Bricking It

Ever wonder what happens to huge boxes of Junior Mints left in a broiling hot car?

No.  Me neither.

But you're going to find out.



It's this:

I put them in the fridge for an hour, and now I have edible bookends.  All was not lost!

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Parmesan Pepper Crust

...aka "Shitload of Tomatoes 2: Acidic Boogaloo."

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Parmesan Pepper Crust

Black pepper Parmesan pastry:

1 1/4 cups flour
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

Heirloom tomatoes
Goat cheese
Fresh basil leaves
Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 tablespoons)
Fresh ground black pepper

In a food processor, blend together flour, butter, shortening, Parmesan, and pepper in pulses until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps.  Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse again until incorporated.

Gently squeeze a small handful.  If it doesn't hold together without falling apart, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition until incorporated, continuing to test.  Do not overwork dough.

Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap loosely, pressing down through the plastic so that dough forms a disk.  Chill in plastic wrap, until firm, for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Put dough into a tart pan and, using fingers and the bottom of a measuring cup, press dough evenly into place, working up sides to the pan edge.  Use the measuring cup bottom to make a flat surface and get into the edges of the pan to make the thickness even.  Lightly prick tart shell all over with a fork.

Line shell with foil.  Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes.  During this time prepare the tomatoes.  Slice tomatoes thinly, using different kinds for visual variety.  Lay slices on paper towels to soak up the moisture.

Carefully remove foil from the tart shell and bake 10 minutes more.  Remove from oven and fill.

First, layer the basil leaves at the bottom of the shell.  Next, crumble goat cheese on top.  These will help form a layer that will prevent the tomato juice from making the shell soggy.  

Layer the tomatoes evenly over the leaves and cheese (you will probably have room for two layers - do not exceed the height of the shell).  Sprinkle with Parmesan and black pepper.

 

Put back into the oven for 20-25 minutes.  I like to finish off with a few seconds of the broiler to make everything golden and bubbly, but be careful it doesn't brown too much.  Cool on a wire rack, remove the pan and slide onto a plate.

You can see nicely here how the basil and cheese have made a useful barrier between the tomatoes and the crust.

Shitload of Tomatoes

"Every blog post title should include profanity." - P.L.

Well... strictly speaking I haven't grown even half as many as I had in last year's bumper crop, but this is still enough for one soul to cope with.  I needed to make something quick from these as there are again as many on the vine that'll be ready in the next few days.  Oven-roasting them briefly and doing a quick pasta dish is the easiest things to do - I usually have some hot when I make it, and then have the leftovers cold as pasta salad the next day.

There are no hard and fast measurements here, so read through the recipe first to see what you'll need, and then use your common sense when deciding how much of anything to use.

Roasted Tomato Pasta

Preheat oven to 325F.  Slice your small tomatoes in half and larger ones into chunks, placing in a mixing bowl.  Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Sprinkle with a little bit of salt, and grind as much black pepper on them as you like.  Mix with a spatula to coat evenly.  Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, scraping all the juices out as well.

Roast tomatoes for 30 minutes, then turn on the broiler and let them cook until they just start to brown.

While tomatoes are roasting, boil pasta according to package directions.  When both pasta and tomatoes are done, mix them together in a large bowl.  What you add from here is up to you.  I usually drizzle with a healthy dose of chili oil and red pepper flakes, chopped Kalamata olives, a handful of toasted pine nuts, a couple of spoonfuls of capers, and masses of grated Italian cheese (pecorino, Parmesan, Romano, or a combination - whatever you like).  Once it's dished up, adorn with some shredded fresh basil if you have it.

Now... what to do with the next batch...

Orange Quick Bread

What better to do when it's 104F outside than bake, right?  Well, one has to move when the muse strikes.  And when you have oranges.

Orange Quick Bread

5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
4 tablespoons orange zest
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (triple sec, Grand Marnier, etc.)
1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F.  Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten egg and zest.  Add juice and flour mixture alternately until thoroughly mixed.  Pour into two small greased loaf pans.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Remove from pans and let cool on a rack.

I think next time I'll make a glaze for it from orange juice and confectioner's sugar.

Toffee Squares

...though I prefer the term "toffee bars" because a square is so limiting...

Recipe over at Bake or Break.