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Irish potato farls with chives and spring onions

Irish potato farls are a quick and easy dish to make with leftover mashed potatoes. They are delicious on their own with butter or as part of a larger meal as a bread replacement, especially a cooked breakfast. I like leaving them in the oven a little longer, to make them extra crispy on the bottom. But I know there are people who prefer them soft and pale.

Potatoes are often slated as unhealthy high-carb foods, but they contain more potassium than bananas, and they also contain fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B6, plus a bit of iron and calcium. They also contain phytonutrients like flavonoids that function as powerful antioxidants. This recipe would also be great with purple potatoes, but sweet potato mash is not “dry” enough for farls. If you’d like to use sweet potatoes or mashed pumpkin, try the South African “pampoenkoekies” instead.

Farls

Irish potato farls

Serves 4

Ingredients
500g mashed potatoes
heaped 1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
50g butter, melted
15g chives, finely snipped
3 spring onions, finely sliced
150g flour of your choice
1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Mix all the ingredients into the mashed potatoes – use the back of your large spoon to squash the potatoes into the flour. As soon as you can no longer see any flour, use your hands to form the dough into 3 balls. You can add more flour if the mixture is too wet and a little milk if it is too dry.
  3. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand and gently roll out on a lightly floured surface until about 1cm thickness.  Cut the circle into quarters.
  4. Heat one or more small cast iron frying pans with a knob of butter each over a medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Place four quarters carefully into each of the pans and bake in the oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how brown you like them. You can flip them over half-way, although we just leave them on the same side until we’re happy with the colour. 
  5. Serve with butter or pesto and grated cheese, with a cooked breakfast or topped with your favourite sandwich toppings.


Cornbread for breakfast

I often get asked by exhausted and slightly fed-up parents what they should serve their kids for breakfast. I find it so hard to answer that, as my children have had spinach soup, dhal and left-over stew for breakfast… but how do you compress your entire food philosophy into an answer to the simple question: “What’s for breakfast?” The way I’ve explained it to my family is that ANYthing that breaks the fast in the morning qualifies, and if you look at the myriad of breakfasts served around the globe every day, there really are no rules.

Corn bread (1)

A well-balanced meal is your best bet, whatever you choose to serve. In other words it contains enough protein to keep you full for a few hours and prevent cravings, enough carbohydrates to get you going, and enough healthy fat to slow down the absorption of glucose in the bloodstream, providing satiation while helping to avoid major insulin spikes.

Cornbread 2 (1)

This cornbread is a delicious alternative to boxed cereal or toast when served with avocado, chilli jam and eggs, or these delicious homemade baked beans on the savoury version, or nut butter and honey on the blueberry version. It’s easy to prepare the batter the night before – remember to add the baking soda and baking powder only just before baking! – and needs only 20 – 25 minutes or so in a hot oven. There are so many versions of recipes for cornbread, but I have played around for a long time with the proportions and this is one of my favourite end results. Now, this cornbread is certainly not only a breakfast food in our house (in fact, I most often make it as a side dish when we have friends over for a BBQ), so hopefully you will get a chance to try it out soon, morning, noon or night!

Cornbread

Makes two 8” or 20cm skillet cornbreads, or one large bread

Ingredients

230 – 250g (about 1 1/4 cup) cornmeal or polenta bramata (the exact amount depends on how coarsely the cornmeal is ground and the water content of the coconut milk – you are aiming for a wet, but not runny, mixture)

120g (about 1 cup) wholemeal spelt flour (you can also use your favourite gluten-free flour, although the bread won’t be as crispy)

20g (about 2 tablespoons) coconut palm sugar (or use muscovado)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 x 400g can coconut milk (full fat and preferably organic)

3 eggs, lightly whisked

15ml (1 tablespoons) apple cider vinegar

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
  2. Combine the polenta, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Place the can of coconut milk in a small heatproof bowl and cover with hot water from the tap for a couple of minutes (this will not be necessary if you live in a hot country!).
  4. Pour the coconut milk and vinegar into the beaten eggs in a thin stream, constantly whisking.
  5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking as you do so.
  6. Heat some coconut oil in a cast iron skillet(s) or other pan with a heavy base on the hob until hot (but not smoking). Or if you are using a small roasting tin / baking sheet with a heavy bottom, heat it in the oven with the oil.
  7. Scrape the cornbread mixture into the hot pan(s) and bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until browned on top and the centre springs back when lightly pressed.
  8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before turning out and serving hot. (You could also re-heat the bread in a medium hot oven the next day.)
  9. For a savoury version, add caramelised onions, corn kernels (about 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen), chilli flakes and chopped coriander to the batter before baking and scatter some sliced spring onions on top. For a sweet version add a punnet of blueberries and vanilla powder to the batter, then sprinkle some brown sugar on top before baking.

