Tomato Strata

This tomato strata is perfect for brunch or a light summer dinner with a couple slices of thick cut bacon and melon or to take to an outdoor event or picnic. Easy to double this for company. 

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing

1/4 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 pinches red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/4 cup lightly-packed fresh basil leaves, torn

5 large eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10” x 10” baking dish and set aside. 

Put the olive oil and garlic in a large, high-sided saute pan over medium heat and cook the garlic until lightly golden brown. Add the bread cubes, a pinch of the crushed red pepper and some salt and pepper, and cook until the bread cubes are lightly golden brown on all sides.

Transfer the bread cubes and garlic to the prepared baking dish. 

In the same pan, add the tomatoes, sugar and another pinch crushed red pepper to then pan. Cook, stirring often, until soft and saucy, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  

Ladle over the toasted garlic bread and add the basil.

Beat the eggs with some salt and pepper. Pour the beaten eggs on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle the cheese on top.   

 Bake for about 25 minutes.

Let the strata rest about 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Pipi e Patate - Peppers and Potatoes

Throughout the summer, towns and villages in southern Italy burst into life, hosting an array of festivals and events. About this time every August, Vazzano, my family's ancestral town in Calabria, Italyholds the annual Sagra di Pipi e Patate - The Pepper and Potato Festival. Today is the day!
     
Below is a poster for the 2014 festival. Colpo di Fulmine literally means bolt of lightning but also means "love at first sight", finding your soul mate. Peppers and potatoes are a perfect match!

We make this pepper and potato dish in honor of the festival.  

Ingredients:

4  medium white or Yukon gold potatoes - sliced
2 red bell peppers - sliced in strips
1 cubanelle pepper - or a yellow or orange bell - sliced in strips 
1 hot Calabrese pepper (of course) or half a teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 sweet onion cut into half moons
5  cloves of garlic sliced thin
Olive oil as needed
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary - roughly chopped
Juice of half a lemon
salt & pepper 
Pecorino cheese

Procedure:

Salt and pepper the potato slices and drizzle with olive oil in a casserole and roast for 40 minutes at 375.
Meanwhile saute the peppers and onions with the rosemary, garlic and lemon juice in a pan with olive oil until soft and caramelized. 
Mix the peppers with the potatoes in the casserole dish and let the flavors blend. Put back in the oven until browned to your liking.Top with grated pecorino. Good served at room temperature.

Tomato Cobbler with Cornmeal-Cheddar Biscuits

Saw this on line at - www.thekitchn.com/ and knew instantly we had to make it. Below is their recipe. Made just minor changes, adjusting for a smaller amount, using colby jack cheese, black krim cherry tomatoes from our garden and adding some rosemary. This is as good as it looks!

Tomato Cobbler with Cornmeal-Cheddar Biscuits

Serves 6 to 8

4 pints cherry tomatoes (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine (or 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the biscuits:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup + 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk, plus extra to brush.

Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack placed in the middle of the oven

Pick the stems off of the cherry tomatoes and rinse them under running water. Larger tomatoes can be sliced in half, but I generally just leave the tomatoes whole.

Warm the olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron or high-sided stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. When warm, add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Saute until the onions are very soft and tender, at least 10 minutes, or if you have the patience, lower the heat and continue cooking for another 20 or 30 minutes to caramelize the onions. 

Stir the garlic into the onions and cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Pour in the wine (or balsamic) and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated. Stir in the flour and cook until the flour is paste-like. Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt, carefully stirring and folding until the onions are evenly mixed with the tomatoes.

To prepare the biscuits, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Cut the cold butter into chunks and scatter it over the flour. Pulse a few times until the butter has been cut into pea-sized pieces.

Transfer the flour-and-butter mixture to a bowl and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar (reserve the other 1/2 cup for sprinkling over the top). Form a well in the middle and pour in 3/4 cup of buttermilk for firmer biscuits, or 1 cup of buttermilk for looser biscuits. Use a spatula to gently stir the buttermilk into the flour; continue stirring until all the buttermilk has been incorporated and no more dry flour remains. (Alternatively, you can make the biscuits entirely in a bowl and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in the butter.)

Drop the dough over the tomatoes, making 7 to 8 biscuits. Brush the biscuits with a little buttermilk. Place the skillet on a baking sheet to catch drips, and then transfer to the oven.

Cook for 25 minutes, until the tomatoes are very bubbly and the tops of the biscuits are nicely browned. About 10 minutes before the end of baking, sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar.

Remove from the oven and let the cobbler rest for at least 15 minutes before eating. Leftovers will keep for about a week.

Recipe Notes

This recipe can also be cooked in a 13x9 inch baking dish or other 3 quart baking dish. Prepare the tomato mixture in a skillet on the stove top, then transfer to the baking dish, top with the biscuits, and bake until bubbly.

Red Crock Eggplant and Sausage

Red Crock Eggplant and Sausage

We have these red ceramic Italian crocks that Lisa got from her grandfather.They are 6" in diameter and good for making individual casseroles, stews, pot pies and cobblers. If you have something similar - 6 " diameter ramekins are perfect. If you don't have those, use whatever oven proof pots you think will work and follow along. The amounts are enough for two. 
These are great for having friends over, and much of it can be done ahead of time and assembled just before putting in the oven. Just up the amounts accordingly for the number of friends. Enjoy!

