Resolution Revelation

Grapefruit Basil Sorbet.

Happy 2011, friends! I hope I find you fully recovered from your New Year's Eve party, and another year healthier, wealthier, and wiser!

Simple = FANTASTIC!

 Roasted Fish Bruschetta

After rambling on about Chinese Fusion Food, Halloween and Corn Mazes last week, I thought I'd cut you a break today with a quickie write-up and a quickie dinner!

First, a few fun quotes for your reading enjoyment...don't you just love quotes?

Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good, is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.  ~Dennis Wholey

A Peachy Encounter

Peach and Basil Salad.

After moving to the South,  I quickly noticed an abundance of road-side produce sellers. Some with little wooden shacks, others selling out of the back end of their pickup trucks. I would drive down the road and suddenly see the most glorious melons or deep purple heirloom tomatoes piled high in a gravel turn-off. On one of these occasions, there was a little old man with picnic baskets full of peaches cascading out of the back of his truck! I made a quick u-turn, and parked next to him.

The peaches were radiant! Enormous, flawless...bashfully blushing peaches. Ready to be taken home and devoured in silent dripping reverence!

To Market, To Market...

Market Stuffed Squash Blossoms.

 
One of my favorite aspects of summer is our local farmer's markets. I literally get giddy Friday evening thinking of what I might find the next morning. This week I had the luxury of sneaking out of the house before the kids woke up! Off I went, TOTALLY ALONE, to pursue the market.

Chill Out!

Strawberry Recipe #3...Strawberry-Basil Italian Ice!

Personalities are funny little things. They are a way for us to package ourselves, for our own understanding, and to present our "qualities" to others. But they are more than that. We often hold to our personality like a security blanket, a disclaimer for our quirks, shortcomings and bad habits. "I can't help that I _____, it's just the way I AM." The truth is, any of us can change something about ourselves IF WE WANT TO. That's the beauty of humanity, we choose. Life happens, but we choose how we will respond to it.

A Tale of Two Tarts

Or better titled...Beauty Isn't Everything!

As a mom, it's a little scary to raise a daughter in a culture that puts such a huge emphasis on looks. It makes my stomach turn to think of her bright-eyed, seven-year-old confidence being stripped away, at some point, by our society's ridiculous vain addiction. I don't know ONE single woman who doesn't occasionally struggle with insecurities about her appearance. Some are so burdened by insecurity, you can physically see it! It's in how they dress, or carry themselves. It's in the kind of relationships they choose, or how they speak about themselves and others! If you can't tell, this really get me RILED UP! A small, fearful part of me hopes my daughter turns out fabulously gorgeous, dreaming her adolescent years would be easier. But the more prominent, wiser side of me desires her to be a late bloomer, or even just slightly above average in appearance. To me, this assures she will likely develop depth and character earlier in life. Is that terrible for a mother to say?

Most of us have had an experience with a friend (or maybe someone we were once attracted to), who was the epitome of beauty, but had obviously gotten by on appearance their whole life. They never HAD TO take the time to become more. The result: an empty, shallow person in a pretty package. It's a true pity--think of who those people could have been if they hadn't been so highly praised for their external beauty all their lives. I don't want that for my daughter. I want her to discover who she really is, and the sooner the better! I want her to develop her gifts, and characteristics of sincerity, self-discipline, perseverance and humility. I even want her to go through some hard times, so she'll learn to rise above them! I'm getting teary writing this.

Believe it or not, all this comes from pondering over a tomato tart. I learned to make traditional tomato pies shortly after moving to the South. Fresh tomato pies are delicious and comforting, but not that pretty. Last month in Food and Wine magazine I found an alluring photo of a tomato tart and had to see how it compared. The picture, as I said, was wonderfully impressive. Yet upon tasting it, we discovered the flavor was quite disappointing. Mediocre at best--what a shame! I was a little surprised because I am usually pleased with recipes I find in F&W. Oh well, they can't win them all! The crust was a disaster and the filling low on the flavor scale. I was suddenly struck by the fact that I had been so eager to discard my old reliable tomato pie for this prettied-up version.

Things I've taken away from the "tomato pie incident": Clearly, never judge a book by it's cover. Beauty is often deceiving. Also, a personal quote...You are only as pretty as you taste. I'm going to teach THAT to my daughter some day. What do you think, instant classic??? After this experience, I took a few ideas from the pretty tart and used them to revamp my original pie. I loved the idea of using grape or cherry tomatoes instead of  the chopped and drained Romas. I also liked the idea of using a tart pan instead of a pie pan. I don't know why, but tarts just seem classier. Let's not get confused here, the old-fashion tomato pie was far superior to the magazine tart and really needed no revision. I just like to change things up!

There are two sets of photos incorporated into this post. The photos from my original trial with the F&W recipe were so gorgeous, because I found heirloom grape tomatoes in variegated colors--but this was the tart that was not so great. The second round of photos came from incorporating the grape tomatoes into my traditional pie. I didn't find the heirlooms again and used regular grape tomatoes. The flavor was IN-CRED-I-BLE, but I still wanted to use the first set of photos. That might make me a hypocrite...hmmm. My husband says he liked the looks of the second tart better anyway!

