The Houndstooth Gourmet

While the folks in Kansas live in Tornado Alley, I believe here in the Mid Atlantic region, we live in Tomato Alley (Jersey tomatoes, anyone?). That’s right- in this region ( within 125 miles of D. C. where produce comes to our farmers markets), we have access to some of the best tasting tomatoes that summer has to offer.In last week’s tomato-centric WaPo Food section,  writer Jane Black took a gutsy stand in an article entitle Snob Appeal, and called out “heirloom tomatoes” as being, well, not all their cracked up to be sometimes. With glorious names (and let’s just say it, a “face for radio”), these much-hyped fruits at times do not deliver on taste, or texture. I’d gladly look past the lumps, knots and crevices for the sake of preserving the seed’s heritage if only the taste transcended the ubiquitous Early Girls and Big Boys (which can be terrific, by the way). After all- organic, biodiversity, and independent farmer’s sweat equity are quite sexy these days.

I grew up eating great tomatoes. Each summer, my family planted a garden where tomatoes would fill our salad bowls and dinner plates long into the fall. During the summer months, we’d pluck the tomatoes as they ripened, and at the end of the season, when the aging vines yielded to the weight of still-green tomatoes, we’d relieve them of their burden, thank them for the bounty that they provided, and marched laundry baskets full of fruit into our basement to wrap in newspaper-stowed away until by some miracle, under the shade of newsprint, they blushed.

Even as I write this, I know that in a small patch of soil on the side of my house, a few tomato plants are growing. One is a plucky, hearty sort, that finally in the throws of August heat is giving me many tiny cherry tomatoes. Whoopee! Two more plants-heirloom varieties, the names which I can not recall now-have inglorious red-tinged lumps here and there. Hanging, hardly growing, just waiting to succumb to rot, they torture and taunt me with their imminent failure.

Honestly, I don’t think we’ll enjoy one damn tomato from those vines.  Which leaves me in the predicament of having to buy tomatoes from farmers markets. And, having to pay a pretty price for them.  Or not.  Here’s a tip-go to several farmers markets to scout out the best prices, and the best product.   Sometimes, if your lucky, you get both.  I purchased tomatoes for this recipe from Toigo Orchards at the Del Ray Farmers Market.  Lately, they’ve been keeping a box of “seconds” tomatoes on the ground.  You’d probably walk right by it if you weren’t looking for it.  My tomatoes cost $.99 a pound-that’s about a third of regular cost, more or less.   And, if you don’t find a “seconds” box of tomatoes, ask your farmer if they sell them. This comes in handy if you are buying bulk for canning or freezing in quantity.  The funny part of this story is this- in my bunch of tomatoes, I had one large red fruit, and several red and green-striped  tomatoes.  Quite interested to find out what variety they were (because lately I’ve become a bit obsessed with the provenance of my food) I held them up and asked, “What type of tomatoes are these?”"Field Tomatoes.”  Go figure.

That brings me to this week’s recipe from the Washington Post Food section.  Each week, I look forward to this section of the paper, where I find at least one recipe to try out and post on  The Houndstooth Gourmet.  As a home cook with a bit of experience under my apron strings, sometimes I use what I have on hand, or make substitutions when necessary.  Joan Summers of Arlington submitted a recipe for Agave Tomato Jam.  This recipe made her a finalist in the Top Tomato 2009 recipe contest and got her condiment featured in the Washington Post. Now you might be thinking “what the heck is agave?”, and “do I have any agave”.  For me the answers were “not a clue” and “no”.  So, I did what any respectable home cook would do- I googled it.  Agave is a plant that is widely cultivated in Mexico.  It’s nectar, when fermented, produces Tequilla (OK-now this is ringing a bell).  The nectar is also 90% fructose, and has a low glycemic index level compared to table sugar. It’s often used as a substitute for sugar by diabetics, people who are insulin resistant, and for those watching their carbohydrate intake.  Since I did not have agave nectar, I decided to see what else I could use.  Common substitutions are honey, maple syrup, simple syrup and sugar.

Further investigation lead me to a recipe for Tomato Jam from the New York Times, which interestingly, is remarkably similar to Ms. Summers’ submission.  So, with my field tomatoes in hand, I decided to go with the ingredients I had in my kitchen, and riff on the NYT recipe. In the end, the taste was as promised-spicy and sweet.  Oh, the peaches?  Now, don’t be scared of the peaches! I was able to decrease the amount of sugar used in the original NYT recipe by 50%, just by adding one large peach (which also added to the texture of the jam in the end). Out of season-skip the peach and increase the sugar to 3/4 cup.

