Kale and Cumberland Tartine

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Ingredients:

4 cups red Russian kale, torn in medium-sized pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 ounces Sequatchie Cove Cumberland cheese, shredded

2 teaspoons whole milk

4 teaspoons whole grain mustard

4 slices high quality sour dough bread

4 eggs

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

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Method:

Serves 4

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the kale and sauté just until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the kale in a mesh strainer or colander and allow to drain while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Place the bread on a sheet pan and toast 5-7 minutes or until it is starting to get crispy but not brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

While the bread is toasting, place the cheese, milk, and kale in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix to combine.

Coat each slice of toast with 1 tsp. mustard and top with 1/4 of the kale mixture. Return to the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly brown.

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Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Crack the eggs into the pan, add a few drops of water and cover. Cook for 1-2 minutes depending on how set you want the yolk. Remove from pan immediately and place one egg on top of each tartine.

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Savory Heirloom Tomato Pie with Olives and Pesto

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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.

 

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Tomato Pie 2013

Baked Apples With Chestnut Puree & Cocoa Nibs

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How exciting to find chestnuts at the Main Street Farmer's Market!  The Chattanooga Chestnut Tree Project is lead by UTC agriculture researchers who are working to restore the American Chestnut to the lower Appalachian region, while also supporting farmers who are looking for improved cultivars to grow in local chestnut orchards. These local beauties inspired a delicious afternoon snack or light dessert when paired with  this season's apple harvest.  You can use the chestnut puree as a dip for freshly sliced apples, or dress it up as a baked dessert. Either way, they pair well as a tasty seasonal treat.

Chestnut Puree: 1 lb fresh chestnuts 1-2 teaspoons local honey 1 1/2 cups milk, cream or coconut milk Juice from 1/2 lemon Freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/8 of a nut) Dash of ground ginger Dash of cloves Pinch of salt

Cut the chestnuts in half across the widest part and place in a saucepan.  Cover with water and boil for about 20 minutes.  The skins should slip off or peel easily.  Once the skins are removed, place the chestnuts in a blender or food processor, along with the other ingredients.  Puree until smooth.  Adjust spices, honey or lemon to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the apples (peel if desired) and place in a lightly oiled or buttered glass baking dish.  Bake until tender (about 15-20 minutes).  Serve warm with chestnut puree, drizzled honey and a sprinkle of cocoa nibs (can be found at Greenlife or Earth Fare).

Chattatouille

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When my daughter was three years old she insisted that I needed to watch Remi (a cartoon rat/chef from the 2007 animated film Ratatouille) make a 5-star version of ratatouille, so I "could make it just like he does." The animated food fascination started with this classic rustic stew of vegetables, and continued on with gingerbread that runs out of the oven, soup from The Tale of Despereaux, and Gruffalo crumble (though we did have to make some substitutions for that one.)

The ratatouille was by far the most interesting and fun cartoon culinary challenge.  Although I did find some recipes online from others who had tried to mimic the animated version, there were some parts of our final product that evolved from choosing the best of whatever was locally and seasonally available.  When we first tried Remi's ratatouille four years ago there was a bumper crop of eggplant in the region, and we happened to have beets available at the same time.  The weather this year has left us with a slightly different assortment of choices. But if you happen to be growing beets and eggplant in your home gardens, or find them at your local farmer's market, this version of the little rat's signature dish will have you licking your plate like Ego (the fictional food critic) did with his own serving.

Ingredients: 2 medium tomatoes (cores removed and quartered), or 1-2 cups of cherry tomatoes 1 red bell pepper, (or any other sweet pepper), seeded and quartered 1 yellow onion, cut into wedges 4 cloves of garlic, peeled Canola or olive oil Sea salt Black pepper 1 Tbs herbs de Provence 1 zucchini, thinly sliced 1 Medium Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced 1 or 2 small beets, thinly sliced

Sauce for garnish: 1/4 cup light olive oil or 4 Tbs butter Juice from 1/2 lemon 1/8 tsp turmeric 1/8 tsp fenugreek powder About 1/4 of a whole nutmeg, grated Dash of white pepper Salt to taste 6-8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and garlic in a baking dish and drizzle with some oil.  Season with the herbs de Provence, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the tips of the vegetables are dark brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes.  Puree the vegetables in a blender until smooth. Spread the pureed mixture over the bottom of a large baking or casserole dish. Place the sliced zucchini, eggplant and beets (alternately) in a fanned pattern over the top of the tomato and pepper puree.

Brush with a little oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cut parchment paper to the size of the dish and lay it over the top of the sliced vegetables.  Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

While the ratatouille is baking, prepare the lemon sauce for garnish.  Place all ingredients, except the basil, in a saucepan and whisk over low heat until the sauce is warm and begins to emulsify.  Remove from heat and stir in the sliced basil.  Place in a warmed jug. To serve the ratatouille, scoop out some of the vegetables and arrange on the plate.  Drizzle a little warm lemon sauce over the vegetables or on the plate.