If you look closely at the two tarts you can see a difference between the crusts. The crust recipe in the second round, the recipe I'm giving you, is specifically a tart crust. It's meant to hold it's shape and hold up to moisture without being prebaked. I found the crust recipe on Smitten Kitchen. I've altered the preparation a little, but not the ingredients.

Sommer

Fresh Tomato Tart

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, diced
1 egg

2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried
½ cup basil leaves, divided
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1½ cups sharp provolone, grated (or fontina)
½ cup mayonnaise
½ tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 375*.

In a food processor, combine the flour, cornstarch , one-fourth teaspoon salt and butter. Pulse the mixture until it is in very tiny bits.

Add one egg and pulse until a dough forms. This dough is rather tough but, it does come together nicely.

Gather the dough into a ball. Then press the dough in to the tart pan, covering every bit. (You could, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle, if you want.) Crimp the edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roughly chop 1/4 cup of the basil leaves. Stack and roll the other basil leaves and cut them into thin ribbons.

Mix the cheese, mayo, chopped basil, green onions and pepper in a bowl. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the tart shell.

Top with grape tomatoes and press them down. Bake for 35 minutes—until the crust edges are golden-brown and the cheese is bubbling up.

Cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup sliced basil ribbons. Serve warm. Serves 6-8.

Not Always As They Seem

The lesson of fish sauce: 
Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden. Phaedras

As I was preparing dinner this evening, I opened my bottle of fish sauce and was slapped in the face with a pungent reminder that things are not always as they seem. You've heard the old saying, don't judge a book by it's cover. I 'd like to add to this train of thought, and share a profound new quote for all to ponder...Don't judge a sauce by it's smell. Deep, isn't it?

I know, I know...this goes against your better judgment! Conventional wisdom says milk, cheese, oil, and pretty much EVERYTHING else, should be thrown out if it smells bad.

Yet with fish sauce, I find the more putrid and filthy it smells, the better the fish sauce! And let me tell you, mine truly provides a heinous stench that fills the kitchen. BUT--don't let this deter you from using it! Fish sauce is a wonderfully flavorful ingredient, used all over Eastern Asia. It adds a distinct savory essence that can not be replicated with any other ingredient. The smell does diminish as you cook it, leaving a strong but appealing aroma.

Skeptical? The fact is, if you have ever eaten good quality Southeast Asian food, it's almost certain you've unknowingly eaten fish sauce. It is a widely popular condiment for adding depth of flavor, used is may countries--especially in Vietnamese and Thai cuisine.    

It's easy to get comfortable with what you know, and never allow your horizons to be broadened. One of my favorite parts of teaching "Confidence In the Kitchen", is hearing a person say they enjoyed a dish we've cooked--something they previously believed to be inedible. I have secretly made it my quest to "help" others expand their taste buds, to overcome their stigmas about food. My husband would tell you that I have "helped" him overcome his dislike of fish, fennel, citrus desserts and maple syrup...to name a few. Of course, I was "helping" him against his will, in most cases, but my attempts paid off!  No grudges held!

All I ask is that you try to be open-minded after opening a bottle of odorous fish sauce. Who knows what this new receptiveness might lead to!

Sommer


Asian Beef and Bok Choy Salad

1 ½ lbs. sirloin
2 Tb. thinly sliced scallions, mostly whites
Zest of 1 large lime, or 2 small limes
1 ½ Tb. grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup fish sauce
2 Tb. soy sauce
2 Tb. sugar

¼ cup peanut oil
2 Tb. thinly sliced scallions, greens
3 Tb. lime juice
½ tsp. chili-garlic sauce or sriracha
1 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. sugar

1 large head of bok choy
1 cup thinly sliced red onions
3 carrots, shaved into ribbons
½ cup thinly sliced basil leaves

Partially thaw the sirloin (or if it’s fresh, flash freeze it for 30 minutes) so that it is still firm, but a knife can cut through it. This helps to keep the meat from moving around while cutting it thin! Cut the sirloin in half, length-wise. Slice each half into very thin (1mm) pieces.

Mix 2 Tb. of scallion whites, lime zest, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, soy and sugar in a medium bowl. Toss in the raw sirloin and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes—but up to 4 hours.

*To peel or not to peel the ginger...If the ginger's skin in tight and smooth like baby skin--don't bother with peeling it. But, if it's slightly wrinkled and dry like "winter hands", you can use a veggie peeler, or even a spoon to scrape it off.

 

 

 

 

 In a small bowl, mix together the peanut oil, lime juice, 2 Tb. scallions, chili sauce, salt, and sugar. Whisk the dressing well.

Cut the green leaves off of the bok choy. Hand-tear them into bite-size pieces. Then thinly slice the white stalks of the bok choy. Place both on a large serving bowl. Slice the red onions very thin. Using a veggie peeler, shave the 3 carrots to make carrot ribbons.

Roll the basil leaves tightly, then slice them into thin strips. Sprinkle all the veggies on top of the bok choy.

  

 Drain the marinade from the beef. Heat a wok or large skillet to high heat. Add 1 Tb. of oil and wait until it smokes. Then add half the beef to the wok—stirring continuously. Cook for 1-2 minutes until desired doneness is reached. Then repeat with the second half of the beef.

 

 Once the beef is cooked, toss the salad with the dressing and top it with the stir-fried beef. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6.

Asian-style tacos are really trendy in the culinary world right now. Try putting the salad and beef in a wheat tortillas!