fill the jar with vodka and store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days.  i make several jars because i like to use the tomatoes and the vodka for my sauce. leftover vodka is really great for a bloody mary pick me up.

spaghetti alla vodka
(printable recipe)

1 lb spaghetti or pasta of choice

olive oil

1/2 of small onion--finely diced

2 garlic cloves--finely diced

6-8 basil leaves--chiffonade

1 large tin peeled whole tomatoes or combination of vodka soaked tomatoes and tinned tomatoes to equal about 4 cups whole

1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup tomato soaked vodka (or other vodka you have on hand)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving

cook pasta in salted water,  according to package instructions.  cook onions and garlic in olive oil over low heat.  meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a food processor or blender and pulse until it is smooth.  do not allow the onions and garlic to brown, but let them begin to soften and become translucent. at this point, add the tomatoes and vodka and let simmer for about  10-15 minutes.  add the basil, red pepper flakes and heavy cream and allow to heat through.  stir in parmesan, then toss drained pasta in.  if the sauce seems too thick,  use a bit of the pasta water.  shave a bit of parmesan on top of each individual serving, along with additional crushed red pepper, if you like spicy.  

i am linking this recipe to 

tuesday night supper club

and

hearth and soul blog hop

and
presto pasta nights

buffalo springfield

today i picked what appears NOT to  be 

the last of our tomatoes

our plants are going strong

and southern california

seems to be hanging on

to warm days

like i hang on to the blonde
of my youth

hubster

has renamed

caprese salad

buffalo springfield

and i play along

because he loves it

and eats it

and lycopene 

is a good thing

selfishly,
it gives me the opportunity
to work on my
cheese making
obsession
which may never
become a craft
but alas,
i try

Buffalo Springfield
aka
Caprese Salad
(printable recipe)
the best tomatoes you can get your hands on
fresh mozzarella packed in water
fresh basil, chiffonade
extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic--smashed
kosher or sea salt
"marinate" the garlic clove in the olive oil.  you can lightly warm the oil to speed the process. the objective is to give the olive oil a little taste of garlic, not overwhelm it.  remove the clove before dressing the salad.  slice the tomatoes and layer on serving platter or plates.  sprinkle with salt.  generously top with basil and place the cheese on top. alternately, you can slice the cheese and layer it between the tomato slices and basil.  drizzle the infused oil over the top.  i sometimes give it a just a small hit with aged balsamic too.
for the record--the band, buffalo springfield, is every bit as good as this salad

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Grilled Steak with "Pizza Tomatoes"

when the tomatoes are bursting off the vine

i can't help but try and work them into every dinner

tonight is no different

i call these pizza tomatoes 

because, well

your kitchen will smell like a pizzeria

you might want to have some good bread handy for a taste test

Grilled Steak

keeping it simple is the story of the day. i let my steak come to room temperature for about an hour. before throwing the steak on the grill, i rub it with a smashed garlic clove and drizzle a bit of olive oil on it.  i season with a bit of salt and pepper and then grill it to a nice medium rare.  just as it comes off the grill, i squeeze a bit of lemon on it. 

Pizza Tomatoes

as many small tomatoes as you can get your hands on

a handful of garlic cloves-peeled and smashed

lots of fresh herbs

oregano, thyme and rosemary

olive oil

 kosher or sea salt

pepper

balsamic vinegar (optional)

throw the tomatoes, garlic and herbs onto a sheet pan.  drizzle with olive oil..be generous but don't let them swim in it. sprinkle on some salt and pepper and then pop into a 350F preheated oven.  let cook until they burst and are all soft and gooey.  remove from oven and then drizzle with just the tiniest bit of balsamic vinegar (if using).  

you can eat these hot or room temperature. they are great with beef, chicken or even a nice piece of fish.

EAT UP!

and don't forget. beginning next week we start the Tuesday Night Supper Club link-up. share your favorite go-to meal of the week. check out the how-to's here.

One Pot Sunday Lunch

I love the idea of a languorous Sunday Lunch. When I lived in England, many Brits took Sunday Lunch at the Pub...where they could have the lovely roast and 2 veg. I gathered it was the equivalent of our Sunday Brunch..except the Brits get to eat Prime Rib, roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and pud, and we don't.
Sunday Brunch is not my favorite.
We pay exorbinate prices for a buffet of precooked food in steamer trays. Then, while trying to get our money's worth, slog back to our tables with our plates overflowing with mediocre fare and find ourselves eating alone. I always find that no matter if all parties at the table "get in line" together, invariably, we arrive back at the table in sort of a tag team effect...someone always missing from the table; mostly due to the omelette bar, or make your own waffle table. Listen, I'm not opposed to overeating, obviously. But I am opposed to overeating because I am trying to find something delicious to eat; and by the time I do, I have already had 14 courses of powdered eggs, steamed pancakes, krab (yes with a K) salad, and various other discouragements, and am full. Too full. I mostly only go to Brunch because of the promise of Eggs Benedict.

