Veal Chop

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I had wanted for sometime to grill Veal Chops. We finally purchased them at McCall’s Meat and Fish. Of course, they were excellent. Veal chops don’t have a lot of flavor so the key is what you serve with them. We knew that veal does not have a lot of flavor, so we decided to make a Vinegar Butter for it from The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook. It is a great sauce for Veal Chops.

We had previously had grilled corn, so I cut the Corn from the cob and added Avocado, Diced Red Onions and made a Fresh Corn Salad. It worked out exactly as I planned it was excellent.

Robert and Darryl had just returned from London and while there had seen a recipe in the Guardian Newspaper for Baked Tomatoes by our favorite: Ottolenghi. Apparently the Guardian prints many of his recipes. We made it as an accompaniment for the veal. It was delicious. What goes better than good bread and tomatoes?

We cooked extra chops and had them as leftovers. We made a Salad with White Nectarines, Hazelnuts, Saba and Prosciutto. Easy and just yells of summer fruit.

Baked tomatoes with baguette

Ottolenghi (The Guardian Newspaper)

It's hardly news to point out that tomato and bread make one of the best of all food marriages – that's why pizza margarita and pan con tomate are so popular. That said, using a chunk of bread to mop up tomatoey juices from a bowl is one of the most gratifying end-of-meal rituals I know. This dish maximises that effect. To make it vegetarian, omit the anchovies and use another hard cheese instead of parmesan. Serves four.

2 tbsp double cream
3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 tsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
½ sprig rosemary, finely chopped
1½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the croutons
50g finely grated parmesan
900g top-notch tomatoes of as many colours and sizes as you can get
1 small French baguette, half to make croutons and half to serve
2 tbsp picked oregano leaves

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. In a small bowl, mix the cream, anchovies, sugar, garlic, rosemary, oil and a third of the cheese. Cut larger tomatoes widthways into 1.5cm slices and halve smaller ones. Put them in a bowl and pour in the cream mix. Gently combine with your hands, so the tomatoes are coated, then place cut side up in a 22cm x 26cm ovenproof dish; bake for 15-20 minutes, until their edges start to crisp.

Meanwhile, cut the crust off half the baguette and tear the bread into rough chunks ranging from small crumbs to 1cm pieces – you should end up with 80g of croutons. Toss them in a tablespoon of oil, spread out on a baking sheet and bake alongside the tomatoes for seven minutes, until dry and lightly golden.

Remove both trays from the oven and spread the croutons on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and the oregano, and bake for seven minutes more, until the cheese has melted. Remove, set aside for 20-30 minutes (the flavour intensifies), then serve with the rest of the baguette.

Vinegar Butter

The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook

1 large shallot minced

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup zinfandel vinegar or strong vinegar

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup veal demi-glace

Place the shallot in an enameled, stainless steel or other non-reactive saucepan with 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté it for a few minutes over medium heat. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, then reduce it to 2 tablespoons. Add the wine, reduce by half, then add the demi-glace and continue to reduce the sauce until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.

Whish the remaining butter into the sauce, a little at a time, over low heat. When all the butter has been incorporated, season the sauce with salt and pepper and keep it warm

Spoon the sauce over the grilled veal chop.