Gastroanthropology

Roasted Tomato + Fresh Garlic Soup

I spent this morning at Borough Market. I love going on Thursdays - not all the stalls are open, but the Saturday crowds are nowhere to be seen. I went with a mission to procure some lovage, a new herb I fell in love with earlier this week. I was hoping to recreate a carrot + lovage soup that I had at Lumen Cafe, a new social enterprise committed to serving local, seasonal and sustainable food. Unfortunately, my trusty herb man did not have any lovage today! Fingers crossed he has some next week so I can share you the wonders of lovage.

I was a little miffed I didn't get any love-age so I was tempted to grab some lunch and go. At first, I ignored the tomatoes because its just a little to early for them to be any good. But as I walked by, their scent lured me in. If I can smell a tomato from a few feet away, I know that something good must be going on. 

I got a bunch of tomatoes and roasted them in a hot oven (400F) for about 30 minutes till their skins split and their juices started oozing and browning. Then I broiled them for a few minutes to gently char their skin. Before they went in the oven I food-processed parsley, basil, squirt of lemon, salt + pepper, a few cloves of raw garlic, and lots of olive oil to make a loose pesto. Gently toss the tomatoes in this runny pesto before putting in a baking dish. This is a trick I learned from a fellow chef friend of mine and it really gives great flavor to roasted tomatoes. You could eat them like this as a side, but while I had the oven on I decided to roast this fresh garlic as well.

For the fresh garlic - cut the tops off, douse in olive oil and wrap in foil. They were in the oven the entire time the tomatoes were, so about 40 minutes. What comes out is amazing - the garlic turns into a smooth, mellow, paste that can be scooped out and spread on crusty bread, or literally just sprinkled with a touch of salt and eaten plain.

I roasted multiple bulbs. You can literally squeeze all the insides out of the garlic once they cool enough to handle. Some went in the tomato soup and some went on a lovely pugliese bread that I toasted under the broiler after liberally spreading olive oil and sprinkling sea salt over. The tomato soup was simple...just heat up the roasted tomatoes in a soup pan with the roasted fresh garlic and some chicken (or veg) stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and make smooth with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with a bit of raw fresh garlic (it is mild enough to eat raw), parsley, and good olive oil. Serve with roasted fresh garlic bread and little vino. I don't have rules for this goes with red or white - I just drink what tastes good.

If you can't be bothered to make the soup, just smush roasted tomatoes and roasted fresh garlic onto toasted pugliese or similar bread. Just remember add salt and lots of good olive oil. 

Summer is a comin'.

British Spring

Yup. The picture above pretty much sums it up. Cold, wet and gloomy. But spring in Britain is more than just crap weather.

Spring in Britain means the baby lambs are in need of shepherding after a day of grazing...

Some need a little special attention...

When you live in a country where you can't expect the sun, you've just got to do what you gotta do and move on. Protect your plants with little mini-greenhouses...

And reap the rewards of the British Spring - asparagus, peas, rhubarb...

And ramsons (a.k.a. wild garlic shoots)...

Ramsons are absolutely delicious and like the sun in Britain, go as quickly as they come. They have a smooth, mellow garlic flavor and pair nicely with all the British spring populars - like asparagus and peas. Perfect for this year's Springtime Frittata.

RAMSONS, ASPARAGUS, SPRING PEA + MASCARPONE FRITTATA

• 1 Tbs butter
• 6 c loosely packed, chopped ramsons (could substitute ramps)
• 1 c fresh shelled peas
• 12 -15 tender asparagus stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 whole eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 c mascarpone cheese

METHOD

Preheat broiler in oven to medium. Whisk eggs and egg whites together with salt and pepper, set aside. Melt butter in a large non-stick, oven-safe pan. Add ramsons and saute over medium-high heat. Once wilted, drain any excess liquid. Add peas and asparagus pieces. Cook for 1 minute and reduce heat. Make sure that everything is spread evenly about the pan. Pour egg mixture over top. Leave on low heat till the bottom and sides set. As this is happening, add small dollops of mascarpone to the eggs. Once the sides are set, place in the oven under the broiler till the top sets and browns gently. Remove from oven. Let sit for a few minutes and then remove from pan and serve. Can be refrigerated and served cold, but I prefer it warm. 

With a great, non-stick pan (my eight-year-old All Clad non-stick, which has traveled thousands of miles and lived in many countries still does the trick). You can loosen the frittata with a flexible rubber spatula and slip it out of the pan. Or you could flip it out, but I like to see the bits of mascarpone. You could also use a mild cheddar, but I wouldn't use a stronger cheese as it will over power the delicate flavors of the springtime greens. 

