Pomodoro Cruda made with Orange Vine-ripened Tomatoes on Angel Hair Pasta

Try this easy dish it's perfect for a warm spring day!

In the produce section of your grocery store they now sell both yellow and orange tomatoes. If not available use roma or perhaps you grow your own… either way this stuff is fantastic!

3 Cups Vine-ripened, orange tomatoes (red will also work well)

1/2 Cups Extra virgin olive oil

2 Cloves Garlic, pressed

1 TSP Crushed red pepper

20 Fresh basil leaves with buds, torn, not chopped

2 Tsp. Fresh ground romano cheese

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 LB Angel hair pasta

1. cut tomatoes in half (If using red tomatoes, scrape out seeds). Remove core and chop into about 1/2" chunks.

2. Toss all ingredients except the pasta. Cover, refrigerate and let stand for at least

30 minutes for flavors to blend.

3. Cook the pasta, drain (without rinsing), add a little olive oil and toss.

4. While pasta is still warm or cold the next day, divide between 4-6 plates (depending on appetite) and top with the cold pomodoro sauce. Offer more Romano at table.

Serves 6

Back at The Bread... Pilot Error

Meanwhile back at the bread… Pilot Error!

Take a look at this bread. It’s color is great but it’s a failure! The reason why, I made a mistake. I made this in a Ditch Oven and forgot to drop the temperature from 500°f to 450°f for 20 minutes with the lid on.

Then I baked another 25 minutes I tested the internal temperature it was 209°f, just 3 degrees short of the target temp. At 212°f the steam is released and the bread is perfect along with the maximum crust tention.Because the oven was too hot the crust developed nice and brown but too quick. Notice the cuts in the surface did not develop ears or deep tears. The flavor will be fine but this is a 9 not a 10. My advice make sure that your oven is not too hot or the crust will cook too fast. I’m baking in the wood fired oven tomorrow and I’ll post the results.

The bread is cooling and Kathy and I are going to have tomato, basil and Parma butter sandwiches as soon as it cools. Life is good!

Warmly,

Mad coyote Joe

Home A Poem by Daigneault

I woke again this morning

Our home was still the same

Yes we had our clutter

Our address had not changed

And though the trees still knew me

There was something in that air

A joy rose with the morning

and old things now seemed rare

My years now more than fifty

with dull eyes became clear

That this is all I’ve needed

Our home the people here

With luck as I walk forward

With Kathy through the years

We’ll have all we’ve needed

In our little home right here

Meanwhile back at the bread II

The continuing saga of Joe the Baker!

Okay last time I baked I used the Tartine Bread recipe for Basic Country Bread, a 90% white flour, 10% whole wheat flour with a starter/ leaven and long slow bench rest and crust development. I changed the recipe to 100% organic unbleached High Gluten white flour. I had been making 450g loaves, which I sold for $3 each. I increased the weight to 600g and increased the cost to $5 each.

The reactions were varied; overall they said that they liked the 90/10 recipe much better, it had a much more developed wheat flavor along with a good strong sour dough. They all liked the crust on both. The color was good but I’m not happy with the “ears”.

I’m going back to the 90/10 recipe and I’m going to add extra humidity to the bake with a pan of boiling water in the wood fired oven and a wet towel placed over the wooden door. I’m also going to decrease the baking temperature to lengthen the baking time for a darker crust and hopefully more developed ears. I’m settling on 525g and $4 each. I bake tomorrow and will post.

Warmly,

Mad Coyote Joe