Thursday, July 25, 2024

Len's Recipe of the Month - July 2024

 

When the weather is hot, I don't want to cook too long.  In summer months, my kitchen duty might be a grilled steak.   And, for a side dish (or on top of the meat)...this delicious adornment.

We're talking here Pan Roasted Tomatoes with Balsamic Jam and it's another gem that I have stolen from my first wife Valerie Bertinelli.   Well, she wasn't but it's fun to say.  This looked damn good when she prepared it on her Food Network show.   But the taste exceeds the looks by leaps and bounds.   You will thank me.

Get a pound of heirloom grape tomatoes.  Before you do anything, put a skillet on the stove and heat it till the darn thing smokes.   Super hot is necessary here.

As soon as the pan is scalding, dump the tomatoes in and let them blister on all sides.   Keep stirring so the blistering is even.   This takes about three to four minutes.   

You will have previously chopped up a medium red onion.   Lower the heat a little and add the onion bits.   Stir them all around for about a minute.

What the hell is balsamic jam?   Well, I'll tell you.   Take a half-cup of balsamic vinegar and add it to the pan.  Then stir in 1/2 teaspoon of confectioner's sugar. Yes, the powdery sugary.   Keep stirring it all together for about five minutes.   You will see the liquid get all syrupy and almost...wait for it...jam-like.   Add sea salt to taste and remember that salt and tomatoes marry very well together. 

Okay, plate the stuff and add some chopped basil (also a great partner for tomatoes) and a drizzle of olive oil.   The great thing is you can serve this warm or chilled like a salad (don't drizzle the EVO before you chill it).  

The result is a very unique tasting dish.   Because tomatoes are really a fruit, the sweetness here gives off the essence of a dessert salad.   

You still haven't thanked me.   I thank Valerie every day.

Meanwhile, both the steak and the tomatoes has you in the kitchen for...tops...20 minutes.

Dinner last night:  The pre-game buffet at the Dodger Stadium Club.

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