Tomato and Peach Jam

Adapted from the New York Times recipe for Tomato Jam

Serve as a condiment with bread and cheese

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds good ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt1 jalapeño or other peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced, or red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste. I used a nice big pinch.

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrigerate until ready to use; this will keep at least a week.
4. Yield: About 1 pint.

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also make this in bulk and can in jars using proper technique.

The Wrap Up

Although I had some trepidation using peaches with tomatoes, this combination really worked. It brought the refined sugar content down significantly, which I felt was in the spirit of Ms. Summers’ Washington Post recipe which uses agave nectar. As far as taste, the smoky cumin and red pepper flakes balanced the sweetness imparted by the sugar, ground cloves and cinnamon. This is a surprisingly refreshing and unique way to use summer tomatoes. And, if you can, you can enjoy this year round.

This condiment would be a terrific addition to any cheese plate; I think it would pair nicely with soft or hard cheeses.

Difficulty- easy

Sources- tomatoes and peaches came from Toigo Orchards.

Tags: WaPo Wednesdays, peaches, tomatoes by Ramona
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It was bound to happen-this is D.C. after all. Summer’s perfunctory heatwave turned what had been July’s pleasant warm days into August’s sweltering, swamp-like soup. Forget sultry, as the character Harry Goldenblatt said on Sex in the City, I was “schvitzing like a pudding at a picnic” this weekend. And that was before 10 a.m. While the heat can be oppresive, the produce is at its best. While market patrons filled the aisles (and oh yes, gotta love those strollers at Dupont), the producer’s tables were brimming with vegetables, fruits and herbs.

The abundance was remarkable.Now. Now is when farmers markets are at their best. Yes, I adore them year round, but summer’s heat draws out sweat, as well as every bit of color, flavor and juice in just about every product that grows to fruition at this time of year.

Bell peppers come in a plethora of colors, corn-whether white, yellow, or both, is sweet with plump kernels, tomatoes of all shapes and sizes actually taste like tomatoes, and vivid flowers lend a  outward sign on the table that this short, fleeting time of year will all too soon yield to Fall leaves and pumpkins. When even now, stores are carrying Halloween gear. Yikes! You know you have to seize the opportunity. Carpe Produce!

At the 14th & U St. farmers market, I snagged a box of cipollini onions from Kuhn’s Orchard (perhaps one of most beautiful stalls to walk in). Cippolini’s are small, sweet, rather flat, disc-like onions that happen to be wonderful when roasted. Here’s my method for preparing them: I peeled the onions, put them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet,  and gave them a little dousing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and s+p. Then, the onions roasted in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes, getting turned once or twice. The onions became tender, and the balsamic thickened as it coated each onion. This is terrific on warm or cold salads, or as a part of an antipasti platter-just pop them in your mouth. You won’t believe how sweet they are!

At The Copper Pot Food Company, Stefano Frigerio has recovered from an earlier loss of many, many jars of sauce, and featured several varieties, including Virgini’s Blended, and Smokey Bacon tomato sauces. I paired the former with his veal osso-bucco tortellini. Stefano’s sauces are clean, simple, and not overwhelmed by flavors that obfuscate the fact that these are tomato sauces. The veal osso bucco tortellini-guess how good that was? So good, that we used our Panorama baguette to mop up every bit from the bottom of the bowl.

Panorama’s sticky buns continue to be a weakness of Frank’s and mine. We split one every time we go to the market. Each bun is perfectly sticky (you’d best have a Wet-Nap with you) on the outside, and yeasty on the inside. We also bought a baguette for future use with a tomato and peach jam that I’ll post about tomorrow for WaPo Wednesdays.

Knowing that I needed a handfull of tomatoes for the jam, we drove back to Alexandria via the Del Ray market, where I was hoping to get my ‘maters from the “seconds” bin at Toigo Orchards.  Fortunately, they did have them at $.99 per pound- about a third of the price that most producers were fetching. I recommend you look for “seconds” bins for tomatoes-especially if you need bulk. The only caveat is that generally, you will want to use your tomatoes very soon, as they tend to be bruised and in imminent danger of skin poppage. Is that a word? Poppage? Anyway, they can go south quickly, so use them up as soon as you can.

