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THE LAND, JULY 18, 2014
8 A
All you ever wanted to know about tomatoes, and more Cookbook Corner
By SARAH JOHNSON The Land Correspondent An alternative title to “Tomatoes Garlic Basil” by Doug Oster (St. Lynn’s Press) might well have been “Everything You Need to Know About Tomatoes Including Their History, Growing Instructions, and Cooking Techniques.” That’s how complete this “cookbook-gardening guide” is. For those who love their tomatoes — and/or garlic, and/or basil — this book is a gem. Recipes are sprinkled throughout chapters filled with real, honest-to-goodness information on plant varieties, climate considerations, seed selection, growing, compost, pest control, diseases, cooking and preservation techniques. Written by a gardening expert who loves to eat what he grows, this book will inspire readers to incorporate garden produce into everyday eating, which is a very good thing. Although tomatoes are the main focus, other chapters address garlic- and basil-growing as well. ■ The book contains recipes for two different tomato pies: one savory, one sweet. The first pie isn’t a dessert; it’s an entree similar to pizza, quite common in England. It’s necessary to salt and drain the tomatoes first to get rid of excess moisture that would make the pie crust soggy. The two-cheese topping adds a creamy decadence.
The Johnson crew gives four out of four ‘yums’ to Garlic Elixir Old-Fashioned Tomato Pie 4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced 1 cup chopped basil leaves 1 cup chopped green onions 1 pre-made pie shell, or make one from scratch 1 cup fresh, grated mozzarella cheese 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1 cup mayonnaise Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10-15 minutes. Layer the tomato slices, basil and onion in the pie shell. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the cheeses with the mayonnaise. Spread mixture on top of the tomatoes
and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Serves 4-6, but I’d bet on 4. ■ Garlic Elixir is an all-purpose garlicky condiment that’s awesome on everything from bread, bruschetta, salad dressing, soups, vegetables, meats, rice, pasta and so much more. Think of it as garlic heaven in a jar, ready whenever you need it to add instant pizzazz to whatever you’re cooking. I mashed up a batch of this a few weeks ago and have been using it ever since on practically everything, it’s that addicting (and easy to use). Just a little goes a long way. Four out of four “yums” from the Johnson crew! Garlic Elixir 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled 1/4 cup fresh parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon lemon juice Olive oil (1/2 to 1 cup) Optional: chopped black olives, red pepper flakes, anchovies or capers, to taste Process garlic and parsley in a blender until chopped fine, or to your liking. (If you want to add any of the optional ingredients, place them into the blender before you begin blending the garlic and parsley.) Place in a mixing bowl. Add salt, vinegar, pepper and lemon juice to the bowl, then stir in olive oil until it permeates the mixture, about 1/2 to 1 cup.
See COOKBOOK, pg. 9A
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