Emotional Cooking / Tomatoes Four Ways

.

.

I love reading Alyssa's Apron Anxiety blog. I love her wit and her creative humor. It's my first stop on the weekly blog catch-up tour I take. Reading blogs used to be a daily affair until baby numero deux arrived. Now I'm happy with a few sleepy minutes of blog catch-up once a week. Anyway, the other day Alyssa said she "dirty-danced with emotional eating" which gave me a chuckle. Maybe it was because somehow I knew I'd soon be on a similar track, although if we're using dating lingo as our reference point, I'd have to say I "went all the way with emotional cooking".
.

So armed with some new recipes and inspiration, I was ready for my bout of emotional cooking. I rolled up my sleeves, turned that frown upside down, and dug into some new recipes.
.

I had two great recipes from my Olaiya Land tomatoes class and had been dying to try my hand at recreating Delancey's INSANE(!) tomato salad. And finally, you can't have a summer come and go without at least one good, cold corn salad. In addition to those four, I also made pesto pasta, broccoli and broiled salmon. Nothing will take your mind off your crappy day like managing 83 ingredients and 7 recipes. Yowser. So after all that emotional cooking, I had to get down and dirty with some serious emotional eating. Big thanks to my sister for coming over and helping me gobble it up. Here's what 2 big plates of Billy's tomatoes turned into...

I should note that the first one is so fantastic that I've made it 5 times since the class!

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Sweet Onion and Mint

Olaiya Land Catering

.

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 T sherry vinegar

1 t Dijon mustard (she said no Grey Poupon. All I had was Whole Foods brand and it seemed fine)

1 garlic cloves, minced and mashed into a paste

1/2 t sugar (I forgot this and it was fine)

salt and pepper

1/4 cup good olive oil (I used a touch less)

4-6 medium sized heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4" slices

1/2 cup very thinly sliced sweet onion (Walla Walla is best)

1 medium shallot, very thinly sliced (optional)

3 T torn mint leaves

.

In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, sherry vinegar, mustard, garlic, sugar, a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of black pepper. Add the oil in a slow stream while whisking. Continue to whisk until the vinaigrette has emulsified and thickened a bit. (I just put it all in a jar and shake vigorously.) Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

.

Arrange the tomato slices on a serving dish and salt lightly. Scatter the onion and shallot (if using) over the tomatoes. Spoon about half the vinaigrette over the salad. Rest the salad for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors come together, then taste and add more vinaigrette if you like. Sprinkle the mint over the salad and serve immediately.

Fresh Corn Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, Mint & Basil
Inspired by my friend Tara who loves a good corn salad

3-5 ears of fresh corn
1-2 T kosher salt.
2 medium sized heirloom tomatoes
2 T minced shallots
Good olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh mint leaves, broken by hand
Fresh basil leaves, broken by hand

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kosher salt and corn. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove and let cool. Cut the kernels off the cob and place in a large bowl. Mix in other ingredients. Check flavor and adjust with more shallots, vinegar or herbs.


Tomato & Green Bean Salad with Homemade Pesto
Olaiya Land Catering

3/4lb thin green beans, stemmed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup packed basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2-4 T toasted pine nuts
3-4 T good olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
salt to taste
lemon juice to taste

Place basil, parmesan, 2 T pine nuts, 3 T olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 t lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until the pesto reaches desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. If you want a bolder pesto, add the other garlic clove; if you want it to be nuttier add the remaining pine nuts; if you want it to be thinner, add the additional olive oil; if you want more zing, add more lemon juice.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Salt the water so it tastes like the ocean and cook the green beans for 3-5 minutes until tender depending on their size. Drain and dry the beans on a towel. The pesto won't stick to the beans if they're wet. When dry, toss with pesto. Lightly salt the tomato halves and scatter over the dressed beans.


Tomato Salad with Basil Shallot Vinaigrette
My best effort to copy Delancey's

1lb medium sized GOOD tomatoes (Billy's if you can), quartered
2-3 T minced shallot
1 t preserved meyer lemon peel, minced
Good olive oil
Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Good quality sheeps milk feta
Fresh basil leaves, broken by hand

Toss tomatoes with the shallot, preserved meyer lemon, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Top with feta and basil.