Secret in the Sauce -- Roasted and Frozen Summer Tomatoes

This is not my recipe but is becoming mine each year I make it.  Originally it appeared in a friend's comment to a blog post:

"And also? because I am the evangelist of roasted tomatoes, I'm just going to go ahead and preach the gospel: a roasted-and-frozen tomato is so much better than a canned one! Take off their skins, quarter them, douse in olive oil, put in some peeled garlic cloves and some basil, salt and pepper, roast at 375 degrees till a bit caramelized and most of the water has evaporated. Cool and put in freezer bags. This tastes like summer all over again when you use them for sauces or soup in the winter.

"I get regular old hybrid tomatoes from a little brotherhood of potheads at the farmer's market here, because they're cheap, and because you roast till the juice is mostly gone. I would not buy expensive tomatoes, like heirlooms. These, in my mind, are to eat until the season is gone, as many as you can. Get ripe and cheap. I think it would work with paste tomatoes, but I generally have used slicers (see above--ripe & cheap)."

 

As simple as that!

I myself pop the cooled tomatoes into ice cube trays and then when frozen, into freezer bags.  Instant delicious with beans or in winter sauces!

Deep Dark Secret Chocolate Cake (triple- or double-decker)

The secret?  I'll just tell you right now the first one - it's mayonnaise.  Original recipe from Bon Appetit April 2010: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake for a birthday cake at the end of summer.  I'm not a great cake-eater, except for spice or carrot cakes.  Usually they're too dry, too boring, but this cake?  Amazing.  Moist and rich without feeling heavy.  Not oversweet, so that the real chocolate taste sings through.  

Of course, we further tweaked and adjusted (because we can't help ourselves) and suggest that SALTED butter in the frosting tips the balance just that much further into perfection.  You may consider adding a teaspoon or two of cinnamon to the batter along with the flour if you crave that Mexican chocolate deliciousness.

Deep Dark Secret Chocolate Cake
THE CAKE

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.

Combine in medium metal bowl:

• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped 
• ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

then add:

• 1¾  cups boiling water

and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Sift together in another medium bowl:

• 2¾  cups all purpose flour
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional) 

Beat in a large bowl until well blended (2 to 3 minutes):

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1⅓ cups mayonnaise (do not use reduced-fat or fat-free)

then add, one at a time, beating until well blended after each addition:

• 2 large eggs

Beat in:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add flour mixture to sugars in 4 additions,  alternating with chocolate mixture in 3 additions, beating until blended after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

Divide batter among prepared cake pans (about 2⅓ cups for each).

Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes.

Run small knife around sides of cakes to loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto racks and let cool completely.



THE FROSTING

Set in a medium metal bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Carefully remove bowl from over water; let melted chocolate cool until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Beat in large bowl

• 1½  cups (3 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

until smooth and creamy.

Sift over the butter

• 3 cups powdered sugar

and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes.

Beat in

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Add melted chocolate to the butter mixture and beat until well blended and smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

TO FROST: Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread ¾ cup frosting over top of cake layer to edges. Top with second cake layer; spread ¾ cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over top and sides of cake.

~ OR ALTERNATIVELY - Frost one layer to take to a lucky neighbor, and enjoy the still generous double layer cake with plenty of family and friends at home.

Late Summer Succotash

The glory of a good succotash is great ingredients - so beautifully available this time of year.  I keep experimenting with recipes but I think this is the winner so far . . . though a close runner up is the recipe in Rick Rodgers Thanksgiving 101.

What makes this recipe especially fine is the unexpected splash of vinegar that brightens the flavors.    That and generous fresh basil - because why would you use any other herb in late summer? 

I like to add steamed flat Italian green beans but I adore the sweet tenderness of fresh shell beans - and I prefer the red & white cranberry beans instead of the more usual fresh limas.  With bacon that was our neighbor's hog, basil I grew myself, and peak-of-ripeness local vegetables this, for me, is late summer in a dish. 

adapted from Epicurious: Gourmet August 1999

Late Summer Succotash

Over moderate heat cook until crisp

• ¼ lb bacon (~ 4 slices)

Drain grease and blot, setting aside 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease.  Crumble bacon into nice-sized bits.

Shell

• 2 lbs fresh cranberry beans in pod  (a delight in itself.  Try to find a rocking chair and a big wraparound porch and a little early morning birdsong)  - about 2 cups of beans

Add shelled beans to

• 
  
  a small saucepan of boiling salted water

and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender - about 7 minutes.  Ladle beans out of water with a slotted spoon.

Using bean water steam

• 
  
  1- 2 lbs flat Italian green beans

about 5 minutes until color is vivid.  Then lift from boiling water and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.

Cut kernels from

• 
  
  8 ears of corn

taking care to catch the juices in a bowl or on cutting board.

Clean

• 
  
  1 - 2 lbs cherry tomatoes

cutting the larger tomatoes in half, then chop or mince

• 
  
  2 Vidalia onions
• 
  
  2 - 3 garlic cloves

Add the saved 2 tablespoons of bacon grease to skillet and cook onion over mederate heat, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook or 1 minute, stirring.  Add tomatoes, corn and

• 
  
  2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

Cook, stirring, until tomatoes just begin to lose their shape. 

Remove skillet from heat and gently stir in both kinds of beans and half of bacon.  When a little cooled, gently stir in

• 
  
  ½ cup or more of generously packed basil leaves, gently torn

Pepper to taste.  Family to table.  Enjoy to the last bite.