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In
Wickwood's Kitchen ---
SMOKEY GAZPACHO
In Spain tomatoes are celebrated with Gazpacho!! Chopped with other
vegetables into a chunky soup that can start or become the meal.
This is one of our favorite
"appetizers in a glass" served to sip during the cocktail hour, or at
table. We serve it in a 4 ounce tall slender glass and inevitably it
is cause for comment!! Add miniature versions of your favorite Bloody
Mary garnishes or shavings of the Gazpacho ingredients and you’ll
have people chuckling. Serves 8-16
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6 quite large ripe, ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juices saved
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2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
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2 medium-size yellow onions, coarsely chopped
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2 larges shallots, chopped
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2 large English cucumbers, peeled, coarsely chopped
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½ cup red wine vinegar
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½ cup olive oil, best quality
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3 cups tomato juice (homemade or store-bought)
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½ cup chopped fresh dill
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¼ teaspoon Pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika)
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Pinch of cayenne pepper, if desired
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Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
"Great art picks up where nature
ends."
 Marc
Chagall |
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1. Place the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and mix.
2. In a bowl whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, reserved
tomato juices, and tomato juice.
3. In a blender or a food processor, mince the vegetables in small
batches, adding the tomato juice mixture as necessary to keep the
blades from clogging. Do not puree completely; you want gazpacho
with a crunch. Transfer to a bowl and add remaining juice, dill, Pimenton, salt and pepper. Add cayenne to taste, if extra heat is
desired. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.
3. To serve, stir, taste and correct the seasonings and ladle into
glasses, mugs, or soup bowls.
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POMODORO (pom-oh-DOR-oh) (Tomato Bread Soup)
Nowhere in the world is the tomato harvest celebrated more than in
Italy. The Italians have also perfected how to cook these juicy
wonders to best show off their flavor. This is thick and
substantial, served only slightly warmed, and with a green salad
alongside becomes a great Indian Summer supper. Serves 4-6
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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2 tablespoons minced garlic (or to taste)
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1½ tablespoons minced shallots
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2 pounds ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
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¼ cup slivered fresh basil leaves
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2/3
cup chicken broth
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Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
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5 slices day-old country bread, sliced ½ inch thick
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Chopped fresh basil (optional)
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Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano |
"Simplicity is the sign of
perfection"
Curnonsky |
1. Heat the olive oil in
a large saucepan. Add the garlic and shallots, and cook over
medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 10 minutes 2. Add the
tomatoes, basil, stock, and salt and pepper. Stir, and simmer for 15
minutes.
3. Tear the bread into 1-inch pieces and add them to the soup. Let
it cook for one minute, then remove from the heat and allow to rest
at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped
basil and Parmesan cheese.
Note: To change this
from a chunky soup to
a more “drinkable” soup for hors d'oeuvres, puree soup with an immersion
blender and add up to 4 cups of great quality tomato juice. The
flavor is so substantial that it remains delicious.
AMATRICIANA SAUCE
Every August, the Italian town of Amatrice holds a gala celebration
marking their tomato harvest. It’s principal attraction is this
sauce, served with the thick hollow spaghetti called bucatini. This
is one of those tomato sauces worth making from scratch!! Serves 6
with 1 pound of pasta
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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2 medium-sized yellow onions, coarsely chopped
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4 ounces pancetta (or Canadian bacon, trimmed of fat) cut into
strips
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6 garlic cloves, chopped
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4 cups fresh ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
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2 tablespoons sugar
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¾ cup dry red wine
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
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1. Heat the oil in a
medium-size heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions,
and sauté for 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the bacon and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, and wine. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
SAUTÉED CHERRY TOMATOES
Such a delicious way to savor cherry tomatoes almost anytime of year,
but especially wonderful during the season. And, so simple!! They
add just the right sparkle to a meal. Remember the fewer the
ingredients the more important the quality of each one. Serves
6
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6 tablespoons unsalted butter
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3 pints ripe cherry tomatoes, stemmed, rinsed and dried
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2 tablespoons fresh herbs – fresh or dried basil, oregano,
tarragon, or rosemary
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Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
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1. Melt the butter in a
heavy skillet over low heat. Add the tomatoes and raise the heat.
Shake and roll the tomatoes around in the butter until they are
shiny and heated through, no more than 5 minutes. Please don’t
overcook. Add your choice of herbs and cook 30 seconds longer.
2. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve
immediately. That’s it!
FRESH TOMATO SALSA
Everyone has their favorite. This is mine. Serves 4
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4 large ripe tomatoes (about 3 cups, juices retained)
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4 chopped scallions (green part only)
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¼ cup chopped cilantro
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¼ cup chopped fresh basil
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
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2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
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1 tablespoon lime zest
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Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
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1. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing
bowl, and let marinate for at least 2 hours to blend flavors. Please
don’t refrigerate, it changes the texture of the tomatoes.
SASSY SUMMER TOMATO CHUTNEY
Wonderful to have in the fridge to jazz up a meatloaf,
scrambled eggs, a burger or simply spread atop crostini smeared with
a bit of cheese.
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6 allspice berries
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6 whole cloves
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½ teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes
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¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
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1½ pounds ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juices retained
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1 cup sugar
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½ cup cider vinegar
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1 teaspoon salt
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½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
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1. Combine the allspice, cloves, red
pepper flakes, and mustard seeds in a piece of cheesecloth. Tie it
securely with a long piece of kitchen string, forming a spice bag.
Leave the string long.
2. Place the tomatoes and all remaining ingredients in a heavy
saucepan. Add the spice bag, letting the string hang out of the pan.
Slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer
for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and discard the spice bag. Let the
jam cool and refrigerate.
PEPPERS PROVENCAL
Rosy peppers add a vibrant accent of color when served on crostini
as an hors d’oeuvre. Or, they make a great vegetable side dish when
served at room temperature. We make batches and batches of this to
freeze in zip lock bags and serve all year long. Serves6
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½ cup best-quality olive oil
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter
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2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
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2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into very thin
strips
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2 yellow or orange bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into
very thin strips
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½ teaspoon herbes de Provence, or dried thyme
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Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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3 cloves garlic, finely minced
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½ cup finely slivered fresh basil leaves |
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1. Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy
skillet or saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add
the onions and peppers; season with the herbs and salt and pepper.
Simmer, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are limp, tender,
and lightly browned, about 30-45 minutes. The peppers should have a
marmalade like appearance.
2. Add the garlic and basil and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove
the vegetables from the skillet and let cool to room temperature.
Drain any excess oil. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Bring to room temperature.
JUNE'S APPLE CRISP
My Mom’s old-fashioned recipe is still the most comforting crispy
topping for a Crisp --- be it apples, or berries, peaches or plums!
This must be served warm with ice cream, or why bother! With heavy
cream the next morning for breakfast, it's pretty good too.
Serves 4
to 6.
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5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, or your
favorite heirloom apple for baking
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1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
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1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
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1 cup sugar
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1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
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½ teaspoon salt
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½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces |
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1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter an 8x8 inch glass baking dish.
2. Place a layer of apple slices in the pan and sprinkle with some
of the lemon juice. Repeat the layers until all of the apples are in
the pan. Lightly press down on the apples to level them.
3. Process the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor
fitted with a steel blade just to combine. Add the butter and
process, pulsing, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. If you
prefer, this can also be done in a bowl, using two knives to cut in
the butter. The mixture should resemble coarse meal.
4. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the apples, making sure the
edges are well sealed.
5. Bake until the top is golden and the apples are tender, about 1
hour. Serve warm.
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