As I told you a few days ago I had picked up two lovely bags of fresh juicy local tomatoes at the green grocers in Chester last weekend. I had in mind to make some delicious slow roasted tomatoes. I love roasting tomatoes. It brings out their natural sweetness and we just love them.
They are so easy to make too. You basically just cut them in half, bang them into a roasting tin, drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle with herbs, garlic, sea salt and cracked black pepper and Bob's your Uncle!! They come in ever so handy for all sorts! They make fabulous soups and are great in a salad. They're also pretty wonderful in hearty sandwiches such as these steak ones here today!
Think about it . . . two thick slices of grilled sour dough bread . . . charred in all the best bits . . . topped with a deliciously moreish roasted garlic mayonnaise. Of course you roast your own garlic for this. Why not . . . you're roasting the tomatoes anyways, why not do the garlic at the same time . . .
You spread one slice of the toasted bread with the scrummy garlic mayo . . . and then you top it with two nicely grilled sandwich steaks. Just look at those lovely char marks . . . yummo!!
You pile the other slice with fresh rocket leaves and several of those deliciously caramelized slow roasted tomatoes . . . just look at them . . . all sticky and slightly sweet, garlicky, herby . . . deliciously mouth wateringly scrummo . . .
You put that all together and you have a sandwich made in Heaven!! Delicious enough to be restaurant fare . . . but created and eaten in the comfort of your own home. Summer comfort food. This is pretty wonderful if I don't say so myself . . . would I like? I don't think so! A picture tells a thousand words and these are calling my name . . . I could easily eat another one right now. Couldn't you?
*Grilled Steak Sandwiches*
Serves 2 Printable Recipe
These are fabulous. You can make them as a full sandwich, or as an open face sandwich. I like them open faced myself. But Todd likes them doubled. This is a two hander!
4 thinnish sandwich steaks4 thick slices of sourdough breadolive oil for brushing
fine sea saltcracked black peppergarlic mayonnaise
a handful of rocket leavesslow roasted tomatoes
Heat your grill pan or barbeque grill over medium high heat. Brush the steaks and the bread with a bit of olive oil. Season the steaks with salt and black pepper. Grill the bread for about a minute per side until the bread is toasted and you have some nice grill marks. Remove and set aside. Keep warm. Add the steaks and grill them until done to your likeness. (Two minutes. We like ours rare. ) Turn them a quarter turn halfway through grilling the first side to give you good grill marks. Repeat on the other side. Place two slices of bread onto each of two heated plates. Spoon garlic mayonnaise onto one slice. Place the rocket on the other slice. Place two steaks on top of the garlic mayonnaise. Top the rocket with a few roasted tomatoes. Serve immediately.
*Slow Roasted Tomatoes*Makes as many as you likePrintable Recipe
This is an easy and delicious way to deal with the garden glut of tomatoes! Great to use in salads or soups, with pasta etc.
ripe garden tomatoesa few cloves of garlic, peeled and minced(The amount depends on how many tomatoes you have.)fresh basil leaves, shreddedfresh oregano (optional can use dried)sea salt flakes
coarsely ground black pepperolive oil
Preheat your oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Lightly oil a roasting tin.Cut your tomatoes in half crosswise and place them, cut sides up, in the roasting tin. Sprinkle with the minced garlic, shredded basil and oregano leaves if using. Sprinkle with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with some olive oil. (Don't drown them. For a full 9 by 13 inch roasting tin I would only use about 2 TBS)
Roast uncovered in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
They are now ready to use as you like. We like them at room temperature served with some torn buffalo mozzarella and some salad leaves with a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar and a scattering of Parmesan flakes. You can also blend them and use them in soups, on toasted bread as bruschetta, or Steak Sandwiches, etc. Blended just as they are, they make an excellent Pasta Sauce!
*Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise*
Makes 8 servings Printable Recipe
If you love garlic, you'll love this mayonnaise. It goes so well in a sandwich, with steaks, chips, you name it! It's fabulous! Don't worry about there being a whole head of garlic in the mix. Roasting the garlic makes it really mellow and sweet.
For the roasted garlic:
1 head of garlic, top end trimmed offsea salt and freshly ground black pepper1 TBS olive oilFor the mayonnaise:4 large free range egg yolks1 tsp dry mustard1 TBS water3 TBS extra virgin olive oil375ml of canola oil (1 1/2 cups)2 TBS fresh lemon juicefine sea salt and white pepper to taste
First roast the garlic. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Cut two squares of heavy foil. Place the trimmed head of garlic (unpeeled) into the center of the foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pull up the foil all around the garlic to make a loose enclosure, tightly screwing the top shut. Place into the heated oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes until soft and golden. Remove from the oven. Uncover and allow to stand for a few minutes. Squeeze the garlic flesh out of the bulbs into a bowl.
Combine the egg yolks, mustard and water in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Blitz to combine and break up the yolks. Whisk together the oils. Keep the motor running in the blender/food processorand slowly add the oils in a thin and even stream, until the mixture emulsifies. Add the lemon juice and garlic, and blitz to combine. Season with some salt and white pepper. Blitz again. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. If you think it is too thick, you may whisk in a bit of water to thin.
Alternately - if you are afraid to use raw eggs, mash the garlic until pureed, and whisk it into a good quality egg mayonnaise along with some lemon juice to taste.
