Heirloom Tomato Tart with Nicoise Olive Tapenade, Mixed Field Greens in a Basil Vinaigrette

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Nicoise Olive tapenade, Mixed Field Greens In a Basil Vinaigrette

While this recipe has many steps, they are easy and most can be done ahead of time.  You could also use a good quality store-bought tapenade without much sacrifice of flavor or even skip the tapenade all together.  I forgot the homemade tapenade one dinner party and it was still delicious!  I also like a bit of fresh mozarella or burratta on the tomatoes but this is not called for in the original recipe.  This salad is my children's favorite. 


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 rounds 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 lettuce 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.

Seared Ahi Tuna on a Bed of Green with Ginger Vinaigrette and Pickled Cucumbers

For Monday Night Dinner:

Serves 4

Ginger Vinaigrette

• 1 piece fresh ginger, 1 ½ inches long, peeled and grated
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper
• ¼ cup peanut oil
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil

The Tuna

• 1 large sashimi grade Ahi tuna steak, at least 1 pound, black part removed
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Cucumber Relish

• ½ cup rice wine vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 English cucumber, peeled, cut in half, seeded and sliced thin
• 1 shallot, sliced into thin ringlets
• 1 Serrano chili, minced
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Salad

• 6 cups mixed greens
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 green onion, green part only, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes

In a jar with a tight fitting lid add the ginger, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, red pepper, peanut oil and sesame oil. Shake until emulsified

Rub the Ahi steak with 2 teaspoons of oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Press to adhere the seed to the Ahi. Heat a small sauté over high heat then add oil. When simmering add tuna steak and cook for 1 minute, turn over and cook for an additional minute. Transfer onto plate and refrigerate until cold (can be done earlier in the day). Slice the tuna thinly and marinate with a few tablespoons of the dressing.

For the cucumbers, in a small saucepan bring the vinegar, sugar and water to a boil, stir to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile place the cucumbers, shallots and Serrano chili in a bowl just large enough to hold them. Pour hot sugar water over cucumbers and push them into the liquid (they will soon be floating with more liquid than cucumber). Place in the refrigerator until cool, about 1 hour. When ready to use drain and add cilantro. This also can be made ahead.

In a large bowl toss the greens with the radishes, avocado, green onion and cilantro. Add dressing to taste.
For the presentation, place a mound of salad in the middle of a plate. Place slices of tuna decoratively onto the lettuce. Top with a mound of pickled cucumbers. Sprinkle each salad with 1 tablespoon of toasted almonds.

Sunday Fun! Duck Two Ways with Port Poached Pears

Boy, we know how to have fun! We had a wonderful time cooking together at the beach last night and finally had a historian to take pictures!! Thank you! Literally, this experience of applying for the best home chef has taught me to learn how to blog, navigate a foodie network site, research wine pairings (my husband usually does that but he thought it is high time I learn!!), download pictures, shrink images, upload pictures AND take pictures! I do not think I have taken a picture in years!! So really, even though Food and Wine might not find me worthy of their honor, I feel like I am already a winner! Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this community and learn! It has truly been a wonderful few weeks and a humbling experience to learn how my passion has touched others.

But about last night! I forgot the soup so we had to ditch the pumpkins soup shots (having another gather on Wednesday to bid our friends goodbye so will have them then!) but nobody noticed! Everyone arrived around 4 and we snacked and talked until 5:30 or so. Then I gave everyone a job and we cooked. And we ate and we drank! The food was wonderful and the company the best! And we had all of this fun with the sound of the crashing waves in the distance. Too cold to hang outside but we did manage a midnight walk in the pitch black! Here are some of the recipes for the dishes I cooked last night.

A Special Menu to Celebrate My Montana Friends!

