Vegetable Gratin With Polenta And Smoked Tomato Vinaigrette Food

POLENTA GRATIN WITH TOMATO, FONTINA, AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Make the polenta. During the last few minutes of cooking, stir in half the Fontina and the butter, then spread it, about 3/8 inch thick, on a clean counter or sheet pan to harden. Slice into rectangles or rounds--the exact size doesn't matter. This can be done hours in advance.
• Heat the tomato sauce with half of the rosemary. Taste and season with salt, if needed, and a little pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce in a 3-quart gratin dish, then overlap the pieces of polenta with the remaining Fontina. Spoon the remaining sauce carefully in bands over the polenta, leaving the edges exposed. Crumble the Gorgonzola over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the rosemary and the parsley.
• Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the gratin is hot and bubbly. Garnish with the parsley, season with a little pepper, and serve.

SMOKED SHRIMP SALAD WITH SMOKED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• SALAD: Place shrimp in stovetop smoker. Season with salt and pepper. Smoke on medium heat for 15 minutes, using maple wood chips, and set aside. Reserve 1/4-cup and toss remainder with baby spinach in a large bowl. Arrange spinach on salad plates, top with shrimp and drizzle shrimp with remaining vinaigrette before serving.
• VINAIGRETTE: Cut tomatoes in half and place cut side up on smoker rack. Sprinkle exposed sides with sherry vinegar, salt and pepper. Smoke for 12-15 minutes on medium low. Remove smoker from heat and let rest with lid closed for another three minutes. Remove tomatoes from smoker and slip off skins with your hands, holding tomatoes over a food processor work bowl to catch juices. Discard skins. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins into food processor work bowl and process mixture for about 30 seconds to combine and puree. With processor running, add oil slowly in a thin stream until vinaigrette is emulsified. Season vinaigrette with additional salt and pepper, taste and add a few additional drops of sherry vinegar if needed to give vinaigrette a mild tanginess.

TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper; serve at room temperature.
• Great over roasted or grilled poultry as well as baked or grilled fish and grilled meaty vegetables such as eggplant or mushrooms

VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• In a large saute pan set over medium heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute until translucent, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to give off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar and cook until there is almost no liquid left, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Lay the eggplant and zucchini out on a flat surface and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.
• In another large saute pan set over medium high heat, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the eggplant in 1 layer and cook just until golden brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. You might need to do this in batches. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Blot the top with additional paper towels.
• In the same pan, add more olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the zucchini in 1 layer and saute until just browned on each side, about 1 minute per side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
• In a shallow roasting pan or baking dish, spread half of the tomato sauce evenly over the bottom. Begin layering the eggplant and zucchini along the outside of the baking dish so they are overlapping slightly. Continue until the pan is full and the eggplant and zucchini is used. Cover the top with the remaining tomato sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top, covering completely.
• Place the baking dish inside a large baking dish. Pour hot water into the larger baking dish about half way up the sides to make a water bath. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

FIRE ROASTED WHOLE FLOUNDER WITH YELLOW TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar and basil in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in squeeze bottles.
• Preheat grill. Brush flounder with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill on each side for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through.

GRILLED HALIBUT WITH CHARRED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
• Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a large platter and set aside. Pat the skin of the halibut dry with a paper towel and then brush the fillets all over with olive oil. Season the flesh generously with salt and pepper.
• Oil the grill grates and put the cherry tomatoes and fish skin-side down on the grill. Cover and let cook until the tomatoes are charred and starting to split, about 5 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes and the heat from your grill. Cook the halibut until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the fish skin-side down to the platter with the sliced tomatoes.
• Put the cherry tomatoes in a blender, discarding the vine, and add the olive oil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Blend until smooth, then stir in half the chives and basil. Spoon the tomato vinaigrette over the fish and tomatoes. Drizzle everything with some more olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining chives and basil. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt.

GARDEN VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Place the slices in a bowl, cover with cool water and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the shallots, carrot, zucchini and peas. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and mace. Stir well to warm through. Remove from the heat.
• Layer the potatoes and vegetable mixture in a 10-cup gratin or 9-by-13-inch baking dish by first blotting some potato slices on a paper towel, then layering them across the bottom of the dish. Add some of the vegetable mixture, spread it over the slices, then blot dry more slices and add them as another layer. Keep layering the casserole, like a lasagna, ending with a layer of potato slices.
• Whisk the broth and cream in a large bowl. Pour it over the contents of the baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, basting occasionally, until it is golden and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 hours.