tittle@alexandre-dumas.ICS.UCI.EDU (Cindy Tittle) (10/19/90)
In <1990Oct18.203445.4127@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> ccicpg!cci632!lcw@uunet.uu.net (Lori Wershing) writes: >I seem to remember this topic a while ago, but didn't save any recipes or >hints. That was me; I got snowed under in work shortly after that. However, I did collect all that was mailed to me, and this is as good an excuse to send it out as any. --Cindy -- From: Clark Quinn <quinn@unix.cis.pitt.EDU> Date: Fri, 7 Sep 90 09:00:26 -0400 Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh, Comp & Info Services Cindy, we tend to chop those sun-drieds up into little bits (ours are stored in olive oil), and throw them, as you suggested, into pasta salad and onto pizza. Decorative little bits of flavor. This follows one of my cooking principles, always maximize flavor. So, for the pasta salads, you can also throw in diced bits of artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, cheese, roasted peppers, etc. If you get any other spectacular or retrospectively-obvious suggestions, I'd like to hear them. -- Clark -- From: mrw@computer-lab.cambridge.ac.UK Date: Fri, 7 Sep 90 14:22:45 +0100 Organization: U of Cambridge Comp Lab, UK I sprinkle a few onto a spatchcock (or poussin or chook) along with some slithered almonds. Drizzle on some of the olive oil that the sun-dried tomatoes came in over the top and roast it - lovely. Also the oil is nice in salad dressings etc. Michael -- From: nish@eecg.toronto.EDU Date: Fri, 7 Sep 90 14:06:33 EDT Organization: EECG, University of Toronto Dried Tomatoes (DTs) are great in many things. You seem to have good ideas but want someone to confirm them. DTs vary a lot in moisture content and how they are stored. Some are very dry, almost brittle, and sold in plastic bags. Others are very juicy and plump and sold packed in oil. I've even had some that were packed in salt (which were too salty and I don't recommend them). Some DTs sold in bins are quite damp and some in oil are quite dry. If you have dry DTs you may have to "plump" them. For things likes pasta sauce or pizza dry DTs rehydrate during a bit of cooking. For canapes (see cheese) or salad you might want to briefly steam the DTs to plump them up. I sometimes put them in a cup with a bit of water (only 1/2 tsp or so) and zap them in the microwave for 10-30 seconds till the water boils. Let them sit (covered of course) and the steam will soften them. Never seen this recommended, but then I'm the goof who overdried some tomatoes one year. Pizza: chop DTs in strips or chunks and put on pizza. Because they burn easily, place them under other things (maybe on the sauce covered crust). Simply making sure you can't see them when the pizza is ready to go in the oven is ok. Pasta: I often saute some veggies (onion, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, and anything else including tomatoes) in olive oil. If the DTs are packed in olive oil, use that. Include some fresh or dried herbs such as basil and oregano to taste. When almost cooked add chopped DTs. If the DTs are very dry add them earlier, and if they are plump and juicy add them late. Toss with fresh cooked pasta and serve with grated parmesan, Romano, or other cheese. Often parmesan mixed with chopped parsley looks good. Salad. If you have oil packed DTs, make a simple vinegrette using the DT olive oil as the oil. A simple salad composed of fresh and chopped DTs on a bed of assorted greens with this vinegrette poured over it is great with a good grind of pepper. Had this at a restaurant. Cheese Spread. Finely minced DTs mixed into chevre or cream cheese makes a great cheese spread like those "herb cheese" things etc. In a similar vein, crackers spread with cream cheese or chevre with a DT on top is a decent simple canape. Meat Loaf: I have meat loaf recipe that has DTs in it. I can imagine them in many meat loaves. This recipe is in the red Silver Palate cookbook and is a bit more complex than your average meat loaf. You roll it up like a jelly roll with basil, cheese, and DTs in the spiral. The meat is a mix of ground beef and Italian Sausage. I like it best cold in thin slices as an appetizer, but it can also be served warm. Sauce: I have tried using DTs in tomato sauce for pasta. I had a recipe that called for them. To my disappointment the DTs disappeared. They must have rehydrated and broken up. In any case it was no longer obvious that they were there. In fact I'm not sure you could tell if they were in the sauce. If you try adding them to tomato sauce I suggest you add them at most 10-15 minutes before serving. The might be better as a garnish sprinkled on the sauce. The disappointing recipe was in one of the Silver Palate cookbooks. Pasta Salad? I'm sure DTs would be good in a lot of pasta salads though I haven't tried it or seen