Joy the Baker » tomato

Roasted Tomato and Caramelized Onion Farro Salad

joythebaker — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:30:13 +0000

New Podcast is ready for your ears! The Grass is Always Greener. Dudes… it’s a good one!

I meant to make cake. I meant to make whipped cream. I meant to buy fresh raspberries. I mean to smash the three things together into a large bowl and eat it all… and then I made salad.

Don’t yell. We can not survive on doughnuts alone.

Let me tell you a little something about me… I do this weird thing wherein I eat one thing, all day. That’s not to say that I eat one carrot all day. No. I eat carrots, and only carrots all day. I don’t know why I do this. Welcome to crazybrain.

So! A few days ago when I made doughnuts…. I ate doughnuts all day. Doughnuts and lime popsicles… because I was thirsty. Clearly something is wrong with me.

I tell you all of this because it’s important you understand that salad is a good thing around these parts. A salad recipe means that I’m eating salad all day. My thighs like those days.

Know what makes salad tolerable? Doughnuts.

No… stop that. Caramelized onions.

I’m pretty sure that caramelizing onions with a touch of balsamic vinegar is just like turning onions into candy.

Do you know what farro is? It’s one of my favorites. Farro is a type of wheat. It’s boiled in salted water like pasta, then drained. When cooked it’s puffed and tender, with a hint of al dente crunch. I love this grain. Hearty, wholesome and delicious.

I found farro is the bulk section at Whole Foods, but you can also order it online here.

It’s one of my favorite grains. It’s popular in Italy. Let’s make it popular here.

Oh! If you’re not into farro, why not try Israeli Couscous?

Secret: roasting cherry tomatoes on the vine makes them instantly more fancy and cool.

It is our mission in life to be fancy and cool. Duh.

Yummy candy onions, fancy roasted tomatoes, hearty farro and fresh parsley.

Yes, I put parsley in every savory dish I make. It’s my thing. It makes me feel chef-y. It’s like Rachel Ray calling extra virgin olive oil EVOO. Just give me this parsley thing and we’ll call it even.

Oh. Ps. Put fresh grated Parmesan Cheese on this salad. It is a wonderful suggestion from me to you.

Roasted Tomato and Caramalized Onion Farro Salad

serves 4

Print this Recipe!

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 (or a few good pinches) salt

1/2 teaspoon (or a good pinch) crushed red chili flakes

2 medium yellow onions, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup farro

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place cherry tomatoes on a sheet tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and red chili flakes. Bake for 15 minutes, or until some tomatoes have burst and are golden brown and sizzling. Remove from the onion and set aside to cool slightly.

Place olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced onions and toss to coat in fat. Allow onions to cook down for 5 minutes without stirring. Toss after 5 minutes, then allow to cook without being disturbed for another 5 minutes. Add salt and toss. Onions will begin to brown and break down. Remove from the heat momentarily, keep your nose back, and add balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat all of the onions. Return to heat and allow to cook down to a melty onion consistency. Onions will be browned, broken down and delicious.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. When water boils, add a pinch of salt. Add farro and stir. Cook farro until it is softened through and has a light al dente bite to it, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain farro in a strainer, return to pot, and toss with olive oil. Add roasted tomatoes, caramalized onions, and chopped parsley. Toss and serve warm.

Farro salad will last up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

It’s a Bloody Mary

joythebaker — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:30:43 +0000

Have you ever watched Sex and the City 2 with a straight dude who is waaaaaay more into it than you?

I have. That happened.

Have you ever thought about renting Steel Magnolias, buying a box of tissue and inviting this same gentlemen over… just to test the waters? I have. Duh.

Would Driving Miss Daisy be too far? Eat, Pray, Love?

This is just craycray. I need a Bloody Mary… and a few hours working on my Netflix queue. I might have a winner here.

I happen to love a good Bloody Mary. Duh.

There are all sorts of things going on in this drink: tomato juice, a little spice from horseradish and hot sauce, roundness from Worcestershire sauce and booooooze!

