Melissa Clark - Food Writer

Tomato Sandwiches: My Summer Obsession

Maybe it's because the tomatoes are so darn good this year. Or maybe it's because I am still filling the void from last year's blight. But I can't stop myself from gorging on the things. I eat them everyday, every which way - in salads, as gazpacho, just plain, apple-style. But mostly, I make tomato sandwiches.

 
I've always had a fondness for tomato sandwiches, ever since I read Harriet the Spy in 3rd grade. Unlike Harriet, who likes hers on white bread, I like mine on toast to give it some crunch. The toast, along with the tomatoes, are the only constant elements in what is an ever-changing sandwich. I vary the fat, the seasonings, the savory extras. As long as the tomato is ripe, it's all just divine. This is what I've been doing this summer:

 
Pan con Tomate - I wrote about this a few years ago in my Tomato-palooza article for the Times and it's still a favorite: toast bread, rub with a cut garlic half. Drizzle with good olive oil, add tomato slices, more oil (be generous here), and a generous sprinkling of flaky sea salt.

Tomato, Avocado, and Mayo - Toast bread, rub with a cut garlic half. Spread with mayonnaise, layer with avocado and tomato, drizzle with lemon juice and good salt and lots of black pepper. Butter or olive oil can stand in for the mayo.

Tomato, Onion, and Butter - Toast dark, grainy bread, spread liberally with good, flavorful butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer with tomato and thinly sliced sweet onion. Decorate with chives if you have them.

Tomato, Anchovy, Olive Oil - Add anchovy fillets to the Pan con Tomate.

BLT - The classic. I use lots of mayo and if I don't have lettuce, I sub in arugula or basil leaves.

Tomato, Prosciutto and Butter - Toast a baguette. Spread thickly with butter, add tomatoes, salt, pepper, prosciutto and basil.

Etc, etc, etc. I'll post some links (below) for tomato sandwiches around the web, but what are your favorite combinations? I'd love to try them all before the season's out!

The Kitchn: Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich

Diggin Food: Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Food 52: My Best Tomato Sandwich

The BG Garden Blog: Tomato Sandwich 101

Akita Chow: Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches

Southern Living: Arkansas Tomato Sandwiches

101 Cookbooks: TLT Sandwich

Summer Fest 2010 Continues: It's Tomato Week!

 
 It's Tomato Week for Summer Fest and my contribution is a dish I'm calling Golden Tomatoes and Pink Greens. It's a recipe inspired by Marissa Grace's fantastic PInk Greens on Food 52, which has become my go-to method for cooking tender beet greens or red chard because it's easy to do but has a deep complexity of flavor from the combination of caramelized sugar, black pepper, and chili flakes.

Naturally, me being who I am, I changed up the recipe to suit my tastes. I like to saute the stems of the greens with the garlic and shallot before adding the leaves. This makes the stems extra tender. Then, last night, because I had these gorgeous sungold cherry tomatoes from the farmers' market on hand (and, of course, because it's Tomato Week!) I added them to the pan as well. I cooked them very briefly, just enough to give the greens a juicy sweetness as they melted, but not long enough to dim their summery freshness.  

I love how intense this dish becomes - and how the sweetness balances with the heat of the chili pepper to make a dish as robustly flavorful as it is pretty. 

Golden Tomatoes and Pink Greens

Time: 15 minutes

1 bunch red chard, rinsed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, chopped 

1/2 small hot red chili, minced, or large pinch chili flakes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

3/4 cup halved golden cherry tomatoes 

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1. Wash and trim the chard, thinly slicing the stems. In a skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic, shallot, and chili pepper or chili flakes in the olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in the sugar, pepper, and salt and cook for 1 minute longer to caramelize the sugar. Stir in the chard stems and saute for 2 minutes.

2. Add the greens and tomatoes to the skillet along with 1/4 cup water and immediately cover. Keep it covered for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the greens to wilt. Once the greens have cooked down, take of the lid and stir everything together. Continue cooking for a few more minutes to allow the water to evaporate. Drizzle on the sherry vinegar and gently toss to coat. Serve hot.

