We grew tomatoes at the Red Brick Ranchero for years. The best was Rose de Berne, a wondrous heirloom.
Then our dirt decided to turn on us and we couldn’t grow a cucumber.
Seriously.
So we took that as a sign from above and decided to leave the tomato growing to the people that know how to do it.
Recently, our favorite “veggies in the summer” guy, Kenny, has had these outrageous Amish grown Better Boy tomatoes.
At least I think they’re Better Boys.
I was swooning and making happy noises while he was telling me what kind they were.
In other words, not listening.
Whatever they are, they shine in this Divine Tomato Tart. It owes a lot to Chuck Hughes ( who is absolutely outrageous and why didn't I know about him before now), nothing at all to Paula Deen, other than butter is used in the process, and a whole lot to the pig, who makes it’s presence known in the form of crisped prosciutto sprinkled on the top with fresh basil right before serving.
A phyllo crust brushed with Dijon and topped with Manchego cheese, a dusting of fresh thyme on thickly sliced tomatoes and some grape tomatoes (because someone who shall remain nameless ate a tomato designated for the tart without permission) round out the ingredients.
This tart is as easy as pie (couldn't resist!) and works wonderfully with a bit of fresh arugula…I’m seriously into arugula this summer…a piece of grilled chicken on the side, or even out of hand a la Nigella late in the evening.
Feeding Groom’s Divine Tomato Tart
Adapted from Chuck’s Day Off
1 package phyllo, thawed
1 stick butter, melted
2 large Better Boy tomatoes, sliced about ½ inch thick
1 cup grated Manchego cheese
Dijon mustard
Three to four sprigs fresh thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 pieces prosciutto, diced and sautéed til crisp
A few fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a bit of Pam in a 12 inch quiche dish. Start layering phyllo dough, overlapping the sheets, around the dish. Brush with melted butter. Continue to layer and brush with butter til you have used all the sheets. Be sure to let phyllo overlap the top and brush that with butter as well. Then brush what will be the bottom of the tart with a tablespoon or two of Dijon mustard.
Sprinkle the grated cheese over the tart and then add the tomatoes. If you have glaring holes that need tomatoes, add halved grape tomatoes to fill in the gaps.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper and the fresh thyme leaves that you have stripped from the stems.
Pop it in the oven and let bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the prosciutto and the fresh basil. Look at the picture, can you tell which side I used to take it out of the oven?
Serves 4 generously as main course.
Serves 5 as side dish.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A Divine Tomato Tart
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Ground Lamb Burgers with a Sweet Leek, Fennel and Sundried Tomato Confit
The blogger stands, yet again, in front of the refrigerator.
Ingredients present themselves.
Ground lamb.
Pancetta.
Fennel.
Prosciutto.
Leeks.
A light bulb goes off over said blogger’s head.
A bit of chopping, a bit of sautéing, a glass of wine, Joni Mitchell sings softly in the background.
A pretty damn good meal for a weeknight appears on the plate.
The blogger smiles.
Ground Lamb Burgers with a Sweet Leek, Fennel and Sundried Tomato Confit
1 lb ground lamb
2 ounce pancetta, chopped
2 ounces prosciutto, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Combine lamb, prosciutto and pancetta in bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add red pepper flakes and lemon juice and mix well. Form into nice sized patties and let sit thirty minutes.
1 small leek, rinsed well and chopped
3 fat garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 small fennel bulb, sliced
1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes in oil
¼ cup roasted chicken stock
In a large skillet over medium heat, add a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil and when the oil shimmers, add the leeks and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the fennel and garlic and cook another 10 minutes, adjusting the heat so they do not burn. Raise the heat and add the chicken stock and after it cooks down add the sundried tomatoes. Keep warm over low heat.
In heavy skillet over medium to medium high heat add a swirl of extra virgin olive oil. When it shimmers, add the lamb burgers and cook about 8 minutes, or until browned. Flip the burgers and cook until done to your taste, about 8 minutes for medium, 10 for well done.
Plate the burgers, top with the confit and enjoy.
Makes 3 good sized portions.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Orecchiette with Two Peas, Asparagus and Prosciutto
Welcome to spring.
More daylight to play, leading to simpler foods with faster prep.
Like this.
Fresh green peas, asparagus, crispy sugar snap peas.
Salty prosciutto and sweet garlic, sliced sweet red onions and baby shallots.
Baby romaine lettuce.
On pasta? Yea baby. It works.
