Monthly Archives: September 2011

Ohhhhhh, oh la la.  How the French countryside is such a wonderful juxtaposition to the stressful life of Manhattan-dwelling.  Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the excitement of this town, but going back to that greenery, the fresh smell of herbs filling the air, even on the largest of boulevards, the colorful open-air markets, the succulent wine pairings, the invigorating sunshine with no skyscrapers to block it… Yes.  Mother Nature does give “The City That Never Sleeps” a haughty slap in the face with this one.

It is funny how inspiration for recipes comes along, because while my journey did take me to Saint Emilion, the region in France infamous for its incredible caliber of wine, food, wine, medieval architecture, and more wine, it was not until I returned to the states that I realized I wanted to post about this particular recipe.

<–this is what I see when I hope off the train at St. Emilion.

<–only to walk by this on the way to town…

<–and then see (and drink fermented juice of) these…

<–and then eat this.

(Trust me) I will get to that pan seared olive-oil white fish with garam masala aubergines and vegetables I downed in St. Emilion soon, but the following conversation really struck my fancy.

I was waiting in line for a sample sale in Manhattan, still in this blissed-out state from my vacation abroad, and started talking with a very friendly gal next to me.  Turns out, she also worked for Time Out New York magazine, is also gluten-intolerant, and, wait for it, has also studied and lived in France for a year.  WHAT?!  That is neat.

The family she stayed with for her home stay in the Loire Valley, one of the many lush countryside regions in France, had an ever-plentiful garden, and the woman of the house was an ever-creative chef.  For dinner each night, they would go to the garden, pick out the largest tomatoes they could find, scoop out the guts, mix them all up with freshly-picked herbs and either cheese, rice, and/or meat, and pop them in the oven for 30 minutes.  Dinner. Was. Served.

What a paradise living situation, I thought.  And WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!!, I screamed internally, as the taxis whizzed by me, and brought me out of the green breeze of the country and back to the rural exhaust of the city.  I MUST MAKE THEM AT HOME.

And so I did.  One with cheese, and one with meat.  Holy [French explitive], they both were amazing.

Here’s a simple recipe so you can do them at home.  You can use any FRESH herbs you fancy, but I really dig the sage, as it warms up that “pumpkin” tomato quite a bit.  It’s easy to do vegetarian or vegan, if you choose.  And is completely void of gluten, nuts, corn, soy, etc. 

Tomates à la Campagne 

2 tbs. olive oil

4 huge heirloom tomatoes, washed and dried (beefsteak will do in a pinch!)

12 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

12 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (meaning rolled up, and then sliced about 4 times, then unrolled…a fancy method and term for “chopped without bruising”)

4 sprigs thyme, chopped

1 tsp. sea salt

ground black pepper to taste

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey, or pork will do!)* 

AND/OR 1 cup grated aged cheese (a nice sheep’s or goat’s milk cheese does really well here.  As does parmesan.)**

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Yields four “pumpkin” tomatoes.

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Oil an 8×8 baking pan with olive oil.  Set aside.  Like you would a Halloween pumpkin, carve out the tops of the tomatoes into a circular top.  Also like you would a Jack-o-Latern, scoop out the guts of the tomatoes, making sure you do not puncture the skin.  Set aside the tomato shells.

2. Chop the tomato guts coarsely, and toss into a medium bowl.  Add chopped herbs into bowl, sprinkle with 3/4 tsp. sea salt, and mix until combined.  Blend in onion and garlic.

3. In a separate medium bowl, add remainder of salt and pepper to the ground meat.  Mix with hands until combined.*  Add to tomato-herb mixture, and combined until well-blended with a large spoon or your hands!  Optional: gently stir in grated cheese until combined.

4. Place the tomato shells into the oiled pan, and evenly distribute the tomato-herb-meat mixture into the shells.  Pack that in tight!  Top with the “lids” (tomato tops), and pop into the oven.  Cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until tomato skins begin to tighten a little, but not blacken.  Remove from oven, let cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving, and dig in!

