tomatoes – Poole Party of 5

Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

Published on September 7, 2013January 25, 2016 by poolepartyof510 Comments

So our family is going through this kindergarten transition very well, but there are some signs of stress. My baby is becoming a young man and I feel so, so proud of him. The day feels long without him and even though I was ready to sell him to a band of gypsies by the end of this summer, I miss him.

So, when I feel a little out of control, I either make lists or I make food to freeze. I guess the idea is that even if I don’t know what is coming around the bend, at least there will be food to eat in the freezer. I am someone who does not love to cook. But, I do like projects. So I enjoy cooking recipes in large batches and then breaking them down and freezing them in sizes that make sense for different sized gatherings. Then, on any given day (when things get even crazier than they are today), I have a bunch of homemade meals ready to thaw in my freezer. We have our standbys, our favorites and these meals are fabulous because they make the house smell wonderful and like someone has been cooking all day. But, it wasn’t me… at least not that day.

So for the last three days, since Sam started Kindergarten, we have been cooking nonstop. I have FILLED, and I mean FILLED our freezer. Mission accomplished. This mama is feeling the intensity of big changes in our family…

This recipe is adapted from an Artichoke Spinach Lasagna I found on allrecipes.com. Double the below quantities to make enough to freeze. Not only is this a great method of cooking for busy families, but it is great to have some meals available to share with friends or for impromptu entertaining.

Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

yield: 8 servings

olive oil cooking spray

9 uncooked lasagna noodles (I prefer no-cook Barilla)

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable or chicken broth

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry

1 (28 ounce) jar tomato sauce

salt & pepper to taste

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

(double or triple for freezing of multiple future meals)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a lage pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain. (Or skip this step if using no-boil lasagna noodles).

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers two more times, ending with the artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy tonight or 3 months from now!

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Side note: Another important thing I want to mention is how happy it makes me that Muir Glen brand of tomatoes has decided to get rid of the BPA in their cans. Tomatoes are notoriously difficult to deal with for corporations because of their high acidity. They lead the industry in their choice to take the chemical of BPA out of their canned goods. More and more companies are trying to get with the program, but for now, I trust and applaud Muir Glen for making the choice to help us keep our families safe from chemicals in our food. Just FYI, the way you can tell if your cans are free of BPA (when talking about tomatoes only) is the copper lining color that you see below. Thanks, Muir Glen!

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Published on September 1, 2013September 1, 2013 by poolepartyof51 Comment

Some days there just aren’t enough hours in the day. And some weeks there just aren’t enough hours to make tomato sauce… So what does one do when the tomatoes are ripe and abundant in the garden, but you don’t have enough time to can or eat them all before they go bad? The answer? You make slow roasted tomatoes. “Notes on Dinner” has done a lovely job outlining how to slow roast tomatoes. Her recipe is based on a menu item at a fantastic local restaurant’s menu. Vios Cafe is a wonderful restaurant in Seattle and is extremely family-friendly with an entire area devoted to kid play. One can enjoy a glass of wine, while eating delicious food, and everyone is happy. But, until you are able to make it to Vios, cook yourself up some of their slow roasted tomatoes.

I must admit that I am never patient enough to truly slow roast, although I know they are delicious. I typically cook the tomatoes on 350 degrees for an hour or two depending on the size of the tomatoes. Add a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and whatever other herbs or flavors you wish, you let the tomatoes caramelize on the pan. You will end up with a flavor that you won’t believe. The already deliciously fresh tomatoes become even more full flavored and amazing. After tasting these, you really won’t need much inspiration for what to do with them. Spooning them off the pan and straight into your mouth is one very good idea, but here are a few others if you need some encouragement.

Roasted tomatoes are wonderful to have around. We will use them in soups, pasta sauces, on pizzas, in salads, and on antipasti platters. Roasted tomatoes have a rich, sweet, concentrated flavor. They are fantastic… Enjoy!!

Heirloom Tomato Basil Jam

Published on October 21, 2012March 12, 2013 by poolepartyof54 Comments

The last preserves of the season… well, for this season anyway. Tomato Basil Jam.

