Fresh Tomatoes à la Hasselbacken

You’re most likely familiar with Hasselback potatoes ~ what about Hasselback tomatoes?

This trendy little side dish might make you hesitate, but once you try it, you may be sold on it!

“Hasselbacking” has been around since the 1950’s, when cooks at the Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, were peeling and partially slicing large potatoes, brushing them with butter, sprinkling them with bread crumbs, and baking them. 

Not only did patrons like the looks of the vegetable, they enjoyed the savory taste and variety of textures it offered.  To this day, it’s still on the hotel’s menu.

Instead of potatoes, this Cook’s Country  recipe focused on tomatoes.  They doubled-down on, flavors, and stuffed the tomatoes with savory pesto and tangy pungent Gruyère cheese. 

 

Instead of baking the concoction, the tomatoes were given a short blast under the broiler to lessen oven time, allowing the tomatoes to retain some summery freshness.

Unfortunately, my camera battery was dead when I wanted to take photos of cutting the slices in the tomatoes.  See the same method here with potatoes, showing the wooden spoon handles used to guide the knife when slicing the tomatoes.

 The end result was fresh-tasting tomatoes, melty cheese, and crunchy crumbs.  A great side dish for you tomato, pesto and Gruyère lovers out there!

Yield: 4-6 servingsAuthor: Pam

Hasselback Tomatoes

Accordian-like tomatoes, filled with pesto and Gruyère cheese, a great side dish for your dinner table!

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ripe plum tomatoes, cored
• 7 ounces Gruyère (1-1/4 cups) shredded
• 1-1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 6 tables extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and seasoned pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack in sheet, set aside. On a cutting board or plate, using serrated knife, cut 1/4-inch-thick slice from 1 long side of each tomato. Turn tomatoes onto cut sides so the sit flat, then slice crosswise at 1/4" intervals, leaving bottom 1/4" of each tomato intact.
2. (Place the handles of wooden spoons on either side of tomato to prevent the knife from cutting through.)
3. Process 1/4 cup Gruyère, basil, oil, panko, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, scrapping down sides of bowl as needed, about 10 seconds.
4. Adjust oven rack 6" from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl. Carefully open tomato slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using small spoon, spread basil mixture evenly between tomato slices (about 2 tablespoons per tomato.)
5. Arrange tomatoes on prepared wire rack. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over tomatoes. Broil until cheese is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
   Serve

Created using The Recipes Generator

Enjoy!

Creamed Spinach

You may know from my blog, that growing up, Dad had plenty of gardens.  After he retired, he established the first community garden in Louisville, and later created the display garden at the Louisville Zoo, maintaining it for several years.  

 

Along with the produce from those gardens, he had a large garden at home, which yielded even more produce.  There was never a lack of fresh vegetables growing up, nor later when Bill and I had our own home.  Oh, I had a garden at our house too!

Popeye's source of super-human strength!

The produce was all fresh and delicious, except for the broccoli.  It’s great frozen, but tastes totally different to me when fresh. Spinach is another matter ~ I adore it, no matter if it’s fresh, frozen or canned.  I even liked it when I was a kid.  I was the one at school who ate the other kids’ spinach to avoid reprimands from the lunchroom monitors.  I was happy to do them the favor, and eat their spinach.

Nowadays, we usually enjoy spinach with just a little salt and pepper, but when I want to doctor it up, this is the recipe.  It’s quick and tasty!

Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:

        

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup onion, minced

2 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon each, salt and seasoned pepper

2 (10-ounce) bags fresh spinach

¾ cup half and half

¼ cup Gruyère cheese, grated

Method:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter.

Add onion and sauté until soft.

Whisk in flour and seasonings.

Stir in half and half and cheese and heat well, stirring until sauce has thickened slightly.

Place spinach in sauce in batches and cook until wilted, covering after each addition.

Adjust seasonings if needed.

Serve immediately.

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes! 

Pommes de Terre Byron, a.k.a. Golden Potato Pancake

No matter how you say it, “potato” or “Po-TAH-to,” it makes me happy, happy!

