Late-summer Bounty: Tomato, Prosciutto, and Ricotta Tart

Screw Christmas - right now is the most wonderful time of the year! Okay, that was a bit harsh, but I don't see how Christmas can even compete with the glory that is tomato season. Right now, just when you feel like the days should be cooling down but they're readily throwing their 90F temperatures in your face; when all you want to do is start wearing sweaters and roast things, but you can barely stand to cook it's so hot in your house? This is the best part of summer for me. Granted, summer is probably my least favorite season, even though many of my favorite vegetables and fruits are in season, and especially THIS part of summer, garden- and market-fresh tomatoes make it all worthwhile. I can stand the hotter-than-hot afternoons and evenings knowing that a wonderful meal is only a few juicy slices away. This is the time of year I yearn for my own vegetable garden so I could brave the heat only to come back to the kitchen with a basket full of goodies to whip up into a meal like this: Tomato, Prosciutto, and Ricotta Tart.

I'll readily admit that ricotta is my least favorite of all the cheeses. There's just something about the texture and flavor that I never really got on board with. Now, I have made my own ricotta (I did so a couple of years ago for my Ina Garten-themed birthday party, where all the food I made was from The Barefoot Contessa and I even dressed up as her, and one of the dips was a homemade herbed ricotta cheese - it's super easy to make) and it was slightly better; at least it was more milky/creamy than whatever store-bought ricotta tastes like. I figure with this dish I could easily overlook the ricotta for the almost 2 pounds of tomatoes, fresh herbs, prosciutto, and puff pastry. I've always been delighted with the recipes from Sunset magazine and this one is no different. The flavors came together to create this light, and deceptively filling, tart. The fresh juicy tomatoes, the lemony ricotta cheese, the splash of fresh herbs (I went ahead and used BOTH basil and mint for one of the most excellent flavor combinations I've recently encountered), the salty tang of prosciutto, all supported by the buttery crispy puff pastry made for a wonderful summer Sunday meal. While I did groan a bit at having to turn on my oven for this, I soon forgot the heat after I bit into this tart. This is the perfect meal to have for kicking back in your garden with a glass of wine. This is also a perfect appetizer or first-course for a garden dinner party, too! A great thing about this dish is that it's easily vegetarian-friendly. Simply eliminate the prosciutto and you've got a great appetizer (or meal) that'll please just about everyone.

Oh yeah and it made for the perfect individually packaged lunches!

A few things of note:

• Don't even try to adhere to the tart measurements in the recipe. The puff pastry I bought for this (Pepperidge Farms) is two square sheets. Honestly, once thawed and rolled out a bit, it's the perfect size for a party of 4 as meal (or 2 meals for 2 people). I tried piecing together trimmed bits and I was left with the trimmed bits coming apart in the baking process. So not worth the hassle!
• I used a full pound of ricotta cheese and I think it was a bit too much, but measuring out the 1-1/3C would've left me with too little cheese in the package to save. I think I'd go just with the half-pound next time. However, if you like ricotta use as much as you like!
• As I said above, I used both basil and mint, when the recipe called for either/or. I also didn't deal with trimming the "tiny" whole leaves and just chiffonaded both the basil and mint leaves. Believe me, having both makes for a much more complex and refreshing flavor! I also cut too much herbs, so I threw them in with the simple salad I served alongside the tart (mixed greens + arugula, tossed with olive oil and lemon juice).
• I also used a mix of large heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes (the cherry tomatoes were from my coworker's garden - they were delicious!). I thinly sliced the big tomatoes and halved the cherry tomatoes, per the recipe, and it worked out wonderfully. The more colorful the better, really!

Bon appetit!

Cooking with Martha: Seared Fish with Crispy Potatoes and Green Sauce

I do believe I was tardy to the Martha Stewart party when she first arrived on the scene.  To be honest, though, once I became aware of her and her craftiness I never did seek her out.  I thought she had great ideas, but I was never, and still not, in a position to really follow her closely.  I'm not entirely crafty and I found her cooking style to be rather...pompous.  This is, of course, not to say that she has no talent; she's full of it.  I received one of her larger recipe books, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, and I've made a couple of her recipes.  Funny thing is, I'm not a huge baker.  I love to bake, don't get me wrong, but it seriously stresses me out.  Cooking is comfortable; baking is a challenge.  It's so precise and there are usually so many steps, I lose patience easily.  Anyway, about a year ago, one of my coworkers picked up an issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine from the store.  It's like a digest and I actually don't see them on a regular basis at my grocery store.  My coworker bought it before realizing she doesn't cook nearly as much as I do, so she passed it along to me.  This little issue, entitled "Back to Basics," is riddled with really yummy recipes.  I've made a few of them and they've all turned out to be great successes.  My favorite is this one.

Originally, I first followed this recipe closely and seared my fish.  This time around, it was during the summer months, and I wanted to grill everything and anything I could get my hands on.  So, I grilled the salmon for this, instead of cooking it indoors.  It was equally as delicious, especially since the majority of the flavor comes from the incredibly simple and refreshing "Green Sauce."  The sides for this dish have also been a hit.  The Crispy Potatoes are wonderful.  In fact, I provided this recipe to my mom and she easily made it her own and baked each potato with a bit of blue cheese and bacon, making them incredibly decadent.  I also like the roasted tomatoes, which are a nice compliment to the fish and potatoes.  It has something fresh and sweet to the rather heavy plate.  I recently shared the recipe for the fish and Green Sauce with a classmate to share with me and a couple of other girls we grouped with for a few projects last semester.  It was delicious and everyone loved it.  This is definitely a dish you can eat on a weekday by yourself or with your spouse or dress it up on the weekends with guests.