Tuesday, August 18, 2009

What I Made for Dinner: August 18, 2009

Grilled pizzas, slow-roasted grape tomatoes with artichoke hearts.

I used sauce and meat left over from last night to make the pizzas. This is my first time cooking pizza on the grill, and I wasn't thrilled with the results. Leaving a pizza on long enough to melt the cheese meant that the crust got charred. I'll have to think about it and try again another time.

The tomato-artichoke thing came from Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef, mostly. His recipe has you break down four globe artichokes for their hearts, which is a ludicrous task even for someone who doesn't have three restless boys bugging her while she tries to make dinner. I used a box of frozen artichoke hearts; I bet canned would be just as good.

Slow-roasted grape tomatoes with artichoke hearts (serves four)

One pound grape tomatoes, or a combination of grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, or regular tomatoes cut into the approximate size of grape tomatoes
Eight-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into ribbons
2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 2 tablespoons fresh if you have it and feel like running to your mosquito-infested herb garden for it)
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
A little grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Defrost the artichoke hearts in the microwave, following package directions. Warm one T of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet. Add the artichoke hearts, garlic, and half the thyme; cook just until the garlic softens, then add the lemon juice and cook for a few more minutes, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.

Toss the tomatoes with one T olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil. mix well, then add to the skillet with the artichoke hearts. Mix them together and spread the whole thing evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme. Cook in the oven for about 40 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if you like.

3 comments:

  1. I was thinking, when we make that duck thing - since we are talking about using frozen pastry or premade, do you think we should use a chicken instead of a duck?

    I am getting obsessed with the idea of this recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jenna suggested a test run using a chicken instead of a duck. I think we could make a poor man's pate de canard en croute: Pate de poulet en croute glacee (or pre-fabrique).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jodi:

    If you don't already use something similar, consider purchasing a "Za Grill" pizza pan. They work really well, although it may take a couple of sacrificial offerings to get the timing down.

    In fact, Chez Neville featured grilled pizza last night.

    ReplyDelete