A savory, main course twist on a popular dessert.
It may technically be fall now, but it continues to feel rather summery here in Southern California and we still have homegrown tomatoes and basil to enjoy. The long summers here make for a great growing season and I’m taking advantage of all the summer produce before its gone. However, the tomatoes are less aesthetically pleasing this late in the season, making this the perfect recipe to dress up these imperfect specimens and showcase the delicious tomato flavor. A thick, cheesy tomato stew topped with biscuits ... what’s not to like?
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
Feta Cheese
1 recipe Feta Cheese (skip the baking step) (link)
Tomato filling
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 onion, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb chopped Tomatoes
6 ounces cherry tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
3-5 sprigs fresh thyme, de-stemmed
1 teaspoon salt, divided
A drizzle of balsamic glaze
Biscuits
1 cup almond flour
½ cup coconut flour
½ chickpea flour
4 Teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup pine nuts (optional)
Directions:
1. Prepare the feta cheese, skipping the baking step, and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
3. Place the oil and sliced onions in a 12 inch cast iron skillet and cook on the stove over medium heat until the onion caramelizes (anywhere from 10-15 minutes).
4. While the onions cook, chop the tomatoes (not the cherry tomatoes), sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon salt, and place in a strainer. Set the strainer over a bowl to let the liquid drain and set aside.
5. Once the onions have caramelized, add the crushed garlic and cook for one minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
6. Turn off the heat and add the chopped and drained tomatoes, the whole cherry tomatoes, herbs, remaining salt, and drizzle of balsamic glaze. Stir to combine and place the cast iron skillet in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the tomato juices are bubbling.
7. While the tomato-onion mixture is roasting, prepare the biscuits. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
8. In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients, except for the pine nuts.
9. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, add the pine nuts, and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
10. Spread the dough onto a sheet of wax paper, about 1 inch thick. Cut the dough into approximately 12 biscuit rounds and set aside.
11. Remove the tomato-onion mixture from the oven and spoon in dollops of the feta cheese throughout the skillet.
12. Place the biscuit rounds on top of the tomato and cheese filling and return to the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the biscuits have browned edges and the juices have thickened.
13. Allow to cool for 10-20 minutes before serving.
Comments