It's summer here at The Cook's Atelier which means we are knee deep in heirloom tomatoes, we're pickling and preserving and there's plenty of chilled rosé. In between cooking classes, vide greniers and working in the garden, I thought I'd share a few photos of the new friends we've met this season and a peek of the cook's kitchen.
A favorite summer treat is to jump in the car (aka Madeleine) and travel down the vineyard roads to a village vide grenier (tag sale). For those of you who have visited The Cook's Atelier, you may have noticed I have a thing for vintage kitchen items, especially silverware, cutting boards, and creamy, white French platters and soup tureens to use for props for my photographs. Last week I visited a little village about 20 minutes from Beaune for their annual vide grenier. The village was absolutely charming and I promptly filled an old baker's basket with treasures and a vintage teddy bear for Luc. To make it even more special, these ladies were selling warm waffles drizzled in honey from the local beekeeper. Heaven.
So, if you find yourself in Burgundy, be sure to let us know. We'd love to see you in the kitchen at The Cook's Atelier. In the meantime, if you'd like to see what we are up to you can visit us here.
Happy summer!
Heirloom tomato salad
By Suzanne Goin, Sunday Suppers at Lucques
Serves 4
1/3 pound country bread
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small clove of garlic
1 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 pounds heirloom tomatoes, assorted sizes, shapes, and colors
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
4 tablespoons basil
1/2 pound Roquefort cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the crust off the bread and tear the remaining loaf into rustic 1-inch size pieces. Using your hands, toss the pieces with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, squeezing the bread gently to help it absorb the oil. Toast on a baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes, stirring a few times, until the croutons are golden brown and crispy on the outside but still a little soft and tender on the inside.
Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt to a paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the vinegars. Whisk in the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil and taste for seasoning.
Cut the half of the tomatoes into wedges and cut the other half into 1/4-inch slices. Season with fleur de sel and some freshly ground black pepper. Place the slices overlapping on a large platter, spoon a little of the vinaigrette over them, and scatter a little basil on top.
Toss the heirloom wedges and small tomatoes gently in a large bowl with the sliced shallots, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, a grind or two of fresh pepper, and 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette if you like. Gently toss in the croutons.
Arrange the salad on the platter, piling it up in the center. Crumble the Roquefort cheese over the tomatoes. Scatter the parsley and remaining basil over the top of the salad.
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