Honestly? I’m in it for the salty goodness of the pickles and olives and caper berries. It’s really the only way I ever want to eat a salad.

Have you ever made your own Bloody Mary? It’s an investment but totally fun! If you’re having company over this holiday season… you should totally impress them with your cocktail skills and pickle skewering.

It’s A Bloody Mary

makes two small or one large drink

i made this recipe in cups because i don’t have a bartending jigger thing.

Print this Recipe!

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons tomato juice

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold vodka

generous pinch of salt

generous pinch of freshly freshly ground pepper

scant 1/2 teaspoon horseradish

4-5 dashes Tabasco sauce

scant 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

pinch of crushed celery seeds, crushed

two lemon wedges

ice

pickles, olives and celery on skewers for garnish

In a measuring cup, mix together tomato juice, vodka, salt, pepper, horseradish, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed and crushed celery seeds. Stir together and pour over two small glasses filled to the brim with ice cubes. Pour the Bloody Mary mixture over the ice glasses, squeeze in lemon wedges and place garnish in the glass along with a straw.

Keep in mind that all of these ingredients can be increased or decreased according to your taste. Play around!

What to do with an expensive tomato

joythebaker — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:38:53 +0000

Have you ever treated yourself to an expensive tomato?

Have you ever treated yourself to a single heirloom tomato? In season. Ripe. Striped with color. Fleshy. Juicy. Sweet. (I sorta sounds like I’m talking about butts… my apologies).

In any case… have you ever paid nearly $4 for a single tomato?

I have.

When really good tomatoes are thaaaat expensive, you choose carefully. You don’t care if you’re blocking the skinny yoga girl who is fluttering about behind you trying to get at the same tomato display. Excuse me, skinny yoga girl…. I’m going to take my time with this one. You should go eat a steak anyway.

What do you do with your ‘spensive tomato once you’ve requested that it be packed in it’s own separate bag, once you’ve placed it in the empty passager seat next to you, once you’ve coddled it all the way home?

You put bacon on it. It is the only option.

Ok… so we’re going to put more than just bacon onto a tomato.

We’re making BLT sandwiches, with the best ingredients we can get out hands on. Because we’re (totes) worth it.

First. Good bread. Mine is from La Brea Bakery. Gimme. It’s good.

Organic Red Leaf Butter Lettuce.

That’s a lot of words for lettuce. See? Fancy.

Mayonnaise.

It’s not that fancy.

It’s just mayonnaise.

Nice, thick sliced, smoked bacon. Extra slices. Extra crisp.

Combine all ingredients in between bread slices.

Marvel at the beauty of your expensive tomato, fancy lettuce, crispy bacon… and the bread that you toasted in the residual bacon fat….

and then shove the entire thing into your mouth. Slowly.

Epic.

ps. if you have your own heirloom tomato plant, i salute you and your fancypants.

Creamy Tomato Soup

joythebaker — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:41:23 +0000

This big old bowl of tomatoes and cream is the best thing to ever come out of my kitchen.

So good. So right. I’m thinking of retiring. I’m thinking of hanging up the apron strings and ending on a high note. You know, like Seinfeld did in the 90′s.

But it’s just tomato soup? What could be so special about it? Let me explain.

Tomatoes. Top quality canned Italian tomatoes make all the difference in this soup. I got my hands on two giant cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes and they made this soup absolutely irresistable.

But they’re just tomatoes. Yes they’re just tomatoes… just the best canned tomatoes EVER!

San Marzano Tomatoes are a type of plum tomato with a thin skin, fewer seeds and an oh so sweet and less acidic tomato flavor. They’re like tomato bombs from heaven, except they don’t really explode and they’re from Naples, Italy where they’re grown at the base of Mount Vesuvius. For real… this actually happens. Tomatoes at the base of a volcano. Amazing. It’s the volcanic soil that filters out any water impurieties before they reach the plant. Rad. Want to make some kickass soup? Get your paws on these tomatoes, and I mean now!

Creamy Tomato Soup

adapted from Martha Stewart

serves 6

Print this Recipe!

