Tomato Cobbler

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...For all the cooking I've done, this was the first summer I've ever made a tomato cobbler. I'm not sure why. I love roasted tomatoes and I love cobblers, but I just never thought to combine the two. At any rate, two recipes for this dish crossed my path at approximately the same time. One came from the the test kitchens of Martha Stewart, the other came from the very capable hands of Mark Bittman. I've made both recipes and they are quite similar to each other, save for the topping. The Stewart recipe uses luscious cream biscuits to top her cobbler, while Bittman uses a flavorful cornbread to finish his. Both cobblers are delicious and I decided to feature the one from Martha Stewart Living only because it is the more photogenic of the two. Tomatoes are the real star of this dish, and when cherry or grape tomatoes are roasted, they have a lovely sweet taste that is truly memorable and quite different than that of their larger cousins. They literally burst in your mouth, flooding it with flavor. You'll need time to pull this dish together, but I promise you won't regret a moment you spend making the cobbler. It comes very close to making my socks go up and down. Tomatoes are flooding markets right now, and if you are looking for new ways to prepare them, I highly recommend this recipe. If you are a fan of tomatoes I know you will love this dish. It can be used as a hearty side dish or light main course. Here's the recipe.

Tomato Cobbler...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
Filling
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Topping
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Coarse salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (2 1/4 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon, for sprinkling
1-1/2 cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing


Directions:
1) To make filling: Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool. Toss onion mixture, tomatoes, basil, flour, and red-pepper flakes with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and some pepper.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3) To make biscuit topping: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers until small clumps form. Stir in cheese, then add cream, stirring with a fork to combine until dough forms. (Dough will be slightly sticky.)
4) Transfer tomato mixture to a 2-quart baking dish (2 inches deep). Spoon 7 clumps of biscuit dough (about 1/2 cup each) over top in a circle, leaving center open. Brush dough with cream, and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon cheese. Bake until tomatoes are bubbling in the center and biscuits are golden brown, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 20 minutes. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.








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Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely mix of ingredients captures the colors and flavors of summer in a bowl. The salad, packed with fresh vegetables that offer texture and flavor, is topped with a combination of feta cheese and basil that manages to keep a potentially boring mix of ingredients interesting. The brightness of the salad adds glorious color to a picnic table and its slight tang works really well with barbecued meat or chicken. The recipe was originally developed developed by Priscilla Yee for a Taste of Home competition. Her recipe is a keeper and I suspect your family will enjoy it as much as mine did. While I prefer the salad chilled, it can be served at room temperature and that makes it ideal for family outings. Our outing today took us to a local dam and fish hatchery where the little guys had their first "gone fishin" experience. It was a treasure of a day, matched by food that was nearly as good as the memories that were made. While there is no recipe for the memories, there is one for the salad. Here it is.

Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Priscilla Yee

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1) To make dressing, whisk lime juice, salt, pepper sauce and 4 teaspoons oil together in a small bowl. Set aside.
2) Using a large skillet, saute corn in reserved 1 teaspoon oil until tender. Transfer corn to a salad bowl.
3) Add tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and basil to sauteed corn. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving or refrigerate until chilled. until tender. Transfer to a salad bowl; add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving or refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving. Yield: 4 servings.








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Fresh Broccoli Salad with Tomatoes, Black Olives and Feta Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This salad adds lovely color to a Mediterranean-style meal. I served it this evening with lamb kabobs and Greek-style lemon potatoes. The table was a riot of color and the only hue missing was the blue of the Aegean Sea. This is one of the few salads that I prepare year round. The ingredients, while not always local, are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Making the salad ahead of time eases the strain of dinner service, while still guaranteeing that everyone gets a vegetable with their meal. I know that many cooks like to serve this type of salad raw. I understand their rationale, but I prefer the color and crisp-tender bite of perfectly blanched vegetables in salads such as these. This one appeals to me because it is dressed simply with oil and vinegar. While the recipe calls for amply coating the broccoli, I just nap mine and use only enough dressing to flavor the salad. You can prepare the salad several hours before you plan to serve it, but if it sits too long or you use too much dressing it will get goopy. I actually dress mine just before it is served. I have only one caution regarding the preparation of this lovely salad. Keep your broccoli florets bite-size, so folks don't have to use knives on their salads. Many of you do not stock Greek seasoning in your spice cabinets. I know I don't. I've included instructions for making the spice blend in the note at the end of the recipe. If you don't want to bother with it, simply use a bit of oregano or marjoram and everything will be fine. I do hope you'll try this. Here's the recipe.

