Roast Tomato Tartine

I don't know about you, but I would rather eat several little meals than one or two big meals a day. This roast tomato tartine is one of my favorites- a couple of these with a glass of red wine is a perfect dinner for me. I use a cast iron skillet to roast the tomatoes with garlic, rosemary and olives. I like the olives to get a little crunchy and the tomatoes to char a bit. All the flavors come together and the olive oil left in the pot with the little bits of black pepper and salt is amazing to dip bread in. I have made this as an appetizer which in reality is what it is, but when cooking for myself this is my entree. The recipe as I have written it yields about 8 tartines, whatever I have leftover is always delicious the next day as well. If you want to make more, it doubles easily- just be sure to use a large enough pan so that everything touches the bottom of the skillet.

I use French Goat Feta which I purchase at Whole Foods, any mild goat cheese will work very well. The olives are seasoned pitted cerignolas or whatever green seasoned olives I have on hand, use your favorite olives, oil cured olives would be great too. For the bread, I use sourdough slices, but French bread would be great as well. I do not peel the garlic before roasting so it doesn't burn, I squeeze it out of it's shell once cooked and spread it on the bread. Oh, one last thing...you can skip the bread and toss with angel hair pasta- yum!



Roast Tomato Tartine

1 pint mixed cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup seasoned green olives
8 garlic gloves (not peeled)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large sprigs fresh Rosemary (fresh Thyme can be substituted)
freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt

4 oz. french Goat Feta
8 thin slices sourdough bread

1. preheat oven to 450 F.

2. In a cast iron skillet, toss tomatoes, olives, garlic and Rosemary with olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once half way through.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees, place bread slices on top rack and bake for 2 minutes, flip bread over and bake 2 minutes more.

4. Spread goat cheese on toasted bread slices. Squeeze one garlic clove on top of goat cheese and top with roasted tomatoes and olives. Garnish with additional rosemary or Thyme.

Recipe:Zucchini and Pesto Puff Pastry Tart

Today is the beginning of my official return to blogging! Really, I promise this time.  With that in mind, it is also the beginning of summer, fresh vegetables are aplenty and I have a plethora of posts in my head.   I made this zucchini tart so I could experiment with store bought puff pastry.  And let me tell you, there is a significant difference between ordinary not all butter puff pastry and Dufour puff pastry.  I've made puff pastry from scratch, roll, add more butter, fold, roll and repeat- about a hundred times. I did not have my home-made version next to it, but truly- once baked I could not have told the difference.  What I figured out was that some of the other brands have additives and are not 100 percent butter, Dufour is nothing but flour, water, butter. I never said it was low fat- but if you're going to make puff pastry, lets do it right please.  To make this lower in fat, the zucchini can be placed directly on a lightly greased glass pie pan, layered with the mozzarella and then more zucchini with pesto and herbs on top.  Maybe I'll make that another day, (like right before having to hop into my bathing suit!).  As for today though, we're going with the yummy all butter version.

Defrost the puff pastry in the refrigerator, its best to keep it somewhat cool at all times.  If you want it a little more golden brown, you can add an egg wash right before baking.  I used zucchini because it's what's in season, but I think some beautiful heirloom tomatoes or asparagus would work nicely as well.
If I was using tomatoes, I would just slice them thickly and not saute them.  For asparagus, I would lightly blanch them if they are thick or saute just a little if pencil thin.

Zucchini and Pesto Puff Pastry Tart

1/2 cup homemade pesto (recipe in index)
2 small zucchini or summer squash, sliced
1 package Dufour puff pastry, defrosted (I found it at Whole Foods)
Olive oil
coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Assorted Herbs (I used thyme, basil, oregano and parsley)
2-3 large balls freshwater mozzarella


Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Roll out puff pastry on a parchment covered baking sheet.  With a sharp knife or pastry cutter, score all around the sides of the rectangle, one inch from the edge.  This will make the sides puff up higher and give the appearance of a crust.

2. In a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat olive oil until almost smoking, a couple of minutes.
Place zucchini in pan, season with a little salt and pepper and lightly brown on both sides.

3. Arrange zucchini evenly over pesto on puff pastry shell.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until shell is puffed ad very light brown.  Remove from the oven and top with freshwater mozzarella slices and about half of the fresh herbs.  Continue to bake until cheese has melted and crust is golden brown.  Remove from oven and top with additional fresh herb chiffonade and drizzle a little more pesto on top if desired. Serve hot or at room temperature.

RECIPE: Goat Cheese and Arugula Ravioli with Pine Nuts

I am certifiably obsessed! I can't stop making and eating ravioli. I am waking up in the middle of the night and pondering new fillings. Really, there is something wrong with this- but I truly don't care. I will work out extra hard just so I can eat these guilt free to my heart's content. Last night I made arugula and goat cheese ravioli for dinner again, the second time around was considerably easier (not making pasta from scratch obviously makes a big difference). I think they even tasted better, I ditched the original recipe and improvised with pre-made pasta. (As with all non-baking recipes, use the recipe as a guideline).