4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, finely diced

course sea salt and fresh black pepper

splash of red wine vinegar (just over 1 Tablespoon)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 dried bay leaf

2 cans (14 1/2-ounces each) low sodium chicken broth

2 cans (28-ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes in juice (with basil if available)

1/2- 3/4 cup whole milk or cream

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat. Add oil, carrot and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent and the carrots are well on their way to softening, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the splash of vinegar at stir until cooked off.

Turn flame to low and add flour. Incorporate into the onion and carrots. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to distribute the paste and cook off the flour taste.

Add chicken broth and bay leaf.

With clean hands add the tomatoes to the pot, breaking the whole tomatoes up with your hands as you add the tomatoes and the juice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Using an emulsion blender, puree soup in pot until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Maybe you like more chunks than some folks! If you don’t have an emulsion blender, let the soup cool for about 30 minutes and, working in two or three batches, puree some of the soup in a conventional blender until smooth. Place pureed soup in a bowl and puree the remainder in the pot.

Return pureed soup to the pot and stir in milk or cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let cool to room temperature before dividing among airtight containers or jars (leaving 1 inch of space at the top) and freeze.

Borlotti Beans in Tomato Sauce with Creamy Parmesan Polenta

joythebaker — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:26:28 +0000

Life is all about balance, right? Balance and beans. Ok… maybe not that last part.

While I’ll be the first person in line to pick at those brownies fresh out of the oven, I also know that I have to fill my belly with foods that make my body feel strong. Because I think food is just downright dreamy, I like to take the time to make something special for my body. Why? I figure if my body is happy, then my brain is pretty stoked and my heart feels pretty rad… and that trickles out to every part of my life.

Can I tell you a secret? I gave up working out for the new year. That’s right… I gave it up completely. I had absolutely no interest at all in even glancing at my running shoes. About two months in, I went to slip on my favorite jeans. Um… they were tight… and they hadn’t just come out of the dryer. What did I expect? Seriously…

Well, I’m back at it. I’m taking my running shoes out for a spin every once in a while, and my body is all smiles. Incedentially, my body also wants to celebrate its new found activity with French fries… but that’s a whole other battle we can talk about later.

This Borlotti Stew over Creamy Polenta feels exactly as good as getting out of the shower after a long run and sliding under the electric blanket for the night. It’s one big bowl of good-for-you comfort.

It’s a small way to celebrate real food being really good for you. I dunno… I think there’s something really special, and necessary about taking care of your body with a whole, happy meal.

Borlotti Beans in Tomato Sauce with Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Print this Recipe!

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 medium fennel bulb trimmed and chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 teaspoons fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

salt

1 small carrot peeled and shredded

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes or plum tomatoes

pepper

3 cups cooked and drained Borlotti beans (more about how to soak and cook those suckers here)

For Parmesan Polenta

1 cup polenta

3 cups cold water

2 cups whole milk (if you don’t want to use whole, just use whatever you have on hand)

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a small, heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, fennel, garlic, 2 teaspoons oregano and red pepper flakes, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes.

Add shredded carrot and saute for 2-3 minutes more.

Add tomatoes and stir to break up. Add another pinch of salt.

Reduce heat to super low (a very very low simmer) and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to separate from oil, about 2 hours. I cooked my tomatoes for about an hour and a half before I couldn’t wait any longer and dove in.

Add the rest of the oregano, plus more salt and pepper to taste. Add Borlotti beans and stir to combine.

Now make the Polenta

Place 1 cup of dried polenta in a medium sized bowl. Top with one cup cold water. Set aside.

In a medium sized sauce pan bring 2 cups of whole milk and remaining 2 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt. Slowly whisk the polenta and water mixture into the boiling milk mixture. Turn flame down to medium low. The time the polenta takes to cook will depend on weather you’re using fine grain or course polenta. My fine grain polenta took just minutes to thicken. However long it takes, stir occasionally until you’re reached a desired thickness.

Turn of flame and add grated parmesan cheese. Stir to incorporate.

Serve Borlotti with tomato sauce over warm polenta and top with extra Parmesan if you’re feelin’ frisky.