 This is a very simple and delicious way to incorporate end of season tomatoes into a quick and delectable side. Gratins are both a dish and a technique. They are made when you brown the top of a dish often using a combination of breadcrumbs, cheese and egg. I typically find that the filling below the crispy crust is rich and creamy, a wonderful contrast. No complaints here but it's been mild in the San Francisco Bay Area and wanted to do something that was on the lighter, brighter side.
It's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of miso and try to incorporate it any which way that I can. By mixing the miso into the panko mixture you are turning up the dial on the flavor, specifically umami. That goes double for adding the Parmesan cheese. For best results, use the ripest, juiciest tomatoes that you can get your hands on.
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Corn is a bit of a sore subject for me. I grew up on a farm in the Midwest and when corn was in season we would have it every day, often twice a day. I can’t point to a single moment when it happened but after I moved out of my parents house I stopped eating corn. I didn’t make a big deal about it but I would never order anything that contained those crunchy kernels in restaurants.
So, I tell myself that I don’t like corn but I still make and enjoy this recipe. When I first set out to make it I intended it to be like a classic chowder with lots of cream. However, I didn’t want to make a roux so I mulled over ways to thicken it without resorting to flour. Thickening it with both cashews and pureed onions is, in my estimation, a far superior method for two reasons. One, there is very little nutrition that flour offers. With onions you get fiber and a very powerful antioxidant called quercetin. Cashews offer protein and copper. Two, the flavor is boosted by both ingredients, particularly the onions. They enhance the level of umami in the chowder, which balances the sweetness of the corn.  You may not believe it but apples and members of the allium family get along really well. Perhaps because they both share a natural sweetness? I love the flavors that arise from roasting them both. The leeks in particular lend amazing flavors: their sharpness is diminished while their inherent savory flavors are brought to the fore. It’s the sort of flavor that causes you to say “just one more bite” … and you continue to say it 10 bites later. It is impossible for me to make this recipe without stealing a fair bit of their roasted goodness from the pan. You may want to use a large leek…
Have you made agrodolce before? It’s a sassy sauce of Italian origin that can jazz up any and every plain Jane grain, legume or vegetable. Here, the sweet and piquant flavor of the agrodolce is a perfect foil to smooth out the bitterness that the quinoa imparts as well as give a lift to the earthy, roasted produce.  This is one of the recipes you reach for when the garden is in full production mode and you can’t keep up. It’s extraordinarily versatile and can be used to enhance all manner of dishes: add it to pizza along with some burrata and fresh basil. Fold it into pasta along with capers, olives and chile flakes for an avante garde version of pasta puttanesca. Smear a thin layer of white miso on toast and top with the tomatoes, flaky salt and a drizzle of the reserved oil. Pulse in a blender to create a base for an incredibly flavorful tomato soup. And on and on...
It is essential that you use seasonal tomatoes and some of the best olive oil your budget will allow. I love using this infused oil to finish soups, dip bread in and on and on... In the summer I like to buy flats of tomatoes from local farms and then spend the next few days in the kitchen transforming them. Holding a sturdy cardboard box of these heirloom jewels makes me feel rich. If you can, use dry farmed tomatoes for this recipe. Dry farming is when watering and irrigation is discontinued once the plants become established. The result? A brilliant water saving measure AND the most flavorful tomatoes you will ever have the pleasure of putting into your mouth. Dry farming is easier done in places that have rainfall patterns like California: a rainy winter and a precipitation free summer. So if you aren’t able to easily acquire these gems, don’t fret. The best tomatoes are still the ones that grow closest to you.
Shio koji is a salty, umami packed paste made from salt, water and, of course, koji. Koji is a brilliant Japanese ingredient that is made when a grain, usually rice, has been inoculated with the fungus Aspergillus oryzae and left to ferment for a few days. The fungus slowly digests both the proteins and the starches in the grain which results in a both a higher level of sugar and a higher level of free amino acids. The star amino acid is glutamic acid, which imparts savoriness to foods. Have you ever wondered what MSG, the darling of the packaged food world, stands for? Monosodium glutamate. Basically it is an isolated and refined form of what we are tasting when we eat Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and miso. This is one recipe that is a bit labor intensive but a little goes a long way and I promise that you will thank yourself when you are able to doctor up your soups, pastas and beans with a spoonful of this tangy, umamilicious concentrate. |
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