Savoury Tomato Jam and Goat Cheese Tart

A combination of me buying tomatoes when there were already tomatoes at home, and the memory of the appetizer I had at my cousin's wedding in Ireland in May are responsible for this tart. I was quite happy with the way it turned out, but it was nothing like the one we had at the wedding!

Making a tomato jam is an easy and very tasty way to use up extra, or soft tomatoes. The riper they are, the sweeter they will be, which means less added sugar...always a good thing in my opinion.

I took the opportunity to use up some ricotta cheese and tomato paste that were in the fridge too.

To start off, make a roasted garlic shortbread crust , following the recipe in the post Roast Garlic Shortbread Quiche Crust.

While the tart shell is in the fridge chilling, make the tomato jam.

In a deep sided pot, combine:

3 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
pinch of chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

 Add:

1 cup of water




Turn the heat on to high, and bring it to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down, and simmer until the liquid starts to evaporate and the mixture begins to thicken.

Add:

2 or 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary









Continue to cook, stirring often, and keeping a close eye on the jam, as it can scorch very quickly at this point!

Cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, and the mixture is sticky and jammy.

When it starts to catch on the bottom of the pan, as shown, remove from the heat.

Discard the rosemary sprigs, and spread the hot jam onto a plate to cool.

When it is cool enough to taste, do so and adjust the seasoning. I added 1/2 teaspoon of honey to mine, as it was a bit too acidic.





Heat the oven to 350F and if you haven't yet baked the chilled tart shell, do so now.

Spread the tomato jam evenly over the bottom of the baked and cooled tart shell.

To make the goat cheese filling, whisk the following together:

4 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces soft goat cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg

Carefully spread the goat cheese filling over the tomato jam.

Place the tart onto a baking sheet, and bake at 350F until the goat cheese filling is puffed, slightly golden and set in the middle.

Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 - 10 minutes before removing it from the tart shell and cutting.





I served the warm tart with a spinach, strawberry and toasted pumpkin seed salad, using a simple Balsamic vinaigrette.

• Any type of tomatoes can be used, the riper and softer the better....roma, grape, cherry, heirloom, yellow or red.
• Tomatoes naturally contain sugar, and the sweetness increases as they ripen. This being said, some varieties are sweeter than others...this is the reason that I tasted and adjusted the tomato jam after cooking. My tomatoes were more acidic so I added some honey; add more vinegar if the jam is too sweet for your liking. A lot of this is personal taste.
• There is no need to peel the tomatoes; the skin contains a lot of goodness and flavour, and breaks down enough during cooking to give the jam a chunky texture. I did remove the stem / core before chopping the tomatoes. 
• The hot jam can be pressed through a sieve after cooking if you would prefer a smooth jam.
• Red onion can be used instead of white.
• The rosemary can be omitted during cooking, and chopped fresh rosemary stirred in at the end...this will give a bright, fresh rosemary taste. I wanted the rosemary to be in the background, that is why I infused it and removed it.
• Feel free to add garlic, or other herbs and spices...why not try fennel or thyme?
• I chose balsamic vinegar as it is a natural with fresh tomatoes; use apple cider or red wine vinegar instead.
• Serve the jam as an accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats or fish.
• I considered using all goat cheese for the filling, but felt it might be too overwhelming; I also had some open ricotta cheese to use.

Baked Cod with Crispy Gnocchi, Green Beans, Grape Tomatoes and Pesto

Inspired by a potato that was getting a bit soft for anything other than mashing, I came up with this idea. I turned the potato into gnocchi to use as the starch for our fish. Going one step further, I made some spinach and basil pesto (using the basil I have growing in the kitchen window).

I added fresh green beans, the last of them, and some very sweet grape tomatoes, to the gnocchi and then tossed it all with a bit of pesto before serving.

The fish was simple...a bit of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, a thin strip of zucchini wrapped around the middle, seared and then popped into the oven to finish cooking.

