TOMATO CONCASSE

The excellent preparation for tomato eating is by peeling the skin, particularly the cherry tomato as it has tough skin.
Enjoy the tomato from your garden fully, and this is what you could do other eating them fresh. Peel the skin of tomatoes and also discard the seed, you will have tomato concasse that you could use them for further cooking.

Tomato concasse is a tomato that has been peeled, seeded (seeds and skins removed), and chopped to specified dimensions (wikip)

Using Cherry Tomatoes.
Harvested from my garden a few cherry tomatoes to concasse for serving pasta.

The Fresh Cherry Tomato

In hot boiling water, for one minute
for easy peeling.

 Score each tomato before putting into hot water and drain to transfer to cold water.  Peel the tomato immediately.  
Use the tomato for the base of sauces, salads and for other garnishes.

The Process

I serve it for salads, add into pasta dishes, or chopped up to make tomato soup or tomato sauce. You could discard the seeds before using the tomato if you wish.

A lovely cherry tomato salad, simply adds olive oil /vegetable oil and fresh herbs.

Cherry Tomato Salad with Fresh Herbs


The Ingredients that readily available in your pantry such as pasta, anchovies, olive oil and capers are essential to safe your busy day. Cooking pasta is quick and easy. In my pantry is always eggs, rice, and oil. Love cooking omelette on a working day.

Using tomato concasse to add to pasta

A delicious meal and easy preparation.  

You can make lots of tomato concasse and place in a clean jar, refrigerated.   It could stay there for a few days.

The large tomatoes can be done the same, prepare tomato concasse, use and serve whatever you like. 

Today is Wednesday, it is midweek already everyone, have a pleasant day today.

Susy

GORGEOUS GREEN.

Green is the colour of my vegetable patch right now,  the chilli is green at present, eventually will turn to red, and the tomato seems forever green, and you would understand why to keep on reading.
Green tomatoes for homemade bread.
HERB BREAD

Green Cherry Tomatoes
and Mixed Fresh Herbs

This quick mix bread, no yeast but using self-rising flour, is a delight, soft, light but it has a crusty texture for the outside.
 Slice the bread and buttered generously or add extra topping and serve it with tea, herbal tea or coffee
While I was porting around the garden, I saw some green tomatoes that will never turn red as the birds come daily to help themselves for their breakfast.  Good on them, but I would like to have a share of the green tomato too.  Picked some, I have an idea, and put it into reality which is baking herb bread and to enhance I shall add some green tomatoes in the mixture
Noted everything that I need, I got them all.  Confidently I will have the beautiful soft herb bread.  Here it is, Susy Herb Bread with Green Tomato.  Freshly Baked.

Golden and Crusty the Outside

The Preparation

The Preparation to Serve the Herb Bread.
Slice, butter, top with tomato, Flakes Parmesan Cheese, and rockets-the greens from the garden.

Sandwiches served with tea or coffee is enjoyable, and why not this savoury herb bread.  It was good to dress the bread and to share for morning tea. 

A New Recipe

Susy Green Tomato Herb Bread
Two cups self-rising flour and a pinch of salt
3 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and one egg

The Fresh Herbs: oregano, thyme, mints, chives and rosemary (chopped about 1/3 cup)
Twelve cherry tomatoes, chopped.
(Put in a blender, blend and chop, add 1/2 cup water to make a rough mixture)

To make the dough (it is not a doughy but a soft mixture)
Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl
Make a well in the middle, place the egg, herb tomato mixture, oil and stir it well. To mix, start from the middle and mixing together with the flour quickly.  Add water if you need more.  You must have a very soft dough.
Spoon the soft dough to the lined round cake tin, and bake in a hot oven for 22 minutes.
Leave in the tin for a few minutes after it cooked, and cool on a cooling tray.
Slice and butter to serve.  Add any topping as you wish.

The green herb tomato bread is indeed a delight.

FRESH    SILVERBEET



Another gorgeous green from my vegetable patch is silverbeet the leftover plants from last winter.  I harvested, and I am not sure what I am going to do with.  Silverbeets is similar to spinach, I could cook it the same.
The leaves are not soft, it may be useful to cook it as a wrap.  Meatloaf wrapped in Green Silverbeets. Or ricotta pie wrap in the leaves.


