Italian Plum Cake

From “A Platter of Figs” by David Tanis
Notes by Jennifer Rossano

Ingredients:
1 cup unblanched almonds
½ cup sugar, plus about ¼ cup for topping
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons sweet butter, melted
2 pounds Italian plums, pitted and sliced thickly

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tart pan or springform pan.  Put the almonds and the ½ cup sugar in a blender or food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the flour and salt and pulse once more.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Beat the eggs with the milk and stir in the melted butter.  Add the egg mixture to the almond mixture and whisk for a minute or two until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the pan and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the plum slices on top in a circular pattern.  Sprinkle sugar generously over the plums. 
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the top is golden and a pairing knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
The cake is best served within a few hours of baking.

Notes:
- You can substitute a cup of almond flour for the whole almonds. Mix with the sugar in a bowl, and proceed according to above directions.
- Baking might take more than an hour to achieve a golden top and desired doneness.
- Italian plums are in season toward the end of the summer and early fall.

Roasted Tomatoes and Shallots

As featured in Westchester Magazine on August 6, 2015

When you are over flowing with tomatoes, roasting is a quick and easy technique to extend your enjoyment of summer’s finest fruit. The natural sugars in the tomatoes and shallots release as they cook down, resulting in a slightly sweet and more intense flavor. Use this savory side to perk up your morning omelet, add a schmear to your sandwich, or place atop a piece of fish. Fresh herbs will add the most vibrancy to this dish, but you can substitute dried herbs. As a general rule of thumb, substitute 1 teaspoon dried for 1 tablespoon fresh herbs.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped (about 4 cups)
2-3 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp)
1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TB fresh herbs, minced (tarragon, oregano, thyme, rosemary)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a large baking tray with foil.
Mix the tomatoes, shallots, garlic, oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread out evenly on the baking tray, and cook for about 30-35 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated and the shallots are soft and slightly brown.
Remove tray from the oven, sprinkle with the minced herbs, and add more salt and pepper to taste.
Store in the fridge in an air tight container for up to three days. 

Makes about 2 cups.