BLT Sliders with Peach and Cornmeal Crumble

There's no denying it- tonight's menu is a last grasp at summer.  If the menu didn't confirm it, today's weather certainly did.  Cool, wet and blustery with dramatic and shifting skies, autumn blew in with gusto and announced she's here to stay.  Michigan peaches were still plentiful at the farmer's market  ($1/lb for a bulk purchase!) but the vendor warned they might be out by the weekend.  Tomatoes... well, the fleeting season that was tomato season this year is nearing its end.  The overflowing bin of Illinois-grown tomatoes that sustained us at Stanley's all summer has vanished.  One small bin in the rear of the store held miniature local tomatoes which we surmise to be the last  plucked from the vines before the frosts move in.  (Serendipitously, they were perfectly sized for our BLT sliders.)

And about those BLT sliders...  let's talk about stumbling into a fan favorite!  With no other motive than to augment a hearty and filling soup (a reserved double-batch of sweet corn chowder from our last session) with something appropriately portioned, we employed the bar snack phenomenon of the decade: the slider.  Costco stocks 36-count bags of freshly baked dinner rolls that slice perfectly and toast into buttery goodness (think: Grandma's holiday table- an uncharacteristic departure from our commitment whole wheat, but truly, we could not find whole wheat slider rolls in bulk last evening!) With a simple flavored mayo and a good strong slice of cheese, the BLT turns warm and savory rather than crisp and tangy.  As it turns out, a delectable toasty sandwich is just right for a cool September night.

And to wrap it up, our last affair with summer peaches was all that we hoped for.  We came upon this rustic cake from Martha Stewart several years ago and have yet to seek another recipe.  There's something about warm peaches and cornmeal that's perfectly paired and infinitely comforting.  (We do omit the lavender for simplicity, but imagine you could find it at the Spice House on Wells.)  To take the recipe from 8 servings to 32, we greatly increase the amount of peaches and halve the amount of cake.  The flavors stay intact, but the baking time decreases and the end result is more fruit crumble than hefty dessert.  Best of all, the peaches shine in their starring role-- a fine way to bid farewell to summer food.  Enjoy!

BLT Sliders

Serves 36 persons with two sliders each

• 2 x 36-count bags of freshly baked dinner rolls
• 36 slices (about 36 oz) of sliced sharp cheddar cheese, each slice cut in half
• 32 oz nitrate-free pork or turkey bacon (roughly 36 slices), baked in the oven until crisp
• 4 lbs small ripe summer tomatoes, thickly sliced to yield 72 slices
• 3 cups mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup finely minced dill pickles OR 1/4 cup pickle relish
• 1 lb mixed baby lettuce OR mesculin greens
• 8 oz prepared olive oil vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard and relish.  Set aside.  Cut cheese slices in half.  Slice tomatoes and set atop a colander to drain until ready to use.

Slice dinner rolls in half horizontally.  Arrange rolls in a single layer on three full size commercial sheet pans, cut side up.  Top one half of each dinner roll with a slice of cheese and spread a generous layer of the mayonnaise mixture on the other half.

Break each strip of cooked bacon in half.  Lay a half strip of bacon atop each slice of cheese.  Top the other half of the dinner roll with a tomato slice.

Bake the sliders for approximately five minutes in a commercial convection oven or until the buns have lightly toasted and cheese has softened.  Remove from oven and assemble the sliders by putting the two halves together.

While sliders are baking, toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette.  Serve the sliders hot from the oven with a generous bunch of greens on the side for stuffing into the slider as desired. 

Peach and Cornmeal Crumble

Serves 32

• 16 TBS + 8 TBS unsalted butter, divided and softened to room temperature
• 1 cup + 1-1/2 cups raw (unbleached) sugar, divided
• 20 ripe but firm summer peaches
• 2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal or polenta
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a warm oven, melt 8 tablespoons butter in a full size hotel pan.  Remove pan from oven and use a pastry brush to coat the sides of pan with the melted butter.  Sprinkle 1 cup sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan and return to oven.  Cook until sugar starts to bubble and turn golden brown.  Remove pan from oven and arrange sliced peaches in a single layer in the bottom of the pan on top of the sugar.  Return pan to oven and cook until juices are bubbling and peaches begin to soften. 

Meanwhile, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing  bowl.  In a separate bowl, beat the remaining butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Mix in vanilla and cream or buttermilk.  Reduce speed to low, and fold in cornmeal mixture in 2 additions.

Drop large spoonfuls of batter over cooked peaches, and spread gently with a spatula.  Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.  (If crumble begins to darken before cooking fully, cover and continue baking.)  Allow to rest briefly before serving.

To serve, ladle a generous scoop of peaches and crumble onto each plate.  If feeling very decadent, serve a la mode. 

