Recipe courtesy of The Herb Society of America’s Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs
With a bowl filled with cherry tomatoes and green onions freshly picked from the garden, and locally grown tarragon and oregano from our fabulous CSA, my brain wheels began spinning about what to make with this fresh produce. The perfect cookbook to help with my query is The Herb Society of America’s Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs. I adore this book and think that it should be a ‘must’ in every home cook’s library. Chock full of recipes categorized by fresh herbs from the garden, it is a treasure trove of creative ideas.
I found a focaccia recipe with herbs and tomatoes that would be a lovely addition to our dinner menu of grilled salmon and a sweet potato with greens. The yeast-based dough is made from one potato, salt, sugar and flour (I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour), kneaded together into a smooth ball of dough that you then let sit and double in size. This textured dough is a great base for a multitude of toppings of your choice: I used the ingredients on hand as well as some shredded Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of coarse salt. Lovely when cut into squares as an appetizer, sliced in half for a fragrant base for a sandwich, or served in your favorite bread basket at dinner–this focaccia recipe, just like the cookbook it came from, is unique and filled with fresh flavors.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Cherry Tomato & Herb Focaccia
Ingredients:
- Base recipe courtesy of The Herb Society of America’s Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs*
- 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 large egg
- 5 cups unbleached flour
- 1 package of active yeast
- 1 T salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Toppings:
- Any fresh herb you like, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, scallions, and a sprinkling of coarse salt
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Directions:
- In a small saucepan, cook potato in the water until very soft. Mash the potato in the water, leaving no lumps. Cool to about 115 degrees and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients. Stir in the egg and mashed potato, mixing by hand or in a mixer, until the dough forms a smooth ball.
- Place dough in a well-oiled 9-by-13–inch pan. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Using your fingers, press ‘dimples’ into the dough.
- Spread your toppings over the dough, as well as salt, cheese if you wish, and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Tagged: bread, cherry tomatoes, Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs, focaccia, fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, scallions, The Herb Society of America, tomato and herb focaccia, yeast
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