Sunday Afternoon Tomato and Mushroom Focaccia

Dear Devon,

I made this on a lazy Sunday. Lazy mainly because I was too engrossed in a book to think much about lunch. I needed something easy and self-reliant in the "throw it in the oven and forget about it until the timer rings" way. I had made a trip to the farmer's market and picked up a few luxuries like fresh tomatoes and mushrooms. In a matter of minutes, my lunch was baking away in the oven and I was back to my book.


I used a store-bought flatbread about an inch thick. I wanted a substantial enough crust to support my tasty toppings. The bread crisped up nicely in the oven and absorbed the tomato juices. A soft goat cheese acts as a binding agent, replacing tomato sauce. Roughly torn mushrooms finish off the dish. For added flavor, brush an herb and olive oil mixture over the bread before arranging your toppings. Herbacious olive oils are easy to make, chopped fresh herbs like parsley, dill, thyme or rosemary (in combination or individually) whisked with olive oil and perhaps some crushed garlic. This meal is about easy preparation and general convenience. I don't always have time or the energy to cook an elaborate dish, but I don't feel that those limitations should detract from having a healthy or yummy meal.

It was absolutely beautiful when it came out of the oven. The oozing red and green tomatoes added vibrant color. The deep brown mushrooms retained their shape nicely. I loved the pairing of the rustic torn mushrooms with the almost opaque sliced tomatoes.


Tomato and Mushroom Focaccia

large piece of flatbread
1/2 green tomato, sliced
1/2 red tomato, sliced
6 or 8 mushrooms, roughly torn or chopped
3 oz soft goat cheese
2 tbsp of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place a large piece of baked flatbread on a baking sheet. Dot with half the goat cheese. Layer the tomatoes over the cheese. Sprinkle with chopped or torn mushrooms. Top with the remaining goat cheese. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the bread is crisp and the mushrooms are cooked through. The goat cheese will brown slightly. Remove from the oven. Drizzle with a good olive oil and a pinch of black pepper. Slice into squares and serve.

Not So Classic Pear Clafoutis

Dear Devon,

Life has been very hectic since Thanksgiving and is about to go crazy all over again. First, a couple of weeks ago, my kitchen was pulled apart by my very capable super, looking for the source of water dripping into the apartment below. It took a week to complete the work. A week and half worth of lost images, thanks to a corrupted memory card, plus the hole where my kitchen sink should have been kept me from posting. Fortunately, both issues have been resolved and I am happily writing to you again.

I saw these cute Seckel pears at the farmers market and had to buy a bagful. I couldn't resist. They were destined for my oven. At first, I thought I would use them in a pear tart. But then I decided they were so special that I needed to try something a bit more adventurous. A few summers ago, I went on a big clafoutis kick. I never made them with the traditional cherries (too much work), but instead substituted blueberries, apples, and sometimes almonds. The results were always the same--delicious.


In the past, The Joy of Cooking's recipe served me well. This time, I followed Julia Child's recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her recipe is a bit more complicated. If I had read the instructions through to the end, I would've discovered that she wants you to start the cooking the dessert on the stove and finish it in the oven. Of course, I didn't notice this until I had already put the pan into the oven. I don't think it affected the outcome.


It has been a year or two since I made clafoutis. I remembered it to be more like a pancake than a custard. I won't say I was disappointed, but it's hard to overcome an expectation. The subtle flavor of the pear and sweet egg and milk custard were wonderful in combination. The almonds gave a nice bit of crunch to an otherwise smooth and delicate dessert. Unlike a custard, the clafoutis lacked the overwhelming brightness of egg yolk. While egg yolk would have enhanced its richness, I feel it also would have overpowered the soft pear flavor. It would be a shame to destroy the light and clean taste of pear, especially when flavorful pears are so hard to find. I did not have enough milk and used a combination of whole milk yogurt and whole milk.

I have no objections to the Joy of Cooking's take on claufoutis. In fact, I prefer it to Ms. Child's version. But sometimes it's good to try new things.


Pear Clafoutis
Julia Child. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vol. 1
 
1 lb small pears, Seckel pears
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
3 eggs
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup almonds, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fill a large bowl with a few ice cubes, water, and a splash of lemon juice. Peel and halve pears, submerging the pears in the water bath. This will prevent discoloration. I tried coring the first pear; but the fruit was so small and slippery that I quickly became frustrated and abandoned it. Luckily the seeds are small and hardly noticeable in the final product.

In a large mixing bowl, whip eggs with sugar until frothy. Add in milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually stir in flour and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Melt butter in a small saute pan. I used an eight inch copper bottom pan. Arrange the halved pears cut side down in the melted butter. Pour batter over pears. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30-35 minutes or until the top is nicely puffed and golden brown. Toothpick test it for doneness.

Note: It will sink as it cools.