Makes 2 servings

 We're teaming up with other food and garden bloggers to host Summer Fest 2010, a season-long garden party. Each week we'll feature favorite garden-to-table recipes and tips to help you enjoy the bounty, whether you're harvesting your own goodies or buying them fresh from the market. To join in, check out awaytogarden.com.
 
 For more Summer Fest tomato recipes, check out these links:

Away To Garden: How To Ripen A Tomato 

Gluten-Free Girl and The Chef: Gluten-Free Tomato Tart 

The Wright Recipes: Savory Tomato Crumble

A Communal Table: Tomatoes With Feta Mousse

PInch My Salt: What to Do With Slow-Roasted Tomatoes 

San Diego Foodstuff: Evie's Chunky Gazpacho

The FN Dish: Tyler's Ultimate Tomato Salads 

A Way To Garden: More Than One Way To Ripen A Tomato  

White on Rice Couple: Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Actually Made In The Sun!) 

The Sister Project: 3 Substantial, Healthy, Vegetarian Tomatoey Dishes 

The Cooking Channel: Easy Tomato Tart 

Just A Taste: Tomato Jam 

Food Network UK: The Seven Deadly Tomato Sins 

Healthy Eats: Top 10 Things To Do With A Tomato 

Simmer Til Done: Tomato Maytag Blue Beignets 

Eating From The Ground Up: Roasted Green Salsa 

Napa Farmhouse 1885: The Best Tomato Sauce In The World

Grits Pie - Who Knew?

I've been making some classic Southern recipes in my Brooklyn kitchen in preparation for Paula Deen's new book, and yesterday I made a dessert that really threw me for a loop: Grits Pie. Now, before you get the wrong idea, this Yankee has gobbled more than her share of grits and I've always cleaned my plate. Shrimp and Grits, Cheesy Grits, Fried Ham and Grits - are you noticing a pattern? (Hint: they're all savory.)

I'd never even considered sugary grits as an option.

Until now.

This impossible confection was custardy and dense, and sliced up into nice, neat, even wedges. It had a creamy, milky vanilla flavor with a delicate hint of nutmeg and subtle corn chewiness. I don't want to go overboard in my praise (part of the appeal is its shock value because it was so unexpected), let's just say that this pie has broadened my horizons. It made me think, what other kind of grain pies have I been missing out on? Grape Nuts? Farro? Rice Pudding Pie? I'll do a little snooping and get back to you...

In the meantime, check out the recipe here. And just a little note: though (obviously) I think the pie is great as is, topped with a sprinkle of nutmeg (which Paula lists as optional in her dessert cookbook but for some reason omits on her website) - it might be even better with a little extra element of zing. Maybe some freshly grated citrus zest stirred into the filling. Playing with it would be a great excuse to make another.

My New Book - Ta Da!

Here's the cover of my book! I'm working on getting a widget for the right side of this blog that will link the book to book sellers, but in the meantime, you can  pre-order it here. Or - if you're feeling lucky - Parents Magazine is running a contest and offering 20 winners advance copies. Just click here to enter -- all you have to do is write the name of a your favorite potluck dish. Winners will be randomly selected, but creativity is encouraged. Can't wait to see what people post! 

More Pie Tips: Why? Because I'm Obsessed, That's Why!

Just got finished taping a segment about my soon-to-be released book In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite for American Public Media's The Splendid Table (which is always a pleasure). And naturally, Lynne Rossetto Kasper and I got to talking about one of my favorite subjects: Pie.

Pies have been on my mind even more than usual this week as I've been testing some of Paula Deen's  Southern-style pie recipes for her next book. So far we've done some classics: Chess PIe, Buttermilk Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, and Sweet Potato Pie (with a caramelly pecan topping). And although Lynne and I canvassed the subject pretty thoroughly for the radio (perhaps my column should be called A Good Appetite For Pie), it occurs to me that I have two more tips that I forgot to mention. And so without further ado:

Tip # 1: I love an all-butter crust, the flavor just can't be beat. But I concede there are times when you may want to sub in a little vegetable shortening. This week I tried out a shortening crust recipe using Spectrum Organic Non-Hydrogenated Shortening, which uses expeller-pressed (whatever that means) palm oil instead of hydrogenated vegetable oil. I am happy to report it gave the pie crust the exact same flaky factor as if I had used Crisco. Though, for the record, I still prefer the flavor of an all-butter crust. Get my favorite pie crust recipe here.