a recipe. They are sweet so look for an appropriate salad in which the sweetness will go well. DTs are very versatile and seldom spoil a dish. They make a great garnish, slivered, chopped, halved, or whole. Remember to use the oil some are packed in too. Its generally olive oil with some herbs and its very fragrant and tasty. Great for anything using olive oil and DTs or herbs and fresh tomatoes. Hope that gets your imagination working. Richard Nishimura -- From: pt06a!pacbell!john@ns.PacBell.COM Subject: sun-dried tomatoes Date: Fri, 7 Sep 90 16:35:09 PDT Cindy, I hope this recipe isn't too detailed, it's sure good... We use sun-dried tomatoes often, pasta sauces, salads and soups come to mind immediately. John T - Spaghetti Squash e/w sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, shallots, pimentoes, and etc... Colene and I developed this recipe from several sources, we tend to make it with slight modifications each time. I'd like to hear any additions you come up with - this version is vegetarian. Very colorful dish, good choice for a large dinner. (or leftovers) Easy to make too... Ingredients: (C = cup, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon) 1 good-sized Spaghetti Squash 1 to 2 oz sun dried tomatoes ( pile pieces into one overflowing cup,) softened in a bowl of boiling water for no more than two minutes. 2 to 4 shallots (more or less to taste), chopped 2 to 4 cloves fresh garlic (more or less to taste), chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped. 4 or more halves of red peppers (pimentoes - type sold in glass jars) or you might consider using fresh red peppers. 1/4 to 1/3 C good olive oil 1 to 3 T balsamic vinegar 2 bunches fresh basil leaves 1 t cumin, plus some lemon pepper & oregano Procedure: Split squash lengthwise with a heavy knife (careful!!), scrape out and discard seeds. Easiest cooking method is in the microwave, but bake it if you wish. For the microwave, place 'inside up' in rectangular glass dish, add 1/4 cup of water in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for about 10 minutes, or until just 'al dente'. While it's cooking, let's make the 'sauce.' Saute garlic and shallots in olive oil with bell pepper till just tender - don't brown. If you're using fresh red peppers, add these now. Coarsely chop red peppers (if using canned ones) and tomatoes, add to pan with cumin, lemon pepper and oregano. Add basil leaves and balsamic vinegar at the last minute, and cook only till the basil just wilts. Assembly: To assemble, scrape the squash halves 'across' (as in horizontally) to free the 'spaghetti' - try and keep it fluffy, place in serving dish. We use a large shallow pasta bowl. Pour the sauce over the squash and fold in - serve immediately. Keeps well, rewarm in microwave. Notes: too much bell pepper will overpower the dish. -- From: Dan Madison Byrd <dmbyrd@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.EDU> Date: Sun, 9 Sep 90 14:56:36 -0500 Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK I love them on pizzas, and in salads (with a little vinaigrette) (including pasta salads, as long as you can leave out the mayonnaise (dried tomatoes with mayo = ick!!)). -- From: Travis Lee Winfrey <travis@hudson.cs.columbia.EDU> Date: Mon, 10 Sep 90 19:57:14 EDT Well, they can be added to any stir-fry you think might be improved by it, say, a mix of peppers, onions, carrots, mushrooms in olive oil and butter (and maybe a tiny dash of anchovy paste, zingy but anchovy-haters won't notice.) They're nice on pizzas, particularly if there are pungent flavors to key off of, like goat cheese or olives. For this reason, I wouldn't add them to a salad unless the other flavors could hold their own. On the other hand, I would probably add them to a lasagna with ordinary bland ricotta. You can make a mayonnaise with them in the blender (leave a few diced for garnish) for dipping vegetables. As much as I have liked them in the past, I've had a wild range of success with different ones, to the extent that I'll suspicious of the little guys until I've had more success with them. Feel free to post or forward this in a group. -- From: Jade Walker <sasjw3@unx.sas.COM> Date: Tue, 18 Sep 90 16:33:22 -0400 Organization: SAS Institute Inc. Sun-dried tomatoes make a delicious addition to pizzas. Our company cafeteria made pizzas w/shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and fontina cheese, and they were great! Somewhere I have a recipe for chicken that you use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to brush over the chicken. Then, while broiling or grilling the chicken, chop up a lot of sun-dried tomatoes, add some julienned lemon peel, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes (and a couple other things, I forget) and serve the mixture as a salsa for the chicken. Yum! Jade Walker sasjw3@unx.sas.com