Cornbread 1 (1)

Cornbread 4 (1)



Gluten-free buckwheat and oat granola

Home-made granola is one of the loveliest gifts to give! It doesn’t have to be eaten straight away, you can add many different spices and ingredients to suit the occasion or mood (here I’ve added a gingerbread spice mix and tangerine zest to my gluten-free granola to give it that Christmas vibe), and it can be packaged beautifully.

Version 2

In this recipe for gluten-free buckwheat granola I suggest soaking the buckwheat groats overnight, to increase digestibility. Grains, pulses, legumes, nuts and seeds generally contain phytic acid, which binds to minerals in the gastrointestinal tract and may lead to mineral deficiencies. By soaking in warm water with added Lactobacilli cultures (found in yoghurt, kefir, whey etc) or an acid, the digestive enzyme (phytase) is activated that helps to break down the phytic acid in as little as 12 hours.

Granola 2 Tangerines

Gluten-free buckwheat and oat granola

Makes  6 cups

Ingredients

100g (1 cup) raw buckwheat groats

300g (3 cups) rolled oats

100g (1 cup) quinoa flakes

70g (1/2 cup) blanched hazelnuts

80ml (1/3 cup) melted coconut oil or butter

80ml (1/3 cup) honey or maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

heaped 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

zest from 4 tangerines

70-80g (1/2 cup) dried cranberries

Method

  1. Rinse the buckwheat groats, then soak overnight in enough water to cover with an inch. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, yoghurt, kefir or lemon juice, as an acidic solution. The next morning drain the buckwheat and tip into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Preheat oven to 160°C.
  3. Add the oats, quinoa and roughly chopped hazelnuts to the bowl with the buckwheat.
  4. Whisk the melted coconut oil (or butter) with the maple syrup (or honey), salt, spices and citrus zest.
  5. Pour this over the dry ingredients and mix well to coat.
  6. Spread the granola mixture out in an even layer on two lined baking sheets. Use a spatula or a large metal spoon to compress the mixture, then bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Carefully flip pieces over half-way through baking time, as the bits on the edges may burn otherwise.
  7. Allow to cool completely before mixing in the cranberries and storing in an airtight container. Will keep for several weeks.


Rhubarb and apple crumble

It’s rhubarb season! The word “forced” used to lead me to believe that this kind of rhubarb is somehow inferior, but I have since come to love this delicious late winter treat. Lifting sections of the rhubarb roots and bringing them under the cover of a greenhouse or other warmer place, shutting out all light, creates stems that grow pale. This means the light-starved plants desperately reach out in search of light and thereby produce smooth, bright crimson stems (rather than green ones created post photosynthesis). The Rhubarb Triangle in West Yorkshire produces some of the world’s finest. Forced rhubarb is less bitter than the traditional, non-forced stalks and needs less sugar to balance the tartness. Pretty in pink and less astringent – perfect!

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Rhubarb and apple crumble

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients for the fruit filling

500g rhubarb, washed and sliced into 1/2 cm pieces

2 apples, cored and thinly sliced

zest of 1 orange

juice of 2 oranges

40g dark muscovado sugar

1 cinnamon stick, broken into 2 or 3 pieces

Ingredients for the topping

85g cold unsalted butter (preferably organic) or ice cold coconut oil, cut into little cubes

50g mixed nuts, roughly chopped (I used a combination of almonds, pecans and walnuts)

30g demerara sugar

70g muesli base (mine is a mix of oat, rye and quinoa flakes, but you can use any combination)

70g wholemeal rye flour (or use wholemeal spelt or you favourite gluten-free mix)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (370°F).
  2. Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl, then transfer to a medium ovenproof dish and cover with a lid or foil. Bake for 45 minutes (or until the fruit is tender when tested with a sharp knife), stirring carefully half-way through the cooking time.
  3. In the meantime, place all the topping ingredients apart from the butter in a bowl and mix well. Now add the butter (or coconut oil) and quickly rub into the dry ingredients until it comes together and you are able to form large clumps. Spread the clumps out on a baking sheet and place in the oven with the fruit. The crumble topping should be ready after about 30 minutes, but use a spatula to turn the pieces over gently half way.
  4. To serve, divide the fruit amongst 4 – 6 bowls, spoon over the delicious juices, scatter the crumble over the fruit and serve with vanilla-sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream of your choice.

