By David Harbilas

I sometimes fear that we’re becoming slaves to the internet and that “easier” forms of communication are taking the place of face-to-face conversations.

An old friend of mine recently reminded, via a post on a web-site, of the joys of gnocchi.

A perfectly made gnocchi is sometimes frustrating and sometimes deceptively simple, and rather than expound about how to make gnocchi (a subject for another blog?).

I’ll say that one certainty about gnocchi exists: tomatoes are their best friend. There is no sauce that completes gnocchi the way a simple tomato sauce does, but sometimes there is a simple variation that pushes things just a little over the top. This sauce, with some slight variations, comes courtesy of Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, chef-owners of Arrows, MC Perkins Cove, and Summer-Winter Restaurants in Maine and New Hampshire.

I first learned this sauce from them while cooking at Arrows in 1998. I’m convinced it is the best tomato sauce ever created, both for its flavor and simple preparation. The most important part is, of course, the quality of the tomatoes. An ordinary globe variety will do, so don’t bother with an heirloom, which is really best used raw, as in a salad. A well-ripened, sweet-as-can be tomato is going to make the best sauce possible, so look for that.

Serves 4

• 3 large globe variety red tomatoes
• olive oil Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Steamed mussels are as basic as it gets: put them in a pot with some white wine, garlic and butter and cook until they open.

Sometimes it’s good to add a little something extra, and most often on restaurant menus that means tomatoes.

Diced, raw tomatoes add acidity, but roasted tomatoes give a slow-cooked flavor to something that requires little assembly after the initial preparation.

Serves 4

• 2 pounds mussels, cleaned
• 6 plum tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• About 1 tablespoon sugar
• About 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Chicken thighs are an under-appreciated cut of the bird, and the reasons are fairly clear.

They are a stewing cut, they have a little more fat than the breast, and they aren’t as pretty as white meat.

Yet when treated for what they are, thighs are a truly great cut.

What is the thigh? It’s the lower portion of the leg closest to the body, and it has more meat than the rest of the leg. It also does not have as many tendons, which makes it easier to eat and a lot healthier. Plum tomatoes work best in this preparation, as they hold their shape over a long period of cooking and add texture.

Serves 4

• 8 chicken thighs, skin on
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 plum tomatoes, medium to large dice Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

I am a very visual person.

Like many of you, I get a gleam in my eyes when a new catalog comes in the mail because I have been given a new treat.

The vibrant colors and shapes just pop off the page and keep me riveted.

I felt the same way when I discovered FoodGawker. It’s a website where people can submit their recipes to their directory. The page appears as row after row of luscious foods.

I decided to see what they had listed for tomatoes. Here are some of the recipes I suggest you try based on their picture :

Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil, and Parmesan Muffins

I think most of us think of muffins as sweet, but these will prove that savory is just as good. Sun-dried tomatoes are from heaven, as well as Parmesan cheese. Match it with basil and it’s perfection.

Pininoa Tomato Sauce

This is basically an Read the rest of this entry »

By Kira Hamman

I had this for lunch today, and it made me feel a teeny bit better about the cold, grey, rainy day (which is great for the plants, I know, I know).

Ingredients

By Thomas Cenci

This is a lovely little dish that goes great for a starter, just simply serve it with a little salad and why not try out different combinations of cheese and garnishes.

Ingredients:
- 250g Puff pastry
- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 balls of mozzarella
- 5 Tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- 2 sprigs of thyme Read the rest of this entry »