  The self-sewn pumpkin is growing strong, the leaves are giant, and there is some pumpkin appearing in here and there, three small pumpkins so far.

 

One of the fig fruits, hopefully, stays to the harvest, only five fruits on the tree.

Lemon Balm

Pumpkin and Silverbeets

Green, Green, and Green, It's Good.

No, green is not dull but to add colour can be more inviting, the tomato was added to dress the herb bread. Colours represent beauty and happiness.

When my girls were small, they loved to draw, and how good it was to see their drawing work, full of bright, colourful pictures.  As parents, we were so pleased and proud to know that they're good kids.  Now they are good parents with happy and contented children.

I could bake bread pudding, add sultana only, but it looks subdued and boring.  Add red and green cherries to be more cheerful, place on a platter garnished with fragrant flower - lemon verbena to be festive, and exciting.

The Bread Pudding - To Dress the Pudding.

Prepared with care, the pudding was enjoyed with friends for morning tea.

As the saying goes:  People Who Love Food Are Happy People.

Soon the Gorgeous  Green in my vegetable garden will be no more, red chillies and purple eggplant will be adding the colour on the place.
Wellcome Colours!


Next Post Soon.
Susy

Cooking Lesson.

Javanese Cooking

One of the best chicken dish based on Javanese cooking is Opor Ayam or Chicken Curry.  I love to cook the dish for my family because of its deliciousness, and it can be served two ways.  The fully cooked chicken before it is added with coconut milk is deliciously fresh and fragrant and served with white steamed rice. That chicken dish is named  Ayam Bumbu Rujak.  However, the last step to cook the chicken curry or Opor Ayam is to add coconut milk and bring to simmer, keep on simmering for 10 minutes.  Serve hot with rice.  The dish is creamier.
You have two choices, one way is served without added the coconut milk, and the other one is added.

You may like to try to cook this delicious Javanese dishes, for that, I invite you to follow me how to go about to cooking it, treat it as a Cooking Class
I am thinking of my three girls as well, often they ask me for recipes of Javanese cooking, they love the food and cooking them, but they want to be sure how to cook them properly.

Ayam Bumbu Rujak and Opor Ayam.
You need a Large whole Fresh Chicken

What herbs and spices do we need?

The Herbs and Spices

Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, lime or lemon and salam leaves and cinnamon stick.
(Turmeric, coriander seeds, onion, garlic, ginger, galangal, - make these ingredients into a fine paste add the juice of limes and mix well)

The cooking process

Sauteing the Spices
Pan-fry the paste with oil to release the fragrance and cook it for five minutes, add a little water to prevent of burning.

To butterfly the chicken

To butterfly a chicken, place it on a cutting board with the breast side down and the tail of the chicken facing you. Using kitchen shears, cut down the entire length of one side of the backbone. With the breast side still down, turn the chicken so that the neck end is facing you. Cut along the entire length of the other side of the backbone. Remove and discard the backbone. Turn the chicken over so that the breast side is up. Open the chicken out onto the cutting board. Flatten the chicken using the palm of your hand. (based on my recipe)

And This is what I did.

Cut the chicken through the backbone, flatten chicken using the palm of your hand.  Rub the spices in inside and outside of the chicken, place it on a casserole dish breast side up. Pour the rest of the spices over.

Add in the fresh leafy herbs, and drizzle with some oil.

The lemongrass, I used a few pieces that I picked of my garden, but if you buy good strong stem lemongrass from the shop one is enough. 

Fresh turmeric, ginger and galangal can be purchased in the market.

How do I cook it?

This Javanese cooking is cooked my way. The cooking is a braising method which is done inside the oven.  Traditionally in Java, the braising is done on top of the stove or on an open wood fire.

Braise in the Oven

Put the lid on and cook in the hot oven at 200 degrees C for 33 minutes.  Let it be and do not disturb the chicken, continue cooking over a lower hat at 155 degrees C for one hour.

To Serve: Two Ways

Ayam Bumbu Rujak

The Chicken is Cooked.  Cut to small pieces, and serve with the juices.  This dish without coconut milk is so delicious.  You could stop here, and the dish is named Ayam Bumbu Rujak. It is so good as the fragrant of the herbs and spices stand out well and very flavoursome.