Note: If you use coconut oil and gluten-free flour, your crumble will be a much finer texture, but still crunchy and delicious.

crumble 1

crumble 2

 



Sweet potato rösti with Caesar kale

My biggest gripe with classifying something as an of-the-moment superfood, is that it inevitably leads to that food going “out of fashion” at some stage. It is such a shame, as many so-called superfoods really are fantastic, nutrient-dense foods that have a lot to offer. It was kale this and kale that for quite some time, but this wonderful veg seems to have fallen out of favour. Don’t be a fashion victim! Add this brunch dish, that I developed for the M&S Super Brunch Campaign, to your Boxing Day brunch, and rediscover an old favourite.

The Caesar-style dressing is delicious with the astringent greens and complemented by the sweet potato pancakes. I used the tiny copper pan from the new M&S chef range to make perfectly shaped individual portions.  rosti-2 rosti-1 rosti-4

 

This is a fantastic meal, be it for breakfast, brunch or a light supper. Like most things in life, it tastes even better with an egg on top.

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients for the rösti

4 medium (about 800g) sweet potatoes, peeled

2 spring onions, finely sliced

2 medium eggs, lightly whisked

40g (about 1/4 cup) wholemeal spelt flour or flour of your choice (I use a gluten-free mix)

butter or ghee for frying

Ingredients for the kale

5 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained and chopped

1 small garlic clove, peeled and chopped

small pinch of coarse salt

60ml (1/4 cup) mayonnaise, preferably home-made

15ml (1 tablespoon) freshly squeezed lemon juice

15g (1/4 cup loosely packed) finely grated Parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

300g kale, thick stalks discarded and torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces

 

Method

  1. For the kale: make the dressing, by placing the anchovies, garlic and salt in a mortar and pounding them together until you have a paste.
  2. Stir in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Parmesan and pepper, and set aside.
  3. For the rösti: boil two of the sweet potatoes in a little water until they are just tender around the outside (do not let them get too soft!). Remove from the pot and allow to cool.
  4. In the meantime, coarsely grate the other two sweet potatoes and mix with the spring onions, eggs and flour.
  5. Finally, coarsely grate the slightly softened sweet potatoes and carefully combine with the rest of the ingredients.
  6. Heat a little butter or ghee (or coconut oil) in a frying pan until hot (but not smoking), then add enough batter to make a patty shape. Press down on the batter to ensure it is compact and will hold together.
  7. Fry for roughly 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. Carefully remove with a spatula and keep warm while frying the rest.
  8. Whilst your final rösti is frying, gently wilt the kale in a little water over a medium heat. As soon as it is tender, drain, return to the pan and stir through the dressing.
  9. Serve the dressed kale on top of the rösti with or without eggs.

rosti-3

*This blog post was written in collaboration with M&S. All content and photos my own.



Puffed quinoa squares

A relative unknown a few years ago, South American-born Quinoa has since crept into our hearts and is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. This little pseudo-grain is very nutritious, rich in protein and gluten-free to boot, making it an ideal addition to any meal. It is most often cooked and prepared in the same way as rice, but I love grinding and making a delicious breakfast porridge with it. You can also make puffed quinoa as if you were making popcorn. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot (cast iron ones work best) and add about half a cup of quinoa. Keep shaking the pot until most of the seeds have popped. If your pot is deep enough, you won’t need a lid to keep the little nippers at bay.  Tip them out onto a baking sheet to cool and use in muesli, as a topping on yoghurt or in recipes such as these squares below.

Puffed quinoa squares (1)

Puffed quinoa squares

The squares make an excellent after-school snack, as they are a mini version of a complete meal.

Makes about 40

Ingredients

200g (1 1/2 loosely packed cups) soft, dried prunes

125ml coconut water, at room temperature and preferably raw (i.e. unpasteurised)

150ml (125g or 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) liquid coconut oil

125ml (1/2 cup) raw honey

Pinch of sea salt

5 cups puffed quinoa (home-made or store-bought)

90g (1 cup) toasted desiccated coconut

70g (1/2 cup) shelled hemp seeds

70g (1/2 cup) shelled sunflower seeds

 

Method

  1. Soak the prunes in the coconut water whilst you get your other ingredients together.
  2. In a powerful blender, blend the prunes, coconut water and enough of the coconut oil to give you a smooth paste. Scrape into a bowl.
  3. Add the rest of the oil, honey, salt, quinoa, desiccated coconut and seeds, and stir until well combined. Your mixture needs to be sticky and hold together when pressed.
  4. Line a 34cm x 26cm (9” x 13”) tin or oven dish with greaseproof paper, then press the mixture into the tin and refrigerate until set (at least a couple of hours).
  5. Turn out onto a chopping board and cut into squares. They will keep a week or so in the fridge, and freeze really well.

