Sautéed Balsamic Greens

Yield: about 16 tomato cups

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Bulb              Fennel, core removed, washed, minced
• 4 Cups             Worden Farm Escarole, cleaned, torn in 1 inch pieces
• 1 Cup               Worden Farm Kale, cleaned, stems removed, torn in 1 inch pieces
• 1 oz.                 Olive oil, infused with tomato and herb, from sous vide tomato recipe
• 3 tsp.               Garlic, minced
• 2 oz.                Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp                Sugar
• To Taste          Salt, Kosher
• To Taste          Pepper, ground
• 1 Cup               Pecans, chopped fine

 

Method:

1. Clean greens. Dry well.
2. Sauté fennel with garlic until tender, and oil. Add greens, sauté lightly.
3. Add vinegar, and allow for reduction to a syrup like consistency, add sugar to finish.
4. Adjust seasoning, if needed.
5. Fill sous vide tomato cups with sautéed greens, top with pecans
6. Cook at 375 until pecans are toasted and tomato is warm, about 7-10 minutes.

 

 

Sous Vide Tomato Confit with Olive Oil and Herbs

Yield: 16 pieces

 

Ingredients:

• 8 ea                 Worden Farm Roma tomatoes, blanched, skins removed, cut in half, cored
• 4oz.                 Olive oil
• 3-4                   Worden Farm Basil Leaves
• 3-4                   Worden Farm Thyme Sprigs
• 3-4                   Worden Farm Fennel Greens, sprigs
• 10 ea               Peppercorns
• 2 tsp                Garlic, minced
• To Taste          Salt, Kosher
• To Taste          Pepper, White

 

Method:

1. Clean and core tomatoes, and cut in half.
2. Layer with garlic, herbs, oil and season.
3. Place into a sealed bag or jar, remove air if possible.
4. Cook in a water bath at 140 degrees for 1 hour, preferably with a sous vide immersion cooker. A closely monitored crockpot or pot on very low, may work.

 

 

 

Many thanks to Chef Instructor Ron Westrom, and the students of the Charlotte Technical College Culinary Arts Program, for creating and preparing this recipe!