Dishing the Divine » fresh herbs

tomato salad with corn and basil

Paula — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:47:15 +0000

My mother seems to be the only home gardener on this side of the Rocky Mountains who can produce tomatoes this summer. Our weather has been mild all summer, and the average person doesn’t have time to lovingly coax their plants into producing hundreds of pounds – yes, at least a hundred pounds! – of tomatoes. Long live mom!

And long live tomato recipes. Because mom only likes to grow tomatoes to prove that she can and not because she has any great plans for how to use the fruit, I inherit much of her bounty. Currently my meal list for the week says, “chicken pot pie, bbq, anything with tomatoes.” I’m desperate, folks. Fruit flies are taking over my house and I’ve cooked my three favorite heavy-tomato-use recipes (tomato soup, pasta, and more pasta) so many times this summer that even they don’t look that appetizing to me anymore. (Don’t quote me on that come February when the nearest tomato is 6 months away and I’m dying for something – anything! – with a fresh homegrown tomato in it.)

I found this recipe in a cook book a couple years ago and photocopied it for later use. This summer was the first time we tested it and Brant ate it up. Literally – he ate the entire platter, by himself, moaning over and over again that this was so good. Can’t argue with a guy who has dressing oozing out of his mouth, can you?

tomato salad with corn and basil

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced (or to taste)
sea salt and pepper
1 pound mixed tomatoes, preferably heirloom
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 dozen fresh basil leaves, cut or torn into small pieces

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and shallot. Season highly with salt and pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes for flavors to blend.

Core the larger tomatoes and slice. Halve any cherry tomatoes. Arrange the tomatoes attractively on a platter and sprinkle corn kernels over the top. Drizzle dressing over the tomato and corn mixture and then scatter basil leaves over all.

garbanzo bean salad

Paula — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:06:23 +0000

If you follow me on twitter or faceboook then you know that I have spent the last 3 days helping my friend move. This has involved all the usual moving chaos – painting the new place, packing the old place, figuring out how to stay sane and not bite each others’ heads off in the meantime. I’ve moved before and the only thing that makes people more grouchy than packing is packing when you’re hungry. This is where I come in. I came to LA with an arsenal of easy to prepare, great tasting recipes to whip up. Among them were these sandwiches, this pasta, and today’s recipe: garbanzo bean salad. Clearly summer is here: the overarching theme in all these meals is tomatoes, basil, raw garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I’m not complaining, although I’m sure anyone else that smells us is probably graciously keeping their mouths shut.

Many of my friends are choosing to eat gluten free diets. I am definitely not on that list (after all, I buy flour in 25 pound bags!) but I still like this gluten free summer salad recipe – served, of course, with a chunk of crusty bread.

garbanzo bean salad
www.allrecipes.com

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (optional – it’s good with and good without)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup fresh dried basil, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt

In a medium sized bowl, toss together all the ingredients and let marinate in the fridge for at least 45 minutes. Serve chilled.

tortilla casserole

Paula — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:05:41 +0000

I went through my recipe binders yesterday in search of this recipe which, to my chagrin, I’ve made several times but have not yet posted here. I have a bunch of tortillas on hand, a jar of salsa that I opened a while ago, some pre-cooked chicken breasts in the freezer, and some cilantro leftover from the guacamole that I made the other day. All in all, the makings of a tortilla casserole.

So what is a tortilla casserole, you ask? Think Mexican lasagna, where all the noodles are replaced with tortillas, sauce is replaced with a pinto bean/salsa mixture, and the cheese is Cheddar instead of mozzarella. Sound delicious? That’s because it is. And not only is it tasty, but it also easily serves 6-8 people, so it’s a dish that could serve a small crowd or a meal with enough leftovers to tide my hubby and me over for several days. Additionally, like lasagna, it’s also versatile. Vegetarian? No problem – just omit the meat. Hate cilantro? That’s fine – just omit it.

You did buy these tortillas, right? In case you haven’t heard, they’re ahhhhhhmazing.

tortilla casserole
www.allrecipes.com

2 (15-oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup salsa, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
7 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped cooked chicken, steak, and/or pork (optional)
additional salsa, sour cream, and guacamole for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mash pinto beans. Stir in 3/4 cup salsa and garlic.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup salsa, cilantro, black beans, and tomatoes.

Place 1 tortilla in an oven safe dish. Spread 3/4 cup pinto bean mixture over tortilla to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top with 1/4 cup cheese.

Add another tortilla. Spread with 2/3 cup black bean mixture and top with 1/4 cup cheese.

Repeat layering twice, adding meat to these layers if using.

Cover with remaining tortilla and top that with remaining pinto bean mixture and cheese.

