Thank you to everyone that joined us on Saturday at the Fabulous. The feed back was wonderful and we are pleased that so many of you are interested in the recipes we demonstrated and offered you to sample. A big thank you to Dianne, Brittany, Eva and Ashley for making the workshops the success that they were.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
1 4 liter basket of Roma tomatoes, washed and quartered
2 large onions cut in pieces
sprigs of thyme and rosemary
1 bulb of garlic, cloves peeled
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Place tomatoes, garlic and onions in shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and salt, pepper. Toss with herbs and place in 400 degree oven.
Stir tomato mixture every 20 minutes and allow to roast until edges are browned and liquid is reduced somewhat. It will take about an hour or so.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Place everything in a bowl or food processor and squeeze out garlic cloves.
Remove the stems from the herbs. Puree the mixture using an immersion blender or food processor. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and/or a pinch of sugar.
Add torn basil if desired.
Sauce freezes beautifully.
Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
3 cups of roasted tomato sauce
1 liter of chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Torn basil
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
2 grilled cheese sandwiches, cut into ½ inch cubes
Preparation:
Combine tomato sauce with broth. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Add chopped or torn basil
Garnish with grilled cheese croutons.
Green Tomato Chili Sauce (Adapted from a Bernardin recipe)
Ingredients:
6 cups chopped green tomatoes ( I used the food processor)
1 onion, diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
½ green pepper, diced
½ red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. pickling salt
2 tsp. pickling spice
The recipe calls for blanching the tomatoes and peeling them, but I had no luck with the peeling. I made the relish with the skins on.
Measure chopped tomatoes into a large stainless steel pot.
Add the rest of the vegetables.
Stir in vinegar, sugar, salt and wrap the spices in a square of cheesecloth. Drop it into the mixture.
Heat to boiling and reduce heat to keep it just at a boil.
Stir occasionally and cook for about 2 or 3 hours.
Ladle sauce into prepared jars and process in a water bath.
You can find complete instructions on the Bernardin website.
Fried Green Tomatoes
4 firm, medium-sized green tomatoes, cut in ¼ inch slices
½ cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 egg
¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup Panko crumbs (or dry bread crumbs)
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Directions:
Wash and cut the tomatoes. If you have time, sprinkle them with a little salt, and lay flat on paper towel to remove a bit of the moisture.
Make a breading station:
In 3 open bowls or deep plates,
1) Season the flour with a little salt and pepper.
2) Beat the egg and add buttermilk.
3) Mix Panko crumbs, Parmesan and a little salt and pepper
Bread the tomatoes, by dipping each one, first in the flour, then buttermilk, and then Panko mixture.
Heat oil ,such as grapeseed or peanut oil over medium heat in a skillet until a drop of water sizzles.
Fry tomatoes, a few at a time until golden brown on both sides.
Place on paper towels or a rack on a cooking sheet in a 200 degree oven for a few minutes until all are fried.
NOTE: This isn’t a dish that will keep for hours! The tomatoes can be breaded ahead of time, and kept refrigerated for a couple of hours, but once they are fried, the need to be served!
Serve with a dip of ranch dressing, if desired
Homemade Ranch Dressing
1 cup good quality mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 clove garlic, grated finely
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. finely chopped chives
¼ cup flat-leafed Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
½ tsp. vinegar (white wine or apple cider)
¼ tsp. paprika
If desired, a little cayenne and/or hot sauce
Mix or shake ingredients together, or use a few pulses in a food processor. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Note: A few hours of resting in the fridge make a big difference to the flavour, so taste again before serving, and make the necessary adjustments.
If dressing is too thick for the purpose, thin it with a little more buttermilk.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Preparing the pumpkin:
Cut 2 small pie pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pumpkins cut side down in 350 degree oven for about an hour or until pumpkins are soft.
Allow to cool until it can be easily handled.
Scoop out the pulp and mash with a potato masher, food mill or in a food processor until smooth.
Line a mesh sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and place over a bowl.
Scrape the pureed pumpkin into the cheesecloth and allow to drain for a few hours. ( I leave it overnight.)
You can do several pumpkins at a time. Scoop 1 cup portions into freezer bags. Push out the air and lay flat. Pumpkin freezes well and is great for muffins, breads, and, of course, pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin Pie filling:
2 cups pumpkin puree or the contents of 1 – 14 oz. can.
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger (1/2 tsp. if using ground ginger)
pinch of salt
4 eggs
1 can of Carnation milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix the pumpkin, sugar, and spices together until smooth and well-blended.
Add eggs and whisk until smooth.
Add evaporated milk and mix well.
Pour into large pie shell.
Makes a 10” pie.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes and lower heat to 325 degrees for about 45 minutes. After that, check frequently, to see if the pie is just set.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Sage and Pumpkin Seed Pesto
1 small pie pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cut in cubes
1 medium onion, cut in chunks
2 apples, peeled and cut in chunks
¼ cups fresh sage leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
1 liter chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large casserole dish, combine pumpkin, apples, onions, sage, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes. Stir, add maple syrup, and return to the oven until mixture is soft and well-browned.
Scrape into large pot. Pour a little boiling water into the casserole dish and scrape up the residue from the roasting. Add to the soup pot.
Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the grated ginger and simmer for about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth.
Sage and Pumpkin Seed Pesto
½ cup toasted, hulled pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
2/3 cup fresh Italian parsley (flat leaved)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, sliced
Juice of ½ lemon (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
In small bowl of food processor, blend seeds, herbs, cheese and garlic. Drizzle in the oil, a bit at a time until mixture is the right consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If mixture seems bland, add the lemon juice a little at time, until you are happy with the taste.
Refrigerate for a few hours for the flavours to develop. (Can be frozen)
Roasted Eggplant Dip
1 large purple eggplant (or 2 or 3 small ones)
1 or 2 whole bulbs of garlic
2 tbsp. tahini
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Wash the eggplant and rub it with olive oil. Place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet.
Cut the top ¼ from the garlic bulb. Place it on a square of aluminum foil and drizzle with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Wrap tightly and place on the baking sheet with the eggplant.
Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until the eggplant is soft.
It will appear like a deflated balloon!
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Scrape the flesh from the eggplant into the bowl of a food processor. Squeeze the garlic from the skins.
Add tahini and lemon juice.
Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Refrigerate for a few hours, if possible to let the flavours develop.
Serve with crackers or toasted pita wedges.