Tomato Tart

Tomato Tart

I love tomato pie. It is one of my all time favorites. One day for brunch I had a tomato tart with mustard. It was yummy. I decided to create my own tomato tart. It took a couple of tries and several mistakes but the result was great.  But you have to love mustard. I love mustard- I have all types of mustard.
I have made this tart with homemade pastry, phyllo, and store-bought pastry. I like all three -- in  time pinch I use store-bought dough. The important thing is to use a tart pan- not a pie pan. I tried using a pie pan (I could find my tart pan and was in a time crunch). It wasn't as good. So I recommend using a tart pan. For the herbs, I like basil, chives, oregano, and thyme.

9 or 10 Inch (20 or 25 cm) Pie Crust
1-2 Tbsp of Coarse Mustard
2-3 Tomatoes, Sliced
1-2 Tbsp of Chopped Herbs
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
6-8 oz (170g - 225g) of Goat Cheese, Sliced
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 425F/218C/Gas Mark 7. Place pastry dough in a 9 or 10 inch (20 to 25 cm) tart pan. Spread mustard on the pastry dough and allow to dry (about 5 minutes).

Mustard yummy mustard

Meanwhile sliced tomatoes, herbs, and goat cheese. Place tomatoes on mustard and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Adding sliced tomatoes

Drizzle with oil. Top with goat cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ready for the oven!

Bake for 20-30 minutes (watch closely because you don't want to over bake).

Finished tomato tart

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes- incredible. I don't know which one I like better the tomato pie or the tomato tart.

Black Bean Salsa

All that lovely avocado

I think this is the salsa version of the dump cake; everything gets dumped into a bowl and then eaten. It is so easy and so good. I rarely make it because I will sit and eat the entire bowl. It is embarrassing. As I was typing this up, Steven reminded me that I sat in front of this bowl and ate it.

Lovely fresh sweet corn

Black Bean Salsa
2 Cans (29 oz. 822 g) of Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
5 Ears of Corn, Cut off the Cob
1 Bunch of Cilantro, Diced
2 Cups (455 g) of Tomatoes, Diced
1 Red or Green Pepper, Diced
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes or Hot Pepper, Diced
1/4 Tsp Chipotle Chile Pepper
1/2 Cup of Lime Juice
1/2 Tsp of Cumin
2 Avocados, Diced

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl (except for the avocado).

All of the ingredients except the avocado

Refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, mix in avocados.

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes, I love this. I am now craving it again. I need a party to take it to.....

BLT Salad

BLT Salad

Tuesday is CSA bag pick-up day at work. CSA stands for community supported agriculture and our family has one share in the Good Natured Family Farms CSA. I love having a share and I look forward to every Tuesday. What can I say? I am a foodie. Also our CSA is amazing. We get everything from fruits and veggies to meat to dairy to honey. Each week is a surprise.
I don't look in the bag of goodies until I get home and then we go through the bag together. I know it sounds kinda dorky but we think it is fun. Katie is hoping for honey sticks or chocolate milk, Steven wants cheese and I want tomatoes. 

I love this lettuce!

This Tuesday I pulled Boston lettuce out of the bag and we all knew we were going to have a BLT salad. It might be my favorite salad but then I am crazy about BLTs. It is an amazingly easy salad to make. If you haven't tried it; trust me-- make it. I am on a healthy kick (my family hates it when I start counting calories) so I only used 4 slices of bacon. You can use more if you like (I have). I think 4 slices is the bare minimum. Also I make my own croutons out of stale bread. I had some stale bagels so I tossed them with some oil, pepper, and dried herbs and put them in the toaster oven. Voila! Croutons! I also use light mayonnaise and low fat milk. Sometimes I use a combination of mayonaise and sour cream. 

