Couch Tomato

Welcome to late summer, veggie lovers! Here at The Cozy Herbivore, I am buzzing with anticipation and some big news: I'm going to culinary school! Just a few days ago, with my heart in my throat, I gave my resignation to my old job (love you guys!) and have started down the path to a new career in the culinary field! And I couldn't have done it without this blog and YOU, my faithful readers.

So here's the skinny: I'm going part-time to the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City for their chef's training program. In a mere ten months I will learn how to prepare a wide variety of plant-based cuisine, how to convert recipes from traditional to natural/vegan ingredients and the connections between food and wellness. It's so exciting to be a part of this rapidly growing field and to attend a school that so many of my favorite cookbook authors have graduated from! It's also wonderful to find a school so close to home that is focused on vegetarian and vegan cuisine, as most traditional culinary schools are quite meat-based.

It's a funny thing-- I started this blog on September 23, 2009. My first day of class at the Natural Gourmet Institute is September 22, 2010. What a difference a year makes! This site has cemented my love of vegetarian recipe development and food writing, so I am hoping that school will help me focus these talents into something marketable!

I don't know what's going to happen to the site while I'm in school. I know I probably won't have time to post prolifically. I'm going to play it by ear, but I hope you'll stick with me through the next ten months. I see big things in The Cozy Herbivore's future!

To celebrate my big news and the bounty of late summer, I have decided to include not one, not two, but THREE recipes in this blog post. Fresh tomatoes are everywhere this time of year-- both the farmer's markets and my little container garden have exploded with the love apples. I'm particularly fond of heirloom tomatoes-- their flavor simply cannot be beat! Compared to the anemic and watery supermarket tomatoes, heirlooms are rich, meaty and intensely satisfying. And what better piece of produce to enjoy in-season? Fresh heirlooms tomatoes are a treat worth waiting a winter for.

Two of these recipes require absolutely no cooking at all, which is pretty terrific for these hot summer days. All of them make great sides to bring to picnics and potlucks.



Bain taitneamh as do bheil!


Deb's Fried Green Tomatoes

As I previously mentioned, my container garden went a little tomato-crazy this year. But this bounty attracted a squirrely visitor, whose main objective seems to be tearing the green tomatoes off the vine and leaving them otherwise unmolested on the ground. Ever one to make lemonade out of squirrel-created lemons, Deb put together this delicious appetizer with a few of our green fallen soldiers.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 10 minutes
SERVES: 1-2 people

INGREDIENTS:
2 large green (unripe) tomatoes-- the tomato variety used in the picture above is an Orange Blossom
2 eggs, whisked
1 cup panko style bread crumbs
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, washed & stems removed
1 large pinch kosher salt
4-5 twists of the pepper mill
1/2 cup olive oil, for frying


DIRECTIONS:
Wash tomatoes and pat dry. Slice into thick rounds. Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet until the top begins to shimmer.

Place beaten eggs in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine panko, fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Dredge the tomato slices first in the beaten egg mixture and then in the breadcrumb mixture, turning to thoroughly coat the slices with breadcrumbs.

Fry coated slices in oil until golden brown, turning to evenly cook. Place fried tomatoes on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve with a dollop of ketchup.

If you're hankering for a side to this appetizer, simply toss a handful of baby spinach and a few tablespoons of the panko mixture into your used beaten eggs and fry them in a hot skillet. Voila-- a crunchy, egg-y scramble that pairs perfectly with the fried green tomatoes!


Green Zebra Salsa

When my friend Lori took a trip to Europe this summer, she gave a week's CSA share from Greensgrow Farm to us. Thanks, Lori! Included in that week's share were three gorgeous Green Zebra tomatoes. Unlike the unripe love apples used in the previous recipe, Green Zebras are a variety of tomato that retain a beautiful stripped green color when fully ripe. They have a slightly tart flavor, which makes this salsa refreshing and light-- perfect for the dog days of August!


PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: n/a
SERVES: 4-5


INGREDIENTS:
3 large Green Zebra tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
the juice of 1 lime
1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped


DIRECTIONS:
Place chopped tomatoes in a colander until most of the excess juice drains off. Combine drained tomatoes and the rest of the chopped ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to incorporate fully.

Serve with fresh tortilla chips or combine salsa with sour cream for a great sandwich spread!



CSA Caprese Salad

Mostly of the time gorgeous local produce is best prepared simply, allowing the fresh flavors to shine through. This is one of my favorite ways to eat local tomatoes-- the swoon-inducing creaminess of the fresh mozzarella balances the acid of the balsamic and tomatoes, while the basil gives the whole salad a refreshingly green bite.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: n/a
SERVES: 2-3 people

INGREDIENTS:
2 large heirloom tomatoes
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese
10-15 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 large pinch kosher salt
3-4 twists of the pepper mill


DIRECTIONS:
Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella ball into evenly thick rounds. Arrange on plate: alternate a tomato slice, a mozzarella slice and a basil leaf until you've used all of your produce and cheese. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top off with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Enjoy your summer bounty!

Fig and Bleu Cheese Flatbread

As a tried-and-true country girl, summers in the city can be tough. I miss wide open green spaces, swimming in the lake, seeing millions of stars in the night sky and sitting around summer bonfires toasting marshmallows. And I really miss picking fruit from my childhood backyard. Oh sure, there are plenty of places around here that you can pay to pick your own fruit. But without a car and with a lack of funds this summer, those places are hard to get to.

So imagine my joy when I discovered a fig tree overhanging the sidewalk a mere block away from my city apartment:
Now I know it's technically not MY fig tree, but the property has had a for-sale sign on it for a year. And the figs are being left to fall off the tree uneaten, leaving fragrant smears surrounded by buzzing bees all over the sidewalk. The other day I saw two little old Italian ladies helping themselves to this bounty, filling up large tubs with these succulent little figs. Hey, if they can do it, so can I.
The common fig is one of the first edible plants cultivated by humans, and it's not hard to see why. Figs are so delicately delicious, with such a complex sweetness that it's no wonder people have sung their praises in the Bible, in ancient Roman literature and to this day. Once picked, they bruise easily and spoil fast. They are indeed a fleeting joy.

Using these rare beauties, I decided to put together a dessert flatbread pizza that balanced the figs' delicate sweetness with an earthy bleu cheese. Since we had barbecued for dinner that evening I toasted the flatbread on the grill, but it can easily be toasted on the stovetop and finished under the broiler. I used dark and molasses-y buckwheat honey to highlight the earthy cheese, but if you prefer a milder flavor, use a clover or even an orange blossom honey.


Bain taitneamh as do bheil!


PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20 minutes
SERVES: 3-4


INGREDIENTS:
3 medium-sized whole wheat Mediterranean flatbreads
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup raw pine nuts
6 figs, sliced in half and each half sliced into quarters
8 oz. bleu cheese such as Gorgonzola or Roquefort, crumbled
1/2 cup buckwheat honey


DIRECTIONS:
Lightly brush one side of each flatbread with butter. Grill butter side down until just crispy. (If cooking on the stovetop, place butter side down on a hot skillet until just crispy)

Meanwhile, in a dry skillet, lightly toast pine nuts until just browned. Immediately remove from heat and set aside.

Brush untoasted side of flatbreads with melted butter.

Top toasted side of flatbreads with crumbled bleu cheese, toasted pine nuts and fig slices. Drizzle with a little honey:

Place topped flatbreads on the grill or under a broiler until cheese is melted.

Cut into quarters and serve with an after-dinner drink!

Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Bake

Happy August, herbivores! This is one of my favorite months of the year. Oh sure, I know you're going to groan about the humidity, but for me, the hot and hazy days of August are the best. I love waking up early in the muggy mornings for the only cool walk of the day with the dog, biting into just-picked-oh-so-juicy peaches, getting soaked by sudden thunderstorms, listening to urgent cicada songs, drinking sweating glasses of lemonade but most of all, I love grilling on swampy summer nights. The grill has been long associated with carnivorous delights, but I think that vegetables cooked on the grill, under a hazy August moon, have a special place in heaven.

