thekitchemshaman-blog

[thekitchemshaman-blog]

RAVEN'S OVEN ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

 I really wish I could take credit for the original idea behind this recipe. It is so very simple but yields a condiment that is vital in our refrigerator. Gwyneth Paltrow is the inspiration for this gem of a 'refrigerator staple.' Gwyneth roasts her cherry tomatoes for anywhere from three to eight hours at 200 degrees. She adds a small amount of oil and some salt.

My version ramps up the cooking time to 10 hours and I coat the tomatoes with coconut oil. I omit the salt. The result is a juicy candy-sweet tomato tidbit that goes into almost everything I cook. Scrambled eggs. Soups. Stews. Salads. Sandwiches. Tacos. Sourdough bread. Muffins. The list is endless. I resisted the impulse to add some herbs, simply because I wanted to be able to put the tomatoes in any recipe without adding any additional flavor. Of course, cooking a smaller amount with a particular herb or spice mixture would be an idea to provide countless spinoffs to the unadorned tomatoes.

Here is the very simple recipe. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. I also turn on the oven light to remind me that the oven is on and I am cooking. Ten hours is a long time and it is easy to forget.

INGREDIENTS:

4 pints of cherry or grape organic tomatoes

4 tablespoons of coconut oil

METHOD:

Arrange the tomatoes on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Add the coconut oil.

Bake for 10 hours.  Stir and flip the tomatoes at least once as they bake.

Spoon the tomatoes and coconut oil in a covered glass baking dish and store in the refrigerator.

To use the tomatoes I usually cut them into 3 or 4 pieces with a pair of scissors to release their juices. This is not a necessary step, but I find that it spreads the sweet juices to more areas of whatever I am cooking.

  I really wish I could take credit for the original idea behind this recipe. It is so very simple but yields a condiment that is vital in our refrigerator. Gwyneth Paltrow is the inspiration for this gem of a 'refrigerator staple.' Gwyneth roasts her cherry tomatoes for 

[thekitchemshaman-blog]

LUCINDA SOURDOUGH

Many years ago when I lived and traveled on a sailboat, one of my cabinmates was a small ceramic crock filled with sourdough. I named this bubbly lively creature, Lucinda. Why the name, you might ask? Well, an aunt, as well as a paternal great great great grandmother, were also named Lucinda.  The name has such an old-fashioned appeal, reminescent of covered wagons, campfires, and adventurous exploration. Because my sourdough was from a culture that dates back more than 200 years, the named seemed appropriate. Lucinda traveled in my galley sink, tightly wrapped in cloth towels and tied with kitchen twine.

Today, Lucinda's days, like mine, are somewhat tamer.  She now rests in a refrigerator, snuggled against the mayonnaise and olives. She no longer needs to be concerned over those pesky waves that threatened to leak her contents or turn her upside down. She is always ready to lend her tart and fragrant aroma to our breads, ebelskivers and pancakes. My recipe for this simple sourdough bread is basic and foolproof. It is actually adapted from the very same recipe that accompanied my sourdough culture when it arrived from King Arthur Flour so many years ago. The recipe calls for yeast. I like the predictability that this ingredient adds to the leavening process. In addition, the final result is not quite as sour as a loaf that has risen with the culture acting alone.

When possible, I feed my sourdough culture the evening before I plan to bake. In a pinch, if the culture has been well fed and is just recently refrigerated (within 24 hours), I will use it without refreshing it. Although a bag of whole wheat flour will suffice, I suggest using flour that is freshly ground from whole wheat, either white or red, and organic -- of course!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sourdough culture, well-fed and bubbly

5 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar (sucanat is best)

1 tablespoon yeast

1 1/2 cups water

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all of the ingredients and allow them to rest for 15 minutes. Either by