 

DSC_3438

 



Crustless courgette quiche

Zucchini. Courgette. Summer squash. Or baby marrow, as it is called in South Africa. I have a love-hate relationship with this veg. It tastes great grilled, marinated or slathered in dressing, but it is not the most nutrient dense choice, and I struggle to get it down raw (I know, I shouldn’t be admitting this, given the current zoodle fad…) And it really is a tad boring, if you’re honest. Having said that, it is a regular in my shopping basket, as its neutral taste means it is a good canvas for more exciting things, and makes it rather versatile from being grated into omelettes, breads, fritters and even brownies (check out the recipe in my book!), to featuring in beautiful sides such as a this one. Another surefire way to make the most of the humble zucchini, is this gluten- and grain-free quiche. It looks spectacular and tastes pretty darn good too.  Rose Quiche (1)

Crustless Courgette Quiche

The leek and egg mix forms a rather delicious grain-free base and helps keep the courgette slices upright. Feel free to add a large handful of good quality grated Parmesan to the filling if you like – it will make it even more delicious!

Ingredients

Knob of butter or glug of extra virgin olive oil

2 leeks, trimmed, cut in half length-wise and thinly sliced (about 250g)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, parsley and marjoram

200g spinach

9 medium eggs, whisked

125ml (1/2 cup) milk of your choice

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 medium courgette (about 550g), trimmed

1/3 red pepper, finely diced

soft goats cheese (optional)

Method

  1. Butter a 27/28cm oven-proof round dish and pre-heat the oven to 180°C/360°F.
  2. In a medium saucepan, sauté the leeks, onion and dried herbs with some of the salt over a low to medium heat until soft. Scrape into a bowl and allow to cool.
  3. In the same saucepan wilt the spinach (the water left over after washing should be enough), then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Use a mandolin (or a very sharp knife) to thinly slice your zucchini. Thin enough to bend, but thick enough to stand up on its side (about 3mm).
  5. Add 125ml (1/2 cup) of the whisked egg to the cooled leek mix. Spread this over the bottom of your buttered dish.
  6. Place the wilted spinach in a blender with the rest of the eggs, milk, salt and cayenne pepper, and whizz until the spinach is well blended.
  7. Now start placing the courgette slices into the leek “base”, starting along the edge of the dish, for stability, working your way inwards. Leave a little space between the “petals” of your rose, if possible. I steamed the slightly thicker rind pieces first, before slotting them into the rose, as they aren’t malleable enough otherwise.
  8. Now carefully pour the spinach egg mix in between the courgette petals, ensuring an even distribution.
  9. Finally scatter the little red pepper dice into the centre and bake for roughly 1 hour or until set in the centre.
  10. Serve with a mixed salad, soft goat’s cheese and additional red pepper dice.

DSC_2147 Slice



Sweet potato loaf with apple butter

Some mornings I just need things to happen a little quicker than usual. Avocado on a slice of rye sourdough will always be a favourite, but for something different try baking this loaf the day before. It was born out of my eternal quest to incorporate more vegetables into our daily eating and the kids love it with raw lightly salted butter. As a special treat (and to keep it dairy-free), slather it with the apple coconut butter below. This gorgeous spread keeps well in the fridge for a week or so and is equally delicious stirred into hot porridge, as a topping on pancakes, or on crunchy toast.

Version 2

Sweet potato loaf

Ingredients

5 medium organic free range eggs, lightly beaten

520g (about 2 cups) mashed cooked sweet potato

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

100g (just over 3/4 cup) coconut flour

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

50g (about 1/3 cup) dried cranberries, soaked in juice from 1/2 an orange for at least 2 hours

60g (1/2 cup) pecan nuts, roughly chopped

some coconut sugar to sprinkle over, optional

 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (or 160°C in a fan oven).
  2. Grease a medium sized loaf tin and line with parchment paper, allowing the paper to overhang on the long sides.
  3. Beat together the mashed sweet potato and the eggs until smooth, light and fluffy.
  4. Sift in the baking powder, add the salt, coconut flour and grated ginger, and mix well.
  5. Stir in the soaked and softened cranberries, any remaining orange juice and chopped nuts.
  6. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes to give the coconut flour time to absorb the liquids.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, sprinkle over a little coconut palm sugar if using, and bake for 50 minutes or until the top begins to brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the bread comes out clean.
  8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing. Store covered for a couple of days at room temperature or in the fridge for several days. You could also freeze it. Like most gluten-free breads, it is quite fragile and can’t really be slotted into a toaster, but I do sometimes toast it in a medium hot pan in some butter or coconut oil.