Potatoes go back to 500 B.C. when the Incas grew them, ate them and worshipped them.  They even buried potatoes with their dead, and hid them in concealed bins in case of famine or war, and dried them to carry on their long journeys.  It all makes sense to me…

Heaven to me is a large baked potato, topped with a little butter and salt and pepper or this dish of baked potatoes, which is a traditional French dish, adapted from a recipe by Julia Child and Jacques Pépin for a “golden potato pancake.” 

It may not be pretty, but it’s heavenly delicious!

Ready to bake

Broiler ready

Voila!!!  Ready to enjoy...

Pommes de Terre Byron

Ingredients:

3 pounds of russet (Idaho) potatoes, about 5 large

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream

2 ounces grated Gruyère cheese (about 2/3 cup)

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake potatoes until soft.

When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and roughly chop them into ½” to ¾” chunks.

In a 10” skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat.

When butter stops foaming, add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Turn potatoes to thoroughly mix in the seasonings, oil and butter.

With a spatula, flatten the potatoes to a smooth, solid layer.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5-8 minutes.

Close to end of cooking time, shake the pan quickly to loosen the potato cake from the sides and bottom of pan.

Place the skillet in preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is crusty and lightly colored.

Remove from oven and let rest for a minute or so.

Invert it onto an oven-safe serving platter or baking sheet.

Carefully move oven rack to top position and turn on broiler.

Spread top of hot potatoes with crème fraiche or sour cream.

Sprinkle evenly with the cheese.

Place under broiler and broil until the potato mixture is golden and blubbling, about 3-5 minutes.

Carefully remove from oven and serve.

Bon appetit!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes! 

Sautéed Zucchini Patties with Gruyère

A person can only eat so many slices of zucchini bread or cake!  You know how that goes ~ if your garden or your neighbor’s has a plant or two of zucchini ~ you’ll have copious amounts of zucchini!

For a change, this recipe comes into play. Combine shredded zucchini with the nutty, sweet and salty taste of Gruyère cheese, add some chopped onions, a little chipotle pepper sauce and seasonings; shape into patties and sauté in olive oil for a crispy, lip-smacking veggie dish.  These are quick to make; only needing a couple of minutes on each side for sautéing.

Serve them as an appetizer or as a side dish with grilled seafood, chicken or just with your favorite green salad!  Now you have a good recipe for your plethora of lovely zucchini!

Sautéed Zucchini Patties with Gruyère                                 

Ingredients:

1 pound zucchini, shredded

1 egg

2 tablespoons onion, minced

¼ teaspoon chipotle pepper sauce, or to taste

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup Gruyère cheese, grated 

¼ teaspoon each, salt and pepper

Enough olive oil to just coat bottom of skillet

Method:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except vegetable oil.

Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Shape zucchini mixture into small patties.

Sauté for 2 minutes on each side.

Serve with sour cream or your favorite tomato sauce.

YUM!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.  

Sweet Onion Casserole

This recipe is begging me to take another road trip south through Georgia to pick up some sweet Vidalia onions that fills all those bushel baskets along the roadside stands!

The onions were first grown in Vidalia, Georgia in the early 1930’s.  It’s an unusually sweet onion due to the low amount of sulfur in the land in that area.  Mose Coleman is thought to be the man who discovered Vidalia onions in 1931.

The mild sweet taste of Vidalia onions makes them more versatile than stronger onions so they are perfect for this casserole of rice and Parmesan and Gruyère cheeses.  It’s a great tasting side dish that’s easy to put together for a family dinner, a potluck or for a dinner party.  Walla Walla or the Sweet Imperial can be substituted if Vidalia onions aren’t available.  It pairs perfectly with burgers, ribs, seafood, steak or chicken on the grill for a great July 4^th meal!

Sweet Onion Casserole

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups Vidalia onions, chopped (about 1¾ pounds)

½ cup uncooked long-grain rice

2/3 cup low-fat milk

½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese (2 ounces)

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or less depending on taste

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Cooking spray

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1-1/3 ounces)

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add oil to skillet.

Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes until tender.

Place onion in a large bowl.

