garden tomatoes

photograph by rinne allen

summer bounty goat cheese

the other evening we went to a friends house for dinner.  our little garden is full of shishito peppers and cherry tomatoes that really needed to be eaten.  with that being said, i whipped up this simple goat cheese dish that represents the bounty of summer to me.

ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
a generous handful of cherry tomatoes
a generous handful of shishito peppers
2 cloves of garlic, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 large log off goat cheese
-in a large cast iron skillet, put the olive oil in and turn your burner on to high heat
-add the cherry tomatoes, peppers, and garlic
-saute until the vegetables begin to show some color.  you do want them to have some char.
-let them cool for 10 minutes or so
-spoon over goat cheese and serve alongside crackers or bread
 

photos and recipe by kristen bach

fermented pasta sauce

we are at the tail end of our tomato season and my tomatoes are looking a bit rough.  this summer i have been on a fermentation kick.  i have a fridge full of goodies to last me though fall.  i made this pasta sauce last week and I love the way it turned out.  

ingredients

8 fresh summer tomatoes
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 green pepper, finely diced
2 cups of basil
3/4 cup of fresh parsley
1 1/2 TBSP sea salt

a few grinds of pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

directions

-wash your tomatoes and remove any splits or blemishes

-wash peppers and remove seeds and stems

-cut the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers into big pieces

-put all vegetables herbs, and salt +pepper in a food processor

-pulse 10 times or until there are little or few big pieces left

-add to bowl

-carefully spoon your pasta sauce into clean mason jars, leaving 3/4 inch of space at the top

-pour 1/4 inch olive oil on top so that it covers all of the sauce

-using plastic mason jar covers, secure lids on each jar

-place salsa out of direct sunlight for 2-3 days

-after the second day taste your ferments, it you would like it more tangy you can leave for another day or two

-when your sauce is done fermenting, store in refrigerator for up to 6months

-when using spoon over warm noodles. 

photos and recipe by kristen bach

roasted tomatoes and goat cheese

this is a great way to use the end of the season's tomatoes.  slow roasting these tomatoes brings out the sweetness and flavor which is a great compliment to the goat cheese.  we love to serve this on some flatbread or a baguette. 

ingredients

a pint of cherry tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic whole

olive oil

salt and pepper  

directions 

-pre-heat oven to 275

-cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and olive oil

-slice tomatoes in half and toss in some olive oil

-arrange tomatoes flat side down

-toss the garlic in some olive oil and place on cookie sheet

-sprinkle with some salt and pepper

-slow roast in the oven until the tomatoes just begin to get some color

-remove from oven and stir

-add some salt and pepper if needed

-let cool and serve over some goat cheese