If you knew how blandly suburban this neighborhood I live in is, you'd never call it farm land. There are SUVs on the street, kids playing wiffle ball next door, the tinkle of wind chimes from over the fence. Roses. Juniper bushes. Swimming pools.But in my secret enclave in the backyard, I am raising hell. I mean vegetables.
For supper last night we made a tart of whole-wheat flour crust (and butter and cream), filled with home-grown tomatoes, some herbs, and a sauteed onion. The veggies went over the partially blind-baked crust, which was first smeared with Bodega Goat Cheese crema (groan!), and then it was topped with grated Spring Hill dry jack. Oh, mommy.
We ate the leftovers today with an impromptu salad of backyard lettuce, cucumber slices and (purchased) radishes. It was a total Farmhouse Lunch. I nominate this meal for this week's One Local Summer.
Details: Cream and butter, Clover. Whole-wheat flour and onion, Full Belly Farm. Radishes, Marin Roots.
Posts
22 comments:
Sounds good to me! And, by the way, those juniper bushes have berries that are the flavoring for gin, so you can raise a little more hell in the neighborhood!
That looks so good! I think you are going Italian with the new "0" miles philosophy!
oh, yum. I didn't know anyone but Vella made dry jack. I'll have to keep eyes open for that.
Yum - something to try come summertime.
A farm is where you want it to be. And you are doing just what you should: great supper.
Why do I feel like I haven't eaten suddenly? That looks very tempting. And I like Zoomie's idea for the juniper berries.
Yum. Can you mail me a slice of this?
CC,
I was wondering what I was going to have for supper tonight, now I know.
oh mommy is right! it is lunchtime and i am now officially starvin, marvin!
P.S. to zoomie's suggestion about the juniper berries: please check first to make sure they are the safe kind, everybody. (I feel like a den mother, writing this.)
with the tomatos--did you seed them or just slice? I've had trouble with tomatos making my crusts soggy, though perhaps the layer of crema helps.
You've now made me very hungry. Excuse me while I go find lunch (though alas, I don't think it will be as tasty as yours sounds).
Zoomie: I had scads of juniper at a previous address, but no berries. I have since seen green juniper berries growing on somebody's landscaping, but I suspect they'd be on Kudzu's no-no list. (Still, they smelled good.)
Anna: Zero miles. Well, I had to drive to the nursery to buy the seedlings and chicken manure! :D
Anita: Spring Hill comes to Marin market; look for them. It's dry and gratable.
Mouse: I keep forgetting you're in the throes of winter. I send you balmy thoughts.
Kudzu: Dang, I'm living my dream!!
Dagny: I still don't know how you pack it all away.
Kalyn: Even better would be if I could mail you the aroma!
Kevin: Tell me if you try it! I used three varieties of tomato.
Stacie: Oh, you're a baker. Try this!!
Kudzu: Sigh... And I picked a bunch of those green berries. Now I'll just throw them out.
Erin: Yeah, I think the crema helps. I didn't seed them, but the bulk of the filling was just halved cherry tomatoes, and they don't leak much. A couple of Romas; they *really* don't leak. One juicy Purple Cherokee.
Mrs. L: First time commenter! Howdy. xx
Erin: Two more things. The partial blind-baking helps seal the absorbency of the crust... And, I sauteed the tomatoes a bit before they went in. Probably dried them out some.
I wish I could have some backyard lettuce.
All I get is wilty tasteless ghetto-mart lettuce.
next season, I'm planting!
Steamy: You can even grow them in a planter box; the roots are pretty shallow. And my advice is to provide shade. Everybody's talking about how their lettuce has already bolted this summer, but I just park a lawn chair in front of mine when the sun bashes on them. Good luck.
The tart sounds delicious!!! Anything made with goat cheese of any kind is alright in my books. I live in a condo but I think I could enjoy this tart just as much....
Valli: Condos can be farms too! Lots of container planting. You might check with the HOA before you get chickens, though.
Drooling. This looks so wonderful. Kudos to you and your garden splendor.
Sheri: Thank you! Actually, I'm getting nervous. The tomatoes are all about to ripen at the same time.
Eh. That's what tomato sauce and freezers are for, right? ;-)
That looks FANTASTIC. Our tomatoes are still solid green, but I will try this ASAP -- we have local Romas and goat cheese, yum yum yum.
I've been meaning to try an imitation tarte tatin with our tomatillos, too. You heard it here first. :)
Hope you don't mind a little of the sincerest form of flattery in the next OLS roundup!
Tomatillos! Kinda like the Ritz cracker mock apple pie? Hee hee!!! I am hella impressed. Hope it works out great.
Hang in there for your tomatoes, and by all means riff on my version.
Post a Comment