Tomato Pie

My first tomato pie experience was introduced to me by one of my favorite people, a professor of health care and social justice at the University of Santa Cruz, Andrea Steiner. She had several students over to celebrate our recent graduation and the fact that several of us had jobs out of college in the worst recession since the great depression. She said she invited us because she loves us, but really she needed her starving post-students to make 50 pounds of heirloom tomatoes disappear. I loved the pie so much that I made 25 or so of them and sold them the next summer in Santa Cruz at the Freewheelin' Farm and Art show. They were a big hit; you just cant go wrong with a tomatoes, flour, butter and cheese? The secret is mayo. Yes, mayo. This dish is so rich, you are only allowed to eat once a year in August, when tomatoes are plentiful, juicy and cheap.

Serves 4-6

For Filling

3-4 ripe, quartered tomatoes (squeeze out most of juice and pat dry)

1 onion thinly sliced

1 cup fresh chopped basil

1/2 cup mayo

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup goat cheese

salt and pepper to taste

For Crust

1/2 stick of butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 cup white flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

ice water

pinch of salt

Mix flour and salt in a big mixing bowl. Add cubed chilled butter and mix with your hands until you develop a meal.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese Topped Baked Ziti with Summer Veggies

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

1 Qt whole milk (good milk, fresh milk, you know the kind, in a glass bottle preferably)

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Slowly bring milk and cream to a boil at a medium heat, stir frequently to prevent scorching. With a candy or meat thermometer measure temperature often. Milk should be between 170-180 degrees. Once milk has started to boil and reached 175 degrees allow to boil for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Mix lemon juice into milk mixture, it should curdle. Pour mixture into a cheese cloth lined colander, allow to drain for an hour. Put in the fridge to cool for another hour or two and then use for cooking or eat fresh.

Israeli Cous Cous and Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Israeli Cous Cous and Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Serves 5

1 cup large pearl israeli cous cous

3 large beets with greens

1/2 cup goat cheese

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper

Steam beets with there skin on for 30 minutes or until you can put a knife through one, and set aside to cool. Boil 2 cups water and add cous cous and cook until al-dente. Peel the skins off the beets and dice into 1 inch cubes. Clean beet greans and chop. Add cous cous, beets, greens, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper. Allow salad to completely cool before adding goat cheese.

Bean Salad

This ones for you Paul.

Bean Salad

Serves 5

1 can of garbanzo beans

1 can of kidney beans

1 cup of diced cucumber

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and allow to sit for a couple hours so that the flavors begin to meld. Keeps for several days in the fridge.

Brown Rice and Lentils

I am notorious for overcooking rice. I cant help but peek half way through; this usually allows the steam to escape and ruins the rice. I used a rice cooker all through college, which helped, but now in Maryland we are so broke we cant afford one, so I have had to re-learn to make rice on the stove. Here is a recipe I have found that I like.

For Brown Rice

1 cup brown rice

1 1/2 cups water

Rinse brown rice with your hands in a small sauce pan with water until water is not cloudy. Add water and bring to a boil, once boiled turn heat down so that rice is just simmering (little bubbles) cover and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes turn heat off and move rice to another stove top to cook, after another 10 minutes fluff rice and serve.

For Lentils

1 cup green lentils

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

Rinse lentils like you did with the brown rice, then bring lentils and broth to a boil, and turn down to simmer but do not put a top on. Keep an eye on lentils, they are not as straight forward as rice, you may need to add more chicken stock if lentils are still hard but broth is gone.

Mix lentils and brown rice together and serve with your main course, or add some sauteed greens or crumbled feta for an easy lunch.

Wheat pasta with ground beef & kale

Its all about leftovers. Last night I made spaghetti for dinner and made too much wheat pasta, we also had some ground beef, kale, red cabbage, and cooked beets in the fridge. With a peanut sauce or soy sauce, this is a quick sunday lunch after bike ridding all day around Takoma Park.

1 hand full of wheat pasta or soba or udon noodles

1/4 cup ground beef (optional)

1 cup chopped kale

1/4 cup thinly sliced red cabbage or whatever you veggie have in your fridge

1/4 cup cubed beets

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

1 tablespoon peanut oil (or olive oil)

For Peanut Sauce

1/3 cup peanut butter, softened, (I like crunchy)

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

juice from 2 limes (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
salt to taste

Add all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until congealed. You may want to microwave or heat peanut butter on the stove, but I have found it is not necessary.

In a skillet heat oil over medium heat, add ground beef and half of garlic and half of ginger cook until meat is browned, add kale, cabbage, and beets, cook for 2 minutes or until kale is a little wilted, add peanut sauce and remaining garlic and ginger and turn heat off, allow sauce to thicken for about 1-2 minutes. Serve with toasted sesame seeds.

Tomato Sauce

Homemade tomato sauce is one of the first things I learned how to make. I was a stubborn child who never asked for help and learned by making mistakes. I used to add all kinds of things to the simmering pot of tomatoes, usually a lot of cream, cheese, and herbs from my moms garden, most batches were barley edible, but I think I finally got the hang of it.

There is absolutely no reason to buy jars of tomato sauce from the store. It is the easiest to make and homemade tomato sauces taste so much better than store bought. Tonight I added ground beef, sometimes I poor half a bottle of old wine in a batch, depends on what I have in the fridge; I always use a lot of garlic.

2 28 oz cans of chopped organic tomatoes or about 5 cups of fresh tomatoes quartered. You can peel them by blanching them in boiling water for 15 seconds and then dropping them in ice water, this will pull the skin off, however, some people like tomato skin

1 onion chopped

3-5 cloves of garlic chopped

1 bay leaf

1-2 teaspoons nutmeg

1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon oil oil

1/4 cup tomato paste

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan at medium heat, when oil is hot but not smoking add chopped onion and half of chopped garlic, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper, let saute for 5-8 minutes. Once onions are clear, add canned or fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaf, bring to a boil, turn heat down so that sauce is lightly bubbling but not boiling. Cook for about 1-2 hours, when liquid is cooked down to your liking.

I have been cooking with whole wheat pasta lately, because I guess it's hip, and Ben makes me. He's much healthier than I. At first I whined and wanted my white flour pasta, but I am getting used to whole wheat, and now starting to like it. What I do love, and always have is broccoli rabe, its so deliciously tart! If you like chinese broccoli you would love broccoli rabe. If it is too tart, you can always blanch it in boiling water for a few minutes and then transfer to ice water. I sauteed it with a little olive oil and lemon, and served it right on top of the pasta.