I read about this jam last year and have been intrigued by it ever since. I wondered if it would taste good, if it would be tough to make, and if I could figure out what to put it on. Well, it is delicious. It was not too tough. And like many of the more “decorative preserves” they go great with cheese and crackers, a component on an interesting sandwich, or simply on top of an english muffin… maybe not an everyday work horse, but since I enjoy eating these things, it works. More importantly, in November, or January, or June when tomatoes are not in season this little number will provide a hit of late August sunshine that might be very welcome in any form. Things have been very busy, so I almost didn’t write this one up, but I do like the idea of having a record here of what I made this summer and photos of heirloom tomatoes are simply good for the soul. So here it goes.

I found these lovely heirloom tomatoes from our local farmer’s market and was given a deal because these were not even the most attractive of the bunch. Keep that in mind when shopping for produce for jams – you want the fruit to be ripe, but it does not need to be beautiful! The recipe I used is taken from Canning For A New Generation, by Liana Krissoff. The thing that sold me on this recipe is the opening line, “There’s almost nothing more appealing than a toasted and buttered english muffin spread with the herbal sweet-tart goodness of tomato and basil jam.” I mean, who wouldn’t want to make that?

Tomato and Basil Jam with Sherry Vinegar

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and diced

2 pounds Granny Smith apples, diced but not peeled or cored

1 lemon, chopped

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup sherry vinegar (7% acidity)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Put the tomatoes in a wide, 6- to 8-quart preserving pan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the juices cover the tomatoes, about 5 minutes. Pour into a colander set over a large bowl. Return the juice to the pan and add the apples and lemon. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the apples are completely broken down and the peels have separated from the pulp, about 15 minutes.

Dump the tomato solids into the bowl and place a sieve over the bowl (I didn’t have one of these, so I used my colander.) Pour the apple and lemon mixture into the sieve and press as much of the juice and apple pulp through the sieve as you can. Discard the solids in the sieve.

Rinse the preserving pan and pour the tomato mixture; add the sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil, stirring frequently, until a small dab of the jam spooned onto the cold plate and set in the freezer for a minute wrinkles when you nudge it, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Fill jars and process in water canning bath for 5 minutes.

Makes about 4 half pint jars.

Enjoy!

Perfect Imperfections

Published on August 29, 2012March 12, 2013 by poolepartyof5Leave a comment

There can be beauty in the imperfections… I might wish that I felt more comfortable with this statement, but I am a selective perfectionist. This means that in some things I am very relaxed, but in others I can become paralyzed if I cannot get a project to meet my expectations. Thankfully, my husband and I are well-paired in this arena. Where I stall out, he moves forward with gusto. Our garden this year is a perfect example of how beauty and joy can come from unexpected imperfections. This is our second year planting a vegetable patch. Last year was a bit of a bust. We were novices with high expectations. We started the season in a flurry of energy and completely fell off as the summer progressed. This year, with new baby and a busy life, I entered with moderate expectations. We planted tentatively and sparingly… still, I stalled out when I couldn’t come up with an aesthetically appealing plan for my vertical peas. I was ready to throw in the towel. Thankfully Gus stepped in and made it happen. He also had big plans for our tomatoes. I hate the way the tomato planters look. There, I said it. They are planted in rubbermaid totes and are pretty ugly – but, as you will see, quite impressive.

As it turned out, the garden was a funny and beautiful success ~ an exercise in wabi sabi. Our peas were fantastic on their imperfect stakes. They grew like crazy and the kids enjoyed picking them every day for a month. Then our two small nasturtium plants went gangbusters. They took over the carrots and scallions and eventually had to be completely pulled. And now, our beans have gone crazy! We call them “the leaning tower” due to their robust growth towards the sky. Jokes have been made about whether we traded a cow for the seeds… and whether Jack will by coming by anytime soon. Lastly, our tomatoes are the best I have tasted in years. When planning something in May, it is impossible to know what unexpected beauty and delights will occur in June, July, or August… A good lesson. Thanks, Honey.

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Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

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