Hummus Dip

What's so great about hummus dip?  Besides being a delicious dip for fresh sweet pepper sticks, cucumbers, raw squash sticks, and cherry tomatoes?  It is protein rich, with 2.5 g protein per tablespoon of tahini (pureed sesame seed butter), and about 7 g protein per 1/4 cup serving of chickpeas.   The rich and creamy taste of pureed chickpeas can be flavored in many ways.  This is a traditional recipe, but it is also delicious with a variety of spices or roasted tomatoes, peppers and onions pureed in the mix. Hummus dip with raw vegetables makes a great after-school snack, or can be a nutritious addition to school lunches.

Ingredients:

1 Cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), or two cans of cooked chickpeas.

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/3 Cup of sesame tahini

1/4 Cup of extra virgin olive oil

3 Cloves of garlic, peeled

1 tsp kosher or sea salt (if cooking your own beans, less salt if using canned)

Paprika, to taste

Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil for garnish (optional)

Method:

If you are using dried beans: Rinse and soak chickpeas overnight. Drain the soaking water, then cover with more water and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until tender.  When they are soft enough, drain off the cooking liquid, reserving a little for thinning the Hummus as needed. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them. Do not reserve any of the liquid from the cans.

Place the chickpeas and the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Add water or reserved cooking liquid to thin the dip if necessary. Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve immediately with freshly sliced vegetables, or portion into snack cups and refrigerate for up to one week.

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

10 lbs ripe heirloom tomatoes (any color or variety)

1 Large yellow onion, diced

8-10 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/4 Cup olive oil

1 Cup dry white or red wine

1 Tbs Alchemy Spice's Kitchen Karma spice blend

2 Bay leaves

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method #1 (lots of texture)

In a large stock pot, saute the onions on medium-low heat with a little oil. Wash tomatoes, cut away the core and any bad spots. Chop the tomatoes into large chunks and place them in the stock pot with the onions.  Add the garlic, wine and spices.  Let simmer for at least one hour, but it's great if it simmers for several hours, with occasional stirring.  Taste occasionally and remove from heat when it is suitably done to your taste. Discard the bay leaves. Puree with an immersion blender.  Serve warm.

Method #2 (smooth texture)

Boil 6-8 quarts of water in a large stock pot.  Fill a large bowl with ice and water.  Cut an "x" in the bottom of the tomatoes. Plunge 3 or 4 tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, or until the skins begin to curl away.  Remove the tomatoes with a large spoon or sieve and place them in the bowl of ice water long enough to cool them.  Repeat until all of the tomatoes have been blanched.  Remove the skins, cores, and any bad spots.  Chop the tomatoes into large chunks.  Continue with instructions for Method #1.

Serve with Grilled cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches.

Savory Heirloom Tomato Pie with Olives and Pesto

It's tomato season again, and to celebrate we have another tomato pie recipe to share.  For anyone wishing to win a pie contest, wow your mother-in-law, or just eat a good tomato pie, this one won't disappoint. It has a Mediterranean flavor fit for a pizza, but the thick layers of flavorful heirloom tomatoes and caramelized onions in a buttery shortcrust are sinfully good with these Italian inspired ingredients. We tested the recipe with an aged goat milk cheese on top, but if you prefer a milder flavor, try it with Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil  instead of cheese, or use freshly grated Parmesan, Sequatchie Cove Dancing Fern cheese, or make your own fresh chevre.  

Ingredients:

1 Recipe for Classic Pie Crust

3-4 Heirloom tomatoes (about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs)

2 Yellow onions, sliced

1/4 Cup oil-cured Italian black olives, pitted and chopped

About 2 1/2 oz aged cheese, like Parmesan, goat cheese, or freshly made chevre (optional)

1/4 Cup freshly made pesto

Olive oil or Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Coarse kosher salt

Method:

Prepare ahead (up to one week) and refrigerate: 1 recipe for Pesto.

Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick and place on absorbent paper towels.  Sprinkle a little salt on them to help them release some of the juice.  Cover with another layer of paper towel and press them gently to squeeze out some of the juice.  Let them sit between the layers of paper towel for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the pie crust and press into a 10-inch tart pan or deep pie dish.  A thicker crust is good for this recipe because of the moisture content and weight of the tomatoes.  So fold any extra pastry dough into the tin and press it into the sides.  Bake "blind" for about 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry has cooked enough to be firm, but not browned.   Remove from the oven and let rest until cooled.

Slice the onion and cook in a heavy-bottomed skillet with a little oil and a pinch of salt.  Stir occasionally and remove from the heat when the onions are golden brown.

Start layering the pie by generously spreading pesto into the crust.  Next, press a layer of tomatoes into the bottom of the pie shell.  Season the first  layer of tomatoes with a little salt and pepper. Spread the onions over the first layer of tomatoes, then top with the rest of the tomatoes.  Press them gently to pack the ingredients more densely into the pie.  Drizzle a little olive oil or Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil over the tomatoes, then season, and top with olives and cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees on the top shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes.  The crust will be golden brown and the tomatoes will begin to look a little dehydrated on the edges. Most of the excess moisture should evaporate from the tomatoes, but don't worry if there is still a little moisture pooling between the slices when you pull it out of the oven.  Let the pie cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.  Serve warm, or cool to room temperature before serving.

Golden Gazpacho

There's nothing better than a cold soup on a hot day.  This is a simple gazpacho recipe using several fresh summertime ingredients.  It's delicious and light, but could easily be spiced up or flavored with other ingredients. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 Yellow tomato, core removed, quartered (or use 1-2 cups of sungold cherry tomatoes)

1 Green tomato, core removed, quarterd

1 Small cucumber, or 1/2 large, seeded, peeled and cut into large chunks

3 Garlic cloves, peeled

1 Purple sweet pepper,

Juice from 1 lime

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnish: Caramelized Cabbage and Onions (optional)

Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until  the gazpacho is soupy but with a slightly chunky texture.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Add a dollop of Caramelized Cabbage and Onions as a garnish.

Brunch with Beets and Pac Choi

If you don't have the luxury of a slow Saturday morning to craft a perfect brunch, you can make the beets, greens and salad ahead of time, keeping them refrigerated until ready to use.  Greens can be re-heated quickly in a skillet just before serving.  Eggs and toast are great for breakfast, but this also makes a fantastic meal any time of the day.

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of beets, plus beet greens

1 Head of pac choi

3 garlic cloves, minced

Olive or canola oil

2-3 Spring onions, chopped

1-2 Tbs sugar

White balsamic vinegar

Alchemy Spice Scenic City Sizzle (or your favorite grilling pepper blend)

Fresh local eggs

Sour dough bread, sliced and toasted

Sea salt to taste

Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil

Method:

Wash and trim the beets.  You can cut them into wedges or chop them to your desired size/shape.  Place in a saucepan and cover with water.  Add a pinch of salt, 1 Tbs sugar, and 1 Tbs of white balsamic vinegar. Stir and let simmer on medium-high heat until the beets are fork tender (about 20 minutes or so depending on size).

Cut the leafy-green part of the pac choi away from the firm white part and set aside.  Chop the firm part of the pac choi and place in a bowl with the chopped spring onions, about 1-2 Tbs white balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt, 1-2 Tbs olive oil, and a dash of Scenic City Sizzle. Stir to combine, then set aside until ready to serve.  When the beets are tender, drain the cooking liquid and add the beets to the pac choi salad.

Wash the beet greens and the leafy green parts of the pac choi, spin dry in a salad spinner or pat dry. Heat a little olive or canola oil in a heavy skillet, then add the chopped greens, a little salt, and the minced garlic.  Saute until wilted and tender, then remove from the heat.

For each serving, toast a slice of the sour dough bread, and fry an egg sunny-side-up. (To make a perfect egg: In a non-stick skillet with a little oil, cook on low heat with a lid or plate covering the skillet.)  Remove from heat when the white is firm and assemble the servings  immediately.

To plate: Drizzle a little Toasted Garlic Drizzling Oil on each slice of toast, Place a serving of the sauteed greens, followed by the fried egg, and top with the beet and pac choi salad.  Season to taste.  Serve immediately.