*For vegetarian, either omit the meat and double the amount of cheese, or use 1 cup cooked quinoa, instead.

**For Dairy Bubble, either omit cheese, or use “Daiya” brand parmesan cheese.  

Sometimes you’ve gotta take big risks to get big wins.  Scratch that: when has a big win NOT come from a big risk?

I am now settling in after the amazing adventure that was traveling to Europe to do some culinary and cultural exploration solo.

<–meaning my traveling companions were my backpack, my fringed purse I picked up my first day in Madrid, a few (several) glasses of wine, books, and amazing AMAZING French and Spanish cuisine.  (I did, of course, meet some incredible people along the way, but you’re not reading this to discover more about them, are you?)

That’s right… the intrigue here for all Bubble Child intents and purposes is to expose the glory that I tasted in France and Spain over the past few weeks, and translate everything I saw but could not eat into Bubble Child proof happiness.

We’re going to kick it off with a classic craving for those with gluten and egg aversions: TARTS.  Boulangerie tarts.  Tarts that look so pretty in the window you don’t know how people eat them because it is like ruining art.

The apartment I rented for the week I spent in Paris is located in the bustling, ever-burgeoning, uber-cooler-than-me Rue Montorgueil in the 2e Arrondisement of the beautiful city.  When I checked in with the landlords, this adorable old French couple with raspy voices from smoking and “enjoying life” too much, they recommended a way for me to enjoy my life on this street: STOHRER.  Stohrer is one of the oldest boulangeries in, well, France!  The store was opened in 1730!!!!  Yes, 1730.  You know when the Declaration of Independence was signed?  Well, if you don’t, do your research, and you’ll see how old this place is.

The recipes have, obviously, had a lot of trial, love, and perfection.  While I would have LOVED to eat them all… literally, all, I was limited to the chocolate concoctions, as they were the only ones that were gluten-free.  Ohhhhh, how that hurt.  Hurt so bad.  The glistening surface of the fresh fruit lightly glazed and perfected turned into a golden brown sheen atop the crispy, yet luscious, perfectly cooked crust… I have had the craving to make it at home since day 1 in Paris.

Now I am home.  And the first thing I did?  Make a tart.

Please enjoy the supremely-easy recipe for a PEACH TARTLETTE with a twist (I threw in a bit of dried basil for a little kick, to add that tender earthy flavor that French flours and ingredients have naturally that sometimes is missing here.)

Fresh out of the oven:

Cooled down, ready to eat, and holy yum:

Peach Tartlette

Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg-free and MAGNIFIQUE!

Crust:

2 tbs. brown rice flour (+1 1/2 tbs. for dusting)

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. raw turbadino sugar

1/4 cup cooked millet (can use cooked steel-cut, gluten-free oats or cooked quinoa in a pinch)*

1 tbs. unsalted butter, melted**

Filling:

1 large peach, thinly sliced (skin on)

1 tbs. honey

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 tbs. unsalted butter, melted**

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. white or rose wine

1/8 tsp. sea salt

Preparation time: 6-7 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Yields one tartlette (1-2 people)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and flour small tarte dish (about 4-5” diameter is a good size).
2. Prepare crust: in medium bowl, combine brown rice flour, sea salt, and raw sugar.  Gently mix in cooked millet.  Using a wooden spoon, mix in 1 tbs. melted butter, and then kneed with hands to form dough.
3. Lightly flour parchment paper (rice flour, of course), and place dough on surface.  Top with another sheet of parchment paper, and roll into a 1/2 cm thickness using a rolling pin (or wine bottle).
4. Mold the dough to prepared tartlette dish, and place in the refrigerator.
5. Prepare filling: In medium bowl, combine sliced peach, honey, basil, and wine.  Mix in melted butter and vanilla.  Stir in salt.
6. Remove crust from refrigerator, and pour in filling.  Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are golden to light brown.
7. Remove, let cool for about 5 minutes before serving, and let your taste buds play.

*To cook millet, boil 1/2 cup water, add millet, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until fluffy and no water is left.

**For dairy-free, use olive oil.