The morning began with thoughts of tomatoes. It is after all, August. I also had a pound of fresh ricotta that I made the day before. I was already thinking, ricotta and tomatoes. Colorado peaches were initially considered. Tomatoes combined with fresh peaches are one of summer's highlights for me. I wanted to make a free-form tart, but the peaches might be too juicy. Scratch the peaches. So, this is what I ended up with for our dinner last night on the patio (along with that ratatouille I made the day before) -- a galette of just tomatoes and ricotta (with a few Nicoise olives thrown in). Can't go wrong with that! I stirred fresh thyme leaves from my garden into the fresh ricotta that was combined with Parmesan. The mixture was spread over the most delicate coarse-ground cornmeal crust. I'm crazy about baking cornmeal pastry with fruits and vegetables, but this one does take patience. If you don't feel like tackling a crust this delicate, eliminate the cornmeal and substitute with flour... or, use 1/4 cup cornmeal instead of the 1/2 cup I call for in the recipe. But I'll walk you through it. Like I said... it just takes patience. I'm making this galette again this upcoming weekend, and I may add those peaches... CRUST: • 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour • 1/2 cup cornmeal • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes • 4 tablespoons ice water FILLING: • 1/2 cup fresh ricotta • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves • 2 pints cherry tomatoes, mixed varieties, preferably heirloom • 1 egg whisked, for brushing • 15 (more or less) Nicoise olives • Kosher or sea salt • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling 1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 2 or 3 times. Add the butter and pulse again until the size of small peas. While pulsing, slowly add the ice water until the mixture just starts to come together. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic, press into a disk and wrap. Chill dough for at least 2 hours. 2. Take dough from refrigerator. Cut a piece of parchment paper; place on a work surface and lightly dust with flour. Center the dough on the parchment, dust lightly with flour and cover with the plastic wrap. Roll the pastry into a round just under 1/4-inch, dusting with flour as needed. Slice the parchment and pastry onto a baking sheet and place in refrigerator while you prepare the filling. 3. Preheat oven to 400˚F. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, and thyme leaves with a wooden spoon until smooth; set aside. Slice tomatoes in half. 4. Remove the baking sheet with pastry dough from the refrigerator. Spread the cheese filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border bare around the edges. Spoon the halved cherry tomatoes over the cheese filling. Sprinkle with salt and arrange Nicoise olives on top. 5. Using a small, metal spatula, get underneath an edge of the pastry and gently lift over the filling. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and again lift more pastry over the filling, pleating the dough as you go. The pastry is delicate and may break somewhat as you lift and pleat, but pressing with your fingers and brushing with the beaten egg will help it to adhere to itself. When finished, lightly brush any exposed pastry with the egg. Drizzle the tomatoes with a little olive oil. 6. Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden color. Remove galette from oven and cool for 10 minutes before slicing, or allow to rest longer and serve at room temperature. TAKE a LOOK:
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It is again, thankfully, that time of year when I wake up in the morning and ask... what will I do with all of my tomatoes today? It's a dilemma I embrace. And yesterday, I did nothing but tackle the produce that fills bowls, colanders, and baskets throughout my kitchen. I started off with ratatouille (that is now aging in my fridge, waiting for another day), and finished with this panzanella salad of heirloom tomatoes, Colorado peaches, olive oil-soaked croutons, and the beloved fresh Burrata. It was a dinner last night that started off with Campari cocktails on the patio. Two of us devoured a recipe meant to serve four. And both of us were sadly looking at the empty bowl, wishing there had been more. I purchased another bag of peaches yesterday, and have a feeling I'll be making this salad again before week's end. Ripe garden tomatoes, fresh peaches and creamy, rich Burrata... what could be better? Unfortunately, these days won't last forever. + recipe from Fabian von Hauske and Jeremiah Stone | via The Wall Street Journal • serves 4 as a first course or 2 as a main course • 2 cups cubed sourdough, ciabatta or country bread • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 1/4 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges • 1 large peach or nectarine, cut into 1/2-inch wedges • 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced • 1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar • 2 balls burrata (about 1 pound total) 1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a medium bowl, toss the croutons with 4 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the croutons (making sure to get every drop of oil) on a baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until golden and crisp on all sides, about 13 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently toss together the tomatoes, peaches and basil. Season with salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Place shallots in a small bowl and cover with ice water. Allow the shallots to crisp for about 8 minutes; drain shallots, pat dry with a paper towel, and set aside. 3. Just before serving, toss shallots, croutons, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sherry vinegar with the tomato and peach mixture. Season with extra salt and let croutons absorb some of the fruits' juices, about 5 minutes. Divide salad between two plates and place a ball of burrata on each plate (if serving 4, slice balls of burrata in half). Season burrata cheese with a pinch of salt and drizzle with additional olive oil. Serve immediately. TAKE a LOOK: The recipe I use for making my ricotta (get it HERE) gives me about one finished pound of fresh ricotta. You will need slightly more than that for this recipe, so if making your own, make two batches -- it's easy enough! • an adapted recipe from Marie Claire Seasonal Kitchen by Michele Cranston • 1 pound, 5 ounces (2 1/3 cups) fresh ricotta cheese • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves • 1/4 cup Nicoise olives (or possibly more!), pitted and roughly chopped • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese • 1 egg • 2 ripe tomatoes, or comparable amount of cherry tomatoes • 1/2 red onion, finely diced • 6 large basil leaves, thin julienne • small handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • bruschetta, crostini, or purchased brioche toasts, for serving TAKE a LOOK: 1. PREHEAT OVEN to 350˚F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 2. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, thyme, olives, Parmesan, and egg. Place an 8-inch springform pan on the sheet pan (I used an 8-inch baking ring) and spoon the mixture into the pan or ring, Smooth out the top. 3. Bake the ricotta for 35 to 40 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. 4. MAKE the SALSA... Slice the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Finely chop the tomatoes and mix in a bowl with the onion, basil, and parsley. Add the balsamic and olive oil. Stir together until combined. 5. Carefully unmold the ricotta and (carefully) transfer to a serving plate. Spoon the salsa over the top. Serve with toasts. I hope you're not tiring of my fresh ricotta postings, because I'm sure not. I've been having a great time in my kitchen making ricotta about every 4 or 5 days. I veered at the last minute from mixing some fresh ricotta with a bit of honey and orange zest and topping with blueberries, to baking this Fresh Ricotta served with a Tomato Herb Salsa instead. Now that my garden tomatoes are finally ripening on their vines, I'm incorporating them into every meal! This baked ricotta makes a really great appetizer for summer al fresco entertaining. I ran out of time to grill my own crostini, so I used purchased brioche toasts that were topped with the ricotta and salsa. I served them alongside a pasta filled with roasted eggplant, sweet onions, and grilled chicken and finished the pasta off on a suggestion from Stacey Snacks. I tossed the pasta with butter, a splash of really good balsamic, and a few tablespoons of capers. Yes Stacy, you were right -- very delicious! The ricotta-tomato salsa toasts and eggplant pasta were a really nice combination. Leftovers today -- YAY! |
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