I was eating dinner with my girlfriends and I was so absurdly happy I sort of laughed to myself. The company was delightful, but the true source of my joy at that moment was the food. Dinner was sort of an impromptu thing, I had spent the better part of the day recouping from the night before. I had a wedding cake to finish and deliver that morning, it had been a very long day. I cancelled dinner plans that evening because I just simply did not think I would make a very good dinner companion in the state I was in. But, after a nap and bath I was surprisingly ready to go again and what I craved as my hang over cure was this concoction. The pre-made pasta sheets are a life saver, making ravioli from scratch is a lovely idea- but I do have other things to attend to, napping so spending 3 hours in the kitchen rolling out pasta was not in the repertoire.

Oh, and almost forgot, for dessert we had a very large dollop of Argentine Cajeta doused with Bailey's Irish cream. Frangelico or Amaretto would have been a better option, but I was out. So so easy and oh my god, it made for three very blissfully happy women.

Okay, so about the ravioli... that is why you're reading this, after all. The pasta sheets are actually labeled lasagna sheets. (yes, whole foods). I remove them from the package and wrap them in a moistened kitchen towel for about 10 minutes. I found that doing this rehydrates them a bit and helps keep them from cracking when folding them over. I cut them into perfect squares and then fold over into a triangle and seal with the tines of a fork. Depending on how moist the pasta sheets are, I will usually wet the edges with my fingers. Soggy ravioli is nasty, so be sure to seal well so water does not leak in while cooking.

I am generous with the filling, place a dollop (about 1.5 - 2 tablespoons) in the center of the square. Then fold over, squeezing out any air pockets as you go. (Another culprit for allowing water to get in- clearly, I dislike it when that happens!) I did not have enough Arugula to make the sauce, so I used the same amount of basil and chopped it into a chiffonade instead.

The filling and ravioli can be made ahead. You can put the ravioli together up to a day ahead of time, just make sure to wrap the pan with a damp towel before refrigerating. From start to finish, the recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare.

Goat Cheese and Arugula Ravioli

Lasagna Fresh Pasta Sheets (1 package RP pasta)

3 cups fresh arugula

3/4 cup fresh ricotta (preferably whole milk)

1/4 cup softened goat cheese

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons butter

Sauce:

3 cups fresh arugula

1/3 cup pine nuts

4 tablespoons butter

2 thinly sliced garlic cloves

juice of 1 lemon

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large heavy skillet over medium high heat melt the butter and cook until all the foam is gone. (this clarifies the butter, removing the water and allows the butter to brown giving it a nutty flavor). Add the pine nuts, garlic and saute until lightly golden, (the pine nuts burn quickly- this is not the time to multi-task). Add the arugula and lemon zest season generously with salt and pepper.

2. In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and ricotta, add the arugula mixture and set aside.

3. Assemble ravioli (instructions above). Set prepared ravioli on a sheet pan and either cover with a towel and refrigerate until ready to use or proceed to step 4.

4. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. While the water comes to a boil, start the sauce. In a large heavy skillet, heat butter until foaming, add pine nuts, garlic and lemon juice. Lightly brown, add arugula and season with salt and pepper. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

5. When water comes to a rolling boil, gently drop ravioli in and cook until they float to the top, about 5-7 minutes. Remove ravioli from water with a strainer or slotted spoon and drop directly into skillet. Gently toss ravioli in sauce and serve. Makes 12 large ravioli.

Recipe: Grilled Pizza with figs, freshwater mozzarella, goat cheese, balsamic onions and Arugula.

 I have come out of my gardening strike in the last week and I'm well on my way to getting my garden back in order.  I find it hard to believe I have neglected it for the past year like I have... weeding has consumed the last few days.   I have planted tomatoes, peppers and re-vamped the herbs, but my most pleasant discovery was finding  figs on my tree.  I have a beautiful little fig tree in the backyard, which apparently did not mind the neglect.  The tree has done just fine without me- bursting with figs.  The challenge now is to harvest before the birds do, since they seem to like them as much or more than I do!  The figs I used for the pizza are black mission, but any type or combination of fresh figs will work well.  Figs are highly perishable and are best eaten soon after picking. Using them in a grilled pizza works well because they don't get much overhead heat and remain plump and juicy.  

 I just recently bought a new kitchen toy, one that took numerous trips to the kitchen store and quite an agonizing search for the perfect grill.  Only after returning the black model to then buy the same exact grill in blue (yes, color makes all the difference) did I finally make the purchase. Accordingly, I have decided that in order to truly reap the benefits of this painstaking journey, I will enjoy all things grilled for at least the next month or so.  First on the agenda, a delectable grilled pizza! 