I've always been a ratatouille fan, and this pasta bake highlights the flavors of the traditional Provencal dish. Grilling the vegetables gives them a smoky, caramelized flavor that's hard to achieve on the stovetop. And when baked with the hearty whole wheat pasta and the earthy chevre, this dish becomes a filling meal that won't weigh you down on these hot summer nights. It's perfect for a potluck or a company dinner-- rustic, yet refined.

Don't have a grill? Don't fret. Simply skip the grilling step and saute the vegetables in a little of the infused olive oil before letting them marinade. And if you're not a fan of chevre, mozzarella or feta cheese would work just as well. This dish requires a bit of marinading time, which I urge you not to skimp on. The wine and herb-infused olive oiled vegetables bake together so well if they've been given time to get to know each other first. An overnight marinade is preferable-- the next time your grill is fired up, throw the veggies on the side while you cook your dinner. Once grilled, they can be slathered with marinade and put in the fridge to soak in the flavors for tomorrow's pasta bake.


Bain taitneamh as do bheil!


PREP TIME: about 1 hour (plus time to marinade)
COOKING TIME: 20-25 minutes
SERVES: 6-8


INGREDIENTS:
for the herb-infused oil:
1 cup olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh marjoram
2 springs fresh tarragon or savory herb
3 cloves garlic, diced finely
pinch of kosher salt
3-4 twists of a pepper mill

5-6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 zucchini or summer squash, cut into thick rounds
2 bell peppers, halved or cut into thirds, ribs & seeds removed
1 large onion, outer skin removed, cut into large chunks
10-15 white button mushrooms, brushed free of dirt

1 cup good red wine

3 cups dried whole wheat penne
4 cups veggie stock

1/4 cup raw pine nuts
1/2 cup tomato sauce (recipe for my tomato sauce recipe here)
8 oz. chevre, feta or fresh mozzarella cheese


DIRECTIONS:
Prepare the herb-infused oil: place olive oil in a small bowl. Wash and pat dry all the fresh herbs. Remove herbs from their stems and place in the bowl of olive oil. Add diced garlic, pinch of kosher salt and 3-4 twists of the pepper mill to the oil and stir to combine. Set aside.

Toss zucchini or squash rounds in 5-6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Season with a little kosher salt and cracked pepper. Set aside.

On metal or soaked bamboo skewers, alternate a pepper half, a whole mushroom and an onion chunk until they're all skewered. Lightly brush skewered vegetables with a little of the herb-infused oil. Set remaining oil aside.

Now it's grilling time: place vinegar-soaked zucchini or squash rounds and vegetable skewers carefully on the grill. Grill on medium heat, flipping over to ensure that both sides cook evenly. Vegetables are done when they have nice grill marks on them and are soft. Be careful not to burn or overcook-- the veggies will be cooked a second time when they go in the oven with the pasta!

Remove cooked veggies from grill and allow to cool. Chop all veggies into bite-sized piece and place in a large container with a lid. Pour the remaining herb-infused oil and 1 cup red wine over the grilled veggies and stir to thoroughly combine. Place the lid on the container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (24 hours is preferable!).

When you're ready to assemble the pasta bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the pasta according to package instructions in the veggie stock (you may need to add a little water to completely cover the pasta) until just al dente. Remove from heat, drain, toss with a little olive oil and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until just browned. Immediately remove skillet from heat and set toasted pine nuts aside. Slice chevre into thin strips, set aside.

To assemble the casserole: grease a large casserole dish with a little olive oil. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, toasted pine nuts, marinaded vegetables, 1/3 of the sliced chevre and 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Stir to combine thoroughly. If the mixture seems a little dry to you, add a little more tomato sauce. Pour pasta & vegetable mixture into the casserole dish. Top with remaining slices of chevre.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until casserole is bubbling & firm and cheese is slightly browned on top.


Serve with a glass of red wine and toast to the muggy days of summer!