Cover casserole with a lightly greased sheet of aluminum foil (the grease keeps the cheese from sticking to the foil). Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

holy guacamole

Paula — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:20:28 +0000

I never really considered making my own guacamole, but the other day I bought too many limes to make this and then, completely forgetting about the avocados that were already in my fridge, I bought several more avocados and, well, you can see where this is going. Guacamole was the next logical step. I borrowed this recipe from Leslie Sarna’s food blog. Don’t go check it out. If you do, you may never return to mine. After all, she’s way cuter than I am. And she’ has great photos and tantalizing recipes. For your own health and my own insecurities, I highly recommend that you just avoid clicking on this link and stick to my blog and my blog only.

Or not.

Your choice.

I altered Leslie’s recipe a bit to my suit my tastes. Feel free to do the same!

holy guacamole
www.lesliesarna.com

3 ripe avocados
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
a handful of cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup chopped)
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt (if you’re eating these with chips, check to see how salty the chips are before adding more salt)

Mash the avocado in a medium sized bowl with a fork. Add in the rest of the ingredients, stir, and then season to taste with additional salsa, cilantro, lime, or salt. Serve this with the avocado pits to keep your guacamole from browning.

pretty food!

Paula — Sun, 16 May 2010 17:21:23 +0000

On Friday I got a wireless remote trigger that allows me to take my flash off camera and therefore add far more interesting lighting to my photographs. Our chef friend Dave gave me lots of reasons to try this when he made dinner for us that evening. Here are some of the photos I took of his creations.

Dinner was tomatoes layered with goat cheese and basil and then drizzled with a balsamic reduction; a fried potato pancake; and fish covered with a sherry chocolate sauce.

Oh, and edible flowers. How could I forget about those?

Dessert was apple tart served with ice cream with more of that balsamic reduction sauce that had been spooned over the tomatoes earlier in the evening.

Delicious? I should say so.

What is that you said? You want a friend like Dave? I totally understand. But Dave’s my friend and I’m not very good at sharing.

roasted tomato soup

Paula — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:04:32 +0000

When tomatoes went on sale for $.40 a pound at my local produce market, I went a little crazy. Like, 60 pounds crazy. Let me tell you – I got some strange looks that day as I was checking out! To be fair, 30 pounds of that was for my mom, who was planning on skinning and freezing the whole tomatoes to use later in the year for sauces and soups. The question is, what was I going to do with my 30 pounds of tomatoes?

There are a lot of things you can make with tomatoes, and while tomato soup is not usually my favorite, this recipe looked interesting and I opted to try it. It used lots of tomatoes (definitely a plus given my current situation) and didn’t involve skinning the tomatoes first (a HUGE plus since skinning tomatoes can be a pain). AND it can be canned, which is great, because it meant that I could quadruple the recipe and have some this winter when the taste of fresh tomatoes is far, far away.

This soup will not disappoint. It is great as is, or you can add a little cream and sugar. Sugar? Yes. It cuts down on the acidity a bit. I added a teaspoon or two of brown sugar to my bowl, along with some salt and cream, and voila! A wonderful soup that I quickly wished I had hidden from my roomie. She scarfed the whole jar *and* ate my garlic bread. Hmph.

roasted tomato soup

2.5 pounds fresh tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste (see note)
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
cooked, sliced bacon to top (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F.

Wash, core, and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and onions into a baking try. Drizzle with half a cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by a third. Remove bay leaves.

Add basil leaves to the pot. Using a blender, puree the soup until smooth.

Add cream, if desired, and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add brown sugar to taste. Garnish with a splash of cream and diced cooked bacon, if desired.

roasted tomato pasta sauce

Paula — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:23:32 +0000

I stumbled upon this recipe last summer when I had pounds and pounds of cherry tomatoes coming out of my garden that I needed to eat NOW. I made it, tasted it, and nearly wept with joy. I love this recipe so much that I planted 5 extra cherry tomato plants this year just so that I could have an excuse to make it.

I leave town tomorrow for 4 days, meaning hubby is going to be living on fast food and leftovers. I wanted to treat him to something special before I left so that he would still want me to come back home. When I told him this was for dinner, his response was more than enthusiastic. Mission possibly accomplished.

By the way, no need to just use cherry tomatoes. I used mostly red slicing tomatoes tonight and it turned out just fine. And if you want to be a little crazy, throw in tomatoes of different colors! I’m tweaking the original recipe a bit, only because I’m a pansy when it comes to spice. You can decide if you want to add more spice after you’ve served it. Like salt, it’s something that you can always add more of but cannot ever remove.

You’ll think this serves lots by the amount of tomatoes that goes into it. It doesn’t. Four people tops, so if you’re looking to serve it to more people, double it. I’d roast the tomatoes in separate pans if you’re going that route so that they have plenty of room.

roasted tomato pasta sauce
www.foodnetwork.com

2.5 pounds tomatoes, cut into large dice (or halved cherry tomatoes)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
sprinkle of teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

Chop your tomatoes into bite-sized chunks. Layer the tomatoes on a sheet pan that has sides. Add olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Mix well.