What a great way to use up an old potato and some green beans!

To begin, boil the potato, mash and cool, and then add an egg yolk, salt and pepper. Gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough. Roll into long ropes, and cut off 1/2" lengths to make your gnocchi.

Add them to lightly salted, barely boiling water and cook until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on an oiled baking sheet to cool.

Turn the oven on to 350F.

Pat the cod dry, and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper, and a light sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

Cut a thin strip of zucchini for each piece of fish. Do this by cutting along the length of the zucchini. Use a very sharp knife if you don't have a mandoline, and cut as thinly as possible.

I tucked the thin ends of my fish under to obtain an even thickness.

Wrap a zucchini strip around the centre of each piece of fish and secure with a toothpick.

In a hot pan, using a bit of olive oil, sear the first side of the fish.

Turn the fish and place the whole pan into the oven to bake until done.

While the fish is baking, finish off the gnocchi.

Heat some olive oil in a nonstick pan, and add the gnocchi. Keep the heat medium high.

Season with salt and pepper, gently stirring or tossing to prevent sticking.

When the gnocchi are warmed through, add:

Blanched green beans

Season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring often.

When the gnocchi are golden and crispy, and the beans are heated through, add:

1/4 - 1/3 cup of spinach and basil pesto

Stir to coat the gnocchi and beans.

Add:

A handful of grape tomatoes

Stir to coat the tomatoes with pesto. Taste and adjust seasoning.







To serve, divide the gnocchi, green beans and tomatoes between the plates, and place a piece of the hot, baked cod on top. Garnish with toasted pinenuts if you wish, and a lightly sprinkle of grated Parmesan over the gnocchi.

• Purchased gnocchi can be used.
• I used the gnocchi cooking water to blanch the beans before cooking the gnocchi.
• The heat from the gnocchi and beans will warm the tomatoes. This was a compromise between my wanting to add them to the beans and gnocchi and cook them through, and my husband wanting them to be cold. The choice is yours.
• The amount of pesto you add depends on how much you want on your gnocchi. Any pesto can be used...basil; spinach; red pepper; sundried tomato.
• I folded the thinner edge of the fish over to create a more even thickness, which helps the fish to bake more evenly. 
• Wrapping the fish with zucchini is optional. It can also be wrapped with bacon or prosciutto, or left plain.
• The cayenne pepper gave a suggestion of heat in the background, a nice contrast with the sweet tomatoes.
• Any fish can be used; try chicken breast, pork, beef or lamb tenderloin, prawns or scallops.

Chili Lime Chicken Chopped Salad in a Crispy Tortilla Cone

This colourful salad was full of flavour and texture contrasts, but they all worked well together. The chicken tenders I had in the freezer were marinated in jalapeno avocado oil, lime juice, cumin and chili powder. The heat in the chicken was offset by the fresh, sweetness of the peppers, grape tomatoes, avocado and corn. The baked tortilla cones add crunch, as well as a vessel to hold the salad...and a fun element!

The need to use up a ripe avocado, a lime, some tortillas and a red pepper were the reason for coming up with this meal.

To make the tortilla cones, turn the oven on to 325F.

Cut two 10" tortillas in half, as shown. I used flour tortillas.

Roll each tortilla half into a cone, with the straight edge becoming the point of the cone.

Use a toothpick to secure the tortilla where the edges overlap.

Scrunch up a piece of aluminum foil for each cone, and gently insert it into the cone, to help it maintain its shape during baking.

Put the cones onto a baking sheet and place into the oven to bake until golden and crispy.

This took about 15 minutes, and I turned the cones over halfway through the baking.

Remove from the oven and carefully take the foil out. Leave the cones to cool completely.

To make the marinade for the chicken combine:

2 tablespoons jalapeno infused avocado oil
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon groound cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Add the chicken to the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 4 - 6 hours.

I used:

1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast
7 chicken tenders

Cook the chicken in a hot pan.

