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: peaches, tomatoes, WaPo Wednesdays by Ramona
6 Comments »

Recently, Frank and I enjoyed a lovely dinner at Rustico, a restaurant/gastropub in North Old Town, Alexandria. It was a dinner to remind me that I need to get the hell out of my own kitchen and enjoy great food that is right at my fingertips, so to speak. Not only does it save on cleaning the kitchen, but this dinner in particular served to give me inspiration–inspiration to make a ragu like the pork ragu over rigatoni I enjoyed so much, that I had to ask what seasonings etc. were used. Oregano, rosemary, thyme and garlic, I was told. Very simple, yet something else was going on. The pork tasted…nutty. “Ahh”, I thought-I’m tasting the pork. No, not just the pork, but what the pig ate. It was then that once again, I inquired (to the manager) about where they sourced their pork from. As I has suspected, the pork is from Babes in the Wood, a terrific producer in Virginia. Fortunately, I’m able to buy BITW products locally at the Alexandria Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, so I set out to buy pork shoulder (an excellent cut for braising), buy wound with two equally wonderful pork shanks, due to availability. After defrosting the meat, it was on to making the ragu.

Ragu–what do you think of first? The stuff in the jar, right? At least, I did. The brand has been around forever, and up until a few years ago, I might have bought it myself (now I generally make my own). And I know, ragu is also what many Italians call spaghetti sauce, or gravy. That’s the second thing that comes to my mind-a long-simmered sauce with bits of meat that gently cooks, tenderizes and flavors homemade meatballs while being stirred by Nona in her apron.

Ragu is a beloved Italian sauce from Emilia-Romagna and at its core, it is chopped meat(s), sauteed vegetables and liquid (wine, tomatoes, stock, milk, cream). In Northern Italy, ragu is typically chopped into the sauce, while in Southern Italy, meat may be cooked in the sauce, then served separately from it. With aristocratic origins, ragu became a peasant dish as a sauce served over pasta. Lesser, more affordable cuts of meat were braised often with tomatoes, and cream which rose to the top of a can of heated milk. Broth was not used, as it involved animal bones which were too expensive for most. Salt pork,  which was available and affordable, was added to the meat for bulk and flavor.

Many of you are perhaps familiar with Emilia-Romagna’s most famous ragu-bolognese. If you haven’t made bolognese from Marcella Hazan’s recipe, you owe it to yourself to do so. Not simply marinara with meat, Hazan’s bolognese is meat cooked in tomato, milk and white wine. Its richness and intensity of flavor is beyond compare-served most judiciously as a primi over tagliatelle.

Now, where was I? Oh right, ragu. Similar to bolognese, time, lots of love (I sound like Carla Hall, hootie-hoo y’all) and following 4 basic steps are required and apply to many braises, including osso bucco. First, season and sear your meat. This will create flavor. Second, saute a sofrito or mirepoix to create depth of flavor and aroma. Third, add liquid to cover meat by 1/2 to 3/4.  Fourth and last, allow the braise to refrigerate overnight. It will not only taste better, but you will be able to defat the liquid.

 These are the basics for this pork ragu, and after two days of preparation, Frank and I were finally able to sit down and and enjoy our ragu. The pork shank was succulent and deeply flavored from the braise. My version ended up being a bit heavier than Rustico’s, but terrific none the less.

So, if you can plan ahead, get a great piece of braising meat, and can wait the duration while your house smells like heaven, go ahead and make this ragu while the weather is still cool. Enjoy.

Pork Ragu with Rigatoni

Ingredients

• 4-4 1/2 pounds pork shank (you can use pork shoulder, or beef shoulder/shank)
• 4 cloves garlic
• fresh thyme
• fresh oregano
• fresh rosemary
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 carrots
• 3 celery stalks (leaves included, if you have them)
• 1 onion
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

First, let me say something about seasoning long cooking dishes, such as braises. You want to layer flavors as well as layer seasoning. Adding salt layer by layer is very important. Begin by seasoning your meat and vegetables as you prepare them. Continue add salt judiciously as the braise cooks, because you don’t want to end up with an over-salted dish. The flavors of the braise concentrate as you cook, because inevidably, there is some evaporation during cooking, even if you are using a heavy-lidded pot, such as a dutch oven, which I highly recommend. You can always add more salt at the end, if needed.