Tip # 2: Old pennies make excellent pie weights. This is a tip I got from Rose Levy Beranbaum, and it's just fantastic. If you are a true geek, you can try to get pennies minted before 1982, back when they were 95% copper (yeah, I had to look that up), because copper is the best metal for conducting heat. That's one of the reasons copper pots and pans are so coveted. But no matter the vintage of your pennies (mine are a total hodge-podge), they work terrifically well and you can reuse them for years. And the best part? These pie weights cost only pennies (wince here at bad joke).

I'll publish a link to The Splendid Table interview when it airs - and will post if I can think of any more pie tips I need to get off my chest. In the meantime, there is a coconut pie that seems to be calling my name...

Fig Harvest Is In!

It's that magical time of year when our backyard fig tree bears fruit! Though I'm tempted to just nibble on them all straight from the branches, somehow I manage to get a few inside.

Already I've made a fig crostini - toasted ciabatta spread with creamy ricotta, sprinkled with flaky salt, studded with figs, and drizzled with good olive oil - which made a fantastic lunch. I'm planning to use some as a pizza topping along with prosciutto.  I've packed up a pint to send to a friend who just had a baby. I've nibbled on some more (I'm counting that as a success of willpower as they were eaten in the kitchen rather than the garden) - and there are still some figs left on the branches. It's a bumper crop this year! Does anybody have any ideas for fig recipes? Preferably ones without cheese as I'd like to share the bounty with my cheese eschewing hubby.

In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite: The Trailer

Very exciting day in my kitchen yesterday, we shot a trailer to promote my new book In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite (available on September 7th, wherever books are sold!). I'm slowly getting over my fear of being in front of a camera, but I will admit to having some butterflies in my stomach about seeing my kitchen recorded for all of posterity. I was cleaning right up until the moment Katherine Tasheff (Director of Digital Media at Hyperion) and Josh Koll (videographer), arrived. And it was a good thing I did - Josh shot the inside of my fridge and even (shudder) my spice cabinet. You may think it looks a little disorganized and over-stuffed. But believe me -it looked better than it has in years. 

Of course, Katherine and Josh couldn't have been sweeter about my houseproud (kitchenproud?) anxiety and the whole experience was nothing but fun. I made two of the recipes from my book (Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli and Last of the Summer Pesto with Scrambled Eggs and Ricotta), plus an old favorite not from my book (Fragrant Moroccan Chicken Soup with Chickpeas) and we talked a little bit about my philosophy of kitchen creation (I mentioned that I see my spice cabinet the way an artist sees their color palette - so when they decided to film it, I only had myself to blame). The whole trailer will probably last about two minutes and, as it took about three hours to shoot, I know a lot of the footage will be left on the cutting room floor. But there was one moment that I truly hope makes it in: when they got video evidence of my 22-month-old daughter eating broccoli and saying it tastes good (we got her at a vulnerable post-nap moment, once she had fully woken up she pushed the broccoli away with a "No Mommy, non, I don't want that!").  I could happily watch that moment playing on a loop for a long, long time.

It's Summer Fest 2010 And I'm Joining the Party with Caramelized Cream Corn

Sweet summer corn doesn't need much help. You don't even need to cook it, my nearly 2-year old loves biting off the raw kernels straight from the just-husked cobs. But if you do want to apply heat, you can't get a recipe much easier that this Caramelized Cream Corn. It's become quite a staple at our house. It's a snap to make, it's one of the select few foods the baby (toddler!) will reliably eat, and, oh yeah, and I love it, too.

So here's what you do: Slice the kernels off of 3 ears of corn and measure out how much you get (you should end up with somewhere between 1 and 2 cups). Then measure out half as much heavy cream (or a little less even). Put the corn and the cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Now go do something else in the kitchen (wash greens for tonight's salad?) and forget about the corn.