Lastly, Sunday I visited the Dupont Farmers Market, where as I remarked earlier, was what I like to call the “two-s’s”. Sticky, and strollers. I have nothing against strollers, but movement is key to trying to keep cool on the asphalt with little to no air circulation. There should be HOS lanes at Dupont-High Occupance Strollers!!  Even the shade afforded by some of the producer’s tents offered little relief from macadum-driven heat. I was tempted to pick up Dolcezza’s ice-filled tub and douse myself with it in a Miles-from-Sideways-fashion-being fueled by heat stroke instead of mid-life angst. I didn’t, but I thought about it.Yeah, so you won’t catch me living South of the Border anytime soon, but you can expect me to give you more updates in the next, At The Market. Until then, eat and buy local when you can. Enjoy the slide show-just clicky on the right arrow!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Tags: District of Columbia, Washington, Alexandria, farmers markets by Ramona
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Clafouti-that delightful French pancake that makes berries and stone fruit shine. Making a good one has been elusive for me. I believe I was first inspired to make clafouti several years ago when watchig Sara Moulton on Sara’s Secrets. You know-back when the Food Network was a television station that could really teach and inspire. Ah, those were the days. Anyway, I soon made my first clafouti. Cherry, I believe. I was impressed that, first, I made something French, and second, that it was easy and really delicious.

Come to think of it, I’m not sure whose recipe I used the first time I made a clafouti. I only know that the second, third and probably fourth time I made it, it didn’t turn out well. My clafoutis were either dry, or very egg-y. I’m talking like eating a sweet omelette or scrambled eggs. Not good. Blech.

Now flash forward to last week’s WaPo Food section, with as you may know, I am seeking inspiration and guidance by making at least one recipe a week, and posting it. Last week, the WaPo featured blogger and cookbook author, David Lebovitz. The “American Blogger in Paris” cooks in his small apartment by the Bastille. While the mere thought of living in Paris, writing a pithy blog and memoir, and cooking, cooking, cooking turns my complexion green with envy, Lebovitz dismisses the notion that his life is all beret-wearing, sidewalk cafe-coffee-sipping and Sartre contemplating while watching star-crossed lovers stroll the avenues. No, there’s dog poop on those streets, and you had better watch your step.

And, like the roads in Paris, you occasionally have to dodge bad recipies, and just plain bad days in the kitchen. Oh, the gritty underbelly.  Sometimes, however, you have a good day, your ingredients shine, and you can’t wait to share what you’ve made or what you’ve discovered. This is such a day. Lebovitz’s clafouti is a perfect intersection of custard and cake. It revels in the oven- getting a bit crunchy on top from caramelizing sugar, while the fruit underneath yields juice and nectar into the egg, butter and flour.While stone fruits and berries are in season, I highly recommend taking the heat while you turn on the oven to bake up this wonderful dessert. Clafouti is easy, yet elegant. You’ll be impressed-and so will your friends. Share!P.S….don’t be afraid to make this in the colder months, as frozen fruit would work just fine.

Apricot* and Raspberry ClafoutiRecipe adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris, courtesy of The Washington PostServes 8**Ingredients:

• • • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the baking dish
  • • 1 pound ripe apricots, pitted and cut into 3/4 inch wedges (may substitute small ripe plums, cut in half and pitted)
  • • 1 cup raspberries, washed
  • • 3 large eggs
  • • 1/2 cup flour
  • • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • • 1 1/3 cups whole milk***

Directions:Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees.Use butter to liberally grease the bottom and sides of a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Arrange the apricot wedges (cut sides up) and the raspberries in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until smooth, then whisk in the 4 tablespoons of melted butter and the flour until completely smooth. Add the vanilla, then whisk in 1/2 cup of the sugar and the milk to form a custard. Pour the custard over the fruit. Bake on the top rack for 30 minutes, then pull out the rack gently, so the crust that is just beginning to form on the claflouti remains intact. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the surface, then gently return the rack to its position. Bake the claflouti for 30 minutes, or until it feels slightly firm in the center and its top is a nice golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.**I used peaches from Toigo Orchards. To prepare-briefly blanch in boiling water, and peel skin. Cut in half, remove pit, and slice.** I used a 10 inch non-stick skillet, and felt the serving recommendation was more like 6 generous slices. If you use a casserole dish, simply scoop the clafouti out.*** I did not have whole/4% milk on hand, so I used half 1% milk and half heavy cream for the 1 1/3 cups milk called for in the recipe. Perhaps this contributed to the incredible creamy custard that resulted.