For the rub

Peel 3-4 cloves of garlic and place in food processor. Add rosemary and oregano leaves. Pulse 5-6 times to chop the mixture. Slowly drizzle in evoo until the mixture is just past being a paste (you want to be able to liberally cover your pork). You may have noticed that i omitted the thyme from the rub. Fresh thyme leaves are very tiny and hard to harvest off of the stems. I simply rub the thyme whole over the pork and allow them to stay on the top and sides of the meat while marinating.

For the pork

Place pork in a deep dish, and pour rub over the pork. Add the thyme an rub the mixture over the pork. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the pork to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Take pork out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before searing. Remove thyme stems and discard. Liberally salt and pepper the pork on all sides. In a heated skillet or heavy-bottom pan, add about 3 tablespoons of evoo. Sear the pork on all sides, until browned. Discard the evoo.

While the meat in browning, roughly chop the carrots, celery and onion. Add to a food processor and blend until the sofrito mixture until smooth. Heat pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons evoo to pan and transfer sofrito to pan. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Saute the mixture for about 6-8 minutes to develop color on the vegetables, and fond in the pan. Add tomato paste and continue browning for another 5 minutes. Turn heat to high, push sofrito and tomato mixture to the sides of the pan, and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Allow the wine to reduce by half.

Decrease heat to medium and add the tomato paste and chicken stock. Stir to incorporate. If you are cooking the braise in the same pot, return the pork to the pot. If you are braising the ragu in a crock pot, pour the mixture over the pork which has been transfered to the crock pot. Add enough water to cover the meat by 3/4.  Add another 2 pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper.

Braise meat in a 300 degree pre-heated oven, or in a low crock pot for 6-7 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone/pulls apart easily.

Remove meat from the braising liquid and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Gently shred the meat, removing fat as needed (pork shanks have layers of fat between the meat which means more flavor) and reserve meat in a covered container in the refrigerator. Place braising liquid in the refrigerator and chill overnight. The next day, a layer of fat will have formed over the top. This fat can easily be removed with a slotted spoon.

Return meat to braising liquid and gently heat while you boil the pasta. Mix the two together and it’s mangia time!! Serve with a sharp pecorino cheese if you like. I’m not sure it’s authentic, but it’s my belief that anything can be made better with cheese.

Recommendations

• A heavy dutch oven is perfect for braising, such as this Le Creuset, or this Lodge
• The Splendid Table by Lynne Rosetto Kasper
• Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
• All About Braising by Molly Stevens

Tags: Italian, pasta, pork, Recipe, tomatoes by Ramona
3 Comments »

First, I want to thank everyone who entered You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto with fabulous tomato dishes which captured the essence of summer. Your dishes were all so beautiful and imaginative. We certainly have many passionate bloggers out there who love local, fresh ingredients.

Drum roll please…..the winner, generated by Random.org, is…Mrs. L, from Pages, Pucks and Pantry. I know you will love the tome, Bouchon, as I do, and that it will inspire you as it has me. Please send your shipping information to houndstoothgourmet@gmail.com and place “Bouchon Winner” in the subject line.

Congratulations to all of you for your talent, dedication and passion. Stay tuned to THG for more seasonal contests where we can share our love of local ingredients and get inspiration for around the blogoshpere!

Our first entry is from Grace (New York) from A Southern Grace. Titled “Blowing Hot and Cold”, Grace made 2 beautiful salads using tomato. First, Grace combined tomatoes with cilantro, avocado and banana pepper. Next, she added okra and basil to the mix,  sauted the ingredients and added red cabbage at the end for a nice crunch and a splash of color.

(be sure to check out Grace’s yellow tomato with butt cheeks!)

Next, Mary of The Arugula Files (Washington, DC) sent in “Grilled Tomato Salsa”. Mary attempted to replicate Baja Fresh’s black salsa, but could not produce the “liquid gold” that she sought after. She did, however, manage to make a delicious smoky salsa by roasting tomatoes and adding cilantro, jalapeno and chipotle pepper.

Nathan from House of Annie (San Jose, CA) sent in “Lazy Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho With Cucumber and Red Bell Pepper Garnish”. Can you say ‘summer in a bowl’? Wow. Nathan proves that those who give, shall receive. A lovely neighbor, who was the benefactor of several heirloom tomato plants courtesy of House of Annie, shared some of the tomato bounty, accounting for this lovely summer soup.

Be sure to check out Annie’s tips for growing tomatoes. Hint #5-too much watering leads to weak tasting tomatoes.

Tiffany from The Garden Apartment (Alexandria, VA) made a “Roasted Tomato Tart With Caramelized Onions“. Tiffany is an avid farmers market fan, and has discovered many new and delicious tomato varieties this season. In her tart, Tiffany combines roasted tomatoes, mascarpone cheese and caramelized onions in an olive oil rosemary crust. Check out how she manages to top her tart with tomatoes, without ending up with a soggy crust.

