Cherry Tomato, Basil, and Roasted Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

1 bone-in chicken breast

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 large onion, diced to 1/4 inch

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup brown rice

1/4 cup torn basil

1/2 cup heavy cream

olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Method:

Serves 4.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the chicken breast on a small baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and shred into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a 4-quart dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic and onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until aromatic and translucent. Add chicken stock, water, and rice. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer until rice is almost tender. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, heavy cream and basil. Return to a simmer and cook 5 minutes to soften tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with additional fresh basil and serve immediately.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

8 large tomatoes

1 head garlic

2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

        

Method:

Serves 6.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Core the tomatoes and slice them in half crosswise. Place on a parchment or foil lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut the top off the head of garlic, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and place on the baking sheet.

Roast tomatoes for 25-35 minutes or until soft and brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 - 15 minutes.

Place the roasted tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Unwrap the garlic and add to the tomatoes. You can easily remove the roasted garlic from its skin by pressing gently on the skins.  Pulse the tomatoes and garlic until almost smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the chicken broth, thyme, and balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

Burst Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Galette

Ingredients:

Serves 4.

Pastry Dough:

2 cups all purpose flour

6 oz. butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tsp. kosher salt

ice water

1 egg, well beaten, for egg wash

Filling:

2 pints mixed cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons mixed herbs, finely chopped (I used basil, thyme, and rosemary)

16 oz whole milk ricotta

olive oil

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

For the pastry dough:

Place the flour, salt, and butter in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour, making small butter flakes. Once the butter is evenly distributed throughout the flour, slowly add ice water, mixing with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. After at least 30 minutes, remove from the refrigerator and place on a well floured surface and roll the dough into a 12 inch round approximately 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and set aside.

For the filling:

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Add the tomatoes and cover with a lid. Heat over medium high heat, moving the pan gently every few minutes to toss the tomatoes around. After about 5 minutes the tomatoes will begin to make a "popping" sound. Carefully remove the lid after about 7 minutes. The majority of the tomato skins should be split. If they are not yet split, return the lid and allow them to continue to cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, stir together the ricotta, herbs, salt and pepper.

Spread the ricotta mixture over the pastry crust, leaving a 2 inch border around the edge. Spoon the tomatoes on top. Fold the border over the filling, pleating it to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush the crust with the egg wash.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Fried Green Tomato BLT with Basil Mayo

Ingredients

Makes 4 sandwiches

8 slices sourdough bread

1/2 pound high quality bacon (I used Main Street Meats belly bacon)

1 head butter lettuce

2 large green tomatoes, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup corn meal

3/4 cup buttermilk

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup basil mayo, recipe to follow

Safflower oil for frying

Basil Mayo:

2 egg yolks

4 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 cup grape seed oil

3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Place the egg yolks, dijon mustard, and white wine vinegar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Very slowly, pour in the grape seed oil, whisking constantly. The mayo will thicken significantly, but will not be as thick as store bought mayo. Add the basil and stir to combine. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.

For the sandwiches:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the bacon on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook 10-12 minutes or until bacon has reached your preferred crispness. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat enough safflower oil to cover the bottom of the pan with a depth of 1/4 inch. While the oil is heating, place the buttermilk in a small shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and cornmeal and season with salt and pepper. Dip the tomato slices in the buttermilk then in the flour and cornmeal mixture, coating all sides evenly. Fry 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove the tomato slices from the pan and place on paper towels. Season with a little more salt.

Toast the bread until it has started to get crisp but has not started to brown. Remove from the oven and assemble the sandwiches.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread each slice of bread with 1 1/2 tsp. of the basil mayo. Stack with several lettuce leaves, 2-3 tomato slices and 2-3 slices of bacon. Serve immediately.

Zephyr Squash, Red Potato, and Blue Cheese Tart

This delicious tart is great any time of day! It makes a wonderful breakfast or, when served with a salad, a great light dinner. 

Ingredients:

Tart Crust:

2 cups all purpose flour

6 oz. butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tsp. kosher salt

ice water

Filling:

1 medium zephyr squash, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds

1 medium red potato, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds

1 egg yolk

1 cup heavy cream

2 oz. blue cheese

1 tbls. minced herbs of your choice, I used rosemary and thyme

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

Method

Serves 4

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the tart crust:

Place the flour, salt, and butter in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour, making small butter flakes. Once the butter is evenly distributed throughout the flour, slowly add ice water, mixing with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball. Place on a well floured surface and roll the dough into a 12 inch round approximately 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough in a 10 inch fluted tart pan and press into the sides. Trim the excess dough, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

For the filling:

In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water by 2 inches. Simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and egg yolk and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange the potato and squash rounds, overlapping slightly, in concentric circles around the tart pan. Crumble the blue cheese and sprinkle on top. Pour the egg and cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the herbs. 

Bake tart on a baking sheet until bubbling and golden brown, about 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from tart pan. Can be served warm or room temp.