This is how we top a simple bowl of vanilla ice cream.
Strawberries & Cherries
1 bottle maraschino cherries, grocery store variety
1 cup bourbon
1/2 cup Luxardo Maraschino
strawberries, cleaned and halved
Empty red liquid out of the maraschino cherry jar. Fill with bourbon. Refrigerate for at least 1 week.
Then, on the day that you want to eat your ice cream, pour cherries and bourbon over a bowl of cleaned and cut strawberries. Then, add the 1/2 cup Luxardo Maraschino. Stir gently. Let macerate for at least 20 minutes. Spoon strawberries and cherries over small bowls of ice cream. Drizzle a small amount of liquid on top.
Top with whipped cream, if desired.
Gumbo
Sausage & Pork
The chicken stock made with necks gives this gumbo a great rustic flavor.
Gumbo
makes 1 big pot
Chicken Stock
3 lb chicken necks
1 onion, finely minced
drizzle of olive oil
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
fine sea salt, to taste
In a dutch oven or stock pot, sauté onion in olive oil. Add carrots and celery. Sauté briefly. Add chicken, black pepper and approximately 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Cover with water (approximately 6-7 cups). Simmer gently for 30-40 minutes. Strain liquid and discard spent solids.
Dark Roux
1 part olive oil
1 part butter
2 parts flour
Cook over moderate heat until golden brown.
Gumbo
makes 1 big pot
1 lb pork belly, sliced
1 lb sausage, cut into pieces
4 chicken thighs
olive oil, as needed
1 onion, finely minced
1 red pepper, finely minced
2 stalks celery, finely minced
2 Tablespoons dark roux
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon file powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 fresh bay leaf
splash or three of Tabasco
fine sea salt, to taste
3-4 cups fresh okra, cleaned and sliced
In a dutch oven, add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Brown exterior of sausage, chicken thighs and pork belly, removing each piece as it browns. Set aside.
Briefly saute onion, red pepper, celery, and garlic. Add roux and spices. Stir to combine. Add chicken stock, three splashes of Tabasco and a pinch of salt. Stir and simmer gently over low heat. Add meat and continue to simmer for 30-35 minutes. Taste and season, if needed. Add okra and simmer for an additional 5-6 minutes.
Serve over rice or with a chunk of rustic crusty bread.
There’s really only one secret to a good gumbo…
Add the okra at the very end.
A Caramel Colored Roux
There are a number of ways to make a richly colored roux. You might choose to toast your flour in the oven. Or, you might choose to start the roux on the stovetop and finish it in the oven. Or, if you’re patient, you might choose to stir it by hand until it reaches that perfect shade of golden brown that you prefer. In New Orleans, you might even be tempted to purchase it by the jar. But, just don’t do it.
Roux
Butter
+
Flour
Heat butter in a heavy bottomed skillet. Add flour until a smooth, creamy and stir-able paste is formed. Cook over low to moderate heat until it takes on the golden brown shade you choose.
The secret to this dish is baking the tostadas. The deep roasty toasty goodness of crispy corn tostada crumbs adds another layer of flavor. Brush fresh corn tortillas with olive oil or peanut oil and roast under moderately high heat (400 degrees F) until they’re deep dark golden brown and brittle (approximately 5-10 minutes).
Corn Chowder
makes 1 big pot
1 large Vidalia onion
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 stalks celery, finely minced
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon Sicilian oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil, powdered
1/2 teaspoon fresh cumin, freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups whole milk
2-3 cups chicken stock
4 cup corn, preferably fresh
1/2 lb smoked ham, cubed
1 cup skinless chicken, poached and sliced
fine sea salt, to taste
In a large dutch oven or other thick bottomed pot, sauté onion in butter and olive oil. Add garlic and celery. Sauté briefly. Add flour and stir. Allow flour to thicken and coat the bottom of the pot. Then, add milk and stock. Bring to a simmer over low heat.
In a food processor, mince 1 cup corn. Then, add it to the soup pot with remaining corn and all remaining ingredients. Allow to simmer gently over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Taste. Season, if needed. Top with baked tostada crumbs.
My First Black Krim Of The Season
This mammoth beauty demands attention. Is there a better way to honor your garden (or local farmer’s market) then to showcase the delicious flavors of summer? I don’t think so. Eat these beauties now. Far too soon, they’ll be gone.
Tomato Sandwich
Makes 2 sandwich
4 pieces of toast, or sliced, divided and toasted baguette
homemade mayo, as much or as little as you like
1 giant Black Krim, thinly sliced, or your favorite heirloom tomato
fresh, tender basil leaves
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
You know how to make a sandwich, right? Slather toast, layer with tomatoes and basil leaves, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and slice. This is definitely what’s for lunch today!
Homemade Mayonnaise
makes around 1 cup
1 (perfectly fresh) large egg yolk
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 clove roasted garlic
3/4 – 1 cup olive oil, delicate, light and fruity
In a blender, place egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and garlic. Puree. Keep blender on puree and slowly drizzle in olive oil to form a dense mayonnaise. Don’t overbeat it. Use immediately. Or, this will remain delicious for 3-4 days in a very cold fridge. (This might last longer for some. For us, we think the flavors get a bit too funky tasting by the fifth day. We’ve used it on the fifth day. But, we’ve never enjoyed it.)
