GRATITUDE + BAKED EGGS ON A BED OF ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

What a week! Paul and the kids are heading back to school - and my boy Otis is starting high school today. Summer vacation has come abruptly to an end, and my book was released into the world last Tuesday! I've been excited and nervous, scared and giddy all at the same time. 

You, yes you, have helped welcome this book by greeting it with open kitchens and hungry bellies. I have gotten some of the sweetest notes from friends and even strangers, saying that you are already busy cooking my recipes, sharing them with your families. I'm moved beyond words. 

Some of you have shared the book on your own blogs and websites and I'm grateful for the amazing outpouring of support and generosity! 

***If you are also cooking from the book already, I'd love to hear about any recipe you've tried!***

Jamie Oliver
Food 52: Books We Love + Buckwheat Zucchini Muffins
Vanilla Bean Blog: Creme Fraiche Caramel Sauce  
5 Second Rule: Hanger Steak with Gremolata
London Bakes: Simple Almond Torte
Turntable Kitchen: Sunshine Soup + Fish Tacos with Pomegranate Salsa
Edible East Bay: Baked Eggs on a Bed of Roasted Cherry Tomatoes 
Bay Area Bites: Candied Tomatoes
Ashley Neese: Inspired Living 
Design Sponge Home Tour + Ruby Red Grapefruit Fizz
Food 52: 10 Best Cookbooks by Food Bloggers
Rodale News
My Darling Lemon Thyme: Simple Almond Torte
Sweet Sugar Bean: French Toast Sandwiches
Poires Au Chocolat: Golden Millet Crepes 
A Cup of Jo: Breakfast Salad 
365 Cookbooks: Ruby Red Grapefruit Fizz 
The First Mess: Bali Garden Stew 
Mom's Kitchen Handbook: Polenta Fries
Food Gal: Brown Butter Almond Tea Cakes 
The Little Green Wheelbarrow: Sunshine Soup 
SF Chronicle
Rue Daily 
The Oregonian
Lonny: Red Rice Risotto + Pluot Parfaits + cucumber gimlets 
Lonny: YS family dinner party
Cookie + Kate: Baked Eggs on a Bed of Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Brooklyn Supper: Wild Salmon with Dill Butter + Fennel
A Cozy Kitchen: Honeydew Granita
Chow.com
The Kitchn 
Maria Rodale's Farm Country Kitchen
The Style Saloniste
Eat Your Books 
SF Weekly 
Fox in the Kitchen 
London Bakes via Steller Stories: Simple Almond Torte
The Food Network's Healthy Eats Blog: Quinoa Tabbouleh
The Little Loaf 
Berkeleyside 
Huffington Post
Handmade Charlotte: French Toast Sandwiches 
Delightful Crumb: Pistachio Tangerine Sugar Cookies
Handful of Salt: Review and Conversation Organic Gardening
My Little Expat Kitchen: Baked Eggs on a Bed of Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
La Domestique: Cozy Winter Soup + Mushroom Lover's Galette
She Eats: Wild Salmon With Dill Butter
Delicious Shots: Ruby Red Grapfruit Fizz
Mom.me Cooks We Love 
The Little Things: Peach + Rosewater Lassi
Good on Paper: Best Granola Ever
7x7 
Naturally Ella: Parsnip Crisps + book review
Paper/Plates: At the Table With
Red Tricycle: Juicy Burgers with Gruyere, Avocado & Pickled Onions
Lisa is Cooking: Prawns on Lemongrass Skewers + Pip's Yellow Rice
Authentic Suburban Gourmet: Toasty Pecans 
Two Tarts: Peach + Rosewater Lassi 
Celiac Foundation of Northern California 
Cari Borja
Rosa's Yum Yums: Brutti Ma Buoni 
Something Lovely
{510} Families
Fitbie Fresh Picks: Tomatoes
SBS: Kitchen Pharmacy

 ...............................................

To mark this big occasion, I wanted to share an easy summery recipe from the book with you. With tomato season in full, juicy swing, I thought you might enjoy this one. xoxoxo

BAKED EGGS ON A BED OF ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

recipe and photo excerpted from Yummy Supper: 100 fresh, luscious & honest recipes from a {gluten-free} omnivore 

Juicy hot cherry tomatoes pop in your mouth. There’s just a hint of basil for sweetness. When both mingle with creamy baked eggs, it’s an amazing combination of texture and flavor that makes for very happy tastebuds. 