The lettuce stays fresh longer because the roots are still attached and have water

BLT Salad

3/4 Cup (180 g) of Mayonaise 
1/4 Cup (60 ml) of Milk
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
Black Peper, To taste

1 Head of Lettuce, Torn into Bit-Sized Pieces
2 Tomatoes, Diced (or a container of cherry or grape tomatoes halved)
4 Slices of Bacon, Cooked, Cooled, and Crumbled
1 1/2 Cups (45 g) of Croutons

In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, milk, garlic, and pepper. In a large bowl combine lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, and croutons. Toss the salad with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Katie grabbing a crouton out of the salad

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes. It is lovely. It is beautiful with different colored tomatoes.

Superbowl Sunday Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo chicken dip with veggies

I love Buffalo chicken wings. So full of deep fried spicy goodness. When my husband and I were dating, we went to wings night every Monday night at a local pub. They had great wings. Unfortunately, they no longer have wings night. This dip is my substitute for wing night. It has all of the yummy goodness of Buffalo chicken wings without the hassle of deep frying the chicken Actually, it is even easier than that. You just add the ingredients to a saucepan (or crockpot), heat, and enjoy. You could also bake it  (350F/176C/gas mark 4 for 20-30 minutes). When I bake this dip, I add some extra shredded cheese to the top. You can use canned chicken if you want to but I don't. Depending on the weather, I either grill, bake, boil, or boil the chicken. Yes, grilling takes more work but it adds another layer of flavor. This time I decided to boil the chicken (I made extra for chicken salad). I think this dip would be good without the chicken too. If you don't like blue cheese, then use ranch dressing.

1 lb (.45 kg) of Cooked Chicken, Chopped
2 (8 oz/227 g) Packages of Cream Cheese, Softened
Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 Cup (120 ml) to 3/4 Cup (180 ml) of Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 Cup (80 g) of Shredded Mozzarella or Jack Cheese

Everything but the chicken is added

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan.

I like big pieces of chicken- if you don't finely shred the chicken

Heat over low heat while stirring frequently until heated through. Serve with chips and/or veggies.

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes, the next time I am craving Buffalo chicken wings.

Chinese Dumplings-Porcupine Balls

Porcupine Balls

The Chinese New Year is here. Happy New Year! This year (2012) is going to be the year of the dragon. The dragon is the most favorable and revered sign in the 12-year Chinese zodiac. The dragon is a symbol of royalty, fortune and power. I am hoping it is a good year, no make that a great year. To celebrate the new year, I decided that dumplings were necessary. When I asked my family which dumplings they wanted,  the resounding reply was porcupine balls or pearl balls. I was happy to oblige; they are incredibly easy to make. I also think they are so so tasty. I have never made these without a streamer so if someone makes them without one, please leave a comment and let me know how. The rice that should be used in these is glutinous rice. It is also called sweet or sticky rice and is available at Asian markets. If you cannot find glutinous rice then use a short-grain rice instead. Please note, that the rice is soaked and then steamed with the pork. It is never boiled. I like a bit of spice so I add a squirt or two of Sriracha sauce.

1 Cup (210 g) of Uncooked Rice
1 Pound (.45 kg) of Ground Pork
2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
1/2 Tsp Sugar
1/2 Tsp of Ground Ginger
1 Large Egg
1 Scallion Finely Chopped
Sriracha Sauce (Optional), To Taste

Soak the rice in water for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

Soaking rice

Lightly grease the bottom of the steamer. Dump remaining ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.

Ready to mix

Form the pork mixture into small balls. Drain rice and roll the pork ball in the rice mixture.

The assembly line is ready

Place the pork balls into the steamer.

Ready to be steamed

I use a large skillet and I place the steamer in the large skillet. Next I fill the skillet with boiling water so that the water comes up the side of the steamer. Watch the level of the water and add more boiling water if the level gets low.

Steaming

Turn the stove on high and steam for 15-20 minutes until the pork is cooked though and the rice is tender. I use a meat thermometer just to be sure (Since this is ground pork, the recommended temperature is 160F/71C).

Perfection

The bottom line: Will I make these again? Yes. They are incredible. I am sure that I will be branching out into other steamed dumplings......

