Bruschetta & Two Variations on its Theme

I hated tomatoes when I was growing up. I would diligently pick them out of whatever I was eating. I even hated tomato sauce and ketchup. Weird, I know. But when I hit 20, something changed. I think the turning point was this delicious tomato pie one of my co-workers made for me. I couldn't stop eating it. Out of curiosity, I kept trying tomatoes in various forms and found that I actually liked them! Crazy! I now have to make up for all those lost tomato-hating years.

So now it's tomato season. Heirloom tomatoes (from the farmer's market of course!) are something I wait all winter and spring for because their beautiful texture, flavour, and colour far outstrips the hothouse tomatoes or even the bland vine-ripened regular tomatoes. We want to take advantage of the limited season, and the best way to do that is to maintain simplicity. However, there are limitless variations on this theme. The base recipe is as follows:

Bruschetta Topping

Serves 2 in the following recipes, or 6-8 as a stand-alone appetiser
1 large heirloom tomato (at room temperature)
1 large garlic clove
15-20 fresh basil leaves, cut chiffonade-style
3-5 Tbs good olive oil
1 tsp real balsamic vinegar

Stir, then let it sit for 30 minutes to marinate and get the best out of the flavours. Delicious!!

The best thing about this recipe is that there are infinite possibilities for it! You could use it in place of salsa, you could use it as a pasta sauce, hell...you could even eat it straight out of the bowl! We had it three ways this week - bruschetta two times, once "plain" and once with goat's cheese, and "Mexican"-style beans on toast.

Goat's Cheese Bruschetta

To assemble:
Lightly coat slices of homemade bread (sliced so they are the same thickness, ideally) in olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Turn the broiler to low and broil the slices until they are light golden brown on both sides. While still warm, spread goat's cheese liberally on each slice. Then, top with tomatoes.

Mexican-Style Beans on Toast
(it ain't pretty, but it's delicious!)

Beans:
1/2-2/3 cup heirloom beans, such as Rancho Grande's Jacob's Cattle
3 cloves garlic, two crushed, one roughly chopped
1 large shallot, roughly chopped
3-4 sprigs thyme
1 Qt. stock (I used homemade rabbit stock, but any will do)
Reserved bean-soaking liquid

Soak the beans for at least 2 hours. When they are finished soaking, saute the shallot and chopped garlic in olive oil. When the shallot is translucent, add the soaked beans, crushed garlic, thyme and the stock. If the stock alone does not cover the beans, add some of the bean soaking liquid. Let the beans simmer for 1-1.5 hours, or until tender. They should look a bit like refried beans at this point. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add some cayenne or paprika if desired.

To assemble, you will need:
2 slices of bread per person, preferable homemade**
1 avocado
1/2 cup grated cheese, any variety you like
tomato bruschetta mix
sour cream (if desired)

Lightly coat slices of homemade bread (sliced so they are the same thickness, ideally) in olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Turn the broiler to low and broil the slices until they are light golden brown on both sides. Then, cover the bread with the cheese. If desired, cheese can be melted under the broiler at this point. Cover with beans, avocado, tomatoes and sour cream. Season and enjoy!

**We used bread because we didn't have any tortillas handy. It would be FAR more delicious on corn tortillas, lightly fried in oil so they are slighly crunchy.

Summer Vegetable Salad Two-Ways

I regularly get temped by the amazing produce at the farmer's market, even if I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. Sure, sometimes it sits in my fridge for weeks until I throw it away, disgusted with myself for wasting money. But sometimes, I find an amazing use for it and am thankful I took the risk. This time, I was happy to have taken the risk.

This week, it was green beans. My husband hates them (the texture freaks him out), but I love them. So unless I make them for myself, I don't use them; I hate having to make something different for myself because it seems like a lot of work and even a bit selfish. So I leave them to mold in the fridge.

But this last Sunday, I had to make dinner really quickly because we were both starving by the time we actually got to making it. We had a beautiful piece of halibut and some lovely new potatoes that I knew would make a good mash. That's when inspiration struck. I decided to chop up tons of vegetables and make a quick summer salad. It was delicious, quick, and a great way to get lots of vegetables into one meal.

We had lots of leftovers, so I decided to use them as the base for a pasta "sauce." It was also delicious and incredibly healthy.

Here are both recipes with some not-very-pretty photos. Remember that this recipe is extremely versatile, so don't be afraid to mix it up!