 

These baked eggs are a hearty meal—even one egg, with its tomato companions, is surprisingly filling. You can easily increase or decrease the recipe depending on how many people you want to serve: Think 1 egg to 3/4 cup tomatoes, and you’re good to go. 

Of course, you can serve these eggs for breakfast or brunch, but I’d eat them for dinner any day. 

I highly recommend serving the eggs with a side of big buttery Croutons or Polenta Fries (both recipes are in the book) to soak up all the juicy goodness. 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• Flaky sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• 4 eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Scatter the tomato halves into a medium ceramic baking dish or cast-iron skillet. Bake the tomatoes in the hot oven for 12 minutes, then take the dish out. (If a lot of liquid has cooked out of the tomatoes, carefully pour off a little liquid now.) Top the tomatoes with the Parmesan, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle on the 2 tablespoons basil and the salt and pepper. Then crack the eggs gently onto the bed of hot tomatoes. You want to keep the yolks intact, but don’t worry when the egg whites spill down around the sides of the tomatoes. 
 
Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. You’ll know you’re done when the egg whites have set but the yolks are still soft. Sprinkle the cooked eggs with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon basil. 

Serve right away in shallow bowls. 

serves 4 

 

QUINOA WITH SWEET TOMATOES, GREEN BEANS + BASIL

Even though it has been feeling a bit like winter here in Berkeley - we're talking plenty of fog, wooly socks, gray skies, high temps in the 60s - I know it's summer out there somewhere.

Every time I step into Monterey Market I see edible proof of mid-summer heat. A few weeks back I bought the most tender yellow beans. Peaches are bursting with sweet juices. Melons abound. And a few days ago I saw the piles. The piles of dry farmed Early Girl tomatoes. I smiled, did a little jig, and snatched up pounds of the beauties. For decades, I was committed to heirloom tomatoes, then I discovered dry farmed Early Girls. They don't look too snazzy when you compare them to the heirloom lookers, but man oh man the Early Girl flavor is incredible. Sweet, like candy.

Good tomatoes make this simple dish sing. A quick stint on the stovetop only heightens the sweetness of the tomatoes, then their juices mix with the garlic-infused oil, there's a slight crunch to the parboiled green beans, and the fluffy quinoa soaks up all the juicy tomato goodness and becomes almost creamy like risotto.

This dish is light, relaxed, and summery - it's delicious served with the Slow Roasted Salmon and Meyer Lemon Relish from my last post, or can stand on its own as a nice one-bowl vegetarian option. (Leave out the feta, and we can feed our Vegan friends too!)

The recipe is quite flexible....  You can eat it warm or at room temp. Leftovers are delish, and you can bring this dish to a potluck, or even pack some up for a plane flight as I did a couple of weeks ago. I can't tell you how happy I was at 35,000 feet, passing up airplane food to nibble on this quinoa. Yes, I was strapped into my uncomfortable plane seat, passing the time watching bad TV, but I had freshness in hand and it tasted darned good.

INGREDIENTS
(printable recipe)

• 1 cup quinoa
• sea salt
• a couple of handfuls tender green or yellow beans ( about 6 ounces), rinsed
• 1 pound dry farmed Early Girl tomatoes or firm sweet cherry tomatoes, rinsed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into thin slivers
• chopped fresh basil leaves (or micro basil if you have access to it)
• optional: Crumbled feta

First make your quinoa: Using a fine mesh strainer, rinse quinoa with cool tap water, then place quinoa in a medium saucepan. Cover with 2 cups water and add a pinch of salt. Place saucepan on the stove top and bring the liquid to a boil. Turn down flame to low, cover and simmer quinoa for 15-17 minutes until tender. Let cooked quinoa rest for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Let the quinoa sit in the saucepan while you prep the other ingredients.

The beans: Trim stem ends off beans and parboil them in salted water for 3-4 minutes until vibrant and tender. Immediately spread cooked beans onto a clean dishcloth and allow them to cool a bit before handling. Once the beans are cool enough to handle, slice them into bite-size pieces. Set beans aside while you prep the tomatoes.

The tomatoes: If you are using Early Girls, slice them into 6-8 wedges. If you are using cherry tomatoes, go ahead and cut the cuties in half. ( By the way... do you use a serrated knife to cut your tomatoes? I find that it's so much easier.) Heat olive oil in a medium cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add garlic slivers to the hot oil and let them sizzle for 20-30 seconds, then add tomatoes. Turn the heat up to medium-high and let the tomatoes cook for 2-3 minutes. Take pan from the heat and add the sliced beans to the tomatoes. Salt to taste.

