Recipes of the Week–September 4, 2012

Slow Baked Chicory
from: http://www.cookeryclub.co.uk/recipe/113/slow-baked-chicory-recipe
Chicory takes on a totally different taste when cooked in this Slow Baked Chicory Recipe, its intense and rich and a must to try. 
4 whole chicory
2 oz butter
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 lemon juice and zest
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 oz Fresh bread crumbs
2 oz grated parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Trim and cut the chicory in half length wise
Brown lightly in butter, add the garlic and cook for a further minute
Add the maple syrup and lemon juice and cook for 2-3 minutes more
Place in an ovenproof dish top with the cheese, crumbs, zest and parsley
Bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 4/180*c/380*f - for 30 - 40 minutes

Blue on Blue Potatoes
from: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Blue-On-Blue-Potatoes-Recipezaar  
 
2 lbs blue potatoes (peeled and thickly sliced)
3 tbsps butter (margarine)
1 tbsp dried lavender (culinary grade, crushed slightly)
salt (taste)
ground pepper (fresh, taste)
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sauté lavender in butter on medium heat until fragrant (approximately 2 minutes).
Add potatoes and turn to coat thoroughly with the lavender butter. Transfer potatoes into buttered casserole dish and season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 350 until potatoes are tender and browned, about 35 minutes.

Heirloom Tomato and Provolone Crostada
from: http://www.goerie.com/article/20120902/MAKEITERIE01/309029865/Heirloom-Tomato-and-Provolone-Crostada

Single pie crust
1 cup flour
Pinch salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, or combination of 4 tablespoons cold butter and 2 tablespoons shortening
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Add flour and salt to food processor and pulse until combined. With processor running, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time until well combined. When all pieces are added, turn off processor. Check consistency. It should look and feel like coarsely ground cornmeal. Turn motor back on and add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture starts to come together in a ball. Stop. Scoop dough out of food processor and place on a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to fold over and cover all of dough. Press together, using tips of fingers, until you have a flat disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Roll out, between sheets of plastic wrap, waxed paper or parchment, into a free-form crust about 11 inches in diameter. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Filling
2 large heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced
Handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes (preferably of a contrasting color), sliced
Sea salt, ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4-5 ounces aged provolone cheese, thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons basil pesto
Basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (thin slices)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

While dough is in the refrigerator, cut and place tomatoes on several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow to give off excess moisture. Blot after rolling out crust.
Brush the crust with olive oil. Arrange cheese circles over bottom of crust, about 1 1/2 inches from the crust's edge. Dollop pesto on top of cheese and spread around. Arrange the large slices of tomato, fitting them as closely together as possible. Fill in the areas between them with cherry tomatoes. To finish, fold outer edge of crust over tomatoes like you are tucking them in all around the edge.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate.
Top with cut up basil; sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.