7/3/11

One of the very few things you can actually appreciate about the state of New Jersey is the Jersey Fresh produce that is in season this time of year. These sacred few weeks of late July/early August gardens are bountiful, at their peak in production, and fruits and veggies are the ripest and richest. I felt like a kid in a candy store while grocery shopping this week in the produce dept. Everything looked to be so bright, ripe, plump, and flavorful. I loaded up on zucchini, eggplant, corn, peaches, blueberries, and tons of Jersey Tomatoes (10 lbs to be exact.)  The tomatoes looked especially delicious- big, bright red, juicy and just begging to be doused in salt and pepper. This week I plan to get busy cooking up lots of tomato dishes, but first, I would like to thank the Garden State- despite the fact that you are corrupt, overpopulated, have a ridiculously high cost of living, and run everything backwards, I must admit that your produce is pretty darn good!

I found this recipe in Martha Stewart Living magazine and decided to give it a try. I did change a couple things by adding red onion, a couple cloves of garlic, and a tad bit more butter to the crust. It makes a great side dish to grilled chicken or steak!

3 lbs. Tomatoes

1 small red onion

2 garlic cloves

S&P

1 T. cornstarch

1 c. flour

1 c. cornmeal

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 c. butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 egg

3/4 c. milk

1/2 t. salt

Cut tomatoes into large chunks, onions into slivers, and finely chop garlic. In a mixing bowl combine these ingredients with salt, pepper, and cornstarch and toss so they are well coated. Grease bottom of a 13×9 inch cassarole dish and spread tomato mixture into it. In a food processor combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add cubes of butter and pulse a few times until crumbs form. Then, add egg and milk and pulse until dough forms a ball. Remove dough from food processor and drop by spoonfuls overtop of tomatoes, leaving some gaps for steam to escape. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.