Candied Bacon

Candied bacon

As you might have guessed from my blog, I really like food. I like all kinds of food. Are some foods more equal than others? (I couldn't resist the Animal Farm reference; we are talking about bacon). Sure-- but just as the seasons change, my tastes change. In summer, I crave light fresh veggie-filled foods. In the winter, I usually want heartier fare. No matter which season it is, I am always in the mood for bacon. I am crazy about bacon. It is delicious. I guess it's true pigs are more equal.
I usually add bacon in small amounts to a dish. So when I went to a New Years Eve party and my friend Cristi brought candied bacon, I was in heaven. It was so so yummy. When we had a party to go to, I decided to make candied bacon, pepper candied bacon, and cayenne candied bacon. It is amazingly easy to make. I decided to use some of the maple cured bacon that I received as part of the half of hog we bought from a local farmer.
I decided to make it using two different methods: (1) on a broiler rack and (2) between two cookie sheets. I am curious to see which method works better. I made the candied bacon first and decided to add maple syrup to the mixture because the bacon with just brown sugar wasn't "candied" enough.

Candied Bacon

1/3 Pound (135 g) of Bacon
1/3 Cup (70 g) of Brown Sugar

Preheat your oven to 325F/162C/Gas Mark 3. (The convection setting would not make a difference with the cookie sheet method).  Place a piece of parchment or foil on a cookie sheet. Toss the bacon with the brown sugar. Place the bacon on top of the foil or parchment paper and top with any remaining brown sugar.

Brown sugared bacon

Top bacon with another piece of foil or parchment paper and cover with the second cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the bacon if it is golden brown and crispy remove to a plate. If it is not crispy cook for additional 5 minute intervals.

Spicy Candied Bacon

1 Pound (.45 kg) of Bacon
1/3 Cup (70 g) Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup (80 ml) of Maple Syrup
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Preheat your oven: regular oven 325F/162C/Gas Mark 3 and convection 300F/149C/Gas Mark 2. I used the convection oven setting.  Grease a broiler pan. Combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, and cayenne.

Brown sugar, maple syrup, and cayenne. 

Slather the bacon in the maple syrup mixture. Place on greased broiler pan. Bake 10 minutes and flip the bacon and turn the broiler pan.  Bake for another 10 minutes and flip the bacon. Bake at 5 minute intervals until the bacon is golden brown and crispy. Baking times will vary based on the thickness of your bacon.


Pepper Candied Bacon

1 Pound (.45 kg) of Bacon
1 Tsp Pepper
1/3 Cup (70 g) of Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup (80 ml) of Maple Syrup

Preheat your oven: regular oven 325F/162C/Gas Mark 3 and convection 300F/149C/Gas Mark 2. (I used the convection oven setting).  Grease a broiler pan. Combine brown sugar, maple syrup, and pepper.

Maple syrup, brown sugar, and pepper

Slather the bacon in the maple syrup mixture. Place on greased broiler pan. Bake 10 minutes and flip the bacon and turn the broiler pan. Bake for another 10 minutes and flip the bacon. Bake at 5 minute intervals until the bacon is golden brown and crispy. The baking time depends on the thickness of your bacon.

Slathered bacon ready to bake

The bottom line: will I make this again? Oh my goodness yes. I could have eaten all myself. I also made this with bacon pieces (ends).

Bacon pieces

Also amazing. I liked the broiler pan/convection oven method better than the two cookie sheets. I could not decide if I liked the peppered bacon or the cayenne bacon more. Next time I will add more cayenne.

Pepper Cheese Coins

Baked coins

These are my new favorite appetizer. I made them for a party and ate them all before the party started. (Opps!) I make these and freeze them in logs uncooked. They will keep for 3 months in the freezer not that they last that long. When I am ready to eat them, I just preheat the oven, slice the logs into coins, and bake. Yum! The only bad part of this recipe is reducing the white wine - it smells-- a lot. Any hard white cheese will work in this recipe, like Parmesan, asiago, Grana Padano, or Romano. My favorite is asiago cheese. I use a mix of black, white, and red peppercorns for the ground pepper.

