Chef Robert’s Fresh Tomato Sauce

This is the recipe that won the First Annual 79th Street Greenmarket “Sauce Off!”

Ingredients

  • 10-12 each ripe plum tomatoes
  • 4 each Roma or Beefsteak tomatoes
  • 4 oz. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 each medium onion, finely dice
  • 3 peeled garlic cloves, finely dice
  • 2 stalks celery, finely dice
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups basil, finely chopped

Procedure

In a large saucepan, bring two quarts of water to a boil. Remove the stem end of each tomato with a paring knife and make a “X” incision on the other end. Drop three tomatoes at a time into the boiling water and remove them after two to three minutes. With a clean towel in hand, gently remove the skins from the tomatoes. Repeat process until all tomatoes are done (both types). Roughly chop up all tomatoes and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onion become wilted. Add the celery, carrots and continue to sauté until they are soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and bay leaves and bring to a gentle simmer for about an hour. Remove from heat, remove bay leaves and add the chopped basil. Season the sauce to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. If you like a smoother sauce, feel free to use a hand blender.

Tip – To speed up preparation, you can chop up the onions and garlic together in a food processor. The same can be done with the celery and carrots.

Tartar Sauce, Divine Brine style

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 1/2 cup minced sour pickles, such Divine Brine Sublime Sours
  • 1 tablespoon Divine Brine Pickle Relish, drained
  • 1 teaspoon capers in vinegar, drained and chopped
  • Dash of lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh or bottled horseradish, or to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to use.

A Divine Bloody Mary

3 oz. Vodka

8 oz. Tomato Juice, V8 or Spicy Hot V8

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

6 drops Tabasco sauce (or more if desired)

½ of one Divine Brine Horseradish Dill Pickle plus 1 teaspoon of the brine

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon celery salt

1 spear of Divine Brine Horseradish Dill Pickle for garnish

Lemon wedge

1.) Rub lemon around rim of glass and then put the rim in margarita salt, if desired

2.) Add ice to glass

3.) Blend together Vodka, Tomato Juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce,Tabasco sauce ,1/2 Dill Pickle, brine, Salt, Pepper and celery salt

4.) Pour into glass and garnish with pickle spear and a lime or lemon wedge

Makes two delicious cocktails

Russian Christmas Beet Salad

One of the things I enjoy most about participating in the NYC Greenmarkets is all of the fascinating people I get to meet and speak to. This past Sunday at the 79th Street Greenmarket I met a very nice Russian lady who I’ve talked to about food and cooking in the past. She asked me if I have ever tried the Beet Salad that is used for Russian Orthodox Christmas celebrations. I said I hadn’t so she shared this recipe with me. I made it yesterday and really enjoyed it.

A couple of tips
– be careful with the garlic (a little goes a long way in this recipe)
– if you really want the authentic deal, pick up some real Russian Mayo (esp if you are near Brighton Beach, NY!!)

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh beets, boiled, peeled and grated
3-4 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and enjoy!!

A Cuban sandwich, Divine Brine-style

As always, we are looking for interesting new ways to enjoy our pickles. This one is delicious and easy to make.

Divine Brine Cuban Sandwich

4 Hero rolls

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

1/4 lb. ham, thinly sliced

1/4 lb. boneless roast pork, thinly sliced

1/4 lb. swiss cheese, thinly sliced

10 thin slices of Divine Brine Devilish Dills, sliced lengthwise (about 2 pickles)

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

Directions

Split open the hero rolls and open them up. Spread the mustard evenly throughout on both sides of each roll. Divide the ingredients evenly among the rolls and close them up.

If you have a sandwich press or panini maker, heat it up and butter each side of the press. Put the heros into it and grill them for about 10 minutes or until the cheese was melted.

If you don’t have a panini maker, you can heat up 8 fireplace bricks wrapped in foil in a 500 degree ovoen for 1 hour and then press the heros between them for 10 minutes. Serve warm and is enough to serve 4 people.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s 23rd Annual Chile Pepper Festival

Chile Pepper Festival is an annual event at Brooklyn Botanic Garden that is a tribute to spicy food and culture. The event brings in about 10,000 visitors and includes music, workshops, and a very popular feature which highlights over 50 local spicy food purveyors and artisans. Divine Brine will be there this year!!

Mark your calendars – Sept 26th from 11 am to 6 pm

A video of last year’s Chile Pepper Festival can be viewed