Transfer quinoa to a serving bowl, stir in tomatoes, beans and all the juice and goodies from the pan. Salt to taste. Top with chopped basil and feta.  

If you are planning to take this salad on a picnic or for a work lunch, I suggest adding the feta and basil just before serving.

Serves 2-3 as a main; 4-6 as a side

Psst... Any of you with kids at home, you know that the start of school is fast approaching. If you're anything like me, you are desperate for school lunch inspiration. Katie Morford from Mom's Kitchen Handbook has come to our rescue - when Chronicle sent me a copy of Katie's new book, I was stoked.  Best Lunch Box Ever: ideas and recipes for school lunches kids will love is packed with tasty, healthful lunch ideas. Lilah is already scheming up what she wants from Katie's book. Phew!

SAVORING FOLEGANDROS

Last August, we found out my mom had breast cancer. Before her surgery and final prognosis, we didn’t know how bad things were, and even if she’d survive. Deep fear grabbed us. As mom and I went from one doctor’s appointment to another, we made a pact to go on a real trip together when she got well. Spending time in an exotic land sounded much more appealing than our stressful adventures in the world of cancer. With this future plan, we declared our optimism.

Mom has been heroic in her healing over the past 11 months and we all feel damned lucky to now find ourselves here in Greece together. Today as she lay on the shore of our favorite rocky cove, she said “This is good for the soul.” I know. The water, air, sun, peace, family time, and simplicity of it all.

We are back on our favorite island in the Aegean, Folegandros. This is the same quiet spot P and I first visited on our honeymoon, and some of you might remember these photos from the time we spent here last year. In Folegandros, people smile and say hello as they stroll through the car-less narrow streets of the old town, which teeters along the edge of an epic cliff. There are no big ads or much commercialism here. Signs are hand painted wood. Tiny bars serve delectable ice cappuccinos. Kids sell rocks in the town square.



Every day we walk an hour to the beach (Mom's health routine motivates those us with lazier tendencies.) We wander past stone walls and thistles, donkeys and sporadic fig trees. Then a plunge into the salty sea. The kids, and P too, hurl themselves off high rocks into the cool water. We all ooh and ahh about the beauty of each stripy pebble on the beach as we find our Northern California pallor being deeply warmed by the Mediterranean sun.



Our lunch spot is always the same -we are the kind of travelers who stick with a good thing when they find it. Our feet are sandy, and our swimsuits wet as we take a seat at our favorite taverna. Lilah’s carnivorous tendencies seem to be at their height here in Greece and she always orders a heaping plate of lamb stewed in olive oil, tomatoes, and onions. The rest of us devour Greek Salads loaded with ripe tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, tangy onion slivers, sunny yellow peppers, the creamiest local goat cheese, and a generous dousing of olive oil. I’m sure there could be new deliciousness to discover, but these Greek Salads feel just right. And this time is all about simple pleasures, right?

GREEK SALAD

• 3 ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into bite-sided wedges
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced
• 6 Kalamata olives
• 1/2- 1 cup creamy feta
• a good pinch of dried oregano
• nice quality olive oil
• sea salt 
• optional: a teaspoon of capers 

Place all chopped veggies in a bowl. Top with olives, a big heap of feta, and a drizzle of olive oil. Pass a jar of extra olive oil and some salt around the table so everyone can season to her liking.



makes 2 generous servings

SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES

If you are anything like me, you find yourself drooling over the huge piles of late summer produce at the market. I am scarfing down peaches, tomatoes, and pluots like they are going out of style. I guess that is the point... these delights of summer are not gonna to be around for long. So let's talk more about preserving. We made pickles last go around, now it's time for preserving tomatoes!

I love the rich, sweetness of an oven-roasted tomato. And I am particularly drawn to the caramelized taste of this slow roasted version. I hope you like it too!




INGREDIENTS
(printable recipe)

• 2 pounds fresh tomatoes (I am addicted to Dry Farmed Early Girls - they may not look fancy, but the flavor is unbeatable in my opinion)
• olive oil
• sea salt
• optional: 1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (or the lowest setting). Slice small tomatoes in half and spread them out over a metal baking sheet. (If you are using big heirlooms, cut them into quarters or even eighths.) Lightly drizzle olive oil over the tops of the tomatoes. Sprinkle generously with sea salt. And I like to sprinkle on a bit of sugar too, just to add to that caramely goodness.

