Cooking tales with zucchini crumble and roasted tomato tarts

Why do you blog? Is it the community? The hope for something more in the competitive world of food writing? The adventure?

For my parents 50th, I recreated their Wedding Cake - it was an Italian Cookie Cake. I took photos. I always took photos of food. A few years ago, my husband took me along on a business trip to Toulouse. I came home with over a hundred photos.
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"They're all of cheese," my friend exclaimed. And so they were. Cheeses and breads mostly and an occasional pretty sight. I had no blog. I am not a gifted photographer but I have CD's filled with food.

There were sixteen first cousins in all. Most of us in New York. Eight of us living in the Italian -manner - within a few blocks of each other. All at the same school. All living in each others backyard. We are hither and yonder these days - but we can still finish each others sentences. We still have the same sense of humor. And most of us got the cooking gene. I think that's why I now blog about food. I think it's genetic.

When I saw perfectly ripe figs (from Minnesota!) at Surdyk's Cheese Shop - I grew weak. And scarfed them up. I ran my fingers over them. I instantly left Minnesota and went into Cookingland. Who does that? And then I went home and adapted Clotilde Dusoulier's Daily Adventure's in a Parisian Kitchen's Zucchini Crumble. I had been waiting for the figs. I lowered the fat quotient - but you know - it's a crumble. (Read: not low-fat). And the notion of a vegetable crumble invites me to cook.

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The sweet goodness of figs, the mellow zucchini absorbing all, the creamy softness of fresh mozzarella with the sharp earthiness of fresh Parmigiano. Does it get any better than that?

Zucchini Crumble - serves 4 as a meal, 6-8 as a side dish/buffet item

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium zucchini - sliced into fairly thin disks, donb't break out the mandoline

4 teaspoons fresh thyme - divided - can use fresh basil

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

1/4 cup whole wheat Panko (can use regular, unflavored breadcrumbs)

2 tablespoons Earth Balance Butter

4-5 ounces fresh mozzarella - sliced thin

2 figs sliced into 6 pieces each

*optional: salt and pepper to taste

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Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie pan. In a medium-large skillet, heat your olive oil until almost sizzling. Add zucchini and 2 tablespoons of thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute till lightly browned (7-8 minutes). In a small bowl, combine Parmigiano and Panko. Slice butter and add in. With fingers, work all together until they resemble a coarse meal - all enticingly crumbly. Work remaining thyme into crumb mixture. Layer zucchini in pie plate. Then layer your mozzarella and then your figs. Top with crumb mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes until all is beautifully browned and ozzing cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can do ahead rewarm in at 325 degree oven for 10-12 minutes prior to serving.

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Roasted Tomato, Goat Cheese Tartelettes - serves 16

While 3 of my tomato plants have been affected by blight, the cherry tomato bush has been the gift that keeps on giving. I eat them like candy. And then I cook.

Roasted Tomato, Goat Cheese Tartelette Ingredients

1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (you may always make your own - I don't), defrosted

16 cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon of olive oil

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon fresh basil - or 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning instead of the fresh herbs

16 small pieces of goat cheese

8 nicoise or kalamata olives

*Optional: chives for garlic

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Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, toss tomatoes with oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Lay on sprayed baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes. You want them wrinkled but not mushy. Preheat oven according to puff pastry package directions. Very lightly spray a baking sheet. With a 1 to 1-1/2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out 16 rounds of dough. Place on baking sheet.
With your thumb, make an indentation into the center of each pastry round. Place a roasted tomato in the center. Partially bake for 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and add a goat cheese sliver or crumble to each round. Bake for another 3-4 minutes. Remove and add half of a nicoise or kalamata olive to each round. Garnish with chives and serve.
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Roasted, candy-tasting tomatoes with the smooth tang of goat cheese and the brine of the olives - all in one bite. Your palate will dance. And sing. And ask for more. Come to think of that, roasted red peppers instead of tomatoes would also sing. Maybe with provolone...

And because I cannot resist a ripe tomato, I bring home more every day. Slice them with herbes de provence, salt and pepper, sliced red onion soaked in red wine vinegar and then cover them with basil and thyme. Cut some ricotta salata on top. Leave it out to entice with small plates and forks for an afternoon and watch it disappear.
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In the days of yore, I spent many hours in my grandmother's and aunts and uncles kitchens. They didn't teach me to cook. They never had a recipe. I was always greeted with an anisette toast or an offer of what was simmering on the stove. And when my mother made liver for dinner, I somehow found my way to another Gresio kitchen knowing full well I'd be invited to stay. It's no wonder I cook - it's really the same reason that I write - it's ingrained, yes, genetic. I have no choice. What draws you into the kitchen and into blogosphere?

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NOTE: Thanks for visiting Kirsten's new blog. She smiled at the support and dreamed of new sweets.