I don’t know of any other dish that can take a small number of humble ingredients, and turn out a summer dish that evokes the hills of Tuscany like our next entry can. Sarah from The District Domestic (Washington, DC) did just that when she made “Tomato Bread Salad (aka Panzanella). Here, Sarah toasts the bread in the oven, and the tomato juice is collected in the bowl and savored for its ability to permeated and soften the golden chunks of bread. Sarah recommends that you use only the ripest, freshest tomatoes for making Panzanella.

Our next entry really stacks up–literally! Mrs. L from Pages, Pucks and Pantry (San Jose, CA) made an “Heirloom Tomato Napoleon With Parmesan Crisps”. With Parmesan rounds, sliced tomatoes, and a vinaigrette made with Champagne vinegar, shallots and Dijon mustard, this Napoleon has a range of tastes and textures, from juicy soft tomatoes, to crispy Parmesan rounds, to a slightly sharp edge from the vinaigrette. It sounds (and looks) wonderful. Way to support your local produce stands, Mrs. L!

Finally, Colleen from Foodie Tots (Alexandria, VA) paired tomatoes with nectarines( from one of my favorite producers, Papa’s Orchard) to make “Grilled Nectarine Tomato Salad”. Colleen grilled the nectarines and paired them with sweet, tangy, golden cherry tomatoes. Along with using basil and feta, she topped this summer salad with a simple, clean, lemon vinaigrette.

With appreciation to all who entered YSTIST, here’s looking forward to Fall, with many braises, soups and roasts wafting in the air of our kitchens and homes.

Tags: contest, Recipe, tomatoes, You say tomato I say tomahto by Ramona
4 Comments »

Last week when I visited the North King Street Market for the first time, I was delighted to find vendors that were new to me. Foremost was Greenstone Fields from Purceville, VA. Their selection of heirloom tomatoes was unique among the other wondeful vendors at my area’s farmers market. In particular, a large yellow and crimson “striped” tomato caught my eye as I envisioned it thinly sliced and spread over pizza dough, along with  mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves.

The color palette was even more attractive when Frank and I assembled a couple of pizzas last weekend. The taste was even better. Frank put his knack for shaping the dough to work, while I sliced the tomatoes and cheese, and cut fresh basil from our container herb garden.

As usual, I took a short cut in making homemade pizza by buying premade pizza dough from a wonderful place called The Italian Store in Arlington, VA. While I’m not Sandra Lee-Semi Home Made usually, I do think that having a frozen dough in the freezer leaves room for last minute possibilities when it comes to making a pie, calzone or stromboli or….you get the picture. For around $2, a ball of dough makes 2-10 inch pizza pies. It’s an amazing value, let alone the convenience!

Now, there is no shortcut when it comes to pre-heating your oven with a pizza stone (or other heat-retaining stone) prior to baking your pies. The heat must be as high as your oven will go. Mine goes to 550 degrees, and I begin to heat the oven an hour before I expect to slide the first pie onto the stone.

By doing this, the oven temperature does not drop to any significant degree when I open the oven to put the pizza in the oven. The stone simply retains the heat that it has absorbed for the prior hour, allowing the crust to get a nice brown and a bit of char–and char=flavor.

Pizza with Heirloom Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil

makes 2-10 inch pizzas

Ingredients

• Pizza dough-freshly made or pre-made, bought frozen from your favorite pizza shop
• 6-8 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, sliced and placed on paper towels or dish towel to absorb excess water
• 10-15 basil leaves, shredded
• kosher salt and pepper
• olive oil
• Parmesan Reggiano, grated
• Cornmeal
• All-Purpose Flour, enough to dust hands and surface

Directions

Cut pizza dough in half. Wrap half not being used in plastc wrap until you are ready to assemble your second pizza.

Lightly flour a preparation surface (I use a large wooden cutting board) and hands. Shape pizza dough into a 10-inch round (and if it isn’t perfectly round, that’s ok!). Transfer dough to a pizza peel that has been sprinkled lightly with cornmeal to prevent sticking when sliding the pie onto a pizza stone.

Generously salt and pepper the surface of the pizza dough. Arrange one layer of mozzarella slices, followed by tomato slices and shredded basil. Add a second layer of mozzarella slices.

Drizzle olive oil over the top of the pie and grate Parmesan Reggiano to taste.

Slide the pizza onto your pizza stone and bake for 8 minutes, or until crust is slightly blistered and the cheese is melted.