In about 5 minutes you'll smell something toasty and buttery and extremely tempting - that'll be the cream caramelizing in the pan. Go back to the stove. The liquid should be mostly gone and the corn should be tender. You'll notice a brown ring around the sides of the pan, that's the good stuff. Stir it into the corn. Notice that I don't use salt or herbs or spices. You can add them if you like but I like this as is, pure and naked and very, very corny.

And that's all there is to it! Small children will devour this. And their parents will, too.

 We're teaming up with other food and garden bloggers to host Summer Fest 2010, a season-long garden party. Each week we'll feature favorite garden-to-table recipes and tips to help you enjoy the bounty, whether you're harvesting your own goodies or buying them fresh from the market. To join in, check out awaytogarden.com.
 
 For more Summer Fest corn recipes, check out these links:

• Gluten Free Girl and The Chef: Sweet Corn Risotto
• Nicole at Pinch My Salt: Creamed Corn with Bacon and Rosemary
• White on Rice Couple: BBQ Chicken and Corn Pizza
• The FN Dish: Creamed Corn-Off: Battle of the Southern Cook
• Alison at Food2: Freezing Corn
• Toby at Healthy Eats: Candied Corn and 4 other recipes
• Michelle at Cooking Channel: Browsing Corn Porn
• Judy/Tuscan Diva: Fried Polenta Crostini with Porcini Ragu
• Jennifer of Gilded Fork: Corn: Sweet Versatility (history, uses & recipes from cocktails to cornbread)
• Chef Mark: Gettin’ Corny! (Musings from childhood, tips & fresh-corn recipes)
• Caron of SanDiegoFoodstuff: Chino Corn Risotto with Chanterelles and Burrata
• Caroline at The Wright Recipes: Pickled Corn with Summer Onion and Basil
• Tigress in a Jam: Cream Corn Scones (perfect way to use up left over roasted or boiled corn)
• Alana at Eating from the Ground Up: Corn on the Kabob (invented by her artist husband)
• Cate O’Malley at Sweetnicks: Corn and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps
• Kelly at Just a Taste: Caramel Corn (plus pics of corn in its various popping stages)
• Paige Orloff of The Sister Project: Life-Changing Corn Pancakes
• Tara at Tea and Cookies: Farro Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs
• Food Network UK blog: Talking Corn

Me on The Radio

The good folks at PRI's The Takeaway had me on this morning to talk about how to eat well without turning on your oven - a very appropriate topic as the summer heat waves roll in one after the other. Does it count as a heat wave if the end is never in sight? In any event, we had a nice chat about all things culinary and cold, like my recipes for Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Cumin Salt and Classic Ice Box Cake. I've got the radio tuned to WNYC right now - they're saying another heat advisory has been issued for today. Ugh. Pass the chilled soup, please! To listen to the segment, click here.

 

  

The Sweaty Work of Summer

Every summer, while normal people are grilling chicken, tossing salads, and doing anything possible not to turn their ovens on, I'm usually roasting a 20-pound turkey. Glossy magazines need their November turkey recipes by August, which has made for some sweaty July's, especially before I had air conditioning in the kitchen (which I've since remedied, thank God, because it's been a scorcher).

This year though, there was a dearth of turkeys. I didn't get one Thanksgiving assignment, which was both a relief (I mean, it's been HOT), and also a little bit of a bummer. I like eating turkey out of season, but even I wouldn't crank up the oven for several hours in the middle of the hottest summer on record just because I was in the mood to nibble a drumstick. I also discovered by its absence that I like getting a taste of the holiday season in the summer. It makes the whole-end-of-summer depression that sets in during August (a relic of back-to-school blues, I guess) more bearable, bringing a reminder that with the season's demise comes roasted chestnuts and glazed brown fowl and presents and hot cocoa and snow.


 I was starting to feel a little forlorn. But then I got a redeeming assignment from Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. This year, instead of roasting turkey for hours, I was assigned a standing rib roast. My kitchen got steamy even with the a/c. It was rare and juicy and tasted like December. And now with my off-season roasted meat yen satisfied, I'm happy to turn off the oven for the rest of the month.

(I'll link to the recipe when Rachael Ray magazine posts it online, probably in October. I mean, nobody's going to make a standing rib roast in August unless they're being paid to do it, right?)