December 13th, 2009

With Cocktails and Conversation

Ricotta, Gruyere and Prosciutto Filo Triangles

First Course

Beet and Spinach Salad with Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette,

Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts

Entrée

Duck Two Ways, Confit and Seared Breast with Port Poached Pears

In a Port Wine Sauce

*

Yukon Gold Potatoes fried in Duck Fat

*

Wilted Swiss Chard and Turnip Greens with Turnips

Dessert

Ginger Bread with Poached Persimmons and Whipped Cream

Beet and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette, Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts

Talk about a great combination of flavors; sweet beets, salty bacon, creamy goat cheese and crunchy hazelnuts! My idea of heaven on a plate!

Serves 6

The Salad

• 
  
  2 small or 4 large beets
  
  
  
• 
  
  8 cups spinach or combination of spinach and radicchio
  
  
  
• 
  
  ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
  
  
  
• 
  
  ½ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
  
  
  

The Vinaigrette

• 5 ounces bacon, cut into ¼ inch batons
• 
  
  1/3 cup good quality olive oil
  
  
  
• 
  
  1/3 cup hazelnut oil (if not available use all olive oil)
  
  
  
• 
  
  ¼ cup good quality balsamic vinegar
  
  
  
• 
  
  Freshly ground black pepper
  
  
  
• 
  
  Salt to taste
  
  
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim beets then wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil. Roast the beets until a knife slides through, about 40 to 60 minutes depending on the size. Once cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and cut in half inch dice. Place in a bowl and set aside with the spinach/radicchio, goat cheese and hazelnuts.

Cook the bacon in a small sauté pan over medium heat in a bit of the olive oil until the bacon has rendered its fat and is slightly crisp. Add the remaining olive oil, the hazelnut oil, vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk lightly to incorporate and continue to heat the oils lightly. Toss the beets with a bit of the dressing and then the spinach, making sure you place all of the bacon on the spinach. You may not need all the dressing. You can serve on individual plates or on a platter by placing the lettuce first, top with the beets then add the crumbled goat cheese and the hazelnuts.

Pan Seared Duck Breast with Port Poached Pears

This easy entrée must become one of your entertaining stables. It is unusual and absolutely delicious. You can use chicken stock in place of the duck, just make sure it is true stock, not canned chicken broth. You can find stock in the freezer section of your well stocked super markets.

Serves 6

For the duck

• 3 large duck breasts or 6 small
• 8 cups body temperature water
• ½ cup salt
• ¼ cup sugar

For the pears

• 
  
  2 to 3 cups port wine
  
  
  
• 
  
  3 large bosc pears or any other firm pear, peeled cut in half with the core removed
  
  
  

For the salad

• 
  
  3 tablespoons olive or almond oil
  
  
  
• 
  
  6 cups arugula
  
  
  
• 
  
  ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes
  
  
  
• 
  
  Salt and pepper to taste
  
  
  

For the sauce

• 
  
  1 cup port from the pears
  
  
  
• 2 cups duck or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons butter (optional)

For the potatoes

• 
  
  6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cooked, peeled and cut in ½ inch cubes
  
  
  
• Left over duck fat from the cooking the breasts

Mix the water, salt and sugar and whisk until completely incorporated. Score the fat on the duck breasts in a diamond shape being careful not to cut through the skin. Place the duck breasts in the brine and refrigerate for one hour.

While the ducks are brining, place the prepared pears in a small saucepan and cover with port wine. Bring to a simmer, turn the heat down to a low simmer and poach for about a half hour or until tender. Let cool in the liquid. Once cooled fan the pears by cutting 1/3 inch sliced into the pear keeping the slices intact at the neck of the pear. This can be done a day ahead just bring the pears to room temperature for the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the duck breast from the brine and dry well. Heat a skillet just large enough to hold the breast to a low heat and add duck breasts. No need to add oil, as the duck cooks, it will release the fat which will sear the skin. Cook the duck breast, again over a low heat (to slowly render the fat and cook the meat) for around 20-25 minutes or until the skin is lightly browned. Turn the breast over and cook for an additional 5 minutes and then place on a baking pan (this can all be done ahead of time but bring the duck back to room temperature before continuing). Cook in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove the duck from the oven and let rest in on a plate covered with foil for at least 10 minutes.