Check your tomatoes after a couple of hours and see what you think. I have read about people cooking tomatoes in this fashion and leaving them in the 200-250 degree oven for anywhere from 1.5 to 6 hours. I found that they are just right for me after about 3 hours.

You can go ahead and eat the roasted tomatoes right away - they are hard to resist. But if you want to keep a taste of summer for a cold autumn day, place the roasted tomatoes in a jar, cover them with olive oil and keep in the fridge until later.

Enjoy!

TOMATO SALAD WITH OLIVES + CORIANDER

It's that time of year..... juicy red tomatoes are everywhere! I cannot take a trip to Monterey Market without bringing home bushel of the beauties. Our go-to August tomato salad is the classic Caprese and we eat it a couple times a week. I'm not complaining, but it is also nice to try something new. With meaty heirlooms, sweet cherries, and endless varietals temping us in the late summer, we are always searching for tomato recipes to try in late summer.

Once again David Tanis is here to help out in my kitchen. His tomato salad with olives and coriander is respectful of rich flavor that tomatoes have to offer and his salad pays great tribute to the ingredient. Tomatoes are the well-deserved star of the recipe. Tanis's addition of green and black olives, as well as fresh cilantro leaves and toasted coriander seeds, is a refreshing twist on the tomato dishes we usually make. Paul oohed and awed and ate huge plates of the salad. I am happy to have yet another excuse to buy up more of those gorgeous tomatoes!

INGREDIENTS adapted from David Tanis' Heart of the Artichoke
(printable recipe)

• 1/4 cup finely diced red onions or shallot
• 1 clove garlic, smashed to a paste with a little salt
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• pinch of cayenne
• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 Picholine or other good green olives (not pitted)
• 1/2 cup oil cured black olives (not pitted)
• 1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

 

In a small bowl or cup, combine the onions, garlic, and vinegar. Drizzle in the olive oil, while whisking to emulsify dressing.

In a small skillet, toast the coriander seeds over medium-high heat.  After a few minutes, when you start to smell the coriander, remove the seeds from the pan. Using a mortar and pestle, or a spice grinder, grind the coriander and add to the dressing. Add the cayenne as well at this point.

Slice the tomato into thick pieces or wedges and transfer to a serving platter or bowl. Season with salt. Sprinkle the olives over the top. Drizzle on the dressing. And scatter the cilantro leaves over the salad. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

MEDITERRANEAN DAYS

After nearly a year exploring South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and that part of the globe we made our way to the Mediterranean a couple weeks ago. The lush, green, wet heat of Bali became the arid white breeze of Folegandros. P and I first went to Folegandros, a sleepy island in the Greek Cyclades, on our honeymoon years ago and we fell for this island with its steep cliffs crashing into dark Mediterranean waters. Not much has changed. In the evenings people still stroll around the whitewashed old town square, then eat delicious suppers under almond trees strewn with lights. I didn't think I could love a place as much as Bali, but Folegandros is equally dreamy for me. This may sound silly, but I think my half-Greek blood has me feel instantly at home in the Mediterranean. The smell of grapevines toasting in the sun, the stunning light, the flavors at the table. I love it here.

Every day last week, Paul, Otis, Lilah, and I took the funky white and blue striped public bus to a little pebbled cove a few miles from town. Paul taught the kids to skip rocks while I devoured Keith Richard's autobiography. 

I apologize for not having a recipe to share with you today. I haven't cooked since we left our Bali house, though we have eaten like royalty - actually more like happy peasants. My favorite Greek food is the rustic, grandma-style cooking that still seems to dominate taverna menus. We scarfed succulent meats, long stewed in local tomatoes, olive oil, and herbs. Greek salads filled with tangy local feta, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and fragrant red onion, and a generous drizzle of olive oil were a daily necessity at our table. Sweet stuffed tomatoes with rice and oregano and thyme were perfect, as were the tatziki and fava spreads. We snacked on local almonds, firm red cherries, and plump apricots with plenty of creamy yogurt drizzled with honey.




I am itching to get back to my Berkeley kitchen, bust out my grandmother's old dogeared Greek cookbooks and get cooking.

