in good taste, vol. 25: excess
make haste not waste; a controversial stance; late summer's bounty
For the past few days, we’ve been in refrigerator purgatory. It wouldn’t cool, couldn’t be fixed; now it’s temporarily fine? On its own? The immaculate repair. But anyway, not before we had to toss a lot of perishables. This is one of my least favorite activities of all time. I hate wasting food; its effect on me is a very specific, bone-deep, Puritan guilt.
Amidst a pile of delivery food, I discovered this incredible website called Save the Food (apparently funded by the National Resources Defense Council, which I’ve never heard of before and hope … is not problematic). It is a really interesting collection of tips, recipes, and resources all oriented around reducing food waste.
Especially handy: the section that gives quick, digestible (lol) reference for all kinds of food storage.
IMAGINE EATING AN ENTIRE POUND OF COTTAGE CHEESE
Midcentury travel, aka See America Right by road trip, has been enjoying something of a renaissance with ~all that’s going on~. This is an interesting look at how 2020 is looking a lot like 1965 in that respect (and some others, if you want to think about it more).
Scents of pre-COVID: a candle collection.
Should I put this giant corn stool on the wedding registry? Right answers only.
The traditional American supermarket is dying, long live the neighborhood/community grocery.
THE BEST NEW THING I MADE: A LATE SUMMER TOMATO TART
Cottage cheese has to be the most misunderstood, underrated item in the dairy aisle. Much like the word “moist,” everyone seems to have an opinion, and it tends to be the wrong one.*
Satisfactory source of protein? Check. Sweet OR savory? Get you a cheese product that can do both.
And it doubles as ricotta, for those of us who don’t just ~have~ a tub of ricotta at the ready for things like summery tomato & onion tarts.
*If you come at me with a whine about texture, I’m just going to tell you to grow up/that you have the palate of a fussy child, and I will not mean that as a compliment.
INGREDIENTS
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
4 ripe, full-size tomatoes
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced in half-moons
2ish tbsp, sour cream
Salt & pepper
Smoked paprika
1/4 cup cottage cheese (full-fat)
¼ cup pesto
WHAT TO DO
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Set the sliced tomatoes on top in a single layer. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the tomatoes, cover with another towel, and let it sit for about 20 minutes while you prepare other ingredients. Don’t skip this step! You’ll get a watery tart. Set your oven to 400 degrees and the rack in the middle row.
Carefully unravel the puff pastry. Prick the inside with a fork every few inches, leaving a half-inch border. Take a pastry brush (or a fork) and brush the inside of your border with the sour cream -- the coating should be light and glossy, not gloppy.
Within the border, layer your tomatoes and onions on top of the tart. Sprinkle with paprika and a dash of sea salt (like Maldon). Wipe off your tomato sheet pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until puff pastry is browned and puffed (~30 minutes).
Dollop with cottage cheese, and drizzle the pesto over the whole tart.