While the duck is in the oven (or set aside if you are doing this ahead), place the fat into the pan you plan to cook the potatoes. Reheat the duck pan and add the port wine to deglaze. Boil the wine until reduce to around 2/3 cup. Add stock and continue to reduce until the sauce is syrupy and has flavor. Again, this can be done ahead of time, just reheated when you are ready to finish the serve the dinner. Just before serving, reheat the sauce and add butter to create a shiny more finished sauce.

While the duck is resting, heat the duck fat over high heat and add potatoes. Salt well and let potatoes cook, undisturbed until a nice crust is formed. Turn potatoes over and continue on the other side until well browned. Again, season well with salt and a bit of pepper. All of this cannot be done ahead of time, or you will lose the crisp of the potato.

Dress the salad with the almond oil and season with salt and pepper (no need for a vinaigrette, the meat juice and sauce will properly season the greens). Toss in the almonds. After the duck has rested, slice the breasts in ¼ inch slices. Place the salad on the plates and top with the duck breast on the side of the salad. Place a pear half onto the duck and dress with the warm sauce. Scatter around the fried potatoes and serve!

Gingerbread with Poached Persimmons

Gingerbread

· 1 ½ cups boiling water

· 1 cup molasses

· 1 teaspoon baking soda

· 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

· 1 cup firmly packed, light brown sugar

· 1 large egg

· 2 teaspoons ground ginger

· 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

· Pinch of ground cloves

· 2 1/2 cups flour

· 1 tablespoon baking powder

· 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Persimmons

• 
  
  6 persimmons
  
  
  
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Gingerbread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan.
Bring the water to a boil in a small pot and remove it from the heat. Stir in the molasses and the baking soda. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until incorporated.

Sift together the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, flour and baking powder. Add the salt. On low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the cooled molasses mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, stirring well after each addition. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Poached Persimmons

Peel and quarter persimmons. Take the hard center out of the quarters and then cut each quarter in half or thirds, depending on the size of the persimmon

In a saucepan, add the wine, orange juice, sugar, ginger and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Add persimmons, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove persimmons from liquid and reduce to develop flavor, about 5-7 more minutes. Add poaching liquid back into the cook persimmons and cool. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Octopus Salad

My husband loves octopus. He is a sap for any restaurant that has octopus or calamari on the menu. I am not great at cooking octopus; however, my good friend from Croatia is a great octopus cooker. He stews the octopus in a rich tomato broth and serves it over polenta. I have asked him the trick and he says put a cork in the pot while boiling the darn thing. When I did that, all of the suction cups fell off the tentacles before the arms of the octopus were tender. I took it out of the water thinking that a quick grill would do the trick to make it tender. It was like eating rubber. I do not like cooking octopus.

Thank goodness octopus is not an easy thing to find in my grocery store. I always have the excuse, “I couldn’t find it”. One day my husband didn’t believe me and began looking on the internet and calling our various Japanese markets asking, “do you have octopus?’. He not only found it, but found COOKED octopus, steamed fresh in Japan, then frozen and flown to the states.

Here is a recipe we cooked tonight for an octopus salad that we developed from a dish from our friend’s neighborhood tapa’s bar. We LOVED the place, every dish was perfect and to make it even more special, our waiter was from Barcelona and lived and worked in our old neighborhood!

Here is my best rendition of the salad we created tonight. It was a first course with a Rhone style wine, a 2007 Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit De Beaucastel Blanc. After the salad I served grilled hanger steak in a chanterelle mushroom sauce with crushed Yukon golds and roasted kale. My husband served that with a 2000 Ridge California Monte Bello Cabernet.

Octopus Salad in a Citrus Vinaigrette with Frisee, Fennel and Nicoise Olive

Cooked octopus tentacles can be hard to find but if you have a local Japanese market, you may be in luck! If not, you could easily substitute grilled calamari, sliced into rings before dressing and then tossed into the salad.

