NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/999185
38 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018 PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY Heirloom Tomatoes The tomatoes in this recipe are served two different ways. They are served in both a marmalade and raw to showcase the tomatoes in cooked form as well as in their natural raw state. Tomato Marmalade • 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, any variety • 2 shallots or white onion, minced • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced • 3 whole sprigs of fresh thyme • Kosher salt, to taste • 1 ounce granulated or raw sugar (we use Grain Place Foods in Marquette, Nebraska) • 1 ounce olive oil • ¼ cup Lancaster Duet cheese, shaved or micoplaned • .5 ounce fresh basil or chives, minced Cut an "x" in tomatoes and blanch in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Peel the skin off the tomatoes and dice the tomato flesh into about a ¼-inch dice. Save the inner part of the tomato and skins for a later use. Combine the diced tomatoes, salt, sugar, shallot or onion, garlic, thyme and oil in a pot. Bring to a boil on the stove and place in a 250-degree oven for a couple of hours. If you want to speed up the process, you can cook the tomatoes on top of the stove in half of the time: Cook the tomatoes on medium until most of the moisture has evaporated and the tomatoes have absorbed the oil. They will be soft, but shiny from absorbing the olive oil. Fold in the cheese and herbs and set aside until ready to serve. Raw Tomatoes • 1 raw heirloom tomato • Sea salt, to taste • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste Slice the tomato into 8 equal slices (pretty thin) and place on the base of the plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put remaining ingredients on top of tomatoes. To Assemble Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi to the pot, roughly 12 per person and cook them until they float for about a minute. Add the butter and sour cream that you were saving from the gnocchi recipe to a sauté pan and bring to a boil. Once gnocchi are cooked, add them to the sauce as well as the tomato marmalade. Heat until everything is hot throughout. Place a pile of gnocchi and the marmalade on top of the raw tomatoes and garnish with shaved lancaster cheese. Enjoy! – Clayton Chapman Vietnamese Catfish Braised in Clay Pot "Cá Kho Tộ," meaning fish braised in a clay pot, is a recipe that I grew up eating. Like most home-cooked Vietnamese meat dishes, it is heavily spiced and salted, meant to be served with a lot of white rice to stretch the meat further when feeding a large family. The channel catfish I used for this recipe came from a 5-pounder my husband caught out of the Niobrara River near Spencer Dam in early summer. Look for catfish in cold, flowing water for the most tender, clean-tasting meat. Instead of filleting the fish for this recipe, cut it into 1 to 1½-inch steaks, bone-in and skin on. This helps the fish stay intact when cooking. You may need a cleaver or kitchen shears to cut through the spine. When braised, the catfish and its skin absorb the sweet and spicy sauce, which turns gooey and delicious. If you don't have a clay pot, use a small Dutch oven or a thick pan with a cover. We bought our clay pot for $7 at the Vietnamese grocery store on 27th Street in Lincoln.