Orecchiette with Two Peas, Asparagus and Prosciutto
Liberally Adapted from Bon Appetit April 2009
2 tbsp butter
A couple of swirls roasted garlic oil (or extra virgin olive oil if you don’t make garlic confit and have some roasted garlic oil lying around)
½ large sweet red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp minced baby shallot
¼-½ cup dry white wine
½ cup homemade roasted chicken stock
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut crosswise into bite sized pieces
1-½ cups fresh shelled peas or frozen, thawed
½-¾ pound sugar snap peas
Enough orecchiette for three people
2 handfuls baby romaine lettuce
Manchego cheese, as much as you like
A handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into thin strips
Melt butter with a couple of swirls roasted garlic oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and shallots and sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute until tender, about five minutes. Add wine. Increase heat to medium high and simmer until liquid is reduced to glaze about three minutes. Add broth and bring to simmer, set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a bit of coarse salt. Add asparagus, cook til done. Plunge asparagus into bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking and preserve the green color. Repeat with peas and sugar snaps, plunging them into the same water with the asparagus. Drain and set aside.
Return water in the big pot to a boil. Cook pasta til tender, drain, reserving about a ½ cup pasta water.
Reheat the onion mixture, add the lettuce and stir til just wilted and add the drained asparagus, peas and sugar snap peas.
Add the pasta and parsley to the skillet, toss together add reserved pasta water. Season with salt and water and cover for just a few minutes to allow pasta to absorb sauce.
Remove top, grate as much Manchego as you feel like eating, sprinkle with the prosciutto and toss again.
Drizzle with a bit more roasted garlic oil and serve.
Serves three generously.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Friday, April 4, 2008
Grilled Scallops with Prosciutto, Leeks and Red Pepper
I’ve got seafood on the brain.
It could be that vacation is coming up very soon and I’m practicing all the recipes I want to do at the beach. Or it could be that all the rain that’s falling in Tennessee is reminding me of the ocean.
So, okay. Clams one night. Scallops the next.
That’s cool.
Then again, I am quite fond of the pig.
Chorizo one night . Prosciutto the next.
I’m seeing a pattern here.
And when the pig and seafood get together it’s a marriage made in heaven. Two nights in a row.
Grilling scallops was the plan tonight, but rain changed the outdoor action, so the handy dandy grill pan came to the rescue.
Prosciutto is crisped to perfection to be used as a garnish for the grilled scallops. Garlicky leek and red bell pepper saute on top of buttery spinach as a base for the sweet seafood.
Surf and turf takes on a new meaning.
Maybe I’ll do salmon and pancetta tomorrow…hmmmm….
Grilled Scallops with Crispy Prosciutto, Leeks and Red Pepper
6 large sea scallops
4 fat cloves garlic, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 leeks, cleaned, light green to white parts only, diced
About a pound of fresh spinach, cleaned
¼ lb prosciutto, diced
1 tbsp butter
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
Heat a cast iron skillet and add a couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil. Add prosciutto and cook about 8-10 minutes til crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add leeks to the pan and saute five minutes, then the red bell pepper and garlic. Cook ten minutes until very soft and golden. Remove from pan and season with coarsely ground black pepper.
Grill scallops about 4 minutes per side depending on how big they are. While scallops are cooking, cook spinach. Put rinsed spinach in a hot skillet and cover for five minutes, remove the top and cook til wilted and water evaporates. When done add the tbsp of butter.
Plate with the spinach on the bottom, the leek and pepper mix on top of that finishing with three scallops per person. Sprinkle prosciutto over all and serve.
Serves 2 generously.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Sketti
Sunday nights were always special when I was growing up. That’s because it was “sketti” night. When I was nine, we spent Sunday nights at our house or the Robinsons. My brother and I loved Sunday nights. The Robinsons were childhood friends of my dad’s and had four children. Ed Sullivan was always on the tv and then Bonanza. Oh, Lordy! How we loved Little Joe. And usually we would have “sketti” for dinner. A thick, meaty, chunky, tomato-ey spaghetti sauce that had simmered for an hour or so on the back burner while we played outside, ran through the house, disrupted the parental cocktail hour ; then came in and flopped down in front of the tv. In January of 1964, the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan for the first time. And I do believe that’s the only time I ever stopped eating in order to watch a tv show. This recipe is a variation of one by Patricia Wells. It’s a grown up “sketti” that’s easy to make. Add a little Beatles on your stereo and you might be age nine again on a Sunday night surrounded by music, food, good friends and love.
Sketti
1 pound ground chuck
4 oz prosciutto, chopped
4 oz pancetta, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 medium leeks, cleaned, white parts chopped
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
½ cup minced sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
2 bay leaves
Large pinch dried French thyme
Large pinch dried Turkish oregano
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 14 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup red wine
In good sized Dutch oven , do about three swirls of extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium heat and add chopped leeks.
Add tomatoes, wine, sun dried tomatoes and cook on low for about an hour or longer, if you like.
Serve over thick hearty noodles, or rigatoni. A bright Arugula salad with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste would be a fine accompaniment.
In Italy, this sauce probably would not be served with Parmesan cheese. But I don’t live in Italy, so I say do what feels right to you!!!
This recipe is for you, Juan.
