Entertaining in the Raw - Matthew Kenney [9]
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Syrup
1 cup raw agave
1-1/2 cups pitted and chopped sugar plums
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Garnish
Fresh mint sprigs
Pudding Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix until completely smooth. Pour into a half sheet or low-sided baking dish and chill in freezer until firm.
Plums Blend all ingredients except plums in Vita-Mix until smooth. Toss with plums in a shallow baking dish and set aside at room temperature.
Wafers Mix flours and sea salt in a medium-size bowl. Blend the remaining ingredients in Vita-Mix until smooth. Add to flour mixture and mix well with hands. Spread very thin long rectangles on Teflex sheets and dehydrate 6 hours. Turn onto screens and dehydrate until crisp, another 8–12 hours.
Syrup Blend until smooth in Vita-Mix. Strain through a fine chinois.
Assembly Place a 3-inch ring mold in the center of a plate and scoop enough chocolate pudding into it until 2 inches high. Press top with a spoon to pack it and smooth the top. Remove ring carefully. Top with a pile of plums (they should be naturally piled on top; if some are falling, that is fine). Spoon generous amounts of the plum syrup around the plate and garnish with mint sprigs and wafers. Serves 4–6
Marinated Tomato Salad, Pine Nut “Parmesan,” Basil Oil, Micro Greens, and Black Pepper
Farmers markets embody summer, and New York now has a very passionate audience that patronizes them. The Union Square Greenmarket may be the most well known, but when I was living in Brooklyn, I began to visit the one in Park Slope, on the edge of Prospect Park. It is not the largest in the city, but it is quite substantial and the products are amazing. It was there that I found some of the most beautiful tomatoes of my life, bursting with color, with flavor so intense that you could almost taste the sun inside each bite. I also purchased several varieties of basil for the best tomato salad I’ve ever had.
Tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons raw agave
Salt
Black pepper
1-1/2 pounds halved red, yellow, and green cherry tomatoes
“Parmesan”
2 cups pine nuts
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Oil
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1 cup pure olive oil
Garnish
Fresh basil sprigs
Salt and pepper
Tomatoes Mix all ingredients together.
“Parmesan” Process all ingredients in a food processor until well combined. Spread in 1/8-inch-thick slices on Teflex sheets in a dehydrator and heat until it becomes firm, about 12 hours. Turn over Parmesan sheets onto dehydrator screens and continue dehydrating for 24 hours. Remove, let cool, and break into 2- or 3-inch shards. Keep covered.
Oil Place basil leaves in a blender with the olive oil. Purée until smooth. Place in a bowl or low-sided pan and put into dehydrator for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a sterilized airtight jar or bottle. This will keep in a cool dark place for up to 1 week.
Assembly Arrange the cherry tomatoes on plates, with most having the center of the tomato facing up. The presentation should be natural—just quickly pour them on the plates and turn over a few that are facing down. Drizzle with basil oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and garnish with basil leaves and “Parmesan” shards. Serves 4
Golden Tomato and Lemon Cucumber Gazpacho with Avocado Salsa
Gazpacho is one of my favorite summer meals—I love not only the texture and flavor contrasts but also the ease of preparation. On a beautiful warm evening, I’m often in the mood for something that can be quickly prepared. With a blender and some really fresh ingredients, this dish can be made in five minutes. Gazpacho is best served chilled, with an equally cool glass of white wine.
Gazpacho
2 cups peeled, deseeded, and diced lemon cucumbers
2 cups deseeded and diced tomatillos
2-1/4 cups diced golden tomatoes
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 jalapeño pepper
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Avocado Salsa
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