Grits with Blue Cheese and Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Not So Southern Grits with Blue Cheese and Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Last week I had dinner with a consultant friend at Nola's in Clinton, New York (  http://www.nolasinclinton.com/ ).  The highlight of my meal was polenta with blue cheese...just so amazingly good.  Of course, my Southern palette immediately thought...yellow grits!!!  So Friday night I tried my own take on this dish.   Sadly, the only blue cheese available was the already crumbled and not great quality.  But, even with that, the dish was great!  I can't wait to get over to Fresh Market and get some really great blue cheese and create this again, just better.  However, the lesson here is, use what you can find to create dishes that are different, tasty and enjoyed!

3/4 cup yellow grits

2 cups of water

1 tsp. salt

2 tbs. butter

1/4 cup vermont sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 pt. cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup blue cheese

1. Place tomatoes on cookie sheet and toss with olive oil.  Roast in preheated oven (400 degrees) for 10 minutes or until tomatoes are browned. Remove from oven.
2. Bring 2 cups of water to boiling, add salt and grits, reduced heat to low cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add butter and sharp cheddar, cook on low for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Pour grits into serving bowl, top with tomatoes and sprinkle with blue cheese.

Tomato Tart

Tomato Tart

Good tomatoes are so plentiful this year.  Most nights we have them in a tossed salad of, my favorite, a tomato caprese salad that I create by layering fresh tomato slices with sliced fresh (or as fresh as I can get it) mozzarella, a little fresh basil, salt and pepper sprinkled between the layers and drizzled with olive oil and a balsamic vinegar reduction.  (an extra recipe for you!)

For this tomato tart I used phyllo pastry dough, tomatoes, and several herbs  I have growing right now. (chives, parsley, oregano, thyme, basil, and tarragon) I used some cherry tomatoes, a couple of heirloom tomatoes and a couple of plain ol' red ones from the local produce market.  All of this is layered over the dough, mozzarella cheese and feta cheese.(along with a hefty potion of garlic).  I recommend serving this with a Greek salad and, at least, one glass of pinot grigio!

Ingredients:

8 sheets of phyllo pastry dough 

1/4 cup of melted butter

3 medium tomatoes, sliced thin

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

6 oz. mozzarella cheese

6 oz. feta cheese

3 tbs. chopped herbs

3 cloves garlic chopped

red pepper flakes (to taste or optional)

salt and pepper   (to taste)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Place thin slices of tomato and halved cherry tomatoes on paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt
• Using a 13 x( inch baking sheet, begin with one sheet of phyllo, covering the bottom of the pan, overlapping about 1/2 inch.  Brush this layer with melted butter. Create a second layer and brush with melted butter.  Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes or lightly browned.  Remove from oven a cool for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle cheeses over cooled phyllo
• Sprinkle garlic over cheese
• Arrange tomatoes on to top cheese.  I put all of the large slices first then arranged cherry tomatoes around them
• Sprinkle chopped herbs over tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper
• Top with parmesan and drizzle with some really good olive oil

Bake for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Tomato Bounty Bake

I know, it;s been a while since I've posted...but tonight I created a dish with tomatoes that I have to share.  My friend, Shelley, brought me a basket full of fresh tomatoes from her garden.  I've always made a really great tomato pie, but I'm walking miles every day and really trying to watch carbs and calories and that pie, with the crust, lots of sharp cheddar and mayonnaise just doesn't fit into my "Get fit Loretta" plan. So I created this dish with roasted tomatoes, caramelized sweet onions, Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.  Please change ingredient amounts to suit your taste...I think any combination will work!

Ingredients:
8 tomatoes, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
2 large Vadalia onions, slices in 1/4 inch slices
1 tbs. fresh basil
1 tbs. fresh thyme
4 tbs. olive oil Parmesan Romano cheese
1/2 cup shredded

Preheat oven to 400

• Spread 2 tbs. olive oil on cookie sheet
• Place sliced tomatoes in one layer on cookie sheet 
• Place tomatoes in preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes
• Reduce oven temperature to 350
• While the tomatoes are cooking saute onions in remaining olive oil until nicely caramelized
• Remove tomatoes from oven and create a layer of tomatoes
• Salt tomato layer taste and add half of basil and thyme
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over tomatoes
• Add a layer using all of the caramelized onions
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over onions
• Place remaining tomatoes over onion layer
• Sprinkle with basil and thyme
• Bake for 20 minutes

Oh No!  Brussel Sprouts!!!

 

 

I grew up having brussel sprouts...green, mushy, balls that were just blah (sorry Mom)!  How many people do you know who say, "I just love me some brussel sprouts"...a weird duck, for sure.  Well...this is our second night in a row having brussel sprouts.  I bought a great bag of them from Sam's Club last week, realized I'd be traveling all week this week and the sprouts needed to be gone.  So last night it was a pretty simple dish:

 

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 slices of pancetta chopped

20 fresh brussel sprouts, cut in half

salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

 

 

1.  Heat the olive oil in a good heavy skillet on medium high

2.  Add the pancetta to oil and brown

3.  Add brussel sprouts and sauté for 5 minutes

4. Cover and cook over low heat for another 5 minutes

5.  Remove cover, increase heat and stir for another 2 minutes

6.  Serve and enjoy immediately!

 

 

Tonight's brussel sprouts were just a bit different...I thought apples would go well with them and then while I was cooking them I thought... "How about some dried cranberries...and a little brown sugar...and, of course, some butter!"  So here you go...and they were yummy!

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

 

3 tbsp. olive oil

4 slices pancetta, chopped (I think bacon would be great!)

6 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and quartered

30 brussel sprouts, halved

a handful of dried cranberries

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet and saute' pancetta.  Add apples and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.  Add brussel sprouts and sauté for another five minutes.  Add dried cranberries and sprinkle brown sugar all over...place in oven and cook for 10 minutes uncovered.  Remove from oven, add butter and cover until ready to serve.