Cook rice in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well.

Stir rice and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) into onions.

Spoon onion mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over all.

Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Serves 6

ENJOY!  It’s a unique side dish for the holiday!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Macaroni Gruyère and Parmesan with Bacon

Macaroni and cheese is delicious but macaroni and cheese with bacon is decadently delicious!
 

We all know the way to a man’s heart:  through his stomach!  And what man doesn’t like macaroni and cheese?  So here is a good treat for that special man in your life, be it your husband, father, brother, uncle, grandpa or boyfriend!  You can show him how much you care and satisfy his appetite by cooking the food that he loves on Father's Day this Sunday.  

Gruyère melts smoothly and has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that blends perfectly with Parmesan’s buttery, nutty flavors. Add the succulent, smoky bacon to the mix and it turns the macaroni into a mouthwatering dish.  This is a creamy savory macaroni and cheese main dish or side dish.

Be ready for a forkful of cheesy goodness when this comes out of the oven!  It had us saying, “Ah!!!” and I hope it will have the same affect on you and your loved ones!

 

Macaroni Gruyère  and Parmesan with Bacon

Ingredients:

4 strips bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips

8 ounces macaroni

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon dried mustard

4 cups milk

4 cups (12 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Chives for garnish, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fry bacon until crisp.  Drain and set aside.

Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Drain well.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter.

Add flour and dry mustard to make a simple roux.

Stir in garlic.

Slowly pour milk into mixture, stirring constantly.

Add cheeses, except for ½ cup of Parmesan and blend well until mixture is smooth.

Scoop in cooked macaroni and coat well with the cheese and milk mixture.

Fold in crisp bacon strips.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into 3-quart casserole that is coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle with reserved Parmesan.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serves 4-6

Yum!  It’s great with Gruyère, Parmesan and smoky bacon!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Butternut Squash Gratin

It is doubtful if the Pilgrim’s had potatoes on their Thanksgiving table but, they most likely did have squash that the Indians brought with them to the feast.

Norman Rockwell, Freedom from Want

In fact, most of the food at their first Thanksgiving, being American foodstuff, was new to the Pilgrim’s.  The main meal was corn meal mush with nuts and fruit, probably deer and game birds, squash and pumpkin.  

"Squash, so American that its very name is Indian:  it is a shortening of the Narragansett 'askutashquash.'  As this means literally something that is eaten raw, we are entitled to believe that this was the way the Indians ate it."  - Eating in America, by Waverley Root and Richard de Rochemont

Did you like squash when you were a kid?  I do not remember ever eating squash as a child, maybe Mom did cook it occasionally but that doesn't mean I ate it.  

I probably changed when I ate a Squash Casserole somewhere and then learned to eat it baked with spices and Parmesan cheese and loved it. 

So now, Thanksgiving, is the perfect time for this delicious squash dish!  It is wonderful with all the seasonings, panko and the tasty cheese topping.

Think of squash this way, "You can enjoy it with the added advantage of not needing a tennis court or a racquet."  And if you don't have storage room for it, it will feel right at home sitting in your wine rack!

Butternut Squash Gratin                                                                                

Ingredients:

1 T. butter

½ white onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 ½ lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾” chunks

1 t.brown sugar                                                     
½ c. chicken broth

4 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded

4 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

½ c. panko bread crumbs

¼ t. dried sage

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

 Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

Melt butter in skillet, stir in onions and garlic.  
Cook until onions are soft and golden, about 10 minutes.

Add squash and brown sugar.

Continue cooking and stirring until the squash begins to brown on the edges, but is still somewhat firm in the center, about 10 minutes more.

Scrape the squash into prepared baking dish and pour in the chicken broth.

Wrap tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake in oven until the liquid has been absorbed and the squash is tender, about 45 minutes.  
In a bowl, toss together the Gruyere and cheddar cheese, breadcrumbs and thyme until evenly combined. 

Remove foil from the baking dish and sprinkle cheese mixture over squash.

Sprinkle Parmesan on top.

Place back in oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until the top is slightly crunchy and golden brown.

Serves 6

ENJOY!