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Cherry Tomato Tartlets

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

These tasty bites can be a luscious lunch or a tempting appetizer. Choose the sweetest variety of cherry tomatoes, red or yellow, available.

Ingredients

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • About 28 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, preferably Dufour, defrosted according to package directions
  • 1 small egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 4 mini burrata
  • 1/2 cup shredded basil
  • Balsamic vinegar of Modena, for drizzling

Directions

Step 1

Line a rimmed sheet pan with heat-safe parchment paper and drizzle the surface with olive oil.

Step 2

Slice the tomatoes in half horizontally and sprinkle them with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Arrange them, cut side down, on the parchment in 8 “flowers” by surrounding one cherry tomato half with six other halves. 

Step 3

Gently unfold the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and, using a floured rolling pin, roll it out to a roughly 16” by 10” rectangle slightly more than 1/8-inch in thickness. Use a 3-1/2” cookie cutter or glass tumbler of that width to make 8 dough circles.

Step 4

Drizzle the tomato flowers lightly with olive oil, then top with a disc of puff pastry, stretching it out gently to fully cover the tomatoes. Press the edges into the pan with the tines of a salad fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 

Step 5

When ready to bake, whisk the egg with the water and brush over each puff. Bake until the pastry puffs and browns, about 30 minutes.

Step 6

Use a wide spatula to flip the tarts tomato-side up onto a platter.

Step 7

Top each one with half a mini burrata, a sprinkle of basil, and a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil.

Yields 8 tartlets

JuanJo’s Farm Pistachio Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

For his pesto, JuanJo used semi-matured goat cheese rather than Parmigiano-Romano (see more in the Healthy Ingredient Spotlight in Newsletter). It was simple, fast, and stunning. He dolloped it on just-roasted tomatoes, and it’s equally delicious on bruschetta, as a sandwich spread, tossed with hot pasta and a splash of pasta water, served with grilled fish or chicken, and stirred into warm white beans.

Ingredients

For the tomatoes:

  • 4 ripe tomatoes, about 8 ounces each
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces semi-matured or hard goat cheese, finely grated

For the pesto:

  • 1 cup shelled pistachios, raw and unsalted
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste
  • 1/3 cup finely grated semi-matured or hard goat cheese, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed 
  • Coarse sea salt to taste

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Step 2

Halve the tomatoes horizontally and place them, cut side up, in a shallow casserole dish. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until they soften and begin to brown. Then top each half with equal amounts of the cheese and roast for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden on top.

Step 3

While the tomatoes are roasting, make the pesto. Warm the pistachios in a hot, dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, just enough time to wake up their natural oils but not to color them. This keeps the pesto a vivid green.

Step 4

Pulse the pistachios and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the basil, lemon zest, and juice and pulse a few more times. Add the cheese and pulse briefly to combine.

Step 5

With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto becomes a spoonable consistency. If too thick, add more olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Taste and season with salt if needed. If desired, add more lemon for brightness, more olive oil for body, and/or more cheese for richness.

Step 6

Plate two tomato halves on each of four plates and spoon generous amounts of the pesto over each one.

Yields 4 servings

Frosty Summer Shake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

In the heat of summer, you want a breakfast that’s not only nourishing but also refreshing. This shake delivers on both counts. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
  • 3 ounces plain low-fat yogurt or skyr
  • 3 ounces frozen banana slices
  • 4 ounces fresh blueberries
  • 1 peach, halved and pitted
  • 1/2 cup your choice of milk
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground flax seeds

Directions

Step 1

Place all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and process until smooth.

Step 2

Serve in two glasses and enjoy.

Yields 2 servings

Pasta with Spicy Red Clam Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Summer’s bounty of cherry tomatoes is ripe (pun intended) for a rich and spicy clam sauce. While clams may seem daunting, they’re no more complicated to steam than a lobster. Just be sure to buy the freshest—and smallest—ones you can find.

Ingredients

  • 24 littleneck or Manila clams, purged (see Quick Kitchen Nugget in Newsletter)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes, more to taste
  • 4 cups cherry tomatoes, Sungolds if possible
  • Large sprig fresh basil
  • 8 ounces pasta such as thin spaghetti or linguine

Directions

Step 1

Steam the clams on a rack over about 2 inches of boiling water in a large, covered stockpot until they open, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the rack with the clams and set aside until cool enough to handle, then pull the clam meat from the shells and place in a small bowl. Drizzle with olive oil to keep moist and cover. Boil down the clam broth in the stockpot until it reduces to about 1 cup; set aside off the heat.

Step 2

Heat a large wok or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add the 1/4 cup oil and the garlic and cook until garlic is sizzling, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they burst, about 5 minutes, then use a potato masher to release their juices. Add the reserved clam broth and the basil and simmer, uncovered, for about 8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced.

Step 3

While sauce is cooking, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the pasta to the pan with the sauce and toss to coat. Discard the basil and add the clams just to heat through.

Yields 2 servings