Set aside to rest for 5 minutes, then dice.

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl:

Chopped romaine lettuce
Diced sweet red pepper
Halved grape tomatoes
Cooked and cooled corn kernels

Use your discretion as far as the amounts go.

Make the marinade by whisking together:

2 tablespoons lime juice
3 - 4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper to taste

Toss the salad with the dressing.

Add:

the diced, cooked chicken
grated cheddar cheese






To serve, place a small amount of salad on each plate to hold the tortilla cones in place. Fill the cones with salad, and place on to the plates, adding more salad to the plate as needed. Garnish with diced avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds.

• The toothpicks in the tortilla cones can be carefully removed before serving if you like, or they can be left in place, just don't forget to warn your guests!
• The cones can be used to hold any type of salad; fish taco filling; chili to mention a few possibilities.
• Another option for securing the cones to the plate is to place a dollop of guacamole onto each plate, under the cones, instead of garnishing the plates with diced avocado.
• Add black beans, minced fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers, olives, diced red or green onions.
• Cheese is optional; other cheese can be used...pepper jack or queso freso.
• Another option is to grill and slice or dice the chicken and serve it on the side, with the salad inside the cones.
• Use beef or prawns instead of chicken.
• The cones can be made a day ahead, and kept in an airtight container until needed.

Bacon, Red Pepper and Caper Relish

This sticky, sweet, spicy and salty relish was great with our baked Alaskan cod...full of flavour, texture and colour against the fish.

I had three strips of bacon, half a red pepper and some open white wine to use, and this did the job nicely.

Cook over a medium heat until the fat has rendered, and it starts to crisp:

3 strips bacon, diced

Drain the majority of the fat from the pan and add:

1/2 sweet red pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds





Continue to cook over a medium heat, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften.

Stir in:

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup white wine








Turn the heat to low, and cook until the vegetables are soft, and it has turned into a sticky relish. Add more white wine if needed, to avoid it drying out before the vegetables are cooked and the sticky consistency has been achieved. I added another 1/4 cup of wine during cooking.

Stir in:

2 tablespoons of capers, drained

Cook to heat the capers through.







Serve the warm relish on top of baked, pan fried or grilled fish.

• This relish is perfect with milder flavoured fish, or with chicken breast or pork tenderloin.
• The bacon and capers add a saltiness; the peppers and crispy bacon add crunch; the black pepper adds some heat; the wine and capers add a brininess / acidity; the brown sugar and slow cooked onions add sweetness and the fennel adds an unexpected licorice flavour in the background.
• The crispy bacon retains it's texture, but becomes sticky as it cooks down.
• Add chili flakes or cayenne pepper if you wish to increase the heat.

Grilled Lemon Oregano Chicken Thighs

This recipe was based around a zested lemon and some open red wine. I used them as a marinade, but sliced half the lemon instead of using just the juice. I then added the slices to the grill, allowing them to caramelize and become sweet and chewy, while still retaining their acidity. The remaining half lemon was juiced to dress the salad.

This was served with a Greek orzo and spinach salad, which made enough for dinner the next night. You have to love summer food... make ahead salads and grilled meat. Simple and tasty!

Make the marinade by combining the following in a resealable plastic bag:

1/4 cup red wine
1/2 lemon, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of dried chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add:

5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Close the bag, removing as much air as possible.

Place it into the fridge to marinade for 2 - 4 hours.

On the barbecue, or in a grill pan, cook the chicken, turning often and basting with the marinade.

Add the lemon slices from the marinade for the last 10 minutes of cooking, turning often, but allowing them to caramelize nicely.

Remove the chicken and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Leave the lemon slices on the heat if needed.

Add diced grape tomato, red pepper, cucumber, green onion and shredded fresh spinach to cooked and cooled orzo. Use the juice from the other lemon half and a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste to dress the salad. Crumble feta cheese on top.