I love Eggs Benedict. I find this interesting because I will only eat scrambled eggs if they are very, very dry. It makes me cringe to hear about creamy scrambled eggs...so gross.
Eggs Benedict is made with a poached egg, canadian bacon, english muffin and hollandaise sauce. It's a real United Nations meal. Here's the thing. To me, eggs benedict is the only reason to go to a buffet. It's hardly ever on a menu, and when it is, it is rarely great. I had one of the worst eggs benedict breakfasts ever at a restaurant in South Pasadena. The hollandaise was split and curdled (quite an accomplishment), and the eggs were overcooked...actually fully cooked. When I complained, the waitress brought be out another portion of the sauce to prove that it is how they make it...that was their "version" of Hollandaise. I held my tongue and went home hungry.
Hollandaise is a tricky sauce, I agree. Especially if you have to make a vat of it. Which is why it is best made a la minute (again with the french!). It means to make it as you need it. Not only is it a tricky sauce, it is a delicious sauce...and I mean Delicious with a capital D. I love it. It is especially good over asparagus, but you could pair it with seafood or other steamed vegetables. I like it with everything and am always looking for ways to use it.
I foraged through the fridge and came up with 2 beautiful artichokes that I had purchased at the market several days ago. I squelched a bit with joy...or maybe I said yipee, or maybe I didn't do anything...not sure. But I was happy inside, that I do know. I also still have some amazing heirloom tomatoes sitting on my counter, a cucumber and some freshly dried oregano. When I say freshly dried, what I mean is that I hadn't watered my oregano plant in days and now have "sundried" oregano. I grabbed the nub of baguette that had staled overnight and had all the fixings for a good summer lunch.
Steamed Artichokes with Hollandaise
First get the artichokes ready. Cut the stem so the artichoke can stand upright. Using a sharp knife, lop off the top of the artichoke. Depending on the size of the artichoke, you can cut down an inch or more. You want a clean flat top. Take kitchen shears and cut the points off the remaining leaves. Open the artichoke up. By gently pushing out the leaves, you will see that they will separate while remaining intact. You want to get to the center choke and scoop it out.
You can wait until after steaming, which will make it easier, but I like to clean the artichoke completely before steaming. Place artichoke(s) in a steamer tray in a pot of water and cook until done. You know they are cooked when the leaves will separate easily.
Remove from the pot of water and set aside and cover with foil.

Set aside about 1/4 cup of the hot artichoke water and then add enough additional water to the pot to fill about 3". You will use this pot as your double-boiler. Turn heat to high and get the water to a boil.
In a microwavable bowl (one that is big enough to then sit on the pot and not touch the water), melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter. Remove from microwave and quickly whisk in 3 large egg yolks, juice from 1/2 lemon and a pinch of salt. Place bowl over boiling water and immediately reduce the heat to lowest setting. Continue to vigorously whisk this mixture non-stop until it begins to thicken. Add 2 Tbs of the reserved artichoke water (if you forget or don't use this with artichokes, just use hot water) and whisk until it thickens to a creamy sauce. Add a dash of tabasco and taste for salt...and it's done. The whole process of making Hollandaise should take no more than 10 minutes...outside of the water boiling. It is quick and simple.

Serve along side the artichoke as a dip.
Panzanella Salad
Cut up the bread into large crouton size. Place in oven to crisp..or not...it's up to you. I do because I always like to have croutons on hand. If the bread is already stale, you can skip the step. While the bread is toasting, coarsely chop the tomatoes and cucumber. Place in a bowl with a pinch or two of salt, some oregano, dried or fresh or sundried as in my case. Add a bit, just a touch, of olive oil and just when ready to serve add the bread. The bread should be in the salad, as part of it, not as a topping. It should be in equal parts to the other ingredients.
Serve together for filling yet light lunch.

Sort of makes me yearn for a nice, rich, chocolately cake as a prize for my vegetarian meal. I'll keep you posted!

