Heirloom Tomato Terrine

OK, get ready for a lot of work!

Line a loaf pan or Tupperware with plastic and spray with olive oil.  Cut small slits on the bottoms of 4lbs of heirloom tomatoes.  Blanch and shock tomatoes for 20 sec two times.

Peel tomatoes, quarter them and remove seeds and guts.  Save guts and put in a sieve over a bowl.

Lay out on paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Let sit while making the vegetable stock.  Pat with paper towels to remove liquid. 

Put all seeds and guts from tomatoes into a fine sieve and push out all liquid into bowl.  Add 1 and 1/2 Tsp of gelatin.  Whisk til dissolved.  Let sit.

Chop 2 carrots, 2 celery stocks, 1 leek, and add to about 3cups of water.  Add 1/2 a shallots, 10 parsley stalks, 10 peppercorns, 3 bay leaves, and boil for about 15 mins. til reduced to about 1 and 1/2 cup.  Strain liquid and to tomato water and gelatin.  Add stock and 2 tsp red wine vinegar and 2 Tbs of chopped chives.  Whisk all together.

Pour about 1/2 cup into pan.  Let sit in fridge for about 40 mins until set.  Layer tomatoes on top of gelatin and add a Tsp of liquid to each layer. 

Squeeze down and lay plastic over tomatoes.  Place a lid or another pan on top of that.  Press down and place can goods on top of that to weigh it down.  This was too much weight in the picture.  Only press down a little so that some of the gelatin mixture remains.  Put into a larger container to catch any spills.  Refrigerate for a day or two.  Mine didn't have enough gelatin mix to hold it together because to much of it had been displaced by pressing it down.

This is what it looked like after unmolding it.  Cut into slices and serve with some dressed greens and pesto.  I tossed some Mache (lamb's lettuce) in olive oil and salt and pepper and served with it.

Makes a refreshing summer appetizer.

Overall, not for the beginning cook.  This was quite a bit of work even for me.  Its very pretty and tastes great but be prepared for a few hours of prep.

Sockeye Salmon with Orange Kale Cous Cous and Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients:

Sockeye salmon filets

1 Sweet potato per person - baked

Half a heart of romaine per person

Kale

2 cloves garlic minced

1 Minneola or Orange

A few green onions

Chicken stock

Isreali Cous Cous - cooked and kept warm

Do the sweet potatoes first because they can be held warm in a pot with cling wrap pressed down on top of it and covered with a lid.  Peel sweet potatoes and cut into1 1/2" cubes and boil in water til soft.  Drain water and mash with salt and 1 Tbs of butter.



For the kale, chop the garlic and kale and saute over med heat in a little olive oil for a few mins.  Then add a 1/4 cup of chix stock and reduce til liquid is almost gone.  Add orange zest and squeeze the juice into the pan.  Cook another few mins and add cooked couscous and sliced scallions to it and heat another minute.  Remove from heat and keep warm.



Cut romaine heart long way down the middle and spray with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Grill for a minute on each side if you can.  Otherwise heat a pan to med high or high heat and brown on each side briefly.

Season the salmon filet with S&P and any of your favorite seasonings.  Saute in olive oil flesh side down for 3 mins on Med high heat.  Turn over and turn heat down to just below med and cover partially.  Cook another 4 mins or so.