Do any of you have any Greek recipes or cookbooks you adore? Please share with us if you do! For a while now, I've been eying Vefa's Kitchen. I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried it.

We are heading to Istanbul in a few days - more to come soon...

FISH WRAPPED IN BANANA LEAF

When I met Tonok, I knew I wanted to cook with him. I was eating a delicious curry chicken salad for lunch at the Bloo Lagoon and I peered into the outdoor kitchen to find Tonok at work. I told him how much I enjoyed his salad and he smiled broadly. He knew his food was good. I don’t mean to be hokey here, but Tonok’s food has that thing, that secret to all tasty food - love. This guy loves to cook and it comes through in the dishes he serves. As we started chatting, limited by his English and my non-existent Balinese and Indonesian, I asked him about cooking and his arms would start waving, he would give me a vigorous thumb’s up, and his smile would grow wide. I had heard that the Bloo Lagoon offered cooking classes so I asked him if he could teach me some of his favorite dishes. With total authority, he planned a meal of traditional Balinese food that we would make together the next day.

The next morning Tonok and I went to the local morning market in Padangbai. Without having my morning “Bali Coffee” aka Balinese jet fuel, I was bleary eyed until the action of the market woke me up. This tiny market, only half-a-block long, was jammin’.

Baskets of bananas, pineapples, and papayas lined the street. Women were weaving palm fronds and selling a rainbow of flowers for offerings.

Fresh, shiny fish were displayed on planks of wood.

And there were so many intriguing hand-made packages of just-prepared treats. With Tonok’s help in identifying the mysterious eats,  I started snapping up goodies: two newspaper packages of cooked yellow rice with spices; another paper-wrapped meal of pork on a stick, herbs and rice; black rice pudding. I even abandoned the squeamish American in me and bought a funky cassava, shaved coconut, and palm sugar treat made by a grandmother as I waited. What would the Health Department say?

I felt hungry and triumphant with this indulgent spree that cost me less than a buck.

Penne with Creamy Vodka Tomato Sauce

parsley blossoms

As you have probably noticed, I am a huge fan of Patricia Wells and her recipes. I am still dreaming of her cherry almond tart that I baked a few weeks ago.

When P and I first lived together in an adorable garden cottage in Kensington, we cooked from Trattoria more than any other source. With Wells' recipes, we christened our newly acquired domestic tools: knives, dishes, and pots and pans. Penne with Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce became a staple item - it is easy to make and comforting to eat. Wells can make even a novice cook feel like a pro.

My mom's Bolinas garden is lush with edibles these days. Her green thumb helps produce veggies that are vigorous and delicious. She sent me home with bounty from her first garlic harvest. The cloves went right into this pasta dish. And I harvested just enough parsley in our own garden to use. The rest has beautifully gone to seed. I ended up throwing some parsley blossoms on top of the leftover pasta and they were wonderfully peppery. If your own parsley has gone to seed, give the blossoms a try.

Note: I've found that this dish can be made ahead of time and reheated covered for about 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. I think I even prefer the baked version to the freshly made dish. Yum!


INGREDIENTS
adapted from Patricia Wells' Trattoria Cookbook

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, diced 
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• sea salt
• tomato puree ( 28 oz)
• 1 pound dried Penne ( GF folks I am a huge fan of BioNatura Pastas)
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons vodka
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves cut with scissors

Set a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt water until it tastes like the sea.

Place garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of salt in an unheated large saute pan. Turn heat to medium and cook for a few minutes until garlic is golden but not at all crispy. Stir in tomato puree. Simmer for about 15 minutes and sauce has thickened.

In the meantime cook Penne.

Add cooked pasta to the now thickened sauce in the large saute pan. Stir pasta to coat with sauce. Add Vodka and stir again. Add Cream and stir again. Cover pan and turn heat down to low. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving. Season again with salt to taste.

Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley and/or parsley flowers.

Serves 4-6

Simple Tomato Sauce

We made pizzas last night. As I headed for the market for a jar of sauce, I remembered my new mantra: “Shop at home.” That's why we tore up our lawn and planted a veggie garden, right?

We have so many tomatoes in the back - they are rotting on the vine. My mom generously brought us fresh shallots and garlic last week and I can always rustle up some olive oil and salt. Plus, it is one more use for that glorious mini basil before the weather really turns cold. Okay, I told myself, get out the saucepan.