Fresh Broccoli Salad with Tomatoes, Black Olives and Feta Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups blanched fresh broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
3/4 to 1 cup thinly sliced or coarsely chopped scallions (white and tender green)
1/2 to 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive, or commercial Greek-style salad dressing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Greek Seasoning as desired (see note below)
Crisp leaf or Boston lettuce for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese as desired for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1) To blanch broccoli: Drop into boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes over high heat, or, microwave broccoli in water to cover in a glass heat-proof bowl at HIGH power for 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately rinse broccoli under cold running water to stop cooking action. Drain well and pat dry.
2) Combine blanched broccoli, garlic, tomatoes, green onion, olives, and feta cheese in a deep medium bowl. Add enough vinegar and olive oil or commercial dressing to moisten broccoli mixture well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add Greek seasoning if using. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3) To serve, line 4 to 6 salad plates with crisp lettuce leaves, or, line a large salad bowl with lettuce leaves. Spoon broccoli mixture onto each salad plate, or into large salad bowl. Garnish each individual salad or large salad bowl with a sprinkle of grated cheeese if desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Note: To make Greek seasoning, combine the following ingredients and store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months : 1 -1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried mint, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion, 1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic








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Turkish Shepherd's Salad - Coban Salatas

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Many of you know that the Silver Fox and I had intended to vacation in Egypt, Jordan and Israel, until upheaval in the region caused us to cancel our plans. We'll be picking an alternate destination this weekend. The plan, in theory anyway, is quite simple. We each prepare a list of three countries we'd like to visit. We take the deliberations very seriously and are set to defend choices in a manner akin to that of a doctoral candidate defending a thesis. Sometimes our choices are in sync with each other. Sometimes not. Last year we were at an impasse and actually drew lots to determine where we'd be heading for our holiday. This year I've readied some great arguments to support my preferences for the adventure. My choices include Turkey, Peru or New Zealand. I don't yet know what countries the Silver Fox will throw into the mix. At any rate, I've prepared visuals and been conducting a subliminal campaign - in the form of food - to swing the balance in my favor, and should stealth tactics be necessary I plan to pull out all stops. Tonight's dinner included elements, like this salad, that might be found on a Turkish table. The salad is lovely and quite refreshing and it goes well with lamb. While it involves some chopping, it is very easy to do and my only caution is to use really ripe tomatoes when you make it. I think you'll enjoy its freshness, but try not to make more than will be eaten with your meal. Refrigeration does nothing to help the tomatoes and leftovers should be passed over. Here's the recipe for this simple and refreshing salad.

Turkish Shepherd's Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Salad
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
3 large tomatoes, juiced, seeded and diced
2 medium green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and diced
1 bunch green onions, white and tender green, chipped
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
8 sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
Dressing
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh black pepper to taste

Directions:
1) To make salad: Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
2) To make dressing: Place olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
3) To finish: Pour dressing over salad. Yield 4 to 6 servings.







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Farfalle with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This pasta lacks any vestige of sophistication and is ridiculously easy to make. I'm featuring it here because it's one of my favorite go-to meals for the fall season. I can't resist the the flavor and fragrance of roasted tomatoes and each year I'm lured by the myriad colors in those tiny baskets that stack the shelves of stores and farm stands. Practicing my usual restraint, I generally end up buying a basket of each color and am left to ponder ways in which to use them. Would that all life's dilemmas be so easy to handle. While I've probably never made this dish twice in the same way, I wanted to formalize a recipe for you to follow. My hope is that you'll use it as a road map first time through, then take the first detour you see and make this recipe your own. There is nothing not to like here, so unless you hate tomatoes or garlic give it a try. Here's my disposable recipe.

Farfalle with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
4 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
12 garlic cloves, cut in half (don't be shy)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
12 ounces farfalle
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set pasta water to boil.
2) Combine and toss tomatoes, garlic, oil, basil, salt, hot pepper flakes and ground pepper in a baking pan large enough to hold vegetables in a single layer.
3) Roast until tomatoes are shriveled and garlic is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
4) About 15 minutes before tomatoes are finished, cook pasta in boiling salted water per package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup water, and return pasta to pot.
5) Add contents of roasting pan to pasta. Toss to distribute vegetables and coat farfalle. Fold in basil. If pasta appears dry, add some reserved pasta water to moisten. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve warm. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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