If you’re not comfortable eating raw eggs, you can’t verify the freshness of your eggs or have a compromised immune system, just don’t make this.
Garden 2012
Even with the hottest summer we’ve ever known in Atlanta, the tomatoes still manage to do their thing. Some are thriving… others surviving. Some are surviving better than others. The juliets and black cherries are gorgeous. And, the one lone Black prince has already produced more than any other plant (except for the Juliets). One single Black Prince has produced almost 10 tomatoes to date. It’s incredible. While the Black Krim live, they’re struggling in the heat.
The Best of the Year (so far):
Juliet
Black Prince
Black Cherry
Bush Goliath
Mortgage Lifter
Black Krim
Sweet ‘n Neat
(Listed in order of taste and productivity.)
On taste alone, the black cherry would be the winner by a mile.
We’ll definitely be growing Juliets next year. We’ve seen them described as a grape or mini plum. Size-wise, we’d say they’re a mini plum. But, flavor-wise, they’re so much more. They’re incredible. They offer just the right sweetness, they’re rich with tomato flavor, and they have a pleasingly firm (but not too firm) texture.
If you’re lucky enough to find sugarcane juice at a farmer’s market near you (there are several in the Atlanta area), this is a surprisingly light and refreshing drink. The juice of the sugarcane isn’t overpoweringly sweet. It has a refreshing, almost grassy flavor that adds a lightness to it. It also provides a small amounts of iron, calcium, potassium, and sodium.
Happy 4th, everyone!
Sugarcane Punch
makes 2 glasses
1 – 20 oz. glass sugarcane juice
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 ounces rum
ice, crushed or small cubes
In a large cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients and add a generous amount of ice. Shake vigorously. Divide between two glasses, straining cocktail over fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge, if desired.
Cheers!
Meatball on Mini Ciabatta
I guess you could call this a meatball slider. But, I’d rather not.
Whatever you call it, I’m sure you’ll love it.
Meatballs For Sub, Sandwich, Hero Or Slider
makes 1 pot full of meatballs (10-12)
2lb good quality lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork, if desired
1 3x3inch square cornbread, ground to fine crumbs
1/2 teaspoon basil, powdered
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, finely ground
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 clove garlic, crushed to a paste
1 Tablespoon sun dried tomato paste
1 jumbo egg
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
meatball sub sauce
Combine all ingredients. Blend well. Form meat into balls slightly bigger than a golf ball. Place gently into a pot of simmering sauce. Be careful to space the balls evenly around the pot. Cover and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Stir VERY gently at about the 15 minute mark to keep your sauce from sticking.
**OR**
Or, you could pan fry meatballs in skillet lightly coated with olive oil. Brown exteriors. Then, place in sauce and simmer gently for approximately 10 minutes. Or, until meatballs are cooked through, but tender.
The man of the house takes two meatballs on his ciabatta.
Until my tomatoes ripen, I’m still using canned tomatoes.
Garden Fresh Meatball Sub Sauce
Makes 1 big pot
2 – 28 oz. cans Sclafani crushed tomatoes
1 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
1 large Vidalia onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 lb pancetta, diced
1 Tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
6 stalks celery, finely diced
1 glass of your favorite good quality rich, red wine (not oaked)
1 big handful basil, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
In a large dutch oven or pot, brown pancetta in just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Saute until golden brown. Add onion and celery and sweat briefly. Deglaze pan with red wine. Allow the wine to reduce away to almost nothing. Then, add all remaining ingredients.
Simmer gently for approximately 15 min, or until flavors marry.
Tomorrow: Meatball Subs!!
(If making meatballs, bring to a hearty simmer. Add meatballs and simmer for 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs.)
In the meantime, ladle a small bowl of sauce and serve with a wedge of toasted Italian bread.
Mangia, mangia!
And, finish up that wine!
Colavita Vs. Sclafani
Sclafani wins… again! Sclafani offers a beautiful deep red color, sweeter tomato smell, and sweeter ripe tomato taste. Colavita (Whole Foods) might be second place for now. More testing is needed to be sure.
Those tomatoes really are ripe.
Ripe tomatoes and salt. That’s it. Period. That’s why they’re so good.
The First Bush Goliath
(with a handful of Sweet ‘N Neat & Juliet)
The first batch of tomatoes must go into a salad. It’s not an option.
Home Grown Tomatoes & Basil
They were made for each other.
These gorgeously tender basil leaves are just begging to be put in a salad.
Tomato Salad
serves 2
An assortment of tomatoes
basil
fig vinegar reduction
the best olive oil you own
freshly ground black pepper (Balinese Long Peppers are best)
fine sea salt, to taste
Halve little tomatoes. Slice big tomatoes and layer with basil leaves. Arrange halved tomatoes around sliced tomato. Drizzle with fig reduction and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Buon Appetito!!
Fig Vinegar Reduction
1 cup fig vinegar
raw sugar, to taste
pinch of salt
In a small saucepan, reduce vinegar by half. Season with salt and sugar, to taste.
Drizzle over tomatoes.
(Or, garnish plate of roast pork with any leftovers.)
Bush Goliath On The Vine
A few blemishes dot the top of the Goliath, but, it’s still delicious.
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