Heirloom Tomato, Crushed Basil,
Fleur de Sel
Makes 4 cups
The main attraction in this uncooked vegetable dish is featuring local ripe, juicy, and sweet heirloom tomatoes in peak season, which is summer to early fall in most places. While you can easily prepare the components ahead of time, it’s best to toss the ingredients together as close to when you’re serving them as possible so they stay perky.
1 ½ pounds assorted ripe heirloom
Cut the bigger tomatoes into ¼ -inch-thick slices and
tomatoes such as brandywine,
quarter or halve the smaller ones; this vegetable salad looks great
sungold, and red beefsteak
with different colored tomatoes of varying sizes and shapes. Put
½ cup Basil Vinaigrette (see page 5)
½ cup fresh basil leaves, hand torn ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
the tomatoes in a mixing bowl and pour in the vinaigrette. Toss gently, taking care not to smash the tomatoes. Sprinkle in the basil leaves. Season with pepper, and toss again to combine. When ready to serve, sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve at room temperature. Please never, ever refrigerate tomatoes!
Tomatoes The best quality tomatoes are not always available at major supermarkets. It’s ideal to seek them out at farmer’s markets or better yet, grow them in your garden or in patio containers. When buying, look for tomatoes with intense color that feel firm and heavy, and smell like the plant itself. An underripe tomato is perfectly acceptable; simply ripen on the kitchen counter at room temperature.
Marketplace Vegetables
15
Chicken, Butternut Squash, Grape, Greek–Marinated
Red Wine–Oregano Vinaigrette Makes 4 cups
Juicy red grapes and crunchy almonds add sweetness and bite to this substantial chicken dish. A collection of textures, shapes, and flavors, this harmonious combination of common ingredients satiates, bite after bite. The yogurt in the Greek-Marinated Chicken (page 000) enhances moisture, so there’s no need for added mayonnaise to keep the ingredients peppy. The beauty is it’s also travel friendly without the concern of spoilage.
1 butternut squash (about 1 ½ pounds) or 5 cups precut butternut squash cubes (see page 000) 2 tablespoons olive oil Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
¾ pound Greek-Marinated Chicken (page 000), cooled and cut into
¼ -inch cubes (about 3 cups) 1 cup red grapes, halved crosswise
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted ½ cup Red Wine–Oregano Vinaigrette (page 000)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, cut off about
¼ inch from the bot-
tom of the squash, then cut off ¼ inch from the stem end. Lay
the squash down on the cutting board and cut crosswise in half through the middle. Stand the squash halves upright on a cutting board, cut-side down (it shouldn’t wobble) and cut off the skin with the knife or sharp vegetable peeler, turning the squash as you go. Cut the 2 pieces of peeled squash from top to bottom down the middle so you have 4 pieces. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the seeds and strings. Working with 1 piece at a time, cut the squash into ½ -inch cubes.
Put the squash on a large baking pan, drizzle with the
olive oil, toss to coat, and spread out in a single layer. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until the squash has a golden color and is tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time to brown the squash evenly. Transfer the roasted squash to a mixing bowl and set
aside to cool. The squash can easily be prepared in advance, covered, and refrigerated. To the cooled butternut squash, add the chicken,
grapes, parsley, almonds, and vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, tossing to combine. Serve chilled.
Marketplace Vegetables + Protein
85
Oatmeal
Golden Raisin Cookies Makes 1 dozen
It’s your mom’s oatmeal cookie, just way better. More like a granola bar than a dense, chewy cookie, these Oatmeal Golden Raisin Cookies are packed with heaps of oats, plenty of raisins, and molasses to bring out a deeper flavor. The cookies spread out quite a bit while baking, making them relatively flat and the edges crispy. Orange zest and cinnamon balances the sweetness. Try not to eat them for breakfast!
¾ ¼ ¼ ½
cup all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two baking
teaspoon baking soda
pans or line with wax or parchment paper; set aside.
teaspoon salt teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg
¼ cup ( ½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar 1 large egg 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 2 teaspoons molasses
½ teaspoon natural vanilla extract ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest 1 cup rolled oats
½ cup golden raisins
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and
cinnamon or nutmeg; set aside. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or use a handheld electric beater. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, corn syrup, molasses, vanilla, and zest, beating well to incorporate. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add the dry ingre-
dients to the creamed butter and sugar mixture in 2 additions, beating just to combine. Do not overmix or the cookie dough can become tough. Turn the mixer off and fold in the oats and raisins using a rubber spatula until evenly distributed. Using your palms, roll the dough into 2-inch balls, about the
size of a golf ball. Alternatively, you can use a small ice cream scoop. Put the dough on the prepared pans, about 2-inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are just set on the edges but still fairly soft in the center. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
sweets
189