Week 36--Tomatoes

In my book there is no Summer without tomatoes.  But I'm not talking about the stuff you find at the grocery store year round.  I'm talking about the plum, sweet, and oh so delicious backyard grown tomatoes we get to enjoy from our own harvest of that of a friend or neighbor.  This week I was especially blessed to have 2 good friends hand me a batch of decadent home grown tomatoes.  All together I estimate about 12lbs of them.  Do you think I had a problem with them?  No.  They are all gone.  Unfortunately.  But I'm left with a happy tummy, spirit, and a few new tried and true recipes one of which I will share today.

In terms of nutritional value, tomatoes are best known for containing lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants.  In some studies, lycopene, especially in cooked tomatoes, has been found to help prevent prostate cancer.  In addition to its antioxidant activity, other metabolic effects of lycopene have also been demostrated.  Tomato consumption has been associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, head and neck cancers and might be strongly protective against neurodegenerative diseases. Lycopene has also been shown to improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays.  Tomatoes also contain vitamins A and C and their consumption might be beneficial for reducing cardiovascular risk associated with type 2 diabetes. (Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato).

So now, on to the food.  This week's recipe was inspired by one found in the Mennonites cookbook "Simply in Season."  You can find it here:  http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/guide/index.html.  It is a tomato tart and I've added caramelized onions and goat cheese.  Here is what you will need:

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour (I used Arrowmill brand)

7TB butter

1/3 cup (plus more for sprinkling pie) Parmesan cheese (original recipe calls for extra sharp cheddar but this is all I had at home)

3 to 4TB water

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg yolk lightly beaten

3T bread crumbs

6oz goat cheese

3 to 4 garlic cloves minced

2lbs fresh tomatoes, sliced

2 large onions thinly sliced

2TB olive oil, divided

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

1tsp dry thyme (fresh would be best but dry is all I had)

Directions

1. In a small saute pan heat 1TB olive oil and cook onions until tender (about 15 minutes).  Add garlic and sherry and cook an additional minute.  Turn off heat, add thyme and cover.  Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl cut butter into flour until mixture is crumbly.  Mix Parmesan (or cheddar) cheese, water, salt until a dough forms.  Roll into ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

3. Roll dough onto lightly floured surface to make a 15 inch diameter circle.  Wrap dough onto rolling pin, lift, and place on greased baking sheet (or pie mold).

4. Brush egg yolk over dough, sprinkle bread crumbs and onion mixture on top.  Add goat cheese and arrange tomato slices overlapping in a circle.  Sprinkle a little more Parmesan cheese and 1TB olive oil on top.  

5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.   Remove pie from oven, sprinkle salt and pepper and scatter fresh basil leaves on top.

6. Enjoy!