Makes 4-6 slices.

Repeat with second half of dough and ingredients. Load it up!

Tags: cheese, pizza, Recipe, tomatoes by Ramona
4 Comments »

It’s hard to believe that all too soon, Labor Day will be upon us. Where does the time go? It seems like just last week I was geeking out over Bigg Riggs ramps, and spring onions were everywhere. The next think I knew, strawberries and cherries  had come and gone and now I am now enjoying corn and tomatoes like there’s no tommorow, savoring each kernal and slice. Heck, I’m not even complaining about the near constant flossing!

The wonderful thing about summer markets is how the food can dictate what you eat. Spring onions call out for me to grill them along with a flank steak. Peppers and zuchinni conjur up a healthy pasta dish. Berries make me think of sweet and savory sauces and sorbets. Cherries turn into a crostada. Corn beckons a chowder, or to be simply cooked and kissed with butter and salt. But the undisputable darling of summer has to be the field tomato-red, green, yellow, striped and heirloom. There is no canned or frozen product that could come close to the taste and texture of a fresh, deeply earthy tomato. Who among us foodies hasn’t felt the immense dissappointment  that comes with biting into a pale, tasteless wedge of something that should be ashamed to call itself a tomato? Talk about the winter blues!

 Eat field tomatoes while the eating is good–and that time is right now.

Even better, let’s celebrate the tomato with a book give away! Submit you favorite fresh  field(not canned or dried) tomato recipe/dish to me by Monday, September 22nd (by midnight, EST), the autumnal equinox and official end of summer. Your recipe can be a salad or entree, a hot dish or a cold dish.  It would great if you told your readers where you bought your lovely ‘maters, what type they are and what inspired you to make your dish. Be sure that the tomato is the star of the dish. I will post all entries with a summary, photo, your name and a link to your post, and use Random.org to pick a winner.

The lucky You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato winner will recieve a copy of Thomas Keller’s Bouchon. 

From Amazon-

Bouchon, chef Thomas Keller’s bistro cookbook, offers 180-plus recipes from his eponymous restaurants–there are two. Readers perusing the near-prosciutto-size book will be dazzled, first, by its great looks (there are many beautiful photos), then, perhaps, wonder why so many of its typically homey bistro dishes are so fussy to prepare. Why, for example, must the onions for onion soup be caramelized for five hours, or the muscles of a leg of lamb separated so that each can be cooked to an exact, presumably optimal, temperature.

They should, however, trust this justly celebrated chef, whose sometimes-painstaking refinements reflect a better way. Apart from the excellence of the dishes, the reason to own Bouchon is to discover the richness of Keller’s technical understanding. Readers learn, for example, not to baste chicken while it roasts, which creates skin-softening moisture, and to allow the base for crème caramel to sit before baking, thus permitting its flavors to deepen. Keller’s sensitivity to ingredients and their composition is profound; and he and his collaborators have presented it so deftly that one finds oneself engrossed again and again. Whether Keller is talking about vinaigrettes (in their balance of fat, acid, and saltines, the perfect sauce) vegetable glazing, or the creation of brown butter, his insights are fascinating.

The dishes cover a wide range of courses, and include the traditional–poule au pot, veal roast, pommes frites, and so on–and the “new,” such as Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables, Skate with Fennel-Onion Confit and Tapenade Sauce, and Grandma Sheila’s Cheesecake Tart with Huckleberries. All are, as the French might say, impeccable–and can be accomplished by anyone willing to take the time to do so. Like his cooking, Bouchon is a sui generis treat.

–Arthur Boehm

I own this book and have learned a great deal about technique and flavor. Thomas Keller spared nothing in this book. There is great attention to detail, and the photography is breathtaking. Best of all, the recipes are approachable and will make you look like a superstar!

OK, here are the rules for YSTIST:

1.  All entries must have been posted and dated between Augst 26th and September 22nd (by midnight, EST) and be written specifically for this event.

2.  Entries must mention this roundup up and contain the words “You say tomato, I say tomahto”, with a link back to Ramona at The Houndstooth Gourmet.

3. Limit one entry per participant

4. Send an email to houndstoothgourmet@gmail.com and include the following:

•  Your name and the name of your blog
•  A link to your blog
•  Your country, region, state and/or city
•  The title of your entry and a permalink to the post on your website
•   Place YSTIST in the subject line of your email

I will announce the winner when I post the YSTIST round up, and request shipping information.

Tags: tomatoes, You say tomato I say tomahto by Ramona
7 Comments »