Pesto Torte

I came across this awesome appetizer at my sous-chef's family holiday party. His cousin's boyfriend brought this dish and I gained 13 pounds scarfing it down. I forced him at knife point to give me the recipe and reluctantly, he finally did. His looked better than mine but I think he's had more practice and though this recipe is pretty cool to look at, the real payoff is how good it tastes. It's addictive. Don't say I didn't warn you.
This recipe is perfect for Christmas, it's all red and green and white and...red and green and white. I know it's Easter now and Christmas was forever ago but again, it tastes good no matter when or where you serve it.

You get two for the price of one with this post: the torte recipe AND my pesto recipe. The spinach in my pesto keeps the pesto fresh and green, adds iron and makes the taste a little milder and less bitter. I make big batches and freeze my leftovers to eat later on gluten free pasta or chicken.

Ingredients:

Cheese Mix:
- 8 oz neufchatel
- 8 oz mascarpone

Soften and combine using an electric mixer.

Pesto:
- 2-3 cups basil
- 2-3 cups spinach
- 1/2 - 1 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup whole garlic cloves
- 1 cup parmigiano reggiano, cut into small chunks
- 2-4 Tbsp olive oil

Blend in food processor, start with small amounts of everything then adjust to your personal taste.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto: (I used packaged for this one but here is a recipe for making your own)
- 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup  fresh basil leaves
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp lemon zest

(Blend in food processor until completely incorporated)

Line a bowl with plastic wrap and secure with a rubberband and spray lightly with olive oil spray. Using a spatula, carefully spread a layer of the cheese mixture on the bottom of the bowl. I tried to make my layers about 3/4" thick.

Next carefully smooth on a layer of the sun-dried tomato pesto.

Add another layer of cheese mixture then smooth a layer of basil pesto over that.

Continue alternating red, white, green, white, red, white until the bowl is full or you run out of one of your dips. Then wrap the remaining plastic wrap around the top layer and place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. To serve, invert the bowl on a platter or plate and remove the plastic wrap. Voila: a colorful and utterly delicious torte! Serve with gluten free crackers or (I know it sounds weird but it's really good) tortilla chips.

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Polenta Caprese Towers

I miss summer already and it barely has one foot out the door. It's not the sweaty, sticky weather I miss, it's the gorgeous, plump, rainbow hued heirloom tomatoes. You can still find the last of them kicking around farmer's markets and shops but it's obvious that fall is here and the best tomatoes are gone until next year. If you do happen to come across some decent tomatoes or if your garden produced a bumper crop, this recipe will put them to good use, making the most of their tart, umami goodness. I put together this recipe to use up the last bit of burrata cheese we had in our fridge. Burrata is a very soft mozzarella stuffed with cream. It is one of my very favorite things in the world. It's mild, creamy and tender. It brings out the very best in anything you put it on. My sous-chef likes his on warm crusty bread with a bit of sea salt, olive oil and balsamic. Since bread is a no-no for me, I decided crispy polenta would be even better.  I couldn't be happier with how these turned out. Try them for yourself and see!

- 5-6 heirloom tomatoes of assorted sizes and colors
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar 
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper

- ready-to-use polenta log
- pinch of garlic powder
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
- 4-6 oz package fresh mozzarella cheese (cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices)
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 1 package burrata mozzarella cheese
- 4-6 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Slice tomatoes into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices and place in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Sprinkle minced garlic evenly over the tomatoes.
Mix together sugar, salt and pepper and sprinkle evenly over tomatoes.

Bake for 45 min to 1 hour until tomatoes are softened and beginning to brown at the edges.

Cut polenta into 1/2 inch slices

Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Place polenta slices in the oil and cook each side about 10 minutes or until crisp.

Place the rounds on another foil lined baking sheet.

Top half the slices with grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of garlic powder.
Top the other half with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese (NOT the burrata.)
Broil in the oven until the cheese melts; watch closely. When cheese is bubbly and edges are brown, remove and let cool.

Stack: Start with a polenta round topped with parmesan cheese, next place a roasted tomato, next place a plop of burrata, next place a polenta round topped with mozzarella then top with a tomato. Sprinkle fresh basil on top. Voila!

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