Summer Vegetable Salad

Makes enough for 6 as a side dish, or four if used as a pasta sauce. Shown above with halibut and mashed potatoes.
20 green beans, topped and trimmed to 1/2 inch pieces
10 cherry tomatoes (I used golden ones), cut into quarters, cores/seeds/juices left in
1 ear corn (I used one raw ear, and some 1/3 of an ear I had cooked the day before)
1/2 cup peas (mine were pre-cooked leftovers)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into brunoise (very small dice)
3 Tbs olive oil
15-20 basil leaves, cut chiffonade
1 Tbs good balsamic vinegar
1 sprig thyme, rosemary, etc. (optional)
2 green onions, chopped into small rounds (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Heat a pan and add 2 Tbs of olive oil. Saute the carrots for 4-5 minutes, or until slightly soft. At that point, add the green beans, and the corn if using it raw. Give it 2-3 more minutes, stirring frequently. At this point, add salt, pepper, and the rest of the oil. Finally, add the peas and corn (if using cooked). When everything seems pretty soft and cooked, add the tomatoes (including juices, etc.), basil, balsamic vinegar, other herbs, green onions, and final seasoning to taste. Remove from heat and adjust oil/vinegar/herbs. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

To assemble:
Pasta, cooked according to directions on packet
Summer vegetable salad, made according to directions above
Artichokes, canned fish, other vegetables, etc. (optional)
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (amount needed varies according to taste)
1 Tbs butter
Extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Cook the pasta and drain it, stirring and adding a bit of oil so that it doesn't stick or clump. In the same pot you made the pasta in, add the butter and the vegetables. Heat for 1-2 minutes, then add any other ingredients you want - I used canned tuna and artichokes. Finally, add back in the pasta and stir to coat. At this point, season to taste, and add about 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar and a splash of olive oil (if needed to make it more "saucy"). Remove from the pot, and grate the parmesan cheese over the top.

Can you do anything else with this salad? Sure! Add it to couscous, quinoa, lentils, beans, etc.! Change up the vegetables! Mix up the herbs! Add mustard and make it into a salad dressing! The possibilities are endless!

Welcome to my first post!

It's hard to know what to say in this first entry. It doesn't seem appropriate to post a recipe or give my general philosophy of food.

So I'll start with the basics: Where I get my food. The ingredients you use are one of the most important things to consider when you cook, and I've made the effort to find the best possible in the East Bay.

Hayward Farmer's Market
We shop here weekly for our fruit and vegetables, which vary based on season. Last week we bought yellow nectarines, strawberries, arugula, crimini mushrooms, red onions, heirloom tomatoes, peas (in the pod), red potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, and carrots. Last week was the first week they had fish (!) and we got a lovely piece of halibut. We usually get our eggs from Olivera Farms, who have a stand there. They also have a huge selection of asian greens, as well as lemongrass, chilies, ginger, thai basil, summer/winter squash, etc.

Alameda Marketplace Natural Foods
The produce is good here, and can substitute for the farmer's market if we happen to miss it. The bulk granola and flour selections are good as well, and they carry Straus Family Creamery milk and ice cream, which is the only milk we buy if we can help it. Yes, it's more expensive than regular organic milk, but when you see the cleanliness of the farm and the way the animals are treated, it's worth it. And it tastes better.

Baron's Meat and Poultry (in the Alameda Marketplace)
They stock Mary's Organic/Free-Range chicken and duck, as well as lots of red meat and sausage options. If you haven't tried Mary's chicken, you haven't had real chicken. Seriously. And as a bonus, they air-chill the chickens and individually wrap them to order, so there's no water/blood slurry in the bottom of the bag. Plus, they're the same price as the "organic free-range" chickens at Trader Joe's.

Whole Foods (Napa or San Ramon)
We LOVE Allegra Extra-Dark French Roast coffee from WF. Hell, it's almost worth the bridge toll just for that. We also love Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor goat's cheese, which is usually available at both locations. However, only Napa has the WF in-house baked bread that is the best we've ever had - the whole wheat/multi-grain bread. It's got that ideal grain/seed/malty/wheaty taste that is just delicious.

PW Market
We don't always shop there, but they do carry Straus milk and the produce is more varied and high quality than any other local market. They have lots of good cheeses, and their fresh-baked bread is generally pretty good. They also carry some British products, like Ambrosia custard and rice pudding, that are often hard to find. The fish counter often is VERY fishy smelling, which puts me off, but they also carry chilean sea bass, which definitely puts me off.

Between those places, we get the vast majority of our produce and meat. I highly recommend them, particularly for the specific products mentioned.

What's cooking tonight in the free-range educator's kitchen?
Halibut with arugula salad
Olive-oil potato salad
Passion fruit "Melting Moments"
Italian bread (from Bread Baker's Apprentice)

Recipes to follow.