Grilled pizza has always been a favorite of mine. More recently, I stumbled upon a similar recipe in an issue of the Donna Hay magazine and it inspired me to craft my own. FYI - if you don't want to go through the trouble of making pizza dough, a pre-made pizza disk, frozen pizza dough (whole foods carries it),  or pita bread are good substitutes.

I used a combination of goat cheese and freshwater mozzarella to start.  There is a great cheese maker at my local Farmer's market whose goat cheese with dill caught my eye this latest time around and so far it's my favorite.  Mache' would be a great substitute for the arugula (rocket) if unavailable.  You can either caramelize your own onions as I did in balsamic vinegar, or use an onion jam.

The dough can be made ahead of time and left in the refrigerator until it's time for the second proofing.  The pizza can then be assembled as the coals heat up in the grill.  

Grilled Pizza with fresh figs, freshwater mozzarella, goat cheese, Balsamic onions and Arugula.

1 pint fresh figs, stemmed and halved

1/2 pound freshwater mozzarella

1/2 cup goat cheese with herbs

1 red onion thinly sliced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, plus extra for drizzling

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

about 2 cups arugula

Pizza Dough:

2 packets active dried yeast

1 tablespoon honey

1-1/4 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees)

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

 

Place the yeast, honey and water in the bowl on an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Add 3 cups flour and salt and mix.  While mixing slowly add remaining flour (1 cup) until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.  Knead dough with mixer additional 10 minutes.  Remove dough from mixer and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface turning it 1/4 turns each time.  When finished the dough should be smooth and elastic.  Place in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel and allow to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in volume.  

Divide dough into 6 portions, roll each with a rolling piece or pat out by hand into 6-8" rounds.  Place on counter or baking sheet, cover with towel, and allow to rest for an additional 10 minutes.  (at this point you can refrigerate dough until ready to use- a few hours).  

Pre-heat grill to medium heat.   Brush with olive oil and chargrill for 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through.  Layer cheese, onions and figs on pizza place back on grill until cheese is just beginning to melt.  Remove from grill, add rocket leaves, drizzle with additional balsamic vinegar and oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

To caramelize onions: In a medium saucepan over med-high heat saute onion slices in olive oil until lightly browned, season with salt and pepper.  Add balsamic vinegar and de-glaze pan.  Set aside to cool until ready to use.

Lemon and Thyme Baked Ricotta with Marinated Olives

I think I have expressed my love for cheese and bread, but just in case there is any doubt this recipe should confirm my passion...specially for the cheese portion. One small confession before I go on- I don't eat a lot of meat, no particular reason, not a vegetarian- just can live without it I guess. As a result, my meals aren't really meals in a traditional sort of way, I am completely satisfied eating cheese, olives, and bread. Specially when cooking for only myself which happens more often than not these days, as Jack is perfectly happy eating mac and cheese with a stray vegetable here and there. I bought a container of organic whole-milk ricotta cheese to make ravioli, but for some reason I just haven't been in the mood to make work intensive food lately which led me to the baked ricotta. Last time I was in New York I had baked ricotta as part of an antipasto plate and I fell in love, but when I made it at home it just wasn't the same; that is, until today- it was actually better.

The first time I made the dish, I did not add enough eggs, nor did I whip them so it was a little flat and dense. As a result of that I understood I needed to make more of a souffle out of it. Second time's a charm- it was absolutely yummy, (and I say this from experience- I ate the whole thing and made quite a piglet of myself). I can already tell this is the first of many variations on this little dish- the possibilities are endless. Most any herb would complement the ricotta quite well, next time I might try sun-dried tomatoes with rosemary and possibly add non-pareil capers. As for the olives, I usually buy different varieties and mix them all together. Whole Foods has been a great source for olives since they have a wide variety in their olive bar. My current favorites are Sicilian spiced olives, which are most of what I used this time, they are just a little spicy and quite flavorful. The recipe makes 2 small 8 0z. ricotta cakes, if I was assembling an appetizer for more than four people, I would double the recipe. I don't really care for low-fat or fat-free versions of cheeses (I would rather just eat less if I was so concerned with fat content), but this is one case where low fat ricotta would work.



Baked Ricotta

1 cup whole milk ricotta
2 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
grated zest of one small lemon
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
freshly cracked black pepper and coarse sea salt

Marinated Olives

1 cup mixed olives (jalapeno stuffed, Spiced Sicilian, almond stuffed, green and black Cerignolas, and oil cured olives)
1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F

Grease 2- 8oz. oven proof ramekins

1. Whip 2 egg whites to soft peaks and set aside.

2. Combine ricotta,parmesan cheese, lemon zest, 2 egg yolks, thyme, salt and pepper until blended. Add about one third of the whipped egg whites and fold gently. Add remaining whipped egg whites and fold until just incorporated.

3. Divide the mixture evenly between the buttered ramekins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top and a little puffy. (they will deflate a bit as they cool). Baked ricotta is best eaten warm or at room temperature.

4. Combine all the marinated olive ingredients and serve alongside the cheese with sliced French baguette.