Julie and Julia and Julia and Me

Its been a long time since I have been inspired by a movie. I love the movies, my husband and I have date-day on tuesdays and we go to the picture show. So, I pretty much see em' all. Good, bad, really good, really bad...I go for the popcorn and stay for the movie.
In one of my past lives I worked in the "industry". I write that with quotes, because that is pretty much how I say it too. I wasn't lighting the world on fire...but I sure had fun. Got to travel a bit and meet some interesting people. I went for the celebrity sightings and stayed for the craft-service table.
So, when I tell you I was inspired by a movie, I am saying this as an avid movie watcher and jaded know-it-all.
Before I get into why I loved Julie and Julia so much...let me say this. Give Amy Adams a break. I thought she played the sorry-sack quite well, thank you. Of course, everyone wants to see Meryl Streep playing a really interesting, easily recognizable, likeable character. Juila Child's life was interesting and it was in France...it seems quite enviable. Who wants to compete with that? It would be like comparing the life story of David Sedaris with let's say the cashier at your bank who wrote a winning essay in 5th grade on the bicentennial. Botton line...some people are more interesting than others.
I thought both chapters in this movie were equally wonderful. Let's face it, the food in Julie's chapter was exceptionally appealing.
Here's what else I loved...I loved the Love in the movie. Paul for Julia, Julia for Paul, Eric for Julie, Julie for herself.
I saw the movie for the first time at a screening with my friendApril; a friend from my past-life pavillion and a fellow food enthusiast. Before the movie there was a lovely spread of beautiful but mediocre food, by catering giant Wolfgang Puck. My favorite part of the pre-vent was meeting Jeffrey from the NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR and not telling him he should have won. I pride myself in my brutally honest omissions.
So, i'm emotional just as a participant in life...either I am extremely empathetic or on the verge of a breakdown.
...I tell you about my emotions because Julie and Julia made me cry...more than once...okay maybe tear up is a more accurate assesment. But it did. And then it made me hungry. And then it made me envious, and then it made me hungry again...and then it made me wonder how Julie's small apartment could look so fabulous and tidy while my quite large apartment always looks like a yard sale...
...and then I was hungry again.
I have lots of nieces and nephews who love to be in the kitchen and I really wanted them to see Julie and Julia...I thought they would love it and it would inspire them as it had me.
One lazy afternoon, I took 3 of the girls to see the movie and they loved it. And I still loved it, and I teared up in the same places as I had before...and I came out of those double-doors seriously hungry. Because this is America and we are still free to do what we please, the girls and I went immediately to the grocery store and began planning our late, very French lunch. I had some amazing tomatoes from my road trip to Chino Farm at home, so we decided to make the famed bruschetta from the movie. That's a hard C..in there...just so you know.

The gallblatter bruschetta.. is fried in oil like a donut. After spending way too much time in the meat section...we settled on poulet alouette et chevre. Okay seriously, I don't speak French...but this might actually be how you would say what we made. We finished it off with mousse au chocolat. A current obsession of my niece Julia.
We had a great time in the kitchen that afternoon....cooking and laughing and learning new skills. Personally I have never fried the bread for bruschetta, I always grill or toast it in the broiler. Frying it makes for a lovely crunch, a great color and a real treat, but it's still really good if you toast or grill the bread...once toasted, rub a garlic clove across the top, drizzle with a bit of really good olive oil and top with chopped tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil. I like to drizzle a bit of aged or reduced balsamic on top.
The Poulet Alouette et Chevre is really simple. Take 4 boneless, skinless, tasteless chicken breasts and pound them until they are about 1/8" thick. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Take 1/3 brick cream cheese, 4oz chevre and a pot of garlic and herb alouette and cream together. Separate into 4 portions and place each down the center of each breast. Fold chicken over cheese mixture and secure with toothpick if necessary. Dip each chicken parcel in lightly beaten egg and then coat in bread crumbs. Brown seam side up in olive oil on stovetop, then turn and place pan in 350 oven to finish cooking.

I made my first chocolate mousse when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I don't know how I found myself alone in the kitchen, but I was and I decided that I wanted to make chocolate mousse which resulted in a horrible accident where I spilled boiling water down my front while trying to pour a large pot of it into the sink. I knew I would be in trouble for cooking without my mom so I cleaned up and kept mum. My parents only found out about it because my mom noticed burn welts down my stomach when I was in the bath that evening. I don't remember if I was punished (probably not), but I do remember that I didn't fully understand the severity of what I had done, and all I could talk about was how delicious the mousse was.
I guess it could have been worse, I could have been stealing or doing drugs.

For the Mousse au Chocolat, separate 3 eggs and whip the whites until frothy. Add a pinch of salt and then really whip until they are stiff but not dry. Set aside while you prepare the chocolate cream. Take 1 cup heavy whipping cream and heat until a simmer. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks with a tsp of vanilla. Temper the eggs with the hot cream and then place back on the stove. On very low heat stir constantly until the mixture thickens just enough to coat the back of the spoon and when you swipe your finger through you create a "track". Take off the heat and add 8 oz very good bittersweet chocolate pieces. Lightly whisk until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Cool to room temperature, then gently fold in the egg whites. Go slowly and carefully, you do not want to deflate the whites. Pour into individual servings and place in refrigerator to set.
Once you make this and realize how simple, fast and delicious it is, it may just become your obsession too!