Sweet pot

Apple and coconut butter

This will only really work if you have a high-speed blender, as the coconut butter is quite solid in anything other than very hot weather and you will end up with a lumpy mess. But if you don’t own one, try gently heating the coconut butter and then stirring in the apple sauce. It won’t be as spreadable, but still pretty darn delicious as a topping. 

Ingredients

160ml (2/3 cups) home-made or store-bought apple sauce

70g coconut butter (also called coconut manna or creamed coconut) at room temperature

squeeze of lemon juice

Method

  1. Pour the apple sauce into the blender, then cut the coconut butter into small chunks and add. If the fat has separated and formed a layer on top of the more crumbly coconut component, make sure you include some of the fat when adding to the apple sauce. 
  2. Blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides once or twice.
  3. Add lemon juice to taste, blending in between additions.

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Gigante beans on toast

This is hands down one of my favourite brunch dishes! If you have cooked butter (gigante) beans handy – I usually have portions of cooked beans in the freezer – this is a cinch to make. Enjoy either on its own with a side of crunchy greens, or with a crispy fried egg.

DSC_9531

Ingredients

1 small’ish red onion

large pinch of sea salt

pinch of dried chilli flakes, depending on your heat tolerance

1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

250ml chopped tomatoes with the juices (either use half a 400g can of tomatoes or chop fresh ones)

a few large spoonfuls of cooked beans

Method

  1. Gently sweat the onion in some olive oil or butter with the salt, chilli flakes and paprika.
  2. Add the thyme leaves and cherry tomatoes and cook over a medium heat until the tomatoes have softened.
  3. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the juices have reduced and thickened.
  4. Stir in the cooked butter beans and serve as soon as they are heated through.


Stuffed heirloom tomatoes

Do you often have a bite of a tomato and wonder why you even bother buying them? Although beautifully uniform and bright red, commercial tomato varieties often lack taste.

One of the reasons for this was the move by tomato growers in the 1930’s towards tomato mutations with a “uniform ripening” gene, which ensured the fruits would ripen evenly from stem to tip, without leaving a harder, green part around the stem, deemed undesirable by consumers at the time. Unfortunately this mutation has a side-effect: by disabling the gene that creates the darker green colour around the stem, the chlorophyll (or chloroplasts), which converts sunlight into sugars for the plant, is removed, leading to a less sweet and tasty fruit. Thankfully some families and growers have passed the seeds from older varieties down from generation to generation because of their valued characteristics and taste. These heirloom varieties – now available at most markets – are usually much more tasty, albeit a little more expensive.

DSC_9370 We’ve had a few very wet days lately, which meant the wonderful summer produce I bought at the market over the weekend had to find a rather more wintry purpose. I’ve always loved roasted tomatoes, but stuffing these beauties elevates them to the most perfect light meal imaginable.

Heirloom toms If you cannot find heirloom tomatoes for this recipe, use 4 large regular tomatoes. For the oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, cut 2 punnets of cherry tomatoes in half, toss in red wine vinegar and olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then roast cut sides up in a medium hot oven until caramelised (about 1 – 2 hours). I usually have a jar of these in my fridge, but you could also replace them with 60g of finely sliced marinated sun-dried tomatoes and increase the amount of rice slightly. Use the scooped out tomato flesh in your next batch of tomato soup or sauce, or blend with a pinch of salt and strain through a muslin cloth to make the most delicious tomato broth.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 heirloom beef tomatoes (about 800g), cut in half horizontally and flesh scooped out carefully

Ingredients for the filling

extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large red onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs (parsley, basil, tarragon, oregano etc.)

125g oven-roasted cherry tomatoes (about 1/2 cup firmly packed)

85g (1/2 cup) cooked brown long-grain rice

1 – 2 teaspoons lemon juice

100g tin sardines in brine or olive oil, drained and broken up slightly with a fork

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley and dill

150g fresh ricotta cheese, preferably made with unpasteurised milk from grass-fed animals

 

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/360°F.
  2. Heat a glug of olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery, salt and dried herbs, and cook until softened (about 5 to 10 minutes).
  3. Now mix together all the ingredients for the filling, except the ricotta, and allow to cool.
  4. Fold the ricotta into the filling briefly, leaving it in tact as much as possible.
  5. Spoon the filling into the tomato halves, place into an ovenproof dish that fits them snugly and bake at 180°C/360°F for about 30 to 40 minutes (or until the tomatoes are very tender). If the filling is starting to get too brown after about 20 minutes, cover with foil.
  6. Serve with a crisp green salad and green beans, or on toasted sourdough.

Heirloom toms 2 (1)

Stuffed toms