Semi-Dried Tomatoes

Semi-Dried Tomatoes

I love love love tomatoes in any way or form. But theses semi-dried tomatoes are pure candy. They are nothing like sun-dried tomatoes, they are soft sweet and with the slight tanginess from fresh tomatoes.

You can use them for almost anything. On sandwiches, pizze (plural of pizza), in casseroles, or stews, in salads and just for a snack.

Ingredients:

• about 500 g cherry tomatoes, the amount is not important

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ⅛ teaspoon pepper

• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 ℉ (165℃). 

Rinse the tomatoes, and cut them in halves, or quarters for the bigger ones. 

In a cup combine oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Place all the tomatoes in a large ovenproof dish or sheet pan, and coat them with the seasoned oil. Arrange the tomatoes skin side down, being careful not to crowd them. Bake tomatoes for 25-30 minutes. Reduce the  heat to 200℉ (95℃), and keep baking for another 2-3 hours.

Let the tomatoes cool slightly before storing them in a clean container filled with olive oil. They will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. 

Use the semi-dried tomatoes in salads, with any protein, bruschetta or just eat them as a snack.  

Enjoy!

Oysters Rockefeller

Oysters Rockefeller

It took me 40 years to build up the nerve to try to eat an oyster. After the first bite, I was hooked. We just went back to Hog Island Oyster Farm, for yet another oyster fix. I love the down to earth feeling, when sitting at wooden picnic tables eating the scrumptious grilled oysters, while enjoying the beautiful Tomales Bay and the hills of Point Reyes. 

Like last time we brought some oysters back home, so we could try to make our own Oyster Rockefeller. 

Next time I might use less breadcrumbs and a little more cheese. But over all the oysters was so so good, I love Pernod's, anise taste.

This is my version inspired by Florence Tyler's recipe.

1 dozen (12 oysters)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 garlic cloves, minced

• ca 20 g (¼ cup) bread crumbs, I used Panko

• 1 shallots, chopped

• 225-250 g (1 cup) chopped fresh spinach

• 30 ml (1 fl oz) Pernod or dry white wine

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoons olive oil

• 25 g (¼ cup) grated gruyere cheese

• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

• 1 dozen oysters, on the half shell

• Rock salt

• Lemon wedges & hot sauce, for garnish

Directions:

Melt butter in a skillet over low heat. Infuse the butter with garlic by letting the garlic sauté in the butter for about 1 minute, remove from heat. Don’t let the garlic brown, and burn, his will make the garlic bitter. Place the bread crumbs in a bowl and mix in half of the garlic butter, olive oil, gruyere, parsley and season with salt and pepper, set aside. 

Add shallots and spinach to the remaining garlic butter. Cook until the spinach wilts and the shallots get translucent. Deglaze the pan with Pernod. Let the mixture cook down for a few minutes then season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, at let sit to cool.

Preheat the oven to 450 ℉ (230℃). Sprinkle a baking pan with a good amount of salt. Arrange the shucked oysters in the salt to steady them. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the spinach mixture on each oyster followed by a spoonful of the bread crumb mixture.  Bake oysters for about 10-15 minutes until golden. Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce.

I grilled my Oyster on the BBQ at about 450℉ for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Walnut & Pea Pesto

Walnut & Pea Pesto

One of the best summer vegetables are the fresh peas. They remind me of the summer days on the beach, reading up for the exams and snacking on fresh peas.  

Right now you can get the fresh peas in the stores. And you can use them for other things than just snacking.

Makes about a cup.  

Ingredients:

• 50 g (⅓ cup) walnuts
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 155 g (1 cup) shelled peas (see my notes below)
• 35 g (1 cup) arugula
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• ½  teaspoon salt
• ¼  teaspoon black pepper
• 1 dl (½  cup) extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, until they are just starting to become fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Blend the toasted walnuts, garlic, peas, arugula, mint, lemon juice and zest, salt and black pepper until finely chopped, scrape down the sides if necessary. While blending add the olive oil in a slow stream, until combined.  

