I fell in love with tartines, or open-faced sandwiches, at a small lunchtime spot on rue du Dragon in Paris. The topping possibilities for tartines are endless—cheese, vegetables, meats, pate—but for this version I smeared ricotta on slices of no knead bread in a hurry. Next went a layer of sea salt with herbs de Provence, sweet red onion jam and rosemary for garnish.

I served this modified epicurious.com recipe with a simple salad for a light dinner. This jam-ricotta (or maybe chevre … mmmm) combination would work well atop cracker for an appetizer, as well.

Red Onion Jam
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary, plus a few sprigs for garnish
Black pepper

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan on medium heat. Add onions, sugar, and salt and cook until onions are soft and deep brown, about 20 minutes. Remove onions from heat, stir in balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes and rosemary. Add pepper and additional salt, as needed.

Cool completely, or serve warm. The jam will store in the refrigerator for several days.

Makes 4 to 5 sandwiches

Sandwich Preparation
Brush 4 to 5 bread slices with olive oil, and heat just until crisp in the oven. Top with 2 to 3 tablespoons of ricotta, a sprinkle of  sea salt, jam to coat and rosemary.

]]> http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/2009/12/13/tartine-with-ricotta-and-red-onion-jam/feed/ 1 http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/2009/10/20/fattening-up-for-winter-with-figs-and-butter/ http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/2009/10/20/fattening-up-for-winter-with-figs-and-butter/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:20:19 +0000 Caroline http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/?p=1209

Although my childhood fig repertoire largely was limited to the Newton variety, figs have become an annual autumnal treat, usually pared with grand portions of butter. Last year, I made a fig-hazelnut pasta from Sfoglia in New York. This year, I borrowed Melissa Clark’s New York Times recipe for a fig tart with caramelized onions, rosemary and Stilton, the crust of which is butter-packed puff pastry.

Initially, I planned this for a weeknight meal, but I failed to read the preparation, which called for cooking/caramelizing the onions 30 to 40 minutes. Oh well. We saved this for a slow Saturday.

Sweet figs and onions paired beautifully with funky Stilton. And though a heavy handful of pine nuts got lost in all the tart’s big flavors, the piney rosemary held its own. The crust was delicious and decadent, but I might experiment by making this into a galette—which would be cheaper than buying quality puff pastry and easier than preparing my own. 

For a more casual version (sans the butter guilt), I also found this recipe for grilled fig and prosciutto pizza from bakin’ and eggs.

To keep our veggie bellies full, I diligently have been trying to include protein in all of our meals. And with a pile of cooked great northern beans on hand, I whipped up a white bean spread to serve alongside salads this week. 

This is a ridiculously easy and versatile recipe. Just throw the ingredients into a food processor and turn them into tasty mush. I used rosemary, raw garlic and lemon, but you could easily substitute basil, oregano, cilantro, chives, onion, roasted garlic, lime juice, etc. 

I smeared the spread onto a thick piece of toasted bread to go with our salads (pictured) and stuffed a small avocado half with the bean spread for lunch the next day. The recipe would work just as well as a party dip or for bruschetta. 

White Bean Spread
2 cups cooked white beans (great northern, navy, etc.)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more)
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 to 2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth, adding olive oil and seasonings to suit your taste.

This is one of the most satisfying meals I’ve made in months, and it’s vegetarian eating at its best: creamy polenta flavored with pumpkin, butter and Parmesan topped with herby white beans. I’ve featured  polenta recipes on Occasional Omnivore before, but the toppings, rather than humble corn meal, have been the star. In this dish, polenta carries equal weight.

Since I made this over Labor Day weekend, I didn’t take any shortcuts. I made a giant batch of great northern beans from scratch, reserving leftover beans for future meals. But you could use canned beans to save time. I also chopped part of a calabaza squash (a pumpkin-like squash frequently used in Cuban cuisine) for the polenta, but you could open a can of pumpkin puree instead. (However, I wouldn’t skimp on the side dish brussels sprouts—sprouts, olive oil, S&P, coarse-grain mustard and a pinch of sugar @ 450° for 30ish minutes—which one of our dinner guests ate like candy.)

This recipe really could work either as a weeknight or full-production weekend meal, it’s your choice—and chance for vegetarian greatness. 

White Beans with Rosemary and Sage
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
2 (heaping) teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
6 cups cooked white beans (navy, great northern, etc.), drained from cooking liquid
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Heat olive oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add onion, and cook until it just begins to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in sage and rosemary, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in beans, and cook at least 5 minutes—the beans should absorb some of the the herby flavor. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. 

Serves 6 to as polenta accompaniment 

Pumpkin Polenta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups (or more) diced pumpkin or winter squash
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups corn meal
Kosher salt and pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add pumpkin and sautee for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook 3 minutes more. Add a 1/4 cup of  water to the pan, cover, and cook pumpkin until soft—5 to 8 minutes more. 

Pour the broth in with the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer. With an immersion blender, roughly blend the pumpkin, leaving it as chunky as you’d. Pour the milk into the pot, and bring to a boil.

Plunk in the butter, and whisk polenta into the pumpkin broth, breaking up any clumps. Go ahead and season liberally with salt (about 2 teaspoons) and pepper. 

Cook the polenta for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. (It will thicken quickly.) Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan, and make final adjustments with salt and pepper. 

Serve topped with white beans and remaining Parmesan cheese. 

Serves 6

Tortilla topped with sauteed spinach and tomato

Tortillas and frittatas make it into our dinner rotation every few months. Sometimes I use a recipe, but more often I craft these types of egg dishes based on the contents of my refrigerator. This was no exception.  

A lonely yukon potato provided the bulk of the tortilla. And since rosemary is a flavor I tend to neglect in summer, I decided to pluck a few fresh sprigs for this dish. I also topped the tortilla with sauteed spinach and tomatoes that begged to be eaten.  

A few notes on the recipe: The egg-to-potato ratio is a high compared to traditional recipes, but since this dish was built for one (hungry girl) I played with the proportions. Also, parmesan is clearly not a Spanish ingredient, but with a block in the fridge, who could resist. 

Spanish tortilla with rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 medium yukon gold (or other) potato
2 teaspoons minced, fresh rosemary
3 large eggs
Splash of cream or milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon parmesan (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to broil. Heat olive oil over medium high in a 6- to 8-inch non-stick pan. Add onions, and cook until light golden. Add potatoes, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until they begin to soften. 

Meanwhile, beat eggs, cream, and salt and pepper. 

Add rosemary to pan with onion and potatoes. Cook for 1 minute, and turn heat to low. Pour egg mixture into the pan, and cook gently. As the eggs cooks, lift a small side of the tortilla with a rubber spatula and let the uncooked egg run to the bottom of the pan—repeat 3 to 4 times. 

When the eggs are still runny on top, but set on the bottom, put the pan under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until the tortilla is completely set and puffy. 

Remove pan from over, and invert tortilla onto a plate.

Serves 1

P.S. A little wedge of this makes a mean breakfast sandwich. I stuffed a sour dough English muffin with tortilla and melted cheddar. Hmmm.