Cook for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are bubbly and browning in spot, stirring once or twice.

While tomatoes are cooking, chop your herbs. No need to have exact amounts. If you want a little more basil or a little less of something else, go for it! I personally love LOTS of basil!

Remove tomatoes from oven and add fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Serve over pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

pesto

Paula — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:50:09 +0000

I had a friend visit unexpectedly a couple weeks ago and I had to come up with something fast and easy for dinner. I immediately thought of pesto pasta – most people love it, and Lord knows I have enough basil to make a couple batches. And Jen’s a suburban girl with no real experience gardening, so I was able to give her a taste of what it’s like to harvest your own food for dinner. We picked handfuls of basil and proceeded to cook.

We took our meal outside while some other girlfriends were hanging out inside. By the time I came back inside, I’m pretty sure every one of the girls that were hanging out inside had taken a couple bites of the extra pasta I had made. I got compliments left and right, and one foodie told me that it was the best pesto she had ever had and that I’m welcome to make it for her *any* time. Quite a compliment coming from this woman!

I absolutely love the taste of homemade pesto. This year, I planned accordingly when planting my garden, and I have 10 basil plants that I pick from regularly to make this awesome sauce. At some point, I’ll need to start freezing it so I can have the taste of summer in the dead of winter, but for now, I get it fresh, which is the best way to have it.

This recipe is from Cooks Illustrated with only one minor change (I decreased the olive oil because I figured that my waist wouldn’t miss the extra two tablespoons). If you haven’t figured it out by now, I LOVE Cooks Illustrated recipes. I recommend that at some point you either buy their online membership or get their magazine or both. I think what makes this particular pesto recipe so great is that garlic is neither raw nor cooked – it’s right in the middle, lending the perfect potency to pair with the rest of the sauce.

pesto

2 cups packed basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, threaded on a skewer
5 tbps olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound penne or bow tie pasta (if using)

Start a pot of boiling water for the pasta. You need it to have enough water it in that you can completely submerge the skewered garlic.

Put the basil leaves in a bag and pound them, mush them, bruise them, or crush them. Call it what you want, but you want them to be darker in color and a bit wrinkly looking

Toast the pine nuts in a pan on the stove until golden brown. Watch these carefully – they burn quickly.

Skewer the garlic and place in a pot of boiling water for 45 seconds. Remove skin. If you’re making pasta, start cooking it now.

Add pesto leaves, nuts, garlic, and salt to food processor. Blend until everything is well ground. Add olive oil and blend until well mixed. Remove from food processor and put in another bowl.

Add Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season with salt to taste.

Add to cooked pasta, if using.

Serving suggestion: add some sun-dried tomatoes and cubed chicken to make it an even more filling and tasty treat!

big tomato sandwich

Paula — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:11:15 +0000

Tomatoes are in season. Ahhh… this is the time of year that I look forward to most after the winter has passed. From December to June, I pester my husband asking, “How long before the tomatoes are ripe?” And, to be honest, ours still aren’t ripe. We grow heirlooms from seed (we’re cheap, and heirloom seeds are designed to be used again and again – see how to save heirloom seeds), and unlike the local plant supply store, our tomatoes are not 15″ tall in January. It’s a lesson in patience, to be sure.

However, this does not mean that we cannot benefit from my friends that DID buy their plants at the plant supply store and that have more tomatoes now than they could ever know what to do with! Mary Peyton delivered 3 pounds of tomatoes to my door on Monday. Here it is Thursday and I haven’t used them yet. For shame, I know.

I first had this sandwich at the local deli. It changed my sandwich eating experience forever. No more Subway or Togos for me. The bar has been set. Ciabatta bread, a vinaigrette made with fresh herbs, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and optional turkey are enough to make your mouth sing. Add some pesto and you might be the next American Idol.

big tomato sandwich

1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut into individual sandwich portions
1-2 large, ripe tomatoes (preferably heirloom)
roasted red peppers, sliced (you can buy these in a jar or make your own)
fresh mozarella cheese
sliced turkey (optional)
1 cup homemade pesto (store bought can be used, but it won’t be as good!)

vinaigrette:

1 tbs fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)*
1 tbs fresh marjoram (or 1 tsp dried)*
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 4 tsp dried)*
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 tbs balsamic vinegar (to taste)

Combine spices and garlic in a food processor. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar and blend until mixed.

Spread some of the vinaigrette onto one side of the bread. Spread pesto on the other half. Layer with tomato, cheese, and turkey (if using).

Lastly, grab some napkins because these sandwiches can be juicy!

*Fresh herbs are ALWAYS better, but dried will work in a pinch. I would definitely try to use fresh basil if you can, seeing as how it makes up a good portion of the vinaigrette.