Who really uses “just enough mayonnaise to bind” a salad? That’s what I was wondering as I folded what some would consider an illegal quantity of lovely mayo into some chunks of freshly cooked chicken. Better too much than too little, I told myself, because if you do follow those party-pooper recipe directives then you’re headed for an uninspired outcome.
And my chicken salad is not that. It’s wonderful.
I start with a combination of thigh and breast meat (pulled from a lightly simmered whole chicken), tossed with a bit of minced green onion and fresh dill, then seasoned with some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
At this point, I eyeball the amount of mayonnaise the salad may possibly require to achieve a creamy, well-seasoned character and begin adding healthy globs until I’m satisfied the proper balance of chicken to mayonnaise exists.
That’s it. I call it my James Beard Approach to salad construction, because he had a similar philosophy. When it comes to chicken salads, only the best mayonnaise will do, and plenty of it. Plus, kitchen sinks need not apply. In his book “Delights and Prejudices,” on the subject of chicken salads, he observed that “nothing should overpower the taste of good chicken and good mayonnaise.”
I’d created this salad to compliment a platter of backyard tomatoes; four different varieties: juicy slices of beefsteak, black Russian and roma, plus some plump little sweeties. You should consider such a menu. Indeed, bringing together vine-ripened summer tomatoes and a creamy, understated chicken salad – plus a fine local bread and bottle of Oregon pinot blanc or pinot gris – will elevate you to culinary genius status among your guests. That’s a promise.
So with tomatoes having such a good year are you taking full advantage? I hope you aren’t refrigerating your crop. Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator really does undermine their flavor. If at all possible, just keep them on the counter and use as quickly as possible. Also, don’t be tempted to fling any of your tomato bounty into the freezer uncooked. After a month or two, most tomato varieties taste horrid. Cooking deactivates the enzyme that’s responsible for the transformation during freezer storage.
It doesn’t even have to be a long-term sort of cooking. Just a simple roasting or saute is enough to deal with that pesky enzyme. Then freezing becomes a great option for extending the harvest. In fact, it’s every year around this time that homemade pasta sauces sound particularly good. Both as a way to zip up my late summer menus, and as freezer fare for the less bountiful months ahead.
So without further ado, here are a few delectable options for turning your fresh tomatoes into wonderful offerings for now or later.
Roasted tomatoes
Roasting fresh tomatoes until they’re soft on the inside and beautifully browned on the outside concentrates their flavor. They come out of the oven gloriously golden and wrinkled and are wonderful gems to have on hand in the refrigerator and freezer for simple sauces and stocks over the days and months to come. Roast just tomatoes and a dash of olive oil, or toss in some peeled cloves of garlic and a couple halved shallots, for even more flavor.
To roast fresh tomatoes: Core the tomatoes and halve if larger than 1-inch in diameter. Place the tomatoes on a lightly greased jelly-roll pan (or any baking sheet with sides). The cut tomatoes should be placed cut-side down. You can crowd the tomatoes but don’t go beyond a single layer.
Add the garlic cloves and shallots if using. Drizzle on a bit of olive oil. Roast in a preheated 375-degree oven until the tomatoes are well browned, which may take 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size and character of your tomatoes.
When done, they will have collapsed and look quite wrinkled. Alternatively, consider roasting the vegetables over indirect heat on your grill, with the lid on. I have a wood pellet-fed grill (it’s called a Traeger and is built in Mount Angel, Ore.), which provides a wonderful smoky flavor to the vegetables.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven or grill and let the tomatoes cool. With a metal spatula or wide, flat-sided wooden spatula, stir and scrape the cooled tomatoes to dissolve all of the cooked-on bits of tomato. Scrape the tomatoes into the work bowl of food processor and process just until almost completely smooth (with a few chunks remaining). About 21/2 pounds of tomatoes (eight medium-sized) with five cloves of garlic and two large shallots makes about 3 cups of sauce.