Ingredients

4 cups ripe tomatoes (canned are fine too)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large shallots (or one medium yellow onion), finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
salt to taste
chopped herbs: fresh basil, marjoram, oregano, or parsley

If tomatoes aren’t in season, or if you want the ease of canned crushed tomatoes, feel free. Just remember to use the juice as well. With fresh tomatoes, core and submerge in hot water until the skins loosen (just under a minute). When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skins and roughly chop. Or, I simply plunge my hands into the bowl of skinless, softened tomatoes and crush them between my fingers until the consistency is fairly even.

Heat saucepan over medium heat; add olive oil, garlic, shallots/onion, and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook for a minute or two until ingredients are glistening, but not browned. Add tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens to your liking. Add freshly chopped herbs. Usually 15 minutes is enough for a basic sauce – add another 5 or so minutes to thicken for a pizza sauce. To insure a smooth creamy texture, I recommend running the concoction through the blender.

A quick shopping trip would have taken just as long as it did to make this tasty sauce at home.

Makes 2 Cups

Tomatoes with fresh mint

A continuing ode to the tomato...

At peak season, we devour tomatoes solo or with sprinkle of salt. Still, a little help from some fresh herbs and a splash of vinaigrette can make them even more delicious. Basil always comes to mind, but an underappreciated accompanist to tomatoes is freshly chopped mint. I like to keep a pot growing near my kitchen door. Mint is an herb that will always go to good use, if only for a quick pot of tea.


Ingredients

any sweet ripe tomatoes
balsamic port vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
one bunch mint leaves

Slice tomatoes. Whisk together port balsamic (or high-quality vinegar of your choice) and olive oil and lightly dress tomatoes. Top with sea salt, ground pepper, and freshly chopped mint leaves. Enjoy.

Tomato Galette

Galettes are my new best friend. Now that I have a fail-proof crust (see First Fall Galette), and permission to make a funky shaped tart (thankfully a rustically imperfect form is inherent to the nature and beauty of a galette), I am empowered to make a galette any old time.
Years ago my mother-in-law, a great cook, served a mouth-wateringly delicious tomato galette. All who were at lunch that day have talked and salivated about this meal for nearly half a decade. I finally asked her where she got the recipe and of course it was from Alice Waters’ Vegetables. It is so damned good - you have to try it.


Ingredients

½ Galette Dough (see First Fall Galette)
2-3 large shallots (or 2 yellow onions)
1 bunch basil
2-3 dozen cherry tomatoes, or 3 large tomatoes
Cantal cheese (Waters calls or 8 oz Cantal. I prefer 4 oz Cantal and 2-3 oz parmesean)
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out pastry dough between two pieces of parchment paper and place on a baking sheet. Return dough to fridge while preparing other ingredients.

My mom has had great success growing shallots in Bolinas this year, so I sliced these instead of yellow onion. Saute with olive oil until softened. Then toss in a handful of basil leaves that will wilt in the warm oil. Let cool. I am in love with an amazing heirloom basil that has miniature leaves. This variety has been easier to grow than the regular basil, which goes to seed so quickly. Plus no need to chop.

Cut tomatoes into slices 1/8 thick. Set aside on paper towel to drain.

Grate Cantal and Parmesean. (Note: Cantal is hard to find but worth the search.) Set aside.

Take dough from refrigerator. Leave the parchment on the bottom for baking. Spread 1/2 of cheese over bottom of crust. Leave almost 2 inches as a border. Next spread shallots over the cheese. (Save any extra oil used to cook the shallots to drizzle over the top layer of the galette.) Next place a solid layer of basil leaves. I like the bigger basil leaves here. Then the tomato slices should be placed in an overlapping layer like a hand of cards. Finally toss the remaining cheese over the top and drizzle the leftover shallot oil. Flip up the sides of the dough to make a shell for the goodies inside. Ready to bake.

Bake on the bottom rack the oven for 45-50 minutes. Take out when the bottom is brown. Slide onto a cooling rack. Sprinkle top with mini basil leaves or regular chopped basil. Serve with a simple salad. Yum.

Serves 4-6 as appetizer, or 3 as main dish

Psst...be forewarned that I am going to have a few more tomato recipes this week in honor of Indian Summer and our first successful tomato crop.