Serve the hot chicken alongside the warm orzo salad. Garnish the plate with some of the grilled lemon slices.

• As I am only cooking for two people right now, 5 chicken thighs was more than enough. Of course, you can multiply the recipe as many times as you wish.
• You can also use the marinade for other meats such as chicken breasts; cubed chicken breast, beef or lamb for kebabs; pork tenderloin; leg of lamb; prawns.
• Grilling the lemon slices allows the natural sugars to caramelize. It also softens the rind, turning it nice and chewy.
• Using skin on chicken thighs will add a crunchiness to the meat as the skin will crisp up during cooking.
• If you don't have whole lemons, use juice instead. Add 1 tablespoon to the marinade.
• Limes, oranges or grapefruit can be substituted for the lemon.
• For a recipe such as this I prefer to use dried oregano; it has a very different taste to fresh. The choice is completely yours to make. Other herbs can be used instead of, or as well as, oregano...rosemary, basil or tarragon.

Pork Chop Stuffed with Apple, Hazelnut and Blue Cheese

Back from vacation, not a lot to use up as I had to restock the pantry! I wanted to share this anyway, because I was very happy with the way it turned out.

I bought a couple of centre cut pork loin chops, and was immediately inspired to use the blue cheese and apples I had bought to stuff them. Add in some roasted broccolini, and a warm potato, sundried tomato and arugula salad, and this was a very enjoyable dinner.

The stuffing had so many contrasts....tangy, creamy blue cheese; soft, sweet apples; crunchy hazelnuts. It also helped to slow down the cooking of the pork, keeping the chops moist and tender.

To start the stuffing, in a bit of olive oil, cook:

1/4 cup minced onion

Season lightly with salt and pepper during cooking.

When the onion has started to soften, add:

1/2 apple, cored and finely diced

Continue to cook on a low heat until the apple starts to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Add:

2 tablespoons roughly chopped, lightly toasted hazelnuts
2 tablespoons crumbled Blue cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket in the side of each pork chop, as shown.

Lightly season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper.

Divide the stuffing between the two pork chops, pressing it gently but firmly into the pocket.


Turn the oven on to 375F.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to a really hot pan, and sear both sides of the pork chops.

Place the pan into the oven to finish cooking the meat.

When the pork is half cooked, place some blanched broccolini around the meat, seasoning the broccolini with salt and pepper.

Return to the oven until the meat is fully cooked.






Remove from the oven, and set the pork aside, lightly covered, to rest in a warm spot on the stove top. Toss the broccolini in the pan juices, checking it for tenderness and seasoning at the same time. If needed, turn the heat on and cook for another minute or two.

Serve the pork chop with the broccolini and potato salad, pouring any pan juices over the meat.

• The pork chops you use for this do not have to be boneless, but they do have to be at least an inch thick in order to create and stuff a pocket in each chop.
• The chops I used had quite a thick layer of fat around the side; I trimmed this a bit, leaving some on for flavour and moisture.
• It is important to allow the cooked ingredients for the stuffing to cool completely before stuffing the pork. The stuffing can be made a day ahead, and kept refrigerated until needed. 
• I left the skin on the apples...why waste the goodness it contains? I used a Gala apple.
• Instead of apple, use pear, figs or peaches.
• Use soft goat cheese or Brie instead of Blue cheese.
• Other herbs and nuts in the stuffing can be used...herbs that work well with pork include sage, rosemary or savory...nut choices are almonds, pecans or pinenuts.
• To blanch the broccolini, trim the ends off the stems, and cook in lightly salted boiling water for 2 minutes, drain. This can be done ahead of time, or just before adding it to the pan with the pork.
• For the potato salad boil chunks of potato (approximately 1" cubes) until just tender, drain and cool slightly. Combine with chopped sundried tomatoes, halved grape tomatoes, minced fresh basil and arugula. Season with salt and pepper. Dress with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and grainy mustard.