For this week’s Two Spoonfuls post I’m setting Alton and his chapter on water aside.  Instead, I’m going to share a delicious dessert that Josh and I have been enjoying all summer.  It’s for Roasted Fresh Fruit.  Yeah, I know what you’re thinking:  “Roasted?? What, it’s not hot enough for you in Seattle, Jenn?!?” I know.  We are having record temperatures here in the Northwest.  But that just shows you how good this recipe is – I’m actually willing to turn on the oven in the midst of this heat.  So if I can do it here – then you can certainly make this where you are*!

(*Residents of Death Valley excepted.)

I’m using a modified recipe from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast.  I really like this cookbook.  Normally I don’t mind recipes that have loads of ingredients and take a while to make.  But sometimes you just don’t have half a day to cook, and you just want something good, fast.

There are many recipes on the internet for roasting fruit, and all are open to tweeking by the home cook.  Don’t like peaches?  Then don’t roast them.  Want to see what a pluot tastes like?  Throw it in!  You can modify this basic recipe to include many of your favorite summer fruits.

Here I’ve used: Peaches, Red Plums, Black Plums, Nectarines and Pluots.

(Note:  This is a great recipe for salvaging bruised fruit or fruit that’s gone a little soft.  Don’t throw it out – roast it!)

I use fresh rosemary from our yard.  The recipe calls for 2 sprigs of rosemary.  I take the leaves off of the stems (just run your fingers down the length of the stem from top to bottom and they’ll fall right off) and mix them right into the fruit.

The recipe calls for 2T. unsalted butter and 2-3T. sugar.  The last time I made this recipe I forgot to add the sugar – and Josh said he liked it even better!  So you can play around with how much sweetness you add to this dish, another plus.

Also add 1T. fresh lime juice. Did you know that if you gently roll a lemon or lime against your counter top (press down just a little as you roll), it will give more juice?  I’ve also read that you can microwave lemons and limes briefly and they’ll produce more juice as well.

Mix everything together in a roasting pan and roast in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the fruit is tender and there is lots of juice in the pan.  I usually give the fruit a stir about half way through.

Let cool for a bit and serve over your favorite frozen yogurt or icecream.

Usually I use 1 of each fruit and that makes just enough for Josh and I.  This time, I made a bigger batch.  I’m going to try keeping it in the fridge and warming it slightly in the microwave for desserts over the weekend.

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Here are some other Roasted Fruit variations:

1.) From Ina

2.) From Rachael Ray

3.) From Giada De Laurentiis

Hope you’re all enjoying the fruits of summer!

Now what’s that other Spoonful been up to?

Jenn : )

Hello, Readers!

Ginny and I are continuing our exploration of Alton Brown’s I’m Just Here For The Food and I‘m Just Here For More Food.

Technically, my next chapter should be Grilling/Broiling….but between the rain, sleet and snow we’ve been sporadically having, I’m going to save those topics for when the weather’s nicer.  Boy, have I gotten thin skinned since we moved to the Northwest. If we still lived in Chicago – I’d probably be out there firing up the grill!  But, I digress…

Instead, I’m going to talk about the deliciousness of roasting.  Mmmm… roasting.  I’m barely touching the tip of the iceberg here, because roasting can be applied to so many different foods; from the simple to the complex.  Honestly, I think I could do a month’s worth of roasting blog posts.  Can you tell it’s one of my favorite cooking methods?

About learning to roast, Alton says: “It may take some time and attention, and you might even overcook a roast or two, but in the end you will be one of the few, the proud – the roasters.”

Alton’s chapter on roasting is incredible.  He shares a great deal of knowledge, including the how’s and why’s of what roasting is and controlling temperature to achieve the best results. I couldn’t begin to summarize all the information in this chapter (which is why I highly recommend adding this book to your kitchen must-haves!) Instead, I will give you a short list of Alton’s roasting tips:

* Roasting is not about time, it’s about temperature.

* By exposing the roasting item to different temperatures at different stages of the cooking process, you can have both a crusty outside and medium rare inside.

* For the best accuracy, especially when tackling a piece of meat, “Get a digital thermometer with a probe that attaches with a length of wire.”

* Bring foods to room temperature before roasting (for up to 30 minutes).

* Lightly oil the food that you want to roast.

* Always season the food that you want to roast: use kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, don’t be shy.

* “Roast at different temperatures. Either start low and finish high, or in the case of pork and chicken, vice versa.”

* Buy big – for leftovers!

* When buying beef, look for “choice” grades.  They’ll have better marbling and will keep moist while cooking.

* Rest meats after they come out of the oven. According to Alton: “Resting gives the heat and pressure inside the meat time to subside, and that allows the juices locked inside to be absorbed back into the meat tissues.”

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Alton provides 6 different roasting recipes in this chapter.

These range from the simple (baked potato) to more complex (rib roast).

I chose to make Slow-Roast Tomatoes.

To make these, you’ll need:

20 ripe tomatoes, halved crosswise

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

3 T. sugar

2 T. mixed fresh, minced herbs (thyme, rosemary & sage)

1T. kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees F (I actually set mine to 200 degrees). Place the tomato halves cut side up on a baking pan (one with a rack is best, if you have it), drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sugar, then herbs and finally salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for at least 10 hours.

These will keep well in a zip bag in the fridge, or you can freeze them.

Alton suggests: trying them on bread with basil and olive oil, adding them to salads, soups, risotto, pizza, spaghetti sauce.

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I halved this recipe and used 10 vine ripened tomatoes.

You can use any herbs that you like.

I have rosemary growing in my yard.

(And it’s a good thing we like it, because it grows like a weed!)

Mince your herbs as small as you like.

This is how my tomatoes looked before going in the oven.

And this is how they looked after roasting at 200 degrees for 10 hours.

They are delicious on a simple cracker or piece of bread, with a dollop of your favorite cheese.

Here I’ve used goat cheese.

I often find myself with a half container of sour cream, creme fraiche or ricotta, left over from another recipe.  You could use any of these to make a delicious hor d’oeuvre for your next get together.  Here I’ve mixed a bit of sour cream, a couple roasted tomatoes and sliced green onions – yum!

I hope you’ll give Slow Roast Tomatoes a try!

They really are worth making, since they are both tasty and versatile.

We’ll be happily munching on these until my next Two Spoonfuls post!

Now… I wonder what Ginny is baking over in her kitchen…

Jenn : )