And, on those cold rainy spring days, sometimes you need a treat with a little zest that puts a zing in your step. Like lemon poppy seed cake...

LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE

• 6 oz unsalted butter, room temp
• 2/3 c sugar, divided equally into two parts
• 4 eggs separated
• 2/3 c yogurt (full-fat) plain or lemon flavored 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 c AP flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 c poppy seeds
• zest of 3 lemons

METHOD

Zest three lemons and juice one to get 2 Tbs lemon juice. Sift together drys and add poppy seeds and lemon zest - set aside. Separate eggs and leave whites aside. Combine the yolks in a different bowl with the yogurt, vanilla extract, and lemon juice - set aside. Beat or paddle the butter with half (1/3 c) of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat on low and alternate adding the yolk mixture and the drys mixture. Once combined, do not over beat - set aside. Clean your beaters or change to a whisk attachment on your KitchenAid (this is when having an extra bowl makes life so much easier!). Beat egg whites to medium peaks, sprinkling in the remaining sugar once the eggs get really frothy. Sacrifice some of the whipped whites into the yolk/drys mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the rest. Bake at 350F till cooked through and dark golden brown. I made 2 small rounds in paper molds (25-30min), but this will make one 9-inch cake (40-45min).

This cake must sit for a day. Once its cooled wrap it up in plastic and set aside in the fridge. Don't look at it or attempt to eat it for 24 hours. Not sure what it is but a good cake out of the oven turns into something amazing if you wait. You can have it plain or with a little bit of vanilla buttercream. I just beat room temp butter till its pale and then sprinkle powdered sugar (to taste) and a bit of vanilla bean and splash of vanilla extract. To frost - trim any dome off the top. Cut the top half off the cake. Frost the middle, put the top half back on, and frost the top and sides. 

Shallot Tarte Tatin

My most favorite dessert could quite possibly be Apple Tarte Tatin. Caramelized apples and no chance of a soggy crust. In fact, caramelized anything often tops my list of favorites. While I pick raw onions out of anything, slow-cooked caramelized onions or shallots often make something good into something fabulous. Last week, when an Aussie friend shared with me a recipe for Shallot Tarte Tatin she had recently come across, I knew I had to give it a try.

The original recipe, which came from Delicious, was good, but I tweaked it a bit. First, I added reduced chicken stock to the shallots to give more depth of flavor. I also added some fresh lemon thyme. Finally, I baked the whole thing in the same cast iron skillet that the shallots cook on the stove with, just like a real tarte tatin. The original recipe has you transfer the cooked shallots into a baking dish - didn't see the point. The shallots cook, low and slow, first on the stove, and then topped with a whole grain mustard dough, continue their journey in the oven. 

The result is a soft, sweet, melty, syrupy shallot on a crumbly, savory, gently mustardy crust.    

SHALLOT TARTE TATIN

For the Grain Mustard Crust

• 125 g all-purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 60 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
• 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1 large egg yolk
• Ice water, if necessary

For the grain mustard crust combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add cut pieces of butter and mustard. Rub the butter and mustard into the flour with your fingertips or pulse in a food processor until combined. Make a well and drop egg yolk in. Mix in till just combined. If dough is too dry add a sprinkling of ice water. The dough should be a bit crumbly. Pack into a circular disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For the Shallots

• 375 g small shallots (about 10)
• 25 g unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 5 Tbsp reduced chicken stock (bring 1 cup of seasoned chick stock to a boil and reduce to 1/2 cup)
• 1 Tbsp picked lemon thyme leaves

To prepare and easily peel the shallots - bring enough water to a boil to completely immerse the shallots. Drop shallots into the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain and let cool a bit. Peel the shallots, taking care to make sure they remain intact at the root. Halve the shallots. Some will naturally halve, if not, then gently cut through the root so the shallot stays intact. Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a small cast iron skillet (8 to 9 inches) melt butter and olive oil on low. You will leave the stove on low the entire time. Once melted gently place the shallots in the pan. Cook for 15 minutes, gently rotating the shallots once at 7 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, reduced chicken (or vegetable) stock, and the picked lemon thyme leaves. Pour over the shallots. Continue to cook on low for an additional 20 minutes. At 10 minutes rotate shallots a second time, taking care not to break them apart.

Roll out the whole grain dough to about 1/3 inch thick and in a circular disk large enough to cover all the shallots. Remove the shallots from the stove and place the dough on top. Gently press down onto the shallots and trim the edges so only a slight lip remains.

Bake for 20 -25 minutes at 350 F, or until the crust browns slightly. Remove from oven and immediately invert onto a plate.

Cut and garnish with fresh lemon thyme. Best served hot and immediately. Will serve 4 as a side to roast chicken or grilled steak.