OR

Continue Cooking. Add a tin of coconut milk, stir in and mix with the juices,  pour into the chicken, cook, bring it to simmer let it simmer for 10 minutes.  Now the cooking has done.  The dish is named Opor Ayam (Curry Chicken in mild sauce,  Javanese Style).  The opor ayam is creamy because of the coconut milk.  Check the seasoning, you may need to add salt.

My cooking technique to cook the dish is not the same as the Javanese tradition. First, would seal the chicken in oil, followed by braising, which is done on top of the fire or stovetop.
I do it my way, it is braised in the oven, a practical approach it is more comfortable and less messy. The result is good.

Continue Cooking - Opor Ayam

 Cut the chicken to small pieces.  Add and mix a tin of coconut milk to the juice of the chicken.

Cook to simmer, and let it simmer for ten minutes.

 Check the seasoning, you may need extra salt and add a little brown sugar. Add fried shallots

Serving the Opor Ayam: A piece of chicken with the sauce.

.

The Garnishes
Serve with steamed white rice, garnished with  acar (fresh pickled cucumber)

The Quantities and Ingredients.

Here they are.

Recipe
Susy Ayam Bumbu Rujak-Opor Ayam
A sizeable fresh chicken no 22
2 fresh lime
1 tablespoon salt
(Wash the chicken, pat to dry and form the backbone cut the chicken, rub with lime juice and the salt)

Herb and Spices
To make the paste
Place all ingredients to a blender to make a paste
- one sizeable peeled onion, chopped
-5 clove garlic, peeled
- small ginger, as big as a walnut
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Laos or galangal powder* (you could use the fresh one, please continue reading)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

Other herb and spices
1/2 cinnamon stick, 1 lemongrass, *a small piece of fresh galangal (as big as a thumb), and 5 kaffir lime leaves and 2 Daun salam (salam leaves-Javanese herb)
Vegetable Oil.
Method
Saute the spice paste in oil over medium-hot until fragrant, add a little water to moisten.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Add more liquid to make the paste has a saucy consistency.  Keep aside to cool.

The chicken
Wash and Dry the chicken, butterfly the chicken by cutting through the backbone.
Rub the chicken with the cold cooked spices inside and outside.  Place the chicken in a baking dish, breast sides up, now pour the rest of the spices over and drizzle with a little oil.  Put the fresh herbs, cinnamon stick,  other ingredients over the chicken.  Place the lid on and cook in the hot oven at 200 degrees C for 33 minutes.  After that, lower the heat to 155 degrees C  and keep on cooking for 1 hour.
Leave the cooked chicken rest in the oven (the heat is completely off) for one hour. You will find flavoursome juices around the chicken after the resting.

Take the dish out, and you could serve this in room temperature with steamed white rice.  You have the Ayam Bumbu Rujak-the dish no 1.

Add a tin of coconut milk onto the chicken, cook on the stovetop to simmer for 10 minutes.  Now, you have the Opor Ayam-the dish no 2.

Notes:
Please look to the pictures above for easy reference
How to make acar and how to cook rice, please look on older posts
Shopping: all ingredients are readily available at Asian Grocery Store, Supermarkets and Markets.
Cooking Utensil: a large casserole dish or la Creuset pot.
Heavy Thick Mitton is required.


The Lesson is Over, I hope you learnt well, enjoy the recipe.   Happy Cooking and Have Fun!

Shortly, I may be able to share about how to cook eggplants Javanese Style.  Stay Tuned.

Quotes about food.

"A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness"  Elsa Schiaparelli.

"People who love to eat are always the best people." Julia Child

Let me know how you went with the cooking, did you like it!
Susy

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Special message to my  Girls, now I want you to have fun to cook the delicious Javanese cooking, I think the recipe is easy to follow, and the ingredients are readily available in supermarkets or markets. You will have no problems to find everything for cooking Javanese food in the Netherlands, Jane.
Enjoy the recipe, have fun and happy cooking to you, Susan, Jane and Melanie!  Love you all! xx

I remember vividly when you Melanie, lived in Japan, lots of time to ring me asked for the recipe on how to cook rice.  (Oh dear, what, have I done!). Thanks for the rice cooker now! But your dedication in cooking is amazingly good that makes you a better cook, and you love cooking for the family.  Every day you are very busy with work-teaching is lots of responsibilities, but one day during the school holiday you may try to cook these Javanese dishes, and the recipe is here, ready for you.

MUM💗