Ingredients
  
2 Hot or mild Italian sausage links - casings removed
1 medium eggplant
1/3 package of penne pasta
2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half - we used black krim cherry tomatoes from our garden.
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil - torn
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon hot chili pepper of your choice minced - optional
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

For the filling - 
  
In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic and basil. 

Peel the eggplant and cut into small chunks about 3/4" - 1" square. 
Put them in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt. Leave to drain for an hour. Rinse off and pat dry. 
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan. Add the eggplant and fennel seeds and cook until it has browned and is tender, about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl with the tomatoes.

Take the casings off the two Italian sausage links and brown in the frying pan you used to cook the eggplant. Remove to the bowl with the eggplant and tomatoes.

Meanwhile, cook the penne til almost al dente. You need it to be firm, it will finish cooking in the oven.

Stir the penne into the bowl with the tomatoes, eggplant and sausage along with a big spoon of ricotta, a little mozzarella cut or torn into small pieces and the hot pepper if using.

Load equal amounts into the crocks/ramekins.

For the cheese topping -
                                              
Mix together the ricotta, pecorino and mozzarella with 1/4 teaspoon oregano and 1 teaspoon olive oil.
Spread the topping over top of the filling and drizzle with a little olive oil. 

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. If the top has not browned up, bake for another 5 - 8 minutes or until nice and brown.

Serve with a salad, bread and melon.

Grilled Pizza

Here are some recipes and ideas for grilled pizza from Artisan Bread in Five. Check it out, 

  

http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2013/08/12/grilled-pizza-on-a-charcoal-grill

This blackberry, goat cheese, pistachio and honey pizza would make a cool dessert - 

It's Fig Season!

If you like figs and you have the space I hope you have a fig tree or two... or three. Because figs are so perishable you are never going to be able to eat a fig that tastes as sweet and delicious as the ones you can grow yourself. The fresh ones that you can get this time of year at a grocery store, as good as they are, were picked under-ripe days ago. But if you grow your own, well damn, you can just walk out and pick one off the tree just like that.

Some cool things to make using figs - 
Fig preserves
Agrodolce figs
Roast figs wrapped in bacon or prosciutto
Figs stuffed with goat cheese
Fried figs
Figs stuffed with pistachios and candied orange peel
Chicken breast (or pork chop) stuffed with figs and goat cheese
Pork chops with a balsamic fig sauce
Fettuccine with figs
Fresh fig galette
Grilled fresh figs on rosemary skewers
Cucidati - Italian fig cookies. 
I will be adding recipes for these and more over time, check back often.
   
Fig Preserves - EASY!
Think about how good this will be on a bacon or  sausage biscuit!

About 4 cups of fresh figs

Cut figs into quarters

Make a simple syrup - 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer

 Add the figs

Add the zest and juice of one lemon.  

Simmer the figs in the simple syrup with the lemon zest and lemon juice until nice a thick - for about 45 minutes.

Spoon into sterilized glass canning jars, add lid and ring. Return to the pot of hot water. Simmer the filled jars for 10 minutes.

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Fig Preserves with Orange

Same as above but use the zest from one navel orange instead of the lemon zest but still include the lemon juice.

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                                      Agrodolce Figs - Sweet and sour figs 
  
3 cups of ripe figs
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar 
1 teaspoons fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
Water as needed

Simmer the figs in honey, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, a bay leaf and a little water for about 45 minutes. As the sauce thickens add a little water to keep it loose.

 Should look like this when done

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Fig and goat cheese stuffed chicken breast

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Fig Infused Balsamic Vinegar

Fig infused vinegar, why not? It's is easy – you can use a distilled vinegar, or a red or white wine vinegar, but for best results, an inexpensive balsamic works best. Just chop your figs (about a pound for every quart of vinegar), add the vinegar and figs to a large saucepan, and simmer it for about 20 minutes or more, until the figs have lost their form and become mush – strain and bottle. This will be thicker than the original vinegar, and is supposed to be – but if it’s too thick for you, add either more vinegar or, if it has a strong vinegar taste already, add water to thin it. Store in the refrigerator – it will keep indefinitely.

You can use this as you would regular balsamic vinegar - sauces, salad dressings, over ice cream, marinades, the figs give it a sweeter more complex flavor. 

Curry Shrimp and Scallops with Cilantro Rice

Curry-coated scallops and shrimp with chewy brown rice seasoned with cilantro, scallions and lemon. Lot of flavor going on. Yah, that's right!

For two people with maybe a little leftover rice. For more, increase using these ratios.

1/2 lb sea scallops
1/2 lb medium shrimp
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
3 scallions thinly sliced  
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup white wine
Salt & Pepper
Optional - chili pepper sliced in rings - amount is to your personal taste

Cook the brown rice and set aside.

Rinse and pat dry the scallops and shrimp and sprinkle both side with curry powder, salt and pepper,

Heat the butter in a large.non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the scallops and shrimp cook until golden brown, about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the brown rice, cilantro, scallions, lemon juice, and chilies, if using and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook stirring until heated through.

Top with the scallops and shrimp.  Serve up and enjoy!  

And enjoy the leftover rice!