New Seniors

It’s difficult to find a tomato at the grocery store that tastes the way I remember them. Sure, a few hybrid varieties have been developed for great flavor. However, commercial tomato breeders focus on hybridizing tomatoes to make them symmetrical and red, durable enough to survive the automated harvesting and long-distance shipping, picked green, with no chance to ripen on the vine, and a long shelf life. Unfortunately, something had to go and sadly, for us tomato lovers, it was flavor.

That’s why I love to go to the farmer’s markets in search of beautiful heirloom tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. But what they all have in common is they have been sown from seeds passed down from generation to generation, because of valued characteristics.

There is simply no comparison to the grainy, dry, flavorless things you find at the supermarket. Homegrown heirloom tomatoes are juicy, delicious, sweet and tangy. They have a marvelous mouth-watering, warm-from-the-sun, old-fashioned tomato taste you may remember.

Celebrate the end of summer with some beautiful heirloom tomatoes. Here are two great recipes from my kitchen to yours.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Basil
Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
6 slices firm white sandwich bread
1/4 lb sliced bacon (about 5 slices)
6 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
3 Tbsp Sherry vinegar
4 assorted medium heirloom tomatoes (2 lb total), cut into 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices
30 small fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 oz blue cheese (preferably Maytag Blue), crumbled, at room temperature
Special equipment: a 3-inch round cookie cutter
Garnish: very small heirloom cherry or currant tomatoes

METHOD
Cut 1 round from each bread slice with cookie cutter.
Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until crisp, then transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off bacon fat from skillet and reserve fat (do not clean skillet).
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast 3 bread rounds, turning over once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool and season with salt and pepper. Toast remaining 3 bread rounds in 1 1/2 tablespoons more oil in same manner.

Cook shallot in 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat and remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and simmer, whisking, until emulsified, about 1 minute. Season dressing with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.

Crumble bacon. Arrange bread rounds on 6 plates and divide tomato slices among them, stacking slices and sprinkling some basil and bacon between slices. Sprinkle cheese and remaining basil and bacon over and around tomatoes.

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Black Pepper Parmesan Crust

INGREDIENTS
For black pepper parmesan pastry
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
For filling
3/4 lb fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pesto
2 lb mixed heirloom tomatoes, sliced 3/4 inch thick
Special equipment: pie weights or raw rice

Fresh Basil, for garnish (optional)

METHOD
Make pastry: Blend together flour, butter, shortening, parmesan, pepper, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.

Gently squeeze a small handful: If it doesn’t hold together without falling apart, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition until incorporated, continuing to test. (Do not overwork dough, or it will become tough.)

Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 2 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather both portions of dough into 1 ball, then pat into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. Roll rolling pin over top of pan to trim dough flush with rim. Lightly prick tart shell all over with a fork.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack.

Fill tart shell: Remove side of pan and slide shell onto a platter. Arrange one half of the mozzarella in bottom of shell and drizzle with one half of the pesto. Arrange one half of tomato slices, overlapping, on top of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering twice. Garnish with a fresh sprig of basil in the middle and serve.

SaucyGirl

Chef Helena Spensatelli’s passion for food began early in her childhood, as she was inspired watching her Italian grandfather prepare incredible dishes at home and in the huge hotel kitchens where he presided as Master Chef. Helena has been a private chef/caterer/food consultant for over 25 years. Raised in Maryland, she now lives in Los Angeles, California where she is the owner of Saucy Girls Kitchen. saucygirlskitchen.wordpress.com/

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