Voila! Tomato Water

One of the best things about being a chef is the instant gratification that comes from feeding people. It's the oohs and ahhs, the smiles on peoples faces, and the full house on opening night of the Del Mar Racing season that make the 13 hour days all worth it. I often relish in the fact that some of the simplest things that we do here at Market are the ones that stir up wonder within in our guests. Of course, having access to some of the best produce around from farms like Chino's and Valdivia make doing my job a little easier. When the ingredients you are using are already stellar, they don't take much tweaking to create something that makes people say "How did you do that?". Take tomato water for example...made simply from pureed tomatoes, basil, and a little seasoning, this clear tomato "consomme" is almost an afterthought at the end of the night. It literally takes about 5 minutes to throw it together, and then just a space in the refrigerator to hang the cheesecloth sack and allow it to drip. Patience, my friends, it won't be ready until tomorrow, but it will be worth it in the end. We serve this as a chilled soup, use it in martinis, and sometimes, with a few adjustments, spin it into a savory sorbet.

You too can impress your friends and be instantly gratified with our not so secret recipe and method for Tomato Water. Go ahead, try it. Mix a little vodka into it and kick back on the patio. Put your feet up. You've worked really hard for it, right? At least your friends will think so.

Tomato Water makes about 3 cups

2# heirloom tomatoes (use a good mix of sweet ones and acidic ones)
2 tsp kosher or sea salt
5 basil leaves

In batches, so as not to loose too much juice, dice tomatoes and place in the bowl of a food processor with the salt and basil. Pulse until tomatoes are a little more ragged than chopped. Do not over process.

Line a large mixing bowl with a double layer of cheesecloth that hangs way over the edges, about 3 ft. long total. Pour processed mixture into cheescloth and tie into a knot. Still over the bowl, tie bundle to a rolling pin or wooden spoon and hang from a rack in the refrigerator. Allow to hang for at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours. The tomato water will drip into the bowl. Before using, adjust seasoning to your taste. You can use the leftover "guts" in the cheesecloth sack to make a tomato sauce.

To serve as a chilled soup: Serves 4
Dice:
1 large english cucumber, seeds removed
1 avocado
12 poached, peeled and deveined shrimp
good quality extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
4 basil leaves, juliened

Arrange all ingredients (except olive oil) into a "salad" the center of 4 chilled shallow soup bowls. Ladle tomato water around the "salad". Garnish with olive oil, serve immediatley.

Summer Stone Fruit

This is our favorite time of year at Market, not just because it’s spear fishing season, but also because of all the amazing produce that’s at its’ peak. From salads to sorbets, summer stone fruit is all over our menu right now. Currently we’re using a few varieties of peaches, nectarines, and plums from Lone Oak Ranch, an organic farm out of Reedley, California. We met these folks at the La Jolla Farmer’s Market. They grow everything from peaches and pluots to Asian pears and tangerines, depending on the season. Owner and Farmer Dale Simmons is a fourth generation farmer keeping alive the organic farming techniques taught to him by his father with the help of his sons. We’re getting both yellow nectarines and white peaches from Lone Oak. The range of flavors between yellow and white fruit is remarkable. White stone fruit tends to be sweeter and less acidic, with slight honey and vanilla undertones, while yellow fruit is more tart, with a slight floral quality.

Nowadays stone fruit can get confusing with hybrids like apriums, pluots, nectarcots, and plumcots. If you don’t know what these are, don’t worry…my spellcheck doesn’t even recognize the words. It’s almost impossible to keep up with all of the different varieties once summer is in full swing. You may ask yourself, “Whatever happened to the old fashioned peach, plum and apricot?” The truth is, hardly any of the fruit that we see today is the original version of itself. Horticulturists are constantly creating different hybrids to withstand the ever-changing climate and environment. Some of these varieties have such short seasons, it’s no wonder they’re virtually unknown.

Some tips for choosing and using summer stone fruits:
*The flesh should be firm, but not hard, giving slightly to gentle pressure.
*The skin should be tight, not saggy or wrinkly. This signifies fruit that was
picked too early.
*Fruit should seem heavy for its’ size.
*Let fruit ripen on counter until soft, then store in the refrigerator.
*If it’s ripe, you should be able to smell it without cutting into it
*To easily cut fruit in half: Using a pairing knife, cut on the opposite side
of the seam, and twist to release the pit.

Summer Stone Fruit with crispy Bacon and Goat Cheese
Serves 4

¼ cup Banyuls Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 Santa Rosa plums
1 White Saturn Peach
1 yellow nectarine
¼ cup candied almonds (recipe follows)
2 loosely packed cups wild arugula
2 loosely packed cups mache (available at Whole Foods)
6 large basil leaves, chiffonade
4 strips crispy bacon, crumbled
4 oz. crumbled goat cheese, such as Bucheron
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry greens. Slice fruit into 6-8 wedges each, depending on the size of the fruit. Toss greens, fruit, nuts, vinaigrettes, and basil in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Divide onto four plates. Top with crumbled bacon and goat cheese. Garnish with extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.


Banyuls Vinaigrette
Makes about 1 cup

¼ cup Banyuls Vinegar
1 TBSP water
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ shallot, minced
¾ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl except oil. Whisk to combine. Slowly pour olive oil in a steady stream, whisking to slightly emulsify. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper. This can be stored in the refrigerator, covered for up to 10 days.

Candied Almonds
Makes 1 cup

1 cup sliced almonds
1 egg white
½ cup super fine sugar (also known as baker’s sugar)
1/8 tsp cardamom
pinch salt

Mix all ingredients until sugar feels dissolved. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with a nonstick liner or parchment paper. Bake 25 minutes or until slightly brown and crispy. Store at room temperature in airtight container.