Roasted Butternut Squash Baked Custard

After these came out of the oven I immediately thought that if I had a blow torch I might have covered them in sugar and called it brulee.  The texture is soft like a pie, but less eggy than a true custard.  If you do want to make a pie, or light up a blow-torch to make a sugary shell for fun; this custard-like filling would be appropriate, but neither is required.  As is, this warm baked custard is sufficiently delicious. Also, for anyone with allergies: This recipe is gluten and dairy free.

Ingredients:

1 Medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 -2lbs)

1 large or 2 small farm-fresh eggs

1 can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (cold pressed)

1 Tbs local raw honey

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Kosher salt

Ground ginger

2 Kaffir lime leaves, dried or fresh (optional)

Olive or canola oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel the butternut squash, remove seeds, and dice into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a baking dish and toss with a little oil.  Season with a sprinkle of kosher salt and a generous dash of ground ginger.  Place in the oven and bake for 60 - 90 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn dark brown, the squash is soft, and has lost a good bit of moisture. (See: How To Prepare Winter Squash).

About 15 minutes before the squash is done, place the coconut milk in a medium saucepan with the kaffir lime leaves and let simmer on the lowest heat setting.  Do not boil. Once the squash has caramelized, remove from the oven and add to the coconut milk.  Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Remove from heat and let cool. Discard the kaffir lime leaves.  Place the squash and milk mixture in a blender.  Add the honey and lemon juice then puree until combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings, honey, or lemon juice as desired.  Add the egg(s) then puree until smooth.  Pour or spoon into ramekins.

Place filled ramekins on a baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Baking time will vary depending on the size of the ramekins.  If baking as a pie, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and cook for about one hour.  The custard will puff up and be set when done.  Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes.  Serve warm or cold.

Hummus Dip

What's so great about hummus dip?  Besides being a delicious dip for fresh sweet pepper sticks, cucumbers, raw squash sticks, and cherry tomatoes?  It is protein rich, with 2.5 g protein per tablespoon of tahini (pureed sesame seed butter), and about 7 g protein per 1/4 cup serving of chickpeas.   The rich and creamy taste of pureed chickpeas can be flavored in many ways.  This is a traditional recipe, but it is also delicious with a variety of spices or roasted tomatoes, peppers and onions pureed in the mix. Hummus dip with raw vegetables makes a great after-school snack, or can be a nutritious addition to school lunches.

Ingredients:

1 Cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), or two cans of cooked chickpeas.

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/3 Cup of sesame tahini

1/4 Cup of extra virgin olive oil

3 Cloves of garlic, peeled

1 tsp kosher or sea salt (if cooking your own beans, less salt if using canned)

Paprika, to taste

Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil for garnish (optional)

Method:

If you are using dried beans: Rinse and soak chickpeas overnight. Drain the soaking water, then cover with more water and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until tender.  When they are soft enough, drain off the cooking liquid, reserving a little for thinning the Hummus as needed. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them. Do not reserve any of the liquid from the cans.

Place the chickpeas and the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Add water or reserved cooking liquid to thin the dip if necessary. Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve immediately with freshly sliced vegetables, or portion into snack cups and refrigerate for up to one week.

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

10 lbs ripe heirloom tomatoes (any color or variety)

1 Large yellow onion, diced

8-10 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/4 Cup olive oil

1 Cup dry white or red wine

1 Tbs Alchemy Spice's Kitchen Karma spice blend

2 Bay leaves

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method #1 (lots of texture)

In a large stock pot, saute the onions on medium-low heat with a little oil. Wash tomatoes, cut away the core and any bad spots. Chop the tomatoes into large chunks and place them in the stock pot with the onions.  Add the garlic, wine and spices.  Let simmer for at least one hour, but it's great if it simmers for several hours, with occasional stirring.  Taste occasionally and remove from heat when it is suitably done to your taste. Discard the bay leaves. Puree with an immersion blender.  Serve warm.