To freeze, ladle the sauce into freezer containers, leaving about 1-inch head space. Let cool completely, then attach lids and freeze.
I created this sauce several summers ago. Make a big pot of it. Then scoop out some to serve right away, and freeze the rest. It’s a handy seasoning for those nights when it’s a simple pasta or grilled chicken breast sort of affair. But I’ve adapted it over the last two years and now offer you a Southwest spinoff.
Jan’s summer-in-a-pot winter pasta sauce with Southwest options
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3medium onions, minced
3medium carrots, minced
3stalks celery, minced
1/2cup minced Italian parsley
8large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
6pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped to measure 3 quarts
1/2pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2cups dry red wine
1cup beef broth
1/2cup chopped fresh basil
1tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
21/2teaspoons salt
11\xteaspoons ground white pepper
1teaspoon sugar
1teaspoon hot pepper sauce
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, parsley and garlic and saute until the onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, wine and broth, then bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
Remove lid, add the basil, rosemary, salt, pepper, sugar, and hot pepper sauce, stir well and continue to simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding additional salt, pepper, sugar or hot pepper sauce to taste. Let the sauce cool slightly, then ladle into freezer containers, leaving 1-inch head space. Attach lids and freeze. The sauce will maintain good quality for up to 6 months.
To use as a spaghetti sauce with meat: In a large, deep skillet, brown 1 pound of ground beef (or chicken, turkey, or mixture of beef and bulk Italian sausage). Drain off fat, then stir in 1 quart of the thawed pasta sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop.
Chicken alternative: To 1 quart of sauce, stir in 2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 15 minutes to develop flavors. Serve over pasta or rice.
Southwest alternative: When preparing the full batch of sauce, omit the Italian parsley and basil; stir in 3 cups of fresh corn kernels, 2 cups of chopped black olives, 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, one to two seeded and finely minced jalapeno peppers and 2 tablespoons of ground cumin.
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With its silky texture and summery fragrance, this is one of the most pleasurable dishes to make. The short baking melds everything together, transforms the flavors, and yields juices so delicious they invite dunking with chunks of grilled French bread – the perfect summer appetizer. Also great served cold as a little salad, as a tasty filling for a sandwich or frittata, or cozied up next to a grilled chicken.
Roasted tomatoes and peppers baked with herbs and capers
4big bell peppers, red, orange, and yellow
2pounds, approximately, of ripe summer tomatoes (any combination you’re growing would be fine, from beefsteak to roma)
6flat-leaf parsley sprigs
12large basil leaves, minced
4plump garlic cloves, chopped
2tablespoons capers, rinsed
12Nicoise olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
3tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the dish
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Roast the peppers until charred (see directions below). Set them aside while you prepare everything else. Then wipe off the blackened skin, pull out the seeds, and core and cut into wide strips. Trim off any ragged ends and set them aside for another use.
Score the ends of the tomatoes, then drop them into boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove the skins, halve them crosswise, and gently squeeze out the seeds. Cut the flesh into wide piece.
Pluck the leaves off the parsley stems. You should have about 1/2 cup. Chop them finely with the basil and garlic, then put in a bowl with the capers, olives and olive oil. Season with about 3/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a small gratin dish. Add the tomatoes, peppers, and sauce and gently toss with your hands or two large spoons. Season with pepper.
Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot or let cool to room temperature before serving. The mixture can also be packed into freezer bags or containers and frozen.
To roast peppers: Peppers can be roasted directly over a gas burner if you have one, or on a gas or charcoal grill. To do so, first pierce the peppers with a sharp knife in two or three places so they won’t burst when roasted. Place whole peppers directly on the burner (or grill). Roast until the skin becomes very black and charred, turning frequently with tongs.
Alternatively, after piercing the peppers in several places with a sharp knife, you can broil them in the oven, just below the heating element. Turn as the skin blackens and continue broiling until the peppers are completely black.
Adapted from “Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating From America’s Farmers’ Markets,” by Deborah Madison.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contract her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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