Appreciating August

Heat. Humidity. Stormy weather. The end of Summer. August can bring a lot of things to mind… many of which are not all that great.  But it does mean at least one good thing: an abundant supply of fresh, juicy, flavorful tomatoes.  It’s difficult to go to a grocery store or farmers’ market these days and not be tempted (especially when it comes to heirloom varieties in their exotic shapes and colors).  Given the relatively short season (and the dismal selection available the rest of the year), It seems almost criminal not to include at least one tomato-based recipe on the weekly menu.

Last week I came across a recipe for a French Tomato Tart that seemed like a good vehicle for August‘s bounty.  It comes from David Lebovitz (famous American pastry chef and food writer currently living the good life in Paris) via The Kitchn.   I decided to follow the latter's lead and make mine free-form using store bought pie dough because it’s a Wednesday night and y’all know I’m all about weeknight shortcuts these days. (Plus it took me an hour and a half to get home from work today and the thought of doing anything else seemed way too daunting.) As a result, it ended up being a pretty quick and easy meal to pull together. And tasty too. I only had two small complaints—1) the original recipe did not specify the quantity of mustard to spread on the bottom of the tart. Since I like mustard, I was pretty generous—next time I’ll scale it back a little bit.  2) As The Kitchn also suggested, the ripe tomatoes resulted in a somewhat soggy bottom. I tried to proactively address this by seeding the tomatoes and then patting them dry but that didn’t quite do it.  I’m honestly not sure if there is an easy solution—August tomatoes are naturally juicy! I suppose I could par-bake the crust next time (although this would be easier to do if I were using a tart pan rather than going free form). All in all, I’d say the tart was a delicious (and easy) way to get my weekly tomato fix!

Rustic French Tomato Tart
Adapted somewhat from David Lebovitz

Ingredients:
1 unbaked tart/pie dough (either homemade or store bought)
1-2 TBL Dijon or whole grain mustard (to taste)
2-3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 TBL olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 TBL fresh thyme
3-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled or sliced into rounds

1.Preheat to 425. If you are going to make a free-form tart, place parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet and place tart dough on pan. Alternatively, press dough into a tart pan trimming the excess dough.
2.Spread an even layer of mustard over the bottom of the tart dough.
3.Arrange the tomatoes over the mustard (the recipe says in a single, even layer but I decided to overlap a little bit). Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4.Sprinkle ¾ of the chopped thyme and then top with goat cheese. Sprinkle remaining herbs.
5.If you are going the free-form route, fold the edges up toward the center of the tart.
6.Bake for 25-30 minutes until dough is cooked and cheese has started to brown. Slice and serve with a green salad if serving as an entrée.

How Bad Could That Be?!

By now you know that my love for Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa) is rivaled only by my affection for Smitten Kitchen. So when I saw SK had taken Ina’s recipe for Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons for a spin, I knew I had to give it a go myself.  Basically it’s a warm panzanella salad—bread, loads of fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil. A very seasonal dish, indeed. I decided to add some spinach to the mix to add a little more green to otherwise carb-heavy dish.

While the recipe isn’t difficult to prepare it does take a little more time than some of my other weeknight dinners. Fortunately, the timing worked out well tonight since Jason had to work a little late. In the end, I really liked it….as a side dish. I think for it to be really satisfying entrée, I’d add some other veggie (zucchini or eggplant) or top with a poached egg (per SK’s suggestion). But I would definitely encourage you all give it a try. Bread, tomatoes, basil, and garlic…in the words of Ina “how bad could that be”?!

Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons and Spinach
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
3 TBL olive oil
2-3 cups of bread cubes, SK recommends a French boule; I used a rosemary olive oil loaf—you just want to look for a chewy, artisanal type of bread that will stand up to the juicy tomatoes.
2 lbs of tomatoes (I used roma), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBL sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt (less if you use table salt)
1 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 of bag of baby spinach
½ cup thinly sliced basil leaves
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.Preheat the oven to 350. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add bread cubes and stir so they are all coated with oil. Cook, tossing frequently, until toasty on all sides, about 5 minutes.
2.Combine tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, and spinach in a large bowl. When bread is toasted add mixture to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes more.  Remove from heat and stir in basil. Pour into a shallow (6-8 cup) baking dish and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 35-40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm. I served mixed greens alongside with it.