POTLUCK AT THE NEIGHBORS

As a Winter Baby with a warm Heart and very warm hands and feet Heat really gets me down.  It drains the energy bunny in me. So as the weather becomes more to my liking my creative juices slow like the Mississippi River.  Last week my upstair neighbors invited b'wana and I to a pot luck dinner.  I was to bring the sides. (what a surprise as I love veggies)  I decided to make a Tomato Strudel and Kale with leeks and figs.  September is the month that I over load on Tomatoes.... Heck they are at their best, sweet, juice and full of flavor.  I want to start a protest and march on getting rid of the pale cardboard tomatoes that most folks eat.  Yuk  blindfold yourself and have someone give you a real tomato and one of the  ubiquitous cardboard kind.  Ten to one you would never go back.   Ok enough of my ranting.

The recipe for the  TOMATO STRUDEL;

Filo dough (found in most supermarkets in the freezer section) thawed
1 stick of butter (oh yes) melted

1/4 C or more olive oil

1 C bread crumbs (I use the japanese Panko)

1C grated cheese (I use assigo or parmesan) 

1 large sweet onion THINLY SLICED)

3-4 farmstand tomatoes THINLY SLICED

fresh thyme

fresh pepper

THE TRICK WITH USING FILLO DOUGH IS TO HAVING EVERYTHING READY AND ORGANIZED. NO PHONE CALLS NO INTERRUPTIONS 

PREHEAT OVEN 400 DEGREES
LINE A LIPPED PAN (COOKIE SHEET) WITH ALUMINUM FOIL
A PASTRY BRUSH DEDICATED TO OIL/BUTTER
BRUSH LIGHTLY BUTTER ON TO ALUMINUM FOIL

HAVE ALL INGREDIENTS READY:

UNCOVER FILO DOUGH AND ARRANGE ON TOP OF GREASED COOKIE SHEET
RECOVER FILO DOUGH WITH DAMP (BUT WELL RUNG PAPER TOWEL OR TEA TOWEL)
 LIGHT BRUSH FILO DOUGH WITH BUTTER
SPRINKLE WITH BREAD CRUMBS
SPRINKLE WITH GRATED CHEESE
REPEAT PUTTING DOWN THE FILO DOUGH
BRUSHING WITH BUTTER/OIL
SPRINKLING WITH BREAD CRUMBS AND CHEESE  UNTIL YOU HAVE 8 TO 10 LAYERS
ON THE LAST LAYER ADD THE THILY SLICED ONIONS UNTIL YOU HAVE COVERED THE ENITE SHEET. (SEE PHOTO BELOW)
LAYER TOMATO SLICES ON TOP OF THE ONION LAYER
BRUSH THE OVERLAPPING DOUGH WITH MORE BUTTER/OIL AND FOIL IN TOWARD CENTER OF COOKIE SHEET
SPRINKLE WITH MORE CHEESE
ADD FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
ADD FRESH THYME
BAKE IN HOT OVEN
CHECK AFTER 25 MINUTES AND TURN TRAY SO THAT THE STRUDEL COOKS EVENLY
COOK FOR AN ADDITIONAL 25 MINUTES WATCHING THAT THE DOUGH TURNS CRIPY AND GOLDEN BUT DOESN'T BURN
CUT INTO SERVING PIECES WITH A SCISSOR SERVE HOT OR ROOM TEMPERATURE

BUTTER AND OLIVE OIL 

TRICK TO KEEP YOU SANE : DAMP PAPER TOWELS COVERING THE FILO DOUGH ON THE BOTTOM AND TOP OF THE FILLO DOUGH.  THIS KEEPS THE DOUGH DAMP SO THAT IT DOESN'T CRUMBLE

A LIPPED COOKIE SHEET LINED WITH ALUMIN FOIL AND LIGHTLY GREASED

PANKO BREAD CRUMBS AND GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE 

EVERY ITEM ON THE WORK TABLE READY TO BE USED QUIKLY
BUTTER AND BRUSH ON RIGHT SIDE OF COOKIE SHEET OR IT CAN BE ABOVE THE COOKIE SHEET
GRATED CHEESE AND BREAD CRUMBS TOP CENTER
FOIL LINED LIPPED BAKING SHEET WITH ONE LAYER OF FILO BRUSHED WITH BUTTER/OIL MIXTURE READY FOR BREAD CRUMBS AND GRATED CHEESE TO BE SPRINKLED ON TOP

UNCOVERED FILO DOUGH READY TO BE USED TO LEFT ON BAKING SHEET

THINLY SLICED TOMATOES

THINLY SLICED ONIONS

THINLY SLICED ONIONS ON TOP OF LAST LAYER OF PHILO DOUGH, CHEESE AND BREAD CRUMBS

READY FOR THE OVEN

READY TO COME OUT OF OVEN

CLOSE UP BEFORE CUTTING WITH SCISSORS

NEXT COURSE!  I LOVE KALE AND SO DO MY BONES!
I FOUND WONDERFUL BABY LEEKS AT THE MARKET AND "WHITE" GREEN FIGS
 AND KALE WITH LEEKS, AND FIGS WAS BORN

 1 BUNCH BABY LEEKS (YES ANY LEEKS WILL DO)
SLICED AND WASHED WELL TO GET RID OF THE SAND, DRAIN IN A COLANDER
1 LARGE BUNCH OF FRESH KALE, WASHED AND CUT INTO STRIPS SEPARATING THE STEMS FROM THE LEAVES
4 FIGS CUT INTO QUARTERS
2-4 T OLIVE OIL
SALT AND PEPPER

 ADD 2-3 T OLIVE OIL TO SAUTE PAN AND HEAT OIL
ADD LEEKS, A PINCH OF SALT & PEPPER AND COOK ABOUT 1 OR 2 MINUTES
ADD SLICED KALE, SALT & PEPPER TO TASTE STEMS AND CONTINUE COOK ABOUT 5 MINUTES
ADD KALE LEAVES, SALT & PEPPER AND 1/4 WATER, TOSS, TOSS, TOSS.... COOKING AN ADDITIONAL 3 MINUTES OR UNTIL THE KALE IS SOFTEN AND COOKED THROUGH.
ADD CUT UP FIGS, TOSS AND SERVE.

SAUTED LEEKS WITH SALT & PEPPER

KALE, LEEKS AND FIGS READY TO BE SERVED


HOPE YOU ENJOY, HONEY HUGS FOR NOW