Tomato Summer Pudding Recipes

TOMATO SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes in 2 batches in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling water, 1 minute per batch. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel, beginning from scored end, with knife.
• While tomatoes are cooling, mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. Halve tomatoes crosswise, discard cores, and scoop seeds into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press on seeds to extract liquid, then discard seeds. Coarsely chop tomatoes, then coarsely purée in batches with strained tomato liquid in a blender or food processor.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic paste, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and carefully add a small amount of puréed tomatoes near side of skillet (sauce will splatter and bubble vigorously). When bubbling subsides, add remaining purée, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Return skillet to heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature, about 1 hour, then stir in vinegar.
• Trim crusts from bread slices, reserving crusts for another use. If using Pullman loaf, cut 4 slices in half diagonally, then cut 1 round from 1 more slice using cookie cutter. If using round loaves, square off 5 slices of bread from center of loaf and cut triangles and 1 round in same manner. Ladle 3/4 cup sauce into soufflé dish and spread to cover bottom. Line bottom of dish with bread in a pinwheel shape, putting round in center and fanning triangles around it, covering sauce completely (you may have 1 triangle left over). Ladle 1 1/4 cups sauce over bread layer, spreading evenly to cover. Cover sauce with more bread slices, trimming as necessary to fit in 1 layer in dish. Repeat layering 3 more times, using 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce each time and ending with bread. Cover top layer of bread with remaining sauce. Cover surface with plastic wrap, then top with a plate small enough to just fit inside dish. Weight pudding with 2 heavy cans (about 2 pounds total) and chill at least 12 hours.
• Remove weights and plate and run a thin knife around edge of dish. Invert a large plate over pudding and invert pudding onto plate. If any sauce remains in dish, spoon it over pudding. Cut into wedges, drizzle with olive oil, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

TOMATO SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• Have enough tomatoes to overfill the mold you will use. Dip into boiling water and peel them. Chop roughly and sprinkle with good sea salt and black pepper plus a tiny bit of sugar. Pour some passata, a puree of tomatoes, into a large soup plate and season with lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, and maybe a touch of hot pepper sauce. Soak the bread slices briefly in this mixture and line your mold with them, leaving no cracks nor crannies. To the tomatoes add as much minced garlic as you fancy, plus a good measure of olive oil and lots of torn-up basil leaves. Adjust the seasoning and pour the whole lot into the bread-lined mold. Seal the top with more soaked bread. Place a receptacle on top with weights (such as cans of food) and leave overnight in the refrigerator. Unmold onto a fine dish and surround with goodies-quail eggs, olives, sweet peppers, capers or what you will. A bowl of sour cream might be handed around with it, or good homemade mayonnaise.;

SAVORY TOMATO BREAD PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a small saucepan simmer tomatoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne, stirring, 5 minutes.
• In a bowl drizzle butter over bread squares and toss to coat. Divide bread squares between two 1-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups and top each serving with half of tomato mixture.
• Bake tomato puddings in middle of oven 20 minutes.

SUMMER PUDDING

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, stir together nectarines, sugar and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fold in raspberries and blackberries and cook until juices are thickened, at least three minutes. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Pour into a large bowl and let cool.
• Line an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. When fruit is cool, cover base of pan with layer of brioche, cutting it to fit. Spoon 1/3 of the fruit on top. Cover with layer of brioche. Repeat, ending with fruit. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on top, then another loaf pan containing 2 to 3 pounds of weights (soup cans work well). Chill overnight.
• When ready to serve, whisk together the crème fraîche, mascarpone and honey. Spoon into a serving bowl to be passed at the table. Remove weights, pan and top layer of plastic wrap from pudding. Unmold onto a serving plate with a lip so juices do not spill. Slice and serve.

BEST TOMATO PUDDING

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the water and tomato puree. Mix in the brown sugar, basil and salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, then set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Coat a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Place the bread cubes into the dish, and drizzle with melted butter. Pour the tomato sauce over all. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes.

TOMATO PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Pour the tomatoes into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Place the torn pieces of bread in a layer over the tomatoes, and dot with pieces of butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

SAVORY TOMATO PUDDING

Steps:

• Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Place them in a food processor and pulse until they are chopped fine. Or chop them fine by hand.
• Stir in the garlic, olive oil and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the bread into slices about 1/2-inch thick. You should have about 18 slices.
• Place 3 to 4 of the bread slices in the bottom of a 6-cup mixing bowl, trimming them if necessary so they completely cover the bottom of the bowl. Spoon about a quarter of the tomato mixture over the bread, enough to cover it. Make another layer of the bread, another of tomato, another bread, another of tomato and finish with a layer of the bread. Except for the bread in the bottom of the bowl, the other layers do not have to fit tightly.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then set a dish that will fit inside the rim of the bowl directly on the wrap. Weight this dish with a heavy can of food, a rock or other heavy object and place this assembly in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Put the bowl on a plate to catch any liquid that may spill over.
• To serve, remove the weight, the plate and wrap. Run a flexible knife or spatula around the pudding inside the bowl to loosen it. Unmold the pudding onto a serving dish that has enough of a rim to catch any juices. Garnish the pudding with sprigs of basil and serve in wedges.

MOM'S WINTER TOMATO PUDDING

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium low heat and add the chopped onion. Saute until the onion is transparent, about 10 minutes. Add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, and marjoram and stir well to combine. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the seasoned butter. Remove from the heat and reserve.
• Place the tomatoes in a mixing bowl and break them up into chunks by crushing against the side of the bowl with the back of a heavy spoon. Add the tomato paste and blend until smooth. Reserve.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F Generously butter a shallow 2 ½ quart baking dish. Spoon about half of the tomato mixture into the baking dish and top with half of the bread mixture. Repeat. Scatter the sliced onion over the bread cubes and dot with additional butter.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until tomatoes are thick and bubbling and onion is nicely browned. Serve warm. Serves 10-12.
• John Hadamuscin's Enchanted Evenings.