Fresh Tomato Sauce

Summer is dwindling away and I am so excited for all the amazing fall produce that’s coming our way. I got some insanely good Wildfire Gala apples in my farm share (fun fact: these are one of the first apple varieties of the season). A little apple crisp à la Bittman combined with a drop in temperature was just what I needed to get me in the mood for autumn.

But before we kick summer to the curb, it’s time for a last hurrah with gorgeous late-season tomatoes. Those tomatoes have been so good to us all summer - sliced and salted with some olive oil (or not); chunkily chopped on bread with lettuce and mayo, maybe some bacon, because bacon; diced with garlic and basil for easy peasy bruschetta… I might just shed a tear.

One of the simplest ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes is to make a straightforward tomato sauce. This summer, I’ve been loving a raw tomato sauce: olive oil lazily infused with some smashed garlic cloves and basil all day, then, a couple of hours before eating, mix in tomatoes that have been chopped and salted. Drop in some pasta and maybe some fresh mozzarella and you have a meal. Sometimes, though, I want something a little smoother and, frankly, a little more freezable. (I’ve never canned anything in my life - the idea that I would do it wrong, contaminate my family’s food, and make everyone sick haunts me - but it might just be time to start looking into it because my freezer is full to bursting.)

This tomato sauce is a little more complex, but it doesn’t detract from the tomatoes on bit - and it’s well worth it. It only takes about 15 minutes of hands on time, and then it can simmer away unattended for quite a while if you’d like to really develop the flavor. I don’t mind keeping it short and sweet - I rarely have a lengthy prep time before blood sugar levels drop dangerously in my household - and this sauce doesn’t suffer from having a bit of fresh tomatoeyness about it.

I’m always pretty excited about eating a giant bowl of pasta, and cheese is definitely a factor in that. I maybe have gone a little overboard with two cheeses in the sauce and one on top, but go big or go home. I used both Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano in the sauce as almost a seasoning. These are two delicious, highly regulated Italian cheeses, made from cow and sheep’s milk respectively. From its nubby size, you may detect that I use Parmigiano quite a bit - it’s nutty and it adds umami to whatever it touches. Pecorino is a bit more unique, salty with a tang from the sheep’s milk. Finally, to get creaminess and that cheese pull that will follow you into your dreams, top steaming pasta with fresh mozzarella.

You can use less cheese if you really want. And would this still be very good with a high quality canned tomato? Absolutely, and I don’t doubt I’ll be doing that in a couple of months. Similarly, you could substitute dried oregano and basil for the fresh, keeping in mind that dried herbs have a much more concentrated flavor (roughly substitute 1 tsp dried herb per 1 tbsp fresh herb). Make this your own: add more garlic; change up the herbs; leave your sauce chunky. Personally, I recommend all the cheese.

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Fresh Tomato Sauce

Servings: 4-6 || Time: 45 mins || Inspiration: Summer tomatoes

• Olive oil - 2 tbsp

• Onion - 1 medium, diced

• Garlic - 2 cloves, minced or crushed

• Fresh tomatoes - 1.5 lbs, roughly chopped

• Fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme, basil - 1 tbsp each, chopped

• Parmigiano-reggiano - 2 tbsp, grated

• Pecorino-romano - 2 tbsp, grated

Heat olive oil in a medium-large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until it begins to turn translucent. Add garlic. Once garlic has turned golden, but before it browns, add the tomatoes and fresh herbs of your choice. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have begun to break down and release their juices.

Bring to a low simmer and cook 15 minutes more, until tomatoes are very broken up and a sauce begins to form. You may continue to cook past this point, for 30 minutes more - if at any point the pan looks dry, add water to prevent burning or sticking. When sauce is cooked to your liking, stir in the cheeses.

For a smoother sauce, pass through a food mill (I used the coarsest grind) or blend in a food processor.

Toss sauce with your favorite pasta and top with chopped or torn mozzarella. Or freeze to lock away a little bit of summer.

Fried Catfish

Last night was a rough night for my exhausting devil child beautiful young daughter. I’ve read that 75% of babies her age can sleep through the night (defined as what I can only imagine is a glorious 8-12 hour stretch). But we are members of the bleary 25% who are still waking up at least twice - or in the case of last night, five times - each night for feedings. 

So dragging myself into the kitchen this morning - large cup of coffee in hand - to tackle the marinade for my dinner plan was less than appealing. But I did it, and, oh, was it worth it.

I got some catfish from my fish share this week, and I have to admit I know next to nothing about it. I think it has whiskers? According to my mother, catfish is “very Louisiana” and “definitely a bottom feeder” and also absolutely delicious. I found this fried catfish recipe from Chef Todd Richards, author of Soul - and he got it from his mother. So that speaks pretty highly for it, no?

This catfish is incredibly easy and incredibly delicious. My morning task was to immerse the catfish in a buttermilk marinade with Worcestershire, powdered onion, powdered garlic, hot sauce, salt and pepper. After that, you can basically ignore it except to give it a turn at midday. 

But... I have to admit I was a little intimidated by this recipe. Frying isn’t a common technique in my household, not out of any opposition to frying but because I’ve always assumed it’s something that requires a high level of skill. Also, I’m extraordinarily lazy when it comes to cleaning up and I was under the impression that frying was extremely messy. Turns out, I was delightfully wrong on all fronts. 

After doing some research, I identified two key tricks for frying. First, measure the temperature of the oil. I didn’t have a thermometer to leave in the oil, so I used an instant read thermometer to get to a pretty confident 350°F reading. Second, like any time you dredge, remove any excess liquid (in this case, buttermilk marinade) and excess grain (in this case, cornmeal). (As a newbie, I’m very interested in hearing other people’s expertise on this topic!)

Despite all my fears, this catfish was incredibly easy and a total hit at home. The crust was flavorful and crispy, the meat was moist and tender. And I didn’t destroy my stove with an oil storm, which has now opened my mind and heart to frying at home.

I highly recommend serving this up with something to cut the richness — something fresh like a tomato, or acidic like pickles, or bitter like lightly sautéed Swiss chard. These corn jalapeño muffins are amazing, too. At the end of the day, you will not regret dragging yourself into the kitchen to get this going.

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Fried Catfish

Servings: 4 || Time: 45 minutes || Source: Chef Todd Richards

• Catfish fillets - 1.5lbs

• Vegetable or canola oil - 4 cups

For the marinade

• Buttermilk - 2 cups

• Worcestershire - 2 tbsp

• Hot sauce - 1 tbsp

• Garlic powder - ¼ tsp

• Onion powder - ¼ tsp

• Salt - 1 tsp

• Black pepper - 1 tsp

For dredging

• Cornmeal - ½ cup

• Cayenne - ½ tsp

• Salt - 3 tsp

• Black pepper - ½ tsp

Up to eight hours before cooking, combine the ingredients for the marinade in a gallon bag or shallow baking pan and add the catfish. Refrigerate.

When you’re ready to cook, combine the dredging ingredients on a large plate or shallow bowl.

Heat vegetable oil in a large pan (cast iron or stainless steel) over medium heat until it reaches 350°F.

Working with as many pieces of catfish as you can fit in the pan at one time, remove the catfish from the buttermilk and dredge in the cornmeal mixture, shaking to remove excess. Let stand for five minutes as the oil heats.

Add the catfish to the oil and fry until golden brown, around 4 minutes per side. Use tongs to check for browning and turn when it’s turned golden brown. Remove catfish to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Serve with tartar sauce, hot sauce, lemon, and your choice of sides.