My daugher commented on my Roasted Tomato Tart Salad that is a favorite of hers. This is a rendition of Thomas Keller's salad with all his wonderful taste and temperature sensations that he is known for. He calls for chilling some tomatoes, while roasting others, then placing them on a pastry puff round for a wonderful crunch. Then he adds greens with a basil vinaigrette and tops everything with a olive tapenade. Yet, I made and took the picture of that wonderful salad in early October when heirloom and dry farmed early girls were still available. We are now making way for pomegranates, fuyu persimmons and stews. Sorry my dear daughter, but that will not be a good dish for your homecoming dinner in two and a half weeks.
Now Smoked Salmon Risotto is another story. That dish is another one of my middle child's favorite courses. Smoked Salmon Risotto is perfect at any time of year. That dish was the one I told Food and Wine I would make if hungry guests arrived unexpectedly!! We can always find a piece of dried cured salmon around, right!
So here are the two recipes for you to enjoy. Just save the Roasted Tomato Tart Salad recipe for when tomatoes are back in season! Enjoy!!
Heirloom Tomato Tart with Nicoise Olive tapenade, Mixed Field Greens In a Basil Vinaigrette
Again, this wonderful salad is from Thomas Keller's phenomenal book, "The French Laundry Cookbook".
Serves 6
- Tomatoes
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 medium heirloom tomatoes (about 4 ounces each), peeled
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
- Tapenade
- 6 to 8 salt-packed anchovy fillets (1 ounce), bones removed, soaked in mild to cover for one hour, rinsed and then soaked and rinsed two more times
- ½ cup (4 ounces) Nicoise olives, pitted
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Basil Vinaigrette
- ½ cup packed basil leaves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ package Puff Pastry
- 3 cups mixed baby lettuce leaves
For the Tomatoes
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cut 2 of the tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper, the thyme leaves, and 2 more tablespoons of the oil. Roast the tomato slices for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The slices should have dried out slightly but should still be moist. These can be prepared a day ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
Slice the remaining 3 tomatoes into 1/8 inch slices and place them on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen tea towel. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 5 hours.
For the Tapenade
Drain the anchovies, pat them dry and place them in a small food processor with the olives and mustard. Turn the machine on and slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube to make the puree, stopping the machine and scraping the sides as necessary. Remove the tapenade to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the Basil Vinaigrette
Blanch the basil leaves in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain the leaves and cool them under cold running water; drain well and dry on paper towels. Puree the basil in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube, blending until smooth. This can be done up to 2 days ahead; store in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature before using.
For the Puff Pastry
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into an 8 by 12 inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Place the sheet on a tray and place in the freezer (it will be easier to cut). Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
When the pastry is frozen, cut out 3 inch round of pastry and place them on the baking sheet. Prick each pastry round several times with a fork, then top each round with a slice of roasted tomato. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the tops and bottoms of the pastries are crisp and they are well browned on the bottom.
To Complete
Add the balsamic vinegar to the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Toss the baby lettuces with just enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens.
Center a pastry round on each plate. Arrange 3 overlapping slices of chilled tomato on top of each roasted tomato and spoon ¼ teaspoon of olive tapenade onto the slices. Top each tart with a portion of the dressed greens and drizzle each plate with a small amount of the remaining vinaigrette.
Smoked Salmon Risotto with Whiskey and Dill
A true Italian would never put cheese in a risotto with fish but I am not Italian. The cheese makes it salty and creamy enough to make it a perfect dish. This risotto will be loose and please serve it as soon as it is ready to keep it that way.
Serves 6 to 8 as a first course
- 5 cups chicken broth, Swanson is fine
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup sliced smoked salmon, about 6 ounces
- ¼ cup good quality whiskey
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill plus additional for a garnish
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus additional for garnish
Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan.
Heat two tablespoons of butter and oil in a heavy four quart pan over moderate heat. Add the onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to soften but does not brown. Stir the rice into the onion mixture; using a wooden spoon, stir for 1 minute, making sure all the grains are well coated. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently until the wine is absorbed. Begin to add the simmering broth, ½ cup to 1 cup at a time, again, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next. Keep the risotto at an even, lively but low boil to ensure the proper rate of evaporation of the broth. The addition of broth should take about 18 minutes.
While cooking the risotto, make the smoked salmon sauce. In a medium sized sauté pan, heat the remaining two tablespoons of butter. When melted and hot, add the salmon and stir fry until almost opaque. Add whiskey and reduce by half. Add the cream, bring to a boil and then add dill. Take off heat and set aside in a warm place until ready to use.
Begin tasting the risotto after 15 minutes of cooking to determine if it is done. The timing may vary by 2 to 3 minutes on either side. You may not need all the broth or if you need more add hot water. This will depend on your rice. Once done, add the salmon sauce and stir to heat and incorporate into the rice. Add the cheese, stir and serve at one in wide brimmed soup bowls.
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