Savory Summer Breakfast Bake

Here's what we're cooking up at the Men's Shelter tomorrow morning.  Loved the flavors of Thursday's tomato pie and got such great feedback that we're trying this breakfast riff below.  We'll let you know how it turns out.  Happy Weekend!



Savory Summer Breakfast Bake
Serves 36 (Makes 2 hotel pans with 18 slices each)


For the egg pudding:

• 4 dozen large eggs, cage-free
• 1 gallon whole milk
• 2 TBS dijon mustard
• 2 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the breakfast bake:  

• 2 loaves challah or a good quality egg bread (about 2 lbs), cubed into 1" pieces
• 2 TBS canola oil
• 2 lbs ham steak, cubed into small dice 
• 4 bunches scallions, tops and bottoms trimmed and stalks chopped into thin rings
• 1 bunch summer greens like spinach, swiss chard or beet greens, leaves sliced into thin ribbons
• 2 lbs swiss cheese, grated
• 6 medium garden tomatoes, about 3 pounds 
• 1 bunch basil  sliced into thin ribbons
• Canola oil for brushing

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Warm canola oil in a very large (commercially-sized)  saute pan.  Add ham and scallions and saute until ham is lightly browned and all juices have evaporated.  Add chopped greens to pan and saute until wilted.  Remove pan from heat and set aside.

In an XL mixing bowl (or better yet, a commercial mixer), whisk together the eggs, milk, dijon, salt and pepper.  If you don't have a commercially-sized mixing bowl at your disposal, we'd suggest dividing the wet ingredients in half and mixing up two batches of the egg pudding; a single batch could get unruly. 

Lightly oil the bottom and sides of two full-size hotel pans.  Scatter the diced bread in the bottom of each pan. Divide the ham mixture between the two pans and toss with the cubed bread.  Pour half of the egg custard into each pan and gently stir until all ingredients are covered by the custard. 

Slice each tomato in half and squeeze out excess juice and seeds.  Slice the tomatoes into very thin half-rings.  Arrange a single layer of tomatoes atop the egg custard in each pan.  Top each pan with a generous layer of cheese.  Press down lightly on the contents of each pan to ensure that all ingredients come in contact with the egg custard.

Tightly cover pans with an oiled piece of aluminum foil or a matching aluminum pan cover.  Bake covered for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes until eggs are fully set and cheese has lightly browned.   Serve hot or at room temperature.

Roasted Summer Peaches 
Serves 32

18 lbs good summer peaches (around here, the best are from Michigan and typically available at Stanley's or one of the many farmer's markets)
1/2 cup honey
1 TBS cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash peaches and arrange in a single layer on a commercially sized sheet pan (or use two smaller sheet pans).  Roast whole peaches for 30 minutes until soft to the touch.  Some charred spots may appear on the skin-- this is OK.  Remove peaches from oven and allow to rest until they are cool enough to handle.  Slice peaches into quarters (or eighths), removing the skin from each slice as you go.  Transfer peaches into a large mixing bowl and toss with the honey and cinnamon.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Sweet Corn Chowder and Tomato Pie

Soup may not be the first dish that comes to mind when you think of summer foods, but it's one of the tastiest ways to enjoy seasonal vegetables.  We can't think of many soups that showcase summer better than a sweet corn chowder.  This soup is well-received across the board at the shelter, but no compliment has been better than, "Mmmm, mmmm.... my grandmother used to make fresh soup like this!"   Those are the moments we cook for. 

 

Tomato pie is the satisfying, savory collision between a classic tart and a ham and cheese sandwich and definitely a dish where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  The original recipe was one of Southern Living magazine's favorites for summer tomatoes and we can understand why.  While the cheese melts and the custard sets, the tomatoes roast into a sweet and tangy counterpoint to the richness of the pie.  Of all our summer recipes, this was clearly the fan favorite.  

 

Now for the nitty gritty...  Soup from scratch takes time and elbow grease, particularly when loaded with fresh vegetables. This recipe makes a big pot of soup, but if you're putting in the time, consider making a double batch and freezing half for another meal.  It's much less than twice the work but certainly twice the enjoyment.  Plan on 90 minutes and two cooks from start to finish. Tomato pie is a straightforward dish, but you'll be rewarded in efficiency if you test the recipe at home first.  Don't be tempted to increase the amount of egg custard-- just a splash is needed to hold the pies together.  If you're using a commercial convection oven, cover the pies with oiled foil while baking to prevent the crusts from over-browning.  Though you'll be tempted to dig in when you see the pies come out of the oven, they need to rest before you can cleanly slice them.  Enjoy!

