Crispy Herbed Chevre with Heirloom Tomatoes ~ PLUS Easy Herb Batter Bread

We're getting down to the nitty gritty; the very last of the tomato season here. After this it will be the hothouse variety until next season.

I like to treasure these last few colorful remnants of summer in the most simple way, to let their natural sweetness shine.



This presentation is similar to what Chef Jonathan Waxman introduced way, way back at the beginning of California Cuisine, in the 1970's.   Long before PCs were a household commodity I remember  clipping newspaper and magazine recipes which featured  this exciting nouveau style of preparing food ~  I think most of us "of a certain age" did the same. 



Practically unheard of here prior to that time,  fresh goat cheese became all the rage, thanks to  Laura Chenel in Sebastopol, CA.  She was  America's first commercial producer  of goat cheese in the US.     I remember meeting Laura around 1980 as she introduced her  newly published cookbook (featuring, of course, goat cheese)  at one of the first Williams-Sonoma stores to branch off from the  original store in nearby Sonoma, California.
Those were exciting times ~ though we now take the  concept of California Cuisine rather casually, it is important to  remember that it was the start of a food revolution,  heavily influencing the way we eat today.

 

I love the colors of a mix of tomatoes! But any kind of fresh, ripe tomatoes you have will do, slice the larger ones and just half the cherry or pear tomatoes.



Fresh and vibrant, this salad exemplifies the roots of California Cuisine.  Chef Jonathan's method is very simple; get the ripest, most flavorful tomatoes adorn them simply with salt and pepper, lemon juice and your favorite nut oil, such as walnut, hazelnut, etc.
Blend a couple of teaspoons or more of freshly minced herbs into the goat cheese very well,  then form the herb cheese into patties  (about 2 ounces each), one per each serving.   Dip in beaten egg and then in plain breadcrumbs which have been seasoned with salt and pepper.  (You can use Panko crumbs if you like.)
Chill the patties or at least 1/2 hour in the refrigerator,  (they will hold together during cooking a little  better if you chill  them even longer.)    When thoroughly chilled bake them on a buttered baking sheet  @ 375ºF for about 8 minutes, or brown them in a little oil  in a frying pan over medium high heat for a few minutes  on each side, turning once, until they are nicely golden brown.
Place on plates or a platter, arrange the tomatoes around the patties, sprinkle with herbs of your choice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze lemon juice or a little of your favorite vinegar over and drizzle with nut oil sparingly.
Serve and enjoy while the cheese is still warm.

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Fast and Easy Herb Batter Bread
As an accompaniment I baked up some Herb Batter Bread, it's from Sunset Magazine from about the same era.
It's a really easy yeast bread, so if you've ever felt intimidated by yeast breads ~ try this one, it's practically fail proof!
 It goes really well with soups or salads, and any other simple meal. 



 I cannot count the number of times I've made this bread,  but you can probably guess by the condition of my 1971 edition of the Sunset book. (It cost a whopping $1.95 then.)
Back then fresh artisan bread wasn't readily available as it is today and homemade bread like this was a treat.
  You can mix it all up in your stand mixer, or by hand it is not difficult and there is no kneading required.




I usually would bake the bread batter in a round cake pan, but this time  I baked it off in a little rectangular pan. (About 6.5-inches x 10-inches)
I substituted about 80% of the all-purpose white flour with whole wheat flour.
It goes together quickly and is a fantastic recipe to have baking when your loved ones or guests arrive at your home. The aroma is so enticing!
Although we didn't know it then,  the batter is very similar to a foccacia dough  (which I didn't even know about years later.)
When it comes out of the oven the top is brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with a little coarse salt to heighten the flavor of the herbs.



You can use any herbs you like, fresh or dried. In addition to the herbs I usually always add some minced dehydrated onion to the batter.
A little butter melting on the baked, warm bread, and you just about have heaven on a plate!  




It makes a really good little luncheon dish, or light supper, and brings back a flood of memories of my early cooking days.

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If you try either or both of these, I hope you'll love them!
If you would like a printable copy of the Herb Batter Bread, hop on over to my recipe blog ~ HERE.

Thank you for coming by today, I really appreciate your comments. 
See you next time~  ~Mari  :)