End of Summer Tomato Salad

Last night I was with a friend from Italy and we are two of the most different people you can imagine. We had a blast and laughed over the many differences.

I can throw a toothbrush and a razor in a backpack and go anywhere and he travels with an entourage of suitcases.

My closets have been converted to pantries and my wine refrigerator to a meat curing cube and he has more clothes than I can imagine wearing in a year.

The evening just reminded me how much I love the simple pleasures and made me think of one of my favorite meals. Simplicity in itself the base being just sliced tomatoes, but with a crust of bread and a glass of wine it is heaven.

As we soon will leave the season of abundant ripe tomatoes I encourage you to head to your garden or a Farm Market soon and try this for yourself. Reduce the number of anchovies if you must but don't eliminate them from this dressing. They provide a depth of flavor that makes the salad a meal.

I had variations of this all over Rome and Napoli so feel free to vary it yourself. With these good ingredients you can't go wrong.

• 1 cup pitted green and black olives, roughly chopped
• a nice handful of chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 20 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 1/4 cup capers
  
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
  
• A huge handful or 4 of fresh basil, chopped.
  
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup really fruity peppery extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  
• 4 large ripe tomatoes sliced

Stir all the ingredients together save the garlic. Get your cheese grater and grate the fresh garlic into the dressing and give it another stir.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a platter and use a spoon to mound this dressing over the slices. Serves two as a meal and 4 as an appetizer.

IF for any reason you have leftovers chop the tomatoes and store in the frig, the next day warm and toss over pasta...it makes a killer fresh pasta sauce. I will say the only time I had leftovers was when I did 8 large tomatoes for two persons, and even then...not too much left.

Maple Glazed Sausage and more Greenmarket appearances

Maple Glazed Sausage

We were taken to a fast-food café where our order was fed into a computer. Our hamburger, made from the flesh of chemically impregnated cattle, had been broiled over counterfeit charcoal, placed between slices of artificially flavored cardboard and served to us by recycle juvenile delinquents…Jean Michel Chapereau

I will be posting a schedule of upcoming Greenmarket Food Demos because these farmer’s mean a lot to me personally. When I first moved to NY I literally worked for food and came to know these and other wonderful, generous hardworking people who toil daily to satisfy our appetites for the best possible food. Our local farmers and artisan vendors feed us so well in NY. To those readers who live elsewhere; seek out your local markets and give your taste buds a treat they won't forget.

This dish is a great breakfast accompaniment on the non-pancake days or savory antipasti that can be served alongside some soft cheese and grilled vegetables. If you are in NY Grazin Angus makes a beautiful beef Italian, but this simple preparation is also good with Tamarak Farms Kilbasa, and Flying Pig Farms pork Andoule. If you have really good sausage made with naturally raised meat and REAL maple syrup you can't go wrong.

1 Link Sausage Per Serving
1 Tablespoon REAL Maple Syrup per Serving
A big handful of Fresh Sage

Full cook sausage links and remove to a board, slice sausage links into thick coin sized pieces and return to the pan. Drizzle with syrup until fully coated and the syrup begins to reduce. Toss in your sage and stir just until the sage sticks to the sausage. Serve hot or at room temperature.

NY Greenmarket Appearance

An announcement and a recipe.

This Sunday the 20th of September beginning at 11 a.m. I will be at the New York Greenmarket with Fusion On The Fly live creating multiple dishes out of fresh market ingredients. Show up at 77th and Columbus and taste some food with me. No reservations required.

We are so lucky that at most Greenmarkets in NY we have such wide choices of food from the freshest vegetables and meats to handmade cheeses and fresh pasta. I will only be adding seasoning and olive oil (both of which are available at the flea market across the street.)

I will be doing a variation of Green Beans Franca and something with her delicious smoked trout.

While I will not be making Ed's 5 pepper tacos I will be using some of his wonderful fruit in another dish.

One of my newest favorite 'Salads' is one of the simplest and most refreshing ways to enjoy summer.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Dipping Sauce
1 tablespoon hot chili oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Whisk together

Cut cucumbers into coin sized slices and using your best chopstick skill dip them in the sauce and eat. This dish will make you grateful for the last vestiges of Summer and there are so few calories you can eat as many cucumbers as you like.