Serve the pesto as a spread on toast, on pasta or as a dressing. The pesto will keep covered in the refrigerator for a few days.

Enjoy!

Scallops with Elderflower Syrup

Scallops with Elderflower Syrup

The smell of elderflower is the smell of summer. My mom always made her own elderflower syrup. We would go out and pick the flowers when they first start blooming. Mixing the flowers with a large amount of sugar, lemons, citric acid and hot water. After infusing the water for a few days, you would have the best sweet elderflower syrup, the taste of summer. During the summer we would get a splash of syrup in our water, just enough to infuse the water with the sweet flowering flavor.

You can use elderflower in drinks, punch and everywhere you like to add the sweet flowery taste. Here I paired with scallops, and the bright flavor worked perfect with the sweetness of peas and corn, and the hint of salt from the bacon perfected the dish.

Serves 2 for an entree. 

Ingredients:

• 6 scallops

• 2 slices bacon, cut in dices

• 2 small shallots, finely chopped

• 125 g peas, frozen and defrosted or fresh shelled peas

• 2 corn on the co, corn cut off

• butter and oil for cooking

• lime juice from ½ lime

• 75 ml elderflower syrup, I used D'arbo Elderflower Syrup

Directions:

Fry the bacon dices crispy, and let it drain to shed the excess fat on paper towel.

Sauté the shallots until translucent in a skillet, add peas and corn. Heat them through on medium low heat. 

Heat another skillet over high heat, add oil and butter. When the fat begins to brown and smoke sear the scallops for 1½ minutes on each side. The scallops should have a ¼-inch golden crust on each side, while being translucent in the center. Set the scallops aside on a plate. Pour the elderflower syrup in the skillet and reduce to about half. Remove from heat.

Mix mint and bacon with the pea/corn mixture, and plate it. Add the scallops to the hot syrup, and cover them with the syrup, just before you place them on top of the pea/corn mixture. drizzle the syrup on top and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup

Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup

Crispy brussels sprouts - who knew? I first had them New Year's Eve, when we dined at Manresa, a 2 stared Michelin restaurant, on opening night for Manresa after a dreadful fire in July 2014. The crispy brussels sprouts was served on top of a porcini mushroom dish. I really liked the texture and taste. So when I browsed for ideas for a garlic soup and stumbled upon this recipe for garlic-potato soup at the blog How sweet it is  with crispy brussels sprouts on top, I knew I had to try it. 

The soup was a hit in my house, and will be on the menu again soon. 

Served 6-8.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 pounds (1.3 kg) russet potatoes, peeled and diced

• 5 cups (1.25 liter) chicken stock

• 4 roasted garlic bulbs

• 200 ml heavy whipping cream

• salt & pepper to taste

Brussels sprouts crisps:

• 10 brussels sprouts, clean outer layers only

• 750 ml vegetables oil, for frying

• salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions:

Heat oil and butter in a large pot. Cook onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and enough stock to cover them - I used 5 cups (1.25 liter). Bring it to a simmer, put a lid on and cook until the potatoes are tender and starts to fall apart, about 20 minutes. 

Crispy brussels sprouts:

Remove the outer leaves from the brussels sprouts, carefully clean and dry them, set aside.

Heat vegetable oil to 325-350 ℉ (165-180℃) in a pot. (use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature.) Add the brussels sprouts leaves a few at a time and fry until crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Transfer the soup to a blender,* work in batches. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the blender. Puree the soup until totally creamy and smooth. Return the soup to the pot and gently heat it with the cream. Season the soup with salt and pepper. 

Serve the soup in bowls with the crispy brussels spouts on top and sprinkled with red chili flakes.

Enjoy! 

*Be careful when blending hot liquids, it can make the lid pop off, and you may risk getting serious burns on you skin. You can remove the small cap on you blender lid and cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel. You need to hold on to the lid and towel. This will let the steam from the hot soup escape and avoid the lid from popping off. You can also get blenders like the Vitamix, where you can blend hot liquids, without any hassle.