The tarte à la tomate reflects the French culinary philosophy of highlighting seasonal, high-quality ingredients without delving into the overcomplicated and overproduction. Who wants to spend hours in the kitchen on a glorious summer day? What makes this “tomato pie” distinct from its bread-plus-tomato-plus-cheese brethren is the hefty addition of Dijon mustard, which adds an unexpected but “oh-wow-that-really-is-fantastic!” tangy depth of flavor.
The wonderful thing about this recipe is its versatility. Add your favorite cheeses, or some caramelized onions, anchovies, olives, or capers. Perhaps top it with some fresh arugula right before serving.
Use whatever type of tomatoes you’d like for this recipe. The only thing to keep in mind is that the tastier the tomato, the more delicious the end result will be. Feel free to ad lib as you see fit with cheese or additional accoutrements.
Learn more about this tasty dish in our The Union article.
Pro tip: After slicing your tomatoes, lay them on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt, laying another paper towel over them, while you heat your oven and continue to prep your ingredients. This will remove excess water, which will keep your tart from getting soggy and also concentrate the tomato flavor.
Roll out the puff pastry to about ¼” thick. Move to parchment lined sheet pan. Prick all over with fork, leaving a 1” border. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Spread Dijon on puff pastry, leaving 1” border and sprinkle cheese over. Lay tomato slices on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes until puff pastry is golden brown and firm. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
The Seattle Dog is quirky, unexpected, and honestly, kind of genius. Cream cheese? Bold. Grilled onions? Classic. Add jalapeños, sauerkraut, or sriracha if you’re feeling spicy, and you’ve got a blend of flavors that are, somehow, just a bit, edgy. We’ve added a little local flavor and bacon to the classic recipe…just for fun.
Learn more about Seattle dogs in our The Union article.
Ingredients
4 hot dogs
4 buns, warmed/toasted
4 slices cooked bacon
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, halved/sliced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Local Spicery Bayou BBQ seasoning
¼ tsp salt
Splash of white wine
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 jalapeños
Optional ingredients: 3 slices bacon
Toppings: Sriracha, stoneground mustard
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add bay leaf, onions and salt. Sauté until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
Lower heat and cook for 50-80 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft, brown and caramelized. Add splash of white wine to deglaze pan slightly, and then BBQ seasoning. Allow wine to absorb/evaporate, remove from heat and remove bay leaf.
If using bacon, roughly chop and fold into cream cheese.
Cook hot dogs and toast buns. Cook jalapeños – about 8 minutes on a grill or 8-10 in a 350° oven, turning every few minutes. Let cool, slice into rings.
Spread cream cheese on toasted bun, then add hot dog. Top with caramelized onions, jalapeños, sriracha and mustard.
This Tokyo hot dog is a new and different way to serve hot dogs. Put away the boring ketchup, mustard and relish and try this!
Count the late Anthony Bourdain as a huge fan of these hot dogs. Lots of umami possibilities with this one!
Ingredients
4 hot dogs
4 buns
1 large white onion, peeled/sliced
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
Dash toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp dry mustard powder or 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp dashi powder or ¼ tsp Local Spicery Bada Bing Bouillon Ooh-Mommy Umami
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ Tbsp rice vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Crumbled nori
Optional toppings: Japanese mayo, bonito flakes, furikake, green onions, pickled ginger
Directions
Make Japanese mayo: In a small bowl, mix dashi powder, Dijon, vinegar and sugar. Add regular mayo and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with additional dashi powder/vinegar or sugar as desired.
Make tonkatsu sauce: In a small bowl, stir together ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, mustard and onion/garlic powder.
Add butter and oil to a small saucepan and once warmed, add onion. Cook over medium heat until onions have lost half their volume. Lower heat and add teriyaki sauce, cooking/stirring until most of the liquid is evaporated and onions are almost caramelized. Remove from heat and stir in a dash of toasted sesame oil.
Cook hot dogs and warm/toast buns. Put onions on buns and then dogs. Top with tonkatsu sauce, crumbled nori and any of the other optional toppings.
Note: Japanese mayo and tonkatsu sauce can be stored in fridge for about 2 weeks.
Brazilian Hot Dogs – Cachorros Quentes – are cooked in a tomato and veggie sauce before emerging from the pot and jumping into buns. Load them up with corn, parmesan cheese, potato chips and a saucy goodness for a mouthful of “wow!”.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, oregano/cumin/bay leaf and sauté until onions are transparent. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes more.
Add marinara and water, stir. Submerge hot dogs in sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust salt/pepper.
Remove hot dogs from sauce and place in buns. Add additional sauce as desired, and whatever combo of toppings you crave.
Give your already heavenly deviled eggs a summer grill glam up! After peeling and halving, brush the cut sides with a little oil, then grill for a minute or two. The added hint of smoky flavor will get the perfect nice kind of side-eye at all those backyard BBQs and pool parties you’re invited to, you social butterfly, you.
Ingredients
6 hardboiled eggs, halved
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp champagne vinegar
Dash of your favorite hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika
Optional garnishes: fresh dill, chives, parsley, etc.
Directions
Blend yolks and remaining ingredients, beating with hand blender or mixer until smooth.
Season to taste.
Pipe into grilled halves, sprinkle lightly with paprika, garnishing with your choice of accoutrements.
Tips for Perfect Deviled Eggs
Boil Like a Pro: To avoid rubbery whites or chalky yolks, boil eggs gently and cool them in an ice bath. Pro tip: slightly older eggs peel more easily.
Smooth as Silk: Blend the yolks with your filling ingredients until completely smooth—lumpy deviled eggs are simply not pleasant. A hand blender makes quick work of this.
Season Smartly: Balance is key. Use mustard for tang, vinegar for brightness, and a touch of hot sauce for heat. Salt and pepper bring it all together.
Pipe, Don’t Scoop: For a polished presentation, use a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off to fill the whites. It’s faster, too.
Get Creative: Elevate those ouefs with garnishes like crispy bacon, smoked salmon, pickled onions, or fresh herbs. Or, go bold with sriracha or wasabi, curry powder, or truffle oil in your filling.
Super Pro tip: If you have an electric kettle, place eggs in kettle with water, set to boil. Turn off and leave in hot water for 10 minutes.
Go on, throw the entire garden in there! Celery and apple lend juicy flavor, while you’ve got all kinds of creaminess from the avo and yogurt or cashews.
Ingredients
2 English cucumbers, diced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, or raw unsalted cashews soaked for 2 hours and drained
½ green apple, cored/diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 avocado
½ tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
¼ cup basil leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional garnish: Grillo’s Pickle de Gallo
Directions
In a high-speed blender, combine 1 ½ cucumbers, yogurt (or cashews), avocado, apple, celery, coriander powder, lemon zest, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, garlic, green onions, 3 Tbsp each dill and basil, 2 Tbsp olive oil and a few pinches salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Adjust salt/pepper and add remaining lemon juice if needed. Blend again briefly and chill 4-8 hours.
To serve, shake well, top with reserved cucumber, chopped fresh herbs, drizzles of olive oil and Pickle de Gallo (if using).