Nicoise with Tarragon Vinaigrette

Last night, I made Meg's Tuna Confit and it was delicious. I took her advice and used the leftovers for a Nicoise. Every time I eat this salad, I rediscover how wonderful it is!
As always, I serve my salads with all the elements separated to accommodate the picky eaters in my house. Everyone is enthusiastic, and the presentation is quite beautiful.
For the Nicoise, I really like a tarragon vinaigrette. Tarragon is one of my favorite herbs and I highly recommend growing a pot or two, if you can. Tarragon is so versatile and is great chopped up in a omelet or chicken salad.


Ingredients
inspired by David Tanis' Platter of Figs

Leftover Tuna Confit
Hardboiled eggs
Slender green beans
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Nicoise olives
Salt and Pepper to taste
Tarragon Vinaigrette (Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, chopped tarragon and salt)

Prepare the eggs by simmering for 9 minutes, then plunging in ice water. The yokes should be perfectly moist. Steam or boil your beans until just tender - you want them to retain their vibrant color. Tomatoes of any size can be used. (I picked some really sweet ones from my backyard tomato jungle.) Potatoes should be steamed until tender; when cooled, cut into manageable chunks. Place all of the above ingredients on a platter along with the tuna and olives in bowls.
Let everyone serve himself, then top with a drizzle of dressing and season liberally with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Collards and Rice

This recipe is from Amy Cotler's One-Pot Vegetarian Dishes. I like it because it's yummy, simple, vegan, and a great way to get those oh-so-good-for-you-collards and beans into your bod. I use brown rice instead of white, which is in the original recipe, and add the collards later in the cooking process. For those of you who don't often cook with beans, it's highly recommended to soak them overnight with the juice of one lemon to make them easier to digest.

Ingredients:

1 bunch collards, stems removed, and chopped coarsely
1/2 T butter
1 T olive oil
3 large leeks (white and tender greens) well-rinsed and chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1.5 cups brown basmati rice
1 can stewed tomatoes (or stew your own fresh, when they're in season)
1 32 oz. carton broth (vegetable or chicken)
1 15 oz. can black-eyed peas, or about 1.5 cups you've cooked yourself

Melt butter with olive oil over medium heat and add leeks and garlic, cooking until the leeks start to brown. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover with wax paper, then pot lid. Cook, stirring once, for 30 min., before adding the collards. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, adding the beans during the last 5 min. of cooking. Serve in bowls with hot sauce on the side. Great the next day.

Quinoa Tabouli

What to do with quinoa? Here's a tasty recipe....

1 cup quinoa
3 large tomatoes, chopped or cherry tomatoes quartered would be nice
1 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 cup scallion, finely chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons mint, finely chopped
salt to taste

First rinse quinoa several times. Then mix quinoa with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Simmer and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Let cool to room temp.
Mix all ingredients with the quinoa, add salt to your liking, and you've got your tabouli.

This is a great dish to bring to a picnic.

Serves 6

Fresh Tomato and Gorgonzola Pasta

This dish couldn't be easier....

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta of your choice ( I used Tinkyada GF spaghetti)
8 medium tomatoes, chopped ( I used the irresistible dry-farmed Early Girls)
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola
plenty of fresh ground pepper
salt to taste

Once your pasta is cooked, add all ingredients and the gorgonzola will melt and and the tomatoes will soften. This is so tasty eaten at room temp!

Fried Green Tomato BLT

This sandwich is a new one for me. I am by no means a Southern cook and I have never made fried green tomatoes. Yesterday, I was trying to tame my jungle of tomato plants and accidentally broke off a number of branches. It pained me to throw away beautiful tomatoes we worked hard to grow. So what if they aren't ripe....

Ingredients for each sandwich:

2 slices of your favorite bread: levain or pain de mie would be delicious (I used Pamela's gluten free bread rolls)

2 slices bacon

3 slivers avocado

1 piece butter lettuce or watercress

mayo (homemade, if you are so inclined) or pesto (see last recipe)

1 slice fried green tomato (read below)

This description may clog your arteries just reading it, so beware...

Cook your bacon in a large cast iron pan. Keep the pan hot after the bacon is done. Slice green tomatoes into 1/4 inch slabs. Lightly coat with flour ( I used sorghum flour). Dip in lightly beaten egg. Then coat with cornmeal. Place battered tomatoes in the hot bacon grease. (If this sounds too intense for you, you can use veggie oil). Cook 3 minutes on each side.

Pile all the goodies on your bread. Gotta love not wasting food you've grown.

FOOD 52 Editor's Pick