It wasn’t until we were cleaning up from dinner and getting ready to put out the dessert that I realized I left one of the side dishes in the oven. I had prepped it the day before and all it needed was about 30-minutes to heat through thoroughly. So I popped it in the oven when the roast came out…and promptly forgot about it. The discovery was made a good hour or more after it should have come out. Suffice it to say, it was toasty. But was it salvageable? We decided to put it to the test and bring it back out with the family lunch today.

As is often the way in the FOODalogue kitchen, I was making this dish up as I went along. At some point, I started to get the feeling that it might be something really good to blog about so I started taking notes as I sprinkled in a little of this/that and took a few photos at various stages of preparation. I wasn’t concerned how it would taste (even though I never made it before) because I was sure of the ingredients. My biggest concern on that day was what to call it. I thought of ‘tomato + onion bread pudding’, Christmas Pizza Cake (because of the ingredients and the colors), and a few other things…but now I think it’ll always be remembered as the dish I forgot in the oven Christmas Day.

So what is it? What’s in it?

• halved grape tomatoes (about 2 cups)
• 10 ozs pearl onions par-boiled to slip off skins and caramelized in a balsamic reduction
• 1/2 loaf of whole grain baguette, torn and soaked in warm beef broth (makes approx. 2 cups)
• fresh basil
• shredded Italian cheeses (about 5 ozs)
• crumb topping made with toasted panko, ground almonds, parmesan, lemon zest

I used a spring form pan and liberally buttered the bottom and sides. Then I tossed the grape tomatoes with the caramelized onions and a handful of fresh basil leaves, s+p, and the shredded cheeses. I patted the wet bread into the bottom of the pan to create a crust and then began layering the rest of the ingredients, finishing with a layer of the crumb topping and an extra sprinkle of the shredded cheeses.

At this point, it was all good. I covered it in aluminum foil and put it in the refrigerator for the following day. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Fast forward to Sunday. Though it was a little ‘worn looking for the wear’ after its second time in the oven, it actually tasted quite good and everyone enjoyed it. After all the holiday preparations and over-indulging, I took the easy way and prepared a simple lunch which I think was appreciated by everyone around the table.

The Condiments

Dijon mustard, ketchup, and pear-ginger mustard (a gift in the FoodBuzz goodie bag at the festival)

L-R: baked ham, roast turkey breast, smoked brisket of beef, home-made cole slaw, roasted sweet peppers, tomato-basil salad, yam shoestrings, ciabatta rolls and sliced Italian bread.

With best wishes for happiness, health, peace in 2010…and a little prosperity wouldn’t hurt.

Joan

Christmas Photos 2009