Sweet Corn Chowder

Serves 36

• 1.5 gallons spring water
• 6 cups whole milk
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 lb good-quality, 100% dehydrated potato flakes with no additives (try the bulk bins at a natural foods store)
• 6 cubes salt-free vegetable bouillon (we like Rapunzel brand)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 bunches thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts divided 
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice  
• 3 large garden zucchini or summer squash, cut into small dice (about 3 lbs of squash) 
• 8 cups fresh sweet corn kernels cut from the cob (about 12 ears of corn)
• 8 oz jarred roasted red peppers, finely diced
• 1 TBS smoked Spanish paprika, also known as Pimenton
• 1-1/2 TBS dried minced garlic or 4-6 cloves minced fresh garlic
• 1 can mild green chilies OR finely diced fresh jalepenos to taste
• 28 oz canned peaches, with syrup reserved for use in soup, finely choppedg
• 1-1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (about 2-3 bunches)
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley  (about one bunch)
• 1 - 1 1/2 TBS sea salt (start with 1 TBS and add more to taste)
• additional sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• reserved scallion tops for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Pour water and milk into your largest commercial, heavy-bottomed soup pot.  (Pot should be a minimum of 18" high.)  Add bay leaves.  Gradually add potato flakes, stirring constantly to avoid clumps.  Put pot over high heat until contents reach a gentle boil.  Reduce heat and maintain a slow simmer as you prepare the remainder of the ingredients. 

Crush bouillon cubes into small pieces and add to pot once contents have reach a simmer.  Check occasionally to be sure bouillon fully dissolves.

Shuck corn and cut kernels from cobs. (To do this, stand each cob on end inside a full size hotel pan. Hold the top of the cob with one hand while cutting downward along the cob with a paring knife. This will allow the kernels to collect in the bottom of the bowl.)  Cut twice around each cob to remove all parts of the kernel as well as the milky starch that clings to the cob.  After cutting, break up the corn clusters into single kernels.  Reserve the cobs to simmer with the soup as it cooks- this will add great flavor. 

Prepare the scallions, carrots and zucchini and to the hotel pan with the corn. Toss the vegetables with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Roast vegetables for 15- 20 minutes until lightly browned, stirring at the half way point to ensure even roasting.  Remove vegetables from oven and pour 1 cup spring water into the hot pan. Using a spatula, spread the water around the pan and loosen any vegetables or browned bits that have stuck to the bottom.  (These browned bits will add great flavor to the soup).  Pour the contents of the roasting pan into soup pot and stir well to combine. 

To finish the soup, add the roasted red peppers, paprika, garlic, chilies, peaches and peach syrup, cilantro, parsley and salt to the soup pot.  Taste for flavor and season with additional salt, freshly ground pepper or chilies as desired.  Allow soup to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, or as long as desired, until ready to serve.  Serve hot and garnish each bowl with a spoonful of reserved scallions

Tomato Pie 

Makes 36 slices

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 lbs ham steak, cut into small dice (avoid deli ham as they may be too watery for this recipe)
• 2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced
• 6  9-inch frozen unbaked pie shells
• 6  TBS  Dijon mustard
• 16 oz swiss cheese, grated or in thin slices
• 6 medium garden tomatoes, red or yellow or a combination, thinly sliced (about 3 lbs of tomatoes)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat flat top grill to medium heat.   Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  

Warm the olive oil on the grill top until just shimmering, taking care not to burn.  Saute diced ham and scallions until ham begins to brown and any liquid has evaporated.

While ham sautes, pierce the bottom of each pie shell with a fork 8-10 times to allow for even baking.  Partially bake the crusts for 15 minutes or until just underdone.  (Crust will bake much faster in a commercial convection oven.)  Remove the crusts from oven and brush the bottoms with 1 TBS of mustard.  Lightly cover the crusts with a layer of cheese.  Divide ham mixture evenly among five of the pies, reserving one pie for vegetarian diners.

Slice each tomato in half and gently squeeze out excess juice and seeds.  Slice tomatoes thinly and cover the ham with a layer of tomato slices.

In a small work bowl, beat the eggs and milk with a fork until well blended.  Season the mixture with freshly ground pepper and pour an equal amount into each pie over the tomatoes.Tomatoes will be covered with just a scant layer of egg mixture. Divide the remaining cheese evenly among the pies. Bake on the lowest oven rack for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned and set. (A convection oven will cut this time in half.  Be sure to turn the fan to low speed to prevent the crusts from burning.)

When pies are set and cheese has fully melted, remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.  Garnish with basil and cut each pie into six wedges.  Serve warm or at room temperature.




Sweet Sour Cucumbers

Serves 36 generously

• 10 lbs garden cucumbers, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 6 TBS coarse kosher or sea salt
• 3 cups rice wine vinegar OR distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup agave syrup OR 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 TBS freshly ground black pepper
•  

Place cucumber slices in colander. Sprinkle with salt; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To prepare dressing, stir vinegar, dill, sugar, and pepper in large bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Drain cucumbers well and pat dry. Add cucumbers to dressing and stir to blend. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving.  Serve cold.