Birthday Tomato-a-Thon

Wine:

La Dive Du Pape 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape
Cardwell Hill Cellars 2006 Estate Rose from Pinot Noir
Vin Du Bugey-Cerdon “La Cueille” Sparkling Red Wine NV
Bugey Cerdon Elabore par elie et Alain Renardat NV


Tomatoes finally arrived at the market! We decided to make a tomato based dinner. Kevin and Bill wanted to play Mah Jong, so we decided to cook a dinner at our house and then play. Saturday was Cliff’s birthday and we had made reservations at Matsuhisa to celebrate, however we canceled and decided to cook.

For a first course we made a Salmon Spread we really like. It is very simple, Smoked Salmon, cut in small pieces, chopped onion, chopped capers, some lemon juice and crème fraiche to bind. I went to India Sweet and Spice and bought some Naan that we heated to serve with it.

We have found the perfect summer wine. Bugey Cedon. It is a bubbly rose wine. We served two different bottles with the dinner. The “La Cueille” is sweeter. They both are great fun, and with a low alcohol content. If you have never had a bottle of Bugey you should try it. We were first introduced to it last year at Campanile.

It was a very warm day and we had the salmon on the patio as we drank the Bugey ad watched the sun set.

We then had one of my favorite soups: Pappa al Pomodoro from a recipe from Italian Country Cookbook by Rogers and Gray. A great thick tomato based soup!

We then had a second dish from the same cookbook: Penne with Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar. It is very rich pasta and just great. You would swear it had a meat sauce. A perfect vegetarian pasta!

For desert we made a Fig Upside Down Cake. Figs are in season and this is a wonderful cake. This recipe was given to us by our friends in Napa: Joy and Brenda.

We then played Mah Jong and had a great night.

Below are 3 great recipes! Perfect for summer!


Pappa al Pomodoro
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From: Rogers and Gray: Italian Country Cookbook

Serves 10 (but leftovers are so good, serves 2 - 5 times)

4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into slivers
¼ cup Olive Oil
9 pounds ripe sweep tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or 4 ½ pounds canned plum tomatoes, drained of most of their juices
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 loaves stale bread, we use La Brea loaves
1 large bunch fresh basil
extra-virgin olive oil

Put the garlic and olive oil into a heavy saucepan and cook gently for a few minutes. Just before the garlic turns brown, add the tomatoes. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes become concentrated. Season with salt and pepper, then add 2 ½ cups water and bring to a boil.

Day before, cut most of the crust off of the bread and break or cube in large chunks to allow it to get stale.

When soup is ready, Put the bread into the tomatoes mixture and stir until the bread absorbs most of the liquid, adding more boiling water if the soup is too thick. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. If the basil leaves are large, tear into pieces. Stir into the soup with ½ to ¾ cups of extra virgin olive oil. Let the soup sit before serving to allow the bread to absorb the flavor of the basil and oil.

Serve in bowls and add a dollop of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top.




Penne with Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar
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From: Rogers and Gray: Italian Country Cookbook

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into slivers
1 handful fresh basil
1 – 28 ounce can peeled plum tomatoes (we used fresh heirloom tomatoes, of course!)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces penne pasta
8 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, at least 10 years old
6 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
1 heaped cup pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oil in large pan and gently sauté the garlic slivers until lightly browned.
Add a few of the basil leaves and then the tomatoes. Stir and cook gently for 30 to 40 minutes, until reduced to a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper and add the remaining basil.

Cook the pene in salted water, drain thoroughly, and return the pasta to the sauce pan along with the butter. When the butter is melted, add the balsamic vinegar and toss over gentle hear for a few seconds until the penne has turned brown in color.

The in a handful of grated cheese, and finally stir in the tomato sauce. Serve with more cheese.


Fig Upside-Down Cake
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1/3 cup Melted Butter
1/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed
5 – 6 (or more) ripe figs cut lengthwise into ½ inch slices
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
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1 1/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons backing powder
½ teaspoon salt
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1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 egg

Pour melted butter into bottom of 8-inch-square baking pan.
Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over bottom of pan
Arrange fig slices in single layer over bottom of pan (cut side down!)..
Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons pine nuts into spaces around figs pressing into brown sugar.
Set aside.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Add softened butter, milk, vanilla, lemon zest and egg. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes, scraping side of bowl. Stir in remaining pine nuts.
Pour over figs in baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes or until cake tests done in center.
Cool in pan about 5 minutes.
Loosen cake around edges of pan.
Place serving platter over cake and turn over.
Shake gently, then remove pan.

We modified the recipe by mixing all pine nuts into batter. Also, instead of slicing figs in slices, we simply sliced in half.