The last couple of weeks have been surreal, as if the world has been turned upside down. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, life, as we know it, has taken a drastic turn and it’s scary and stressful. We have been asked to work from home if possible, to be safe and to keep everyone around us safe as well. This has impacted everyone and I can say we are living in very uncertain times.
Amongst all the bad stuff, the silver lining, at least for me, is that this situation has forced me to take a step back, to slow down, to appreciate the good things and to concentrate in what’s really important, which is to take care of ourselves and our families and neighbours, and to be kind to one another.
My happy place is the kitchen, and when I feel stressed you will find me there - cooking is my therapy! Thankfully I have a well stocked kitchen and pantry, and this is my opportunity to start emptying the freezer, the place that more often than not sees things go in, but never out! These days I have not been really planning meals, but rather cooking from the pantry and freezer, using up what I have. So with that in mind, I’m sharing the recipe for a very tasty Mexican style bruschetta, made with cherry tomatoes.
A few summers ago, I was fortunate enough to get a gift of organically grown, perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes that were harvested by the Horticulture students at my local college. I was so excited! For a Chef, that is one of the most beautiful gifts you can get! Inspired by the sun-dried tomatoes I saw in Sicily, I decided to oven-dry these beauties, but adding some garlic, olive oil and herbs. I could have gone traditional using rosemary, thyme and parsley, but instead I decided to give these tomatoes a Mexican twist by using epazote.
Epazote is an herb used in many traditional Mexican recipes. It has a very pungent aroma reminiscent of anise, fennel and tarragon, and once it cooks, it blends beautifully with the other ingredients in the preparation.
This recipe could not be any easier - you just need some patience because it needs to cook very slowly. Slow baking in a low temperature oven cooks the tomatoes in such a way that they start to caramelize and then they pack a huge flavour punch. Toss everything together, and then let the oven do the work. Check every hour and bake for 2-3 hours, depending on how dry you want your tomatoes. Once they’re done, you can use them in many ways - in pastas, blended into salad dressings or dips, or use them to top fabulous bread toasts like this bruschetta.
Make a mixture of crema and cotija cheese, add some fresh herbs like chives or parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Spread this mixture on your toasted bread with top with the oven-dried tomatoes. Garnish with a bit of epazote and you’re ready to enjoy a fabulous taste of summer in the middle of this Ottawa early spring. And it’s OK to enjoy it even if you can’t share it with anyone at the moment.
Stay healthy and stay safe!!
BRUSCHETTA DE TOMATES SECOS AL EPAZOTE
Bruschetta with Epazote Oven Dried Tomatoes
1 lb ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced thick
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 Tbsp fresh epazote leaves, torn (or 1/2 tsp dried)
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp coarsely ground pepper
Bruschetta:
1 small baguette, sliced horizontally and cut into 2 1/2” pieces
¾ cup queso cotija, grated (or you can substitute with Feta cheese)
¾ cup crema or sour cream
3 Tbsp finely sliced chives
Salt and pepper to taste
10-12 small fresh epazote leaves or cilantro leaves for garnish
To make tomatoes:
On a baking tray, combine tomatoes, garlic, thyme and epazote leaves, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss everything together and bake in a preheated 250°F oven.
After one hour of slow baking, they start to get a bit wrinkled. Don't stir them too much, as they will fall apart - they are very soft at this point.
Bake for another hour (you can bake them for up to another hour, depending on how dry you want them to be). Let them cool on the tray and then place in a glass jar. If not using immediately, top tomatoes with additional olive oil and store them in the fridge.
To make bruschetta:
In small bowl, combine queso cotija with cream and mix well. Add chives and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place bread on baking tray and toast under the broiler until nicely browned, about 2 minutes.
Spread some of the cheese cream mixture on each piece of toast. Top with some of the tomatoes, garnish with small epazote leaves and serve right away.
Makes 12 bruschetta.