Summer Tomato:
I’m not talking about those mushy wannabe red globulous things in plastic trays in the produce section of the store – I’m talkin’ ’bout tomatoes born and raised in the heat of the summer sun, sassy summer tomatoes full of juice,
Lying innocently upon a plate, one of those bad boy slices jumps up and slaps you across the face -Twice.
No, not talkin’ ‘bout those demure sweet things, those tame ‘maters with bland flavor –
I am talkin’ bout those full-fledged in your face, deep red, full of bite, impertinent summer tomatoes
And we all know the best ones comes from the gardens of your mama, your grandmamma, a neighbor, your own backyard, or from a basket in the back of some sorry looking pickup truck parked on the side of the road –“Fresh Vegs – Cheap!”
The bed filled with sweet sticky pearl kernelled corn and all sizes of ‘maters: Rutgers, Better Boy, Homestead –none of those trendy purplebrownromagrape ‘maters, unpretentious no apologies ‘maters, or still moist from dew butterbeans, begging you to open them and strip out the beans
Into a bowl – plopplopplop, and those toe-may-toes…Warm from the sun – skin smooth and tight sayin’ to you –Stroke me, hold me, bite me –Slice me on the plate with those cooked butterbeans and corn and let me join my juices with theirs –Spoon me up, sop me up with warm golden cornbread…
And swallow down with sweet iced tea –Summer tomatoes – The feisty street punk of tomatoes – No sweet mushy debutante, No dry flavorless academic, no all on the outside nothing on the inside vegetable hypocrite…
The Real Summer Tomato:
‘tween my fingers and my thumb, Watch out belly – here it comes. –Kanzen Sakura
We only have a few weeks left of these beauties so here's a delicious recipe we created for you to make in your kitchen! -Brandon & Lessie Frohne
Heirloom Tomato Galette with Black Pepper Parmesan Crust
Yields 8 Portions
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cup White Lily All Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Bourbon Barrel Smoked Blacked Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, diced and chilled
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, cold
- 4-6 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
For the filling:
- 2# heirloom tomato
- Sea salt
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup torn basil
- 1 egg, beaten
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the flour, parmesan cheese, smoked pepper, salt, butter, and sour cream into a food processor. Pulse and add water until the dough comes together. Remove the dough from the processor and place onto a piece of plastic wrap shaping it into a ½” thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Slice tomatoes and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on a wire rack to drain out excess moisture for 1 hour. This will ensure the bottom of your galette doesn’t get soggy.
In a mixing bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest, and pinch of salt. Mix well.
Roll out the dough into a 13” circle. Butter a cast iron skillet or baking pan and transfer the dough to it. Spread the ricotta mixture on the dough leaving a 2” border around the dough. Layer the tomatoes on top of the ricotta mixture. Fold the edges of the crust halfway over the tomatoes and pleat every inch or so.
Brush egg wash over the edges of the galette and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle basil over the top.