Serves 4

For the salad

• 2 cara cara oranges
• ½ head frisee
• 1 medium or 1 small fennel bulbs sliced thin on a Japanese madoline
• ½ cup Nicoise olives, pitted and torn in half

For the dressing

• ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons good quality sherry vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons stone ground mustard like Maille Rich Country Dijon
• 2 tablespoons almond oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the octopus

• 2 tentacles octopus
• Olive oil
• Salt
• ½ of a lemon

With a knife, slice the peel off the oranges then with a pairing knife, cut out the individual segments, leaving the pith. Squeeze the juice from the remaining pith and peel and add to the freshly squeezed orange juice. Set the orange segments aside but as juice accumulates, pour into the orange juice. Clean the ½ head of frisee and place in a bowl along with the fennel and olives.

For the vinaigrette, reduce the orange juice along with the accumulated cara cara orange juice until syrupy or until about 3 tablespoons remains. Place into a jar with a tight fitting lid and add the sherry vinegar, mustard, oils and seasoning and shake until emulsified.

Preheat the grill. Take a wooden skewer and thread the tentacles along the skewer to straighten out the octopus arms. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill the tentacles on each side until nicely grilled. Take off grill and as soon as it is cool enough to handle, slice as thin as you can and place in a small bowl. Season the octopus with a bit more olive oil and a few squirts of lemon. Taste before you add salt.

Dress the salad with a bit of the vinaigrette, you will have left overs. Top with the oranges and warm octopus and toss. Serve immediately.

Pomegranates and Persimmons

Like most true cooks, I love to cook and eat what is in season. I am still seeing some left over tomatoes and green beans in the farmer’s markets but the stalls are now filling with grapes, mushrooms, pomegranates and persimmons. I LOVE pomegranates and persimmon, mostly because they are only here for a short while.

Many things were that way in Barcelona. There were these absolutely delicious almond cookie, shaped and colored into a variety of styles that came in the fall and then by the Christmas season, they were gone. If I had only known, I would have bought dozens and thrown them into my freezer. Then there were all the unusual flavors of torrone they had during Christmas time that disappeared after the New Year.

I actually kind of like those traditions. Something to look forward to and cherish for a time. Now I am eating, cooking and doing everything I can with pomegranates and persimmons, especially fuyu persimmons. My neighbor across the street has a fuyu persimmon tree and they share their bounty with us. I share my cookies with them, it is a good trade!

Here is one of my favorite recipes for pomegranates and persimmons. I had this salad last night with herbed goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts with red pepper sauce, wild rice with onions, carrots and celery and baby yellow turnips.

Pomegranate and Fuyu Persimmon Salad with Toasted Pecans in a Orange-Honey Vinaigrette

Serves 8

Pomegranate, persimmons and oranges, just the thought of them on a brisk fall day gets me excited! I have been working on developing this salad for the past few falls and think I have finally perfected it. I tried it with candied pecans, which were too sweet. Tried it with cheese and that took away from the freshness of the fruit. Used various types of vinegars and oils and finally found the perfect one. I am excited for you to try my final version!

• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• 2/3 cup almond oil
• ¾ cup of pomegranate seeds
• 1 large Fuyu persimmon cut in ½ inch dice
• 7 cups torn butter lettuce, washed and dried well
• 1 cup torn radichicco, washed and dried well
• ¾ cup chopped pecans toasted in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes

In a small saucepan, reduce the orange juice in half to two tablespoons. Place in a jar with a lid and add the curry powder, soy sauce, honey, salt, vinegar and oil; screw the lid on tightly and shake until emulsified.

Combine the pomegranate seeds and persimmon pieces and lightly dress with the dressing. In a large bowl, place the butter lettuce and radichicco and toss with enough dressing to coat the leaves (you may not need all the dressing). Top with the dressed fruit and pecans. Serve immediately.