Summer Friday with Michelle Mannix of Cookspace Brooklyn
Written by Leighana Lynn
Summer Reads Bookshelf:
- Permission to Feel, Marc Brackett
- The Most Fun We Ever Had, Claire Lombardo
- Untethered Soul (2nd time reading), Michael Singer
- The Ten Year Nap, Meg Wolitzer
- Life, by Keith Richards
- Permission to Parent, How To Raise Your Child With Love and Limits, Robin Berman
- Stray, Stephanie Danler
Summer Soundtrack:
- Adore you, and Watermelon Sugar both by Harry Styles
- WFUV public radio all day
- The National
Summer Beauty/Skincare Essentials:
- Being outside, fresh air, swimming in the ocean
- Eating lots of local, real food
- Vitners daughter
- Olie -E- Osso Balm No. 4 stain
Your favorite summer routine/ritual:
- Beach dinners with driftwood fires on the long island sound
Go-to Poplar product for summer:
- Rosebud CBD
Summer Cannabis Rituals:
- I tossed a seed in my vegetable garden bed last year and lo and behold it grew well! Saved a few and will try again this summer!
- My friend Nini Nyguyen sent some cannabis rice krispie treats for my birthday party last year that were a huge hit that people are still talking about - I'm hoping she’ll be able to bring in person this year!
Thing you’re missing most in this post-COVID summer:
- Live music. The thought of it not coming back for a while makes me appreciate all that I’ve managed to see over the years and can’t wait to go back to Forest Hills Stadium, Prospect Park - any of their amazing shows.
Go-to summer look/outfit combination:
- Sleeveless jumpsuits, bare feet
Favorite summer activity to get your heart rate up:
- The class by Taryn Toomey (any season!)
- Swimming laps
When not social distancing, what is your favorite summer travel destination?
Orient, Long Island
Go-to Summer Recipe:
- Tomato sandwiches and Tomato pie in late summer
Go-to summer cocktail:
Margaritas are my go-to -Classic lime or Watermelon, lime and mint
- Smash up watermelon with a fork, drain seeds and large pieces of pulp, pour into shaker or quart container, add fresh lime juice, torn mint leaves, your favorite tequila, shake and pour over ice in a salt rimmed glass
Tomato Pie Recipe
This is a bit of a project but well worth the effort and something I look forward to making every summer.
I make several as they freeze well and are perfect for having friends share or as a gift. If i'm going to be committing to making one - may as well make a few.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes at the peak of the season/their ripeness. [I use a mix of Roma’s, local beefsteak and a few heirlooms - but any type will be fine. Depending on how many pies you are going to make - you’ll need at least 24.]
- Onions - yellow or Spanish - any kind but not red. At least 12
- Mayonnaise - to taste but at least have a cup
- Asiago cheese or other cheese you like - a grated cup/cup and a half
- Parmesan cheese - at least a half cup
- Handful of basil - totally optional
- Salt (always)
- Sugar
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Pie crusts [you can make your own if you like - I never do and am lucky to find Four and Twenty Blackbirds frozen pie crusts, but any kind has and will be fine. Use whatever you like]
Tools/Things you might need/use
- Large saute pan
- Large sheet tray
- Cutting board/Knife
- Small mixing bowl
- Large prep bowl
- Sieve or colander
Process
This takes time. Set yourself up to be in the kitchen a bit, to enjoy it, to have fun. For me, its music, often a tiny toke of sativa - and then I gather all the ingredients and the tools i'll need and get into it.
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Caramelize the onions.
This will take 1.5-2 hours and can be done while you are prepping all the other ingredients - preheat the oven when your onions are getting close to done.
-
Prep tomatoes
- Rough chop tomatoes and place into a sieve or colander on top of a bowl to catch the juices (save them for bloody mary’s or whatever you fancy) while you are cutting them
- Chop them all up filling a large bowl - you’ll want at least 4 cups per pie
- Gently squeeze the chopped tomatoes to release the seeds and juice (over something to catch it) and place half of the tomatoes on a sheet tray and the other half in a bowl
- Don't forget to to check on onions - stirring, tasting and adjusting as needed
-
Roast half of the tomatoes
- Layer an even spread of chopped tomatoes on a sheet tray - not overlapping taking note to discard any seeds still hanging around. Drain off any juice
- Drizzle with olive oil, generous amounts of salt and slightly less generous amounts of sugar directly on the tomatoes.
- Into the oven for about 30-45 minutes. Check them - timing will depend on how many you are roasting, the size of your cut, the tomato. What you are looking for is softly roasted, some edges will be a bit ‘charred’ - but not burnt. They will ‘shrink’ considerably and darken in coloar and the flavor will intensify
- Check onions - stir, taste adjust.
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Season the other half of the tomatoes
- Ensure drained and as seedless as can be - add salt and sugar. Mix well with hands or spoon and taste. They should taste sweet and savory and like the best tomato -
Make topping
- Depending on how many pies you are making add the following to a bowl and mix well, Mayonnaise - at least a cup per pie, grated asiago or other similar cheese - at least a cup per pie, grated parmesan cheese - at least a half cup per pie. Stir, taste, add ground pepper - adjust as you see fit.
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Pre-bake pie crusts as directed
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Make tomato mixture
- Put slightly cooled roasted tomatoes in a bowl with the raw seasoned tomatoes, add caramelized onions - at least a cup per pie and mix. Add salt and pepper, sugar if needed.
- Add torn basil leaves (optional)
-
Assemble Pies
- Place tomato mixture into prepared pie pan(s). Filling to your desired size/heft of pie
- Top each pie with the cheese topping and spread around leaving about an inch of the tomatoes uncovered from the edge. Use as sparingly or as generously as you like
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Place pies in the oven (I put mine on a sheet tray to catch juices that may bubble out) and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving
I serve mine with a large green salad and occasionally grilled chicken or sausage but its fine on its own too!