1/2 Cup (120 ml) of White Wine
2 1/4 Cups (270 g) of Unbleached Flour
1 3/4 Cups (315 g) of Hard White Cheese Finely Grated, Divided
2 Tsp of Kosher Salt
1 Cup (226 g) of Butter, Softened
2 Tbsp of Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp of Pepper, Coarsely Ground

In a microwave-safe bowl heat the white wine on high until it is reduced to one tablespoon (it takes about 6 minutes). Alternatively, heat the white wine in a saucepan and simmer until reduced to one tablespoon. Cool in the refrigerator.
Combine 1 cup (180 g) of the grated cheese, flour, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.

The butter and sugar have been creamed and the rest of the ingredients are ready to be added

Mix in the wine until well blended. Gradually mix in the flour and beat until blended.

Mixed dough

On a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper combine the remaining grated cheese and pepper.

Cheese and pepper

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and roll each piece into a log. Roll each log in the cheese and pepper mixture.

Rolling the log in cheese

Wrap each log and freeze until dough is firm enough to slice (about 30 minutes).

Cheese and pepper log ready to be frozen

When ready to bake the coins, preheat the oven to 350F/176C/ Gas Mark 4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment parchment paper. Slice the logs into coins (about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm wide) and place on the cookie sheet.

The coins are ready to bake

Bake until the coins are golden brown about 12-18 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet and cool completely.

the bottom line: will I make these again? Yes. I love them. We had them on Christmas Eve and I will be bringing them to parties in the New Year. Oh! They are round like coins so they count as lucky foods! We will be eating these on New Year's Day.

Green Tomato Salsa

Green tomatoes

I love salsas. I especially love salsas my husband makes. He did not make this one, I did. But it was easy to make. The green tomatoes are firm and easy to chop. We have a lot of green tomatoes; the summer was just too hot and the tomatoes did not start producing until late in the season. It is a good thing that I love green tomatoes.  I used my beloved yellow peppers in this dish. I have a pitcher full and more on the way.

Green Tomato Salsa

1 Cup (155 g) of Diced Green Tomatoes
2 Large Cloves (10 g) of Garlic, Minced
1/4 Cup (5 g) of Cilantro, Thinly Sliced
1 Hot Pepper, Finely Diced
3 Tbsp of Lime Juice
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp of Sugar

Green tomato salsa

Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

I have a pitcher of spicy lemon peppers so I used them in this salsa

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes. I love this.

Brandy Apple Butter

Filling jars of apple butter

 My husband loves apple butter. I think it is one of his favorite foods. This last weekend we went to Weston (I love Weston) and went to the Red Barn Farm (I love Red Barn Farm). We wandered the corn maze, talked to the animals (thankfully, they did not talk back), and we bought apples. We bought 1/2 bushel of apples. That is a lot of apples. Of course, the first thing I made was apple butter, but not just any apple butter. I made apple butter with brandy and Vietnamese cinnamon which is like cinnamon on steroids. The result was the best apple butter yet.

Five pounds (2.3 kg) of apples

Brandy Apple Butter

5 Lbs (2.3 kg) of Apples, Peeled, Cored, and Cut into Pieces
1 Cup (240 ml) of Brandy
2 Cups (480 ml) of Cider
2 Cups (480 ml) of Water
3 Cups (600 g) of Sugar
3 Cups (684 g) of Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp of Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp of Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp of Ground Allspice
1.75 oz. (49.6 g) Package of Pectin

Combine apples, brandy, cider, and water in a large saucepan and heat on low.

Dumping apples and brandy, cider, and water in a large saucepan

Cook until tender, about an hour. Process the apples in a food processor or run through a food mill until smooth like applesauce.

I used a food processor

Pour back into the large saucepan and add the remaining ingredients.

Combining the remaining ingredients

Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes while stirring constantly.

Protecting my arms from the splashing apple butter

Pour into sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch (1 cm) headroom. Process in a water bath for 5 minutes.