Method #2 (smooth texture)

Boil 6-8 quarts of water in a large stock pot.  Fill a large bowl with ice and water.  Cut an "x" in the bottom of the tomatoes. Plunge 3 or 4 tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, or until the skins begin to curl away.  Remove the tomatoes with a large spoon or sieve and place them in the bowl of ice water long enough to cool them.  Repeat until all of the tomatoes have been blanched.  Remove the skins, cores, and any bad spots.  Chop the tomatoes into large chunks.  Continue with instructions for Method #1.

Serve with Grilled cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches.

Easy Tomato Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs chicken (portions from a whole hen or boneless thighs)

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, sliced into wedges

2-3 medium heirloom tomatoes, diced or quartered

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Chopped fresh basil (optional)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

2-3 Tbs olive oil

Serve with cooked quinoa, pasta or brown rice

Method:

Place all ingredients in a baking dish and combine well. I like to use my hands to massage the tomato mixture into the chicken.  The acids from the tomatoes help to tenderize the meat, so if you want to cover and refrigerate the mixture for up to 24 hours, you can prepare this part ahead of time.  When you are ready to bake, place the chicken and tomato mixture in a preheated oven set at 375 degrees.  Bake uncovered for one hour, (or longer if you want the juices to reduce).  Serve with cooked quinoa, pasta or brown rice.

Savory Heirloom Tomato Pie with Olives and Pesto

It's tomato season again, and to celebrate we have another tomato pie recipe to share.  For anyone wishing to win a pie contest, wow your mother-in-law, or just eat a good tomato pie, this one won't disappoint. It has a Mediterranean flavor fit for a pizza, but the thick layers of flavorful heirloom tomatoes and caramelized onions in a buttery shortcrust are sinfully good with these Italian inspired ingredients. We tested the recipe with an aged goat milk cheese on top, but if you prefer a milder flavor, try it with Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil  instead of cheese, or use freshly grated Parmesan, Sequatchie Cove Dancing Fern cheese, or make your own fresh chevre.  

Ingredients:

1 Recipe for Classic Pie Crust

3-4 Heirloom tomatoes (about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs)

2 Yellow onions, sliced

1/4 Cup oil-cured Italian black olives, pitted and chopped

About 2 1/2 oz aged cheese, like Parmesan, goat cheese, or freshly made chevre (optional)

1/4 Cup freshly made pesto

Olive oil or Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Coarse kosher salt

Method:

Prepare ahead (up to one week) and refrigerate: 1 recipe for Pesto.

Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick and place on absorbent paper towels.  Sprinkle a little salt on them to help them release some of the juice.  Cover with another layer of paper towel and press them gently to squeeze out some of the juice.  Let them sit between the layers of paper towel for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the pie crust and press into a 10-inch tart pan or deep pie dish.  A thicker crust is good for this recipe because of the moisture content and weight of the tomatoes.  So fold any extra pastry dough into the tin and press it into the sides.  Bake "blind" for about 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry has cooked enough to be firm, but not browned.   Remove from the oven and let rest until cooled.

Slice the onion and cook in a heavy-bottomed skillet with a little oil and a pinch of salt.  Stir occasionally and remove from the heat when the onions are golden brown.

Start layering the pie by generously spreading pesto into the crust.  Next, press a layer of tomatoes into the bottom of the pie shell.  Season the first  layer of tomatoes with a little salt and pepper. Spread the onions over the first layer of tomatoes, then top with the rest of the tomatoes.  Press them gently to pack the ingredients more densely into the pie.  Drizzle a little olive oil or Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil over the tomatoes, then season, and top with olives and cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees on the top shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes.  The crust will be golden brown and the tomatoes will begin to look a little dehydrated on the edges. Most of the excess moisture should evaporate from the tomatoes, but don't worry if there is still a little moisture pooling between the slices when you pull it out of the oven.  Let the pie cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.  Serve warm, or cool to room temperature before serving.