Roasted Tomato Bread

Winter tomatoes are so tasteless and gummy. Every once and a while I will buy one, hoping for the taste of a ripe summer tomato, almost always ending in disappointment. Instead of waiting five more months for a real tomato, roasted tomatoes are a good compromise. Roasting concentrates the flavor and is the closest I have come to the taste of summer tomato in the depths of winter.

This is a relatively quick yeast bread. I would recommend making for a Sunday brunch.


Roasted Tomato Bread
Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Ingredients:

• 4 pints cherry tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
• 4 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 pounds (about 5 1/4 cups) all purpose flour
• 10 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) semolina flour
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast

How To:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Divide the tomatoes evenly between two rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil, and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt. Bake until tomatoes begin to shrivel and the juice on the pan has reduced, about 45 minutes; remove from oven. Lightly brush a 17 by 12 inch rimmed baking pan with oil and set aside. Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring milk to a simmer. In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 teaspoons of salt, flours, 3 tablespoons olive oil and yeast. Mix on low speed, gradually pouring in the hot milk until combined. Once combined mix on medium speed for one minute. The dough will be very sticky.

Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Using lightly oiled hands, spread dough evenly, making sure it fills the pan. Cover tightly with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Using fingers, dimple the dough unevenly, leaving 2 inched between dimples. Arrange half of the tomatoes on the dough. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil, sprinkle with salt.

Bake rotating sheet halfway through until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, cool on wire rack. Add remaining tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. Slice with serrated knife and serve.  Bread can be kept for 2 to 3 days tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature.

My recipe notes:

• I used halved grape tomatoes
• You can roast the tomatoes a day ahead 
• The recipe makes a lot of really sticky dough
• I was a little concerned with the large amount of yeast -- but it's works out really well
• Garnish with basil
• Leftovers can be frozen

Taste of Amalfi: Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad

Are you looking for a perfect summertime salad? My mom has been making this salad ever since my parents visited the Amalfi Coast 10 years ago. I have since loved this salad, and appreciate it even more after having spent some time in Praiano, Italy. Something about it brings me back to afternoon Peronis, midnight glasses of Prosecco and limoncello, cherries, olives, - oh the amazing freshness and flavors of the Amalfi Coast!

This salad is even better served with a good crusty bread with a soft inside - a good sourdough is perfect.

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados
• 1 can hearts of palm*
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1/4 red onion
• 3 ears of corn
• 1/2 lemon
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Once the oven is preheated, place the corn cobs (still in husks) onto the oven racks. Roast for 30 minutes.
   
3. While the corn is roasting, chop up the hearts of palm into 1/2 inch pieces, and slice the onion and tomoatoes.
4. Combine the hearts of palm, onions, tomatoes, and olive oil in a serving bowl. Salt to taste and let marinate while the corn roasts.
5. Remove the corn from the oven, slice the corn off the cob, and combine with salad.
6. Chop the avocados into 1/2 inch pieces, combine with the salad, vinegar, and lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon.

*Note: Hearts of palm can be found in most grocery stores in the canned vegetable aisles. Some brands have very woody exteriors - if that is the case, remove the outer layer. The best brand (and surprisingly, the cheapest!) is Whole Foods 365 brand of hearts of palm - they are the most consistent in size and texture and sometimes go on sale for less than $2 a can!

Artichokes Provencal

I have been waiting for baby artichokes to be in season to cook this recipe by Mark Bittman. Baby artichokes grown in California are at my local co-op this week - get them while they last because I know I will be making this at least one more time over the weekend!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 baby artichokes
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup water
• olive oil
• salt

How to:

1. Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a skillet, add whole cloves of garlic and thyme
   
2. Prep the baby artichokes by peeling off the tough outer leaves, trimming the outer edges of the stem, cut the top inch off of the top, and cut in half. Add the artichokes into the skillet.
3. Once the bottom of the artichokes are slightly brown, add the olives and tomatoes.
4. Add in the water, cover and let simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes
5. Salt to taste
6. Serve with good crusty bread and a little grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
   

Notes: This may be good with a pasta or grain like farro. The bread is great since it soaks up all of the juices.