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes, but probably not until next year. It makes a lot of apple butter. But then again, Katie and Steven really like this apple butter. I was never a huge fan of apple butter but I really like this. I still like tomato jam more but it is hard to beat tomato jam.

Tomato Jam

Tomato jam, so good it glistens

 Jam! Jam! Jam! Jam! Jam! (Not quite as good as Spam! Spam! Spam! but it still has a certain ring to it). I thought long and hard about whether or not to make tomato jam. Tomatoes are a fruit but we normally treat them like a vegetable. Would they make a good jam?  I had 3 pounds of end of the season tomatoes. The weather is getting cooler and the tomato season is drawing to a close. Did I want to use my tomatoes for tomato jam? It took a day to decide but I decided yes, tomato jam it is.
I wanted a sweet spicy tomato jam. So I used brown sugar to sweeten, lemon peppers for spicy, and smoked paprika for well, smokey. I think ancho or chipotle peppers would be splendid in this jam; I used lemon peppers because I have about a hundred of them ripening on two pepper plants.
The next question was whether or not to can it.  To water bath can the pH must below 4.6. Tomatoes fall close to the low acid level and to process tomatoes citric acid or lemon or lime juice needs to be added (about a tablespoon of lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid per pint). Of course, I could always use a pressure cooker to can the tomato jam. I decided to just keep the tomato jam in the refrigerator. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
The final decision, to skin or not to skin. I decided to skin the tomatoes. I usually don't take the skins off; I think they add flavor to a dish. It is easy to skin a tomato: just cut a "X" onto the bottom of the tomato and drop into boiling water. Boil the tomato for two to three minutes and the skins should come right off.


Tomato Jam
3 Lbs (1.36 kg) of Tomatoes, Skins Removed, Cored, and Diced
1-2 Spicy Peppers, Small Diced
5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Cup (218 g) of Brown Sugar, Packed
1 Tsp of Smoked Paprika
3 Tbsp of Lime Juice
1 Tsp of Salt

Dump all of the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Everything dumped in the saucepan

Lower heat and simmer (just below the boiling point; there should be small bubbles rising gently to the surface) until a jam like consistency is reached (approximately 1 hour to an hour and a half).

Ready to be eaten

Pour into a sterile jar and keep in the refrigerator.

A jar of tomato jam

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes, it is brilliant. It is sweet, spicy, and smokey. It can be used just like pepper jelly (over creamed cream and served with crackers). I am going to serve it on grilled bread. It can be used like a super ketchup (on hamburgers, meatloaf, and with french fries). It is amazing on corn bread or on hot biscuits. Well, you get the idea. After I finish this post, I am on my way to the farmer's market to find some more tomatoes so I can make more jam.

Grilled Salsa

Grilled salsa

 Ok. I guess I am on a salsa kick. If the roasted salsa is the easiest salsa I make, this is the prettiest. If I want to make a meal out of it, I just add cold pasta and instant pasta salad. It is great with chips, quesadillas, chicken, or just out of the bowl. It is also great as a quesadilla filling.
Make sure you add the salt, it enhances the cumin. Have you ever notice that cumin, a spice I love, smells like dirty gym socks? Maybe it is just me.

Grilled Salsa

3 Ears of Fresh Corn
1 Large (150 g) Sweet Onion, Cut in Half
1 Red, Yellow, or Green Bell Pepper, Cut in Half
2 Large (440 g) Tomatoes, Diced
1-2 Hot Peppers, Diced
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1/4 C (5 g) Chopped Cilantro
1/2 Tsp of Salt
1/4 Tsp of Cumin
1 Tsp of Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Tsp of Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

Grill (over indirect heat) the corn, onion, and pepper for 8-10 minutes.

Grilled corn, peppers, and onions.

Cut the corn off of the cob and dice the onion and pepper. Combine the grilled veggies with the remaining ingredients.

The tomatoes and black beans are beautiful together

Cover and chill for about an hour. Enjoy!

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes. It is so good that we ate the entire bowl in less than 30 minutes.