Tags: WaPo Wednesdays, The Washington Post, peaches, berries, fruit, dessert, baking by Ramona
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Hi folks-here’s the recipe that I chose from last week’s Washington Post Food section. It’ Peaches and Cream with Raspberries- a variation on peach melba which they paired with frozen yogurt. I had French Vanilla ice cream on hand, plus some frozen local blackberries, but the basics are the same for making the peach sauce.

What did I think? Well, first, it’s delicious. Really. But while I made it, with my oven on for over 45 minutes, I thought that I could certainly make this sauce on the stove top in a fraction of the time. In the heat of summer-that’s would I would recommend. Simply place all of the ingredients into a sauce pan, and simmer with the lid on for about 10 minutes, until the peaches are completely softened and macerated. Then, uncover the pot, and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced a bit to concentrate the flavors. Finally, blend with a stick blender or stand blender. Serve warm, or cool over frozen yogurt, regular yogurt, or ice cream.

Another tip-I did not have orange liquour around, and in lieu of almond extract, I used a passion fruit vinegar. Yes, vinegar! Now, I know you may not have this type of vinegar (I just had to get this bottle at Di Bruno Bros. in Philadelphia), but keep this idea in mind if you are making any type of berry sauce-balsamic vinegar brings out the best in the flavor-and sweetness!

Taste-I give this sauce a 4/5.  Truly, you could get good canned peaches from the farmers market (Toigo, Quaker Valley) at any time of year, heat them up with spices and flavorings, and blend to make a sauce. Peach Melba sauce compliments ice cream quite well.

Would I entertain with this?- You bet I would- especially because this sauce can be make ahead of time. It looks homemade, and it adds great dimension to store-bought ice cream (I’m also thinking pound cake!. Plus, it’s easy.

Sources- I purchased my peaches from Bigg Riggs Farm (West Virginia) at the Alexandria Farmers Market.

Peaches and Cream with Raspberries

Recipe courtesy of The Washington Post

6 servings

Ingredients:

6 (about 2 pounds) peaches (preferably freestone), peeled, pitted and cut into quarters; see NOTE
1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons or 3 orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
3 cups low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/2 pint raspberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a shallow baking dish (about 8 by 11 inches).

Arrange the peach quarters with cut sides up in a single layer in the baking dish, then scatter the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt over them. Add the water to the dish, then cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and return the dish to the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the liquid in the dish has reduced to a syrup.

Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer the peaches and syrup to a blender and process until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of the liqueur and blend to incorporate. Taste and add the remaining tablespoon of liqueur as needed.

The sauce can be served warm or refrigerated until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Divide the frozen yogurt equally among individual serving bowls. Top each with about 1/4 cup of the sauce and divide the raspberries evenly among the portions. Serve immediately.

NOTE: To peel the peaches, start with ripe fruit. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole peaches and parboil for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from the water, rinse with cold water and peel away the skins.

Tags: peaches, dessert, Recipe by Ramona
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As much as I enjoy seeing seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs in abundance-I adore finding a good surprise or two at the market. Take this refreshing gazpacho, blended up with market-fresh ingredients from vendors just steps away. That’s what the chef de cuisine from DC’s Hay Adams Hotel was making under a tent tucked away toward the back of the square.

It was nice to see a “Chef at Market”, although I’m not sure that’s what the Alexandria Farmers Market is calling it-I just hope the market keeps it up because they were giving people lots of great inspiration for ways to use what’s for sale . Another fun find- huckleberries. Did you know that huckleberries are the state fruit of Idaho? Who knew? I bought about a pint or more for $2.50. I’m thinking of making a panna cotta with them. I have gelatin and am ready to give it a go!

But first, I’m making a variation on peach melba over ice cream-made with peaches from Bigg Riggs farm in West Virginia. By the way, if you find yourself at Bigg Riggs stand (they are also at the Upper King Street Market on Wednesday afternoons), treat yourself to a bunch of tomatillos. You can simply roast them with some onions, toss with a jalepeno pepper, a bunch of cilantro (go ahead and use the stems too), season and blend with a touch of evoo to make an easy salsa verde!

Stay tuned for the peaches on WaPo Wednesday, and until the next At The Market, eat and buy local when you can.

Tags: Alexandria, farmers markets by Ramona
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