Corn-n- Tomato Tart

Crust:

1¾ cups flour

¼ cup play yellow cornmeal

1½ tsp. kosher salt

½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 large egg

¼ cup buttermilk

Filling:

4 slices tomato (1/4” each), halved

2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1¾ cups fresh corn kernels

1½ cups heavy whipping cream

5 large eggs

5 T. grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

5 T. grated Gruyere cheese

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Garnish: chopped fresh chives, torn fresh basil

Directions:

For Crust. In food processor, pulse together flour, cornmeal, and salt. Add butter, and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Add egg and buttermilk; pulse until dough forms a ball. Turn out dough on to a lightly floured surface, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let dough stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Ona lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 14” circle. Press into bottom and up sides of a greased/floured 11” tart pan (or 9” pie pan). Fold edges under and crimp. Pierce dough all over with a fork. Place tart pan on a baking sheet. With double parchment paper extending over edges, add pie weights. Bake until dough begins to set, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove paper and weights. Bake 5 minutes more. Let cook on wire rack for 15 minutes.

For Filling. Place tomato slices on several paper towels; sprinkle with 1/3 tsp. salt. Let stand for 1 hour. Pat tomatoes dry with paper towels. Spread corn in an even layer in prepared crust. Spread Gruyere cheese over corn. In a large bowl, whisk together cream, eggs, 4 T. parmesan cheese, pepper and remaining 1¾ tsp. salt. Pour onto corn. Arrange tomato slices in a circle on cream mixture; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until center is set about 35 minutes in a tart plan – closer to 45 minutes in a pie pan. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour before serving. Garnish if desired.

Comment: This is like a very-light, summer quiche. Check timing for dough refrigeration, salted tomatoes, tart cooling time, etc.

Roast Jerk Chicken

2 green onions                     1 jalapeno chili

1/8 cup canola oil                3 cloves garlic

2 T. lime juice                     2 T. soy sauce                     

1 T. brown sugar                 ¼ tsp. allspice                    

½ tsp. salt                           ¼ tsp. pepper

1 whole chicken

Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line large, rimmed baking sheet with foil; place rack on foil. 

In a blender or food processor, blend green onions, garlic, chili, oil, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, allspice, salt and pepper until smooth.

Arrange chicken on rack.  With hands, gently loosen chicken skin from meat.  Spoon some green onion mixture into chicken cavity and under skin.  Rub remaining all over outside of chicken.  Tuck wings behind breast and tie drumsticks together with butcher’s twine.

Roast 1 hour.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Roast another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked (165 degrees).

Comment:  Not spicy, just flavorful. 

Multi-vegetable Paella

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

1/2 fennel bulb, cut into strips

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup Calasparra rice (or another short-grain paella rice)

6 1/2 tbsp good-quality sherry

1 tsp saffron threads

salt

2 cups boiling vegetable stock

3/4 cup shelled fava beans (fresh or frozen)

12 plum tomatoes, halved

5 small grilled artichokes in oil from a jar, drained and quartered

15 pitted kalamata olives, crushed or halved

2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

4 lemon wedges

Directions: Heat up the olive oil in a paella pan, or a large shallow skillet, and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and fennel and continue to fry on medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the bay leaves, paprika, turmeric and cayenne to the vegetables and stir well. Then add the rice and stir thoroughly for 2 minutes before adding the sherry and saffron. Boil down for a minute, then add the stock and 1/3 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to the minimum and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Do not cover the pan and don't stir the rice during the cooking.

Meanwhile, pour plenty of boiling water over the fava beans in a bowl and leave for a minute, then drain well and leave to cool down. Now squeeze each bean gently to remove the skin and discard it.

Remove the paella pan from the heat. Taste and add more salt if needed but without stirring the rice and vegetables much. Scatter the tomatoes, artichokes and fava beans over the rice and cover the pan tightly with foil. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Take off the foil. Scatter the olives on top of the paella and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with wedges of lemon.

Comment: I left out and substituted a lot of things in this recipe based on what I had on-hand (including the fennel, saffron, fava beans, artichokes, olives). It still turned out fantastic. I also didn't have rice on-hand so I used tarly, which was no problem. This is a recipe you can play with! Really satisfying and hearty. -Elizabeth

Sweet and Smoky Mexican Chicken

2 medium red peppers
3 small cinnamon sticks, freshly ground (or, failing that, 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon)
4 chipotle chillies, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, drained, seeds and stalks removed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2½ tbsp white wine vinegar
2½ tsp soft brown sugar
75ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1.75kg whole chicken legs (ie with both drumsticks and thighs), skin-on
20g dark chocolate, finely grated
650g baby maris peer potatoes (or other roasting potato), peeled and halved
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 2cm x 6cm wedges
2 medium red onions, peeled and quartered
10g coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Directions: Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Put the peppers on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, until the skin has blackened. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with cling-film and set aside. Once cool enough to handle, peel the peppers, and discard the skins, seeds and stalks. Put the pepper flesh in the small bowl of a food processor, and add the cinnamon, chilli, garlic, vinegar, sugar, three tablespoons of the oil, a teaspoon and half of salt and three tablespoons of water. Blitz for a minute, until smooth, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken legs and chocolate, and mix to coat.

Put both types of potato in a separate large bowl with the onions, the remaining oil, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix well, combine with the chicken, then tip everything on to a large 30cm x 40cm baking tray. Arrange the chicken skin-side up and roast for about 50 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are cooked and nicely coloured. Serve at once, with coriander sprinkled on top.

Comment: A satisfying and delicious main dish from the chef, Ottolenghi (check him out!). For the weary ones, don't worry, you don't really taste the chocolate. I never roast the peppers out of laziness and it still tastes fantastic. -Elizabeth

One-pan farro with tomatoes

2 cups water
1 cup (updated) semi-pearled farro (see Note above for farro types)
1/2 large onion (I usually use a white one, for mildness)
2 cloves garlic
9 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt
Up to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Few basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Directions: Place water and farro in a medium saucepan to presoak (I find just 5 to 10 minutes sufficient) while you prepare the other ingredients. Adding each ingredient to the pot as you finish preparing it, cut onion in half again, and very thinly slice it into quarter-moons. Thinly slice garlic cloves as well. Halve or quarter tomatoes. Add salt, pepper flakes (to taste) and 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan, and set a timer for 30 minutes. Bring uncovered pan (no lid necessary) up to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. When the timer rings, the farro should be perfectly cooked (tender but with a meaty chew), seasoned and the cooking water should be almost completely absorbed. If needed, though I’ve never found it necessary, cook it for 5 additional minutes, until farro is more tender.

Transfer to a wide serving bowl. If there’s enough leftover cooking liquid to be bothersome, simply use a slotted spoon to leave the amount you wish to behind. Drizzle farro lightly with additional olive oil, scatter with basil and parmesan. Eat immediately. Repeat tomorrow.

Comment: You can substitute other hearty grains. I've tried it with tarly and it works great. So easy, so good and satisfying, done in 30 minutes. I make it almost weekly now-Elizabeth.