Beef and Tomato Stew

Move to Georgia, they said.  It will be warmer down south.
Y'all.
This winter has been nuts.
I can't believe that here, in north Georgia, there were temperatures in the single digits last week.  That didn't even include the wind chill!
You better believe that I was using our crock pot last week, and have been leaning heavily on it throughout this season.  My favorite these past few months has been Martha Stewart's beef and tomato stew.  Easy to throw together, incredibly flavorful, and great served on its own or with rice, it's just a powerhouse recipe.
Also, it is guaranteed to make your house smell amazing.   What do you have to lose?

Beef and Tomato Stew (from Martha Stewart)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 celery stalks, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 lbs. beef chuck or stew beef
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 c. chicken broth (veggie also works!)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium.  Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook, stirring often, until softened.
2. Throw veggies and remaining ingredients into slow cooker, salt and pepper to taste, cover, and cook on high for 6 hours.  Can be served over carb of your choice (brown rice and quinoa are super tasty).

Tomato Scallion Shortcakes with Whipped Goat Cheese

Six weeks ago, JP and I had a truly delicious summer meal: tomato scallion shortcakes with whipped goat cheese.  Doesn't that just make your mouth water thinking about it?  Trust Smitten Kitchen to come up with such a wonderful way to serve tomatoes.
Start out with some flaky, buttery scallion biscuits/shortcakes, then marinate some grape tomatoes with tangy red wine vinegar, and top with savory, light whipped goat cheese.  It is just as delicious as it sounds.  This recipe should make 6-8 shortcakes.
We served it with sausages, but it would be great for brunch with scrambled eggs, or some grilled lamb at a cookout.  Just be sure to make it while the tomatoes are still in season!

Tomato Scallion Shortcakes with Whipped Goat Cheese (from Smitten Kitchen, 2012)
2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 t. table salt
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
3 scallion, thinly sliced
1 c. buttermilk, well-shaken
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar
1/2 lb. grape tomatoes
3 Tbsp. whipping cream
4 oz. goat cheese, softened

1. Preheat oven to 425, line baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.  Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in 1 sliced scallion, add buttermilk, and stir until dough just comes together.
3. On a floured surface, pat or roll dough to 3/4" or 1" thickness and cut into 3-inch rounds, reforming scraps as needed.  Arrange on prepared sheet, and bake 15 minutes, until golden on top.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Halve or quarter tomatoes (depending on size), then toss in dressing.  Allow to sit while you finish goat cheese.
5. In another medium bowl, combine cheese and cream.  Whip on high until peaks form.
6. Split each shortcake in half, and spoon each portion with tomato mixture.  Top with goat cheese and remaining scallions.  Enjoy!

Tomato Cobbler

Yum.  No other word seems as appropriate for this dish.  JP and I whipped it up before he left for a 2-night business trip to Minneapolis.  No, Saint Paul.  Are they actually joined, like Siamese twin cities?  Perhaps there's a reason they're called that. 

Anyway, I wanted to send him on a plane filled with a hearty dinner that would satisfy him from security check-in to hotel check-in (at 1am!).  Although the process of browning onions always seems to take longer than I remember, bringing this dish together was a relatively simple process.  JP was even sadder to leave than usual, knowing I would get the leftovers of this dinner all to myself.

Joy the Baker's recipe for cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, and biscuits is simply divine for this late summer season.  Tomatoes are ripe and delicious, practically bursting at the seams with juiciness, so make this quick! 

I did make a few adjustments to the original recipe.  First of all, I subbed frozen corn for blue cheese, which I have never enjoyed.  We also used 2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes, 1 pint regular cherry tomatoes, and all butter (no vegetable shortening- my pantry is coming up short lately).  It was seriously delicious.  Don't scrimp on the amount of onions, and be sure to use fresh basil; your whole house will smell, well, yummy.

Easy Baked Tomatoes with Pesto

Is there another vegetable to epitomizes summer like the tomato?  A ripe, fresh tomato in July or August is perfection: juicy, bright, satisfying on its own.  One of John Paul's recent Southern finds is a tomato sandwich, which, if you grew up in the South or have family there, are probably well-acquainted with.  It consists of two slices of white bread spread with a bit of mayo and tops with thick slices of tomato and a dash of salt.  That's it.  Summer bliss.
Anyway, this post has nothing to do with sandwiches.
I saw a recipe for baked tomatoes with pesto in my beloved Ina Garten cookbook, but the full-sized tomatoes were sold out when I went grocery shopping!  Instead, I picked up some grape tomatoes, halved them and tossed them in a bowl with some pesto (about 1/2 a cup, but less is okay).  Bake in a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes, them serve topped with a bit of grated parmesan cheese.  We served this with some pan-seared fish, but would be great over some pasta or even as a rough bruschetta.  Easy and delicious!