The Best Homemade Brown Butter Rainbow Baby Heirloom Tomato Sauce

This recipe might be a little boring for some of y'all... it might be exciting for the rest. It's a classic. Something that every gal needs up her sleeve for a multitude of dishes. This is a step-by-step to the best tomato sauce. This girl right here, loves brown butter. I would bathe in brown butter if I could. Hell, I'd make an eau de perfume if I could. It masterfully makes any dish better with its' nuttiness and lusciousness. But back to the sauce, the famous sauce. A great tomato sauce is important because all men love spaghetti + meatballs, lasagna, pizza... you pretty much name it. So, trust me with this one, and make this sauce for all of it. It starts with a shit ton of butter, three sticks, it's worth it, so hush. Along with the shit ton of butter comes a shit ton of heirloom rainbow baby tomatoes. And that's what I love about this recipe because most tomato sauces start with a can of plum tomatoes. Don't get me wrong, I love me some San Marzano Tomatoes, they are great! But, there is something about the freshness of this sauce because of the use of the heirlooms. The flavor is amped up with some fresh garlic, roasted garlic, bell peppers, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and a'whole'lotta fresh basil. Basil basil BASIL!! Each and every ingredient boosts the sauce in a very unique way. The red wine gives it body, the bell peppers give it some bite, the tomato paste gives a concentrated flavor, the roasted garlic gives it an aromatic smoothness, and the seasonings give it that little extra oomph! And y'all, it only takes about 45 minutes to make, but tastes like you've been cookin' it all day. Don't you worry either, you can say you've been slaving away on this masterpiece, I won't tell anyone!! Enjoy :)

Sauteeing the garlic, onion, and bell peppers...

Rainbow baby heirloom tomatoes being added in...

And the baby tomatoes bursting in the brown butter...

And that torn fresh basil....

Oh, it's starting to look real good...

Here's where you add in the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and red wine...

Simmer, simmer, simmer...

And add all that good herbs and seasonings...

Girl, that shit's done.

For the Sauce:

3 Sticks of Unsalted Butter

4lbs of Rainbow Heirloom Baby Tomatoes

4T EVOO

2C Diced Vidalia Onions

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

½C Mixed Bell Peppers, Diced

1 Tube of Tomato Paste

1 Head of Garlic, Roasted

2T Balsamic Vinegar

½C Red Wine

1t Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, & Coriander

1T Red Pepper Flakes   

1 Large Bunch of Fresh Basil, Half Chiffonade + Half Torn

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste (and a little sugar if needed)

Directions:

1. In a pot, melt the three sticks of butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and let it come to a bubble and start to brown the slightest bit. Add in the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes until they begin to soften and burst, while the butter browns, about 15 minutes.

2. In a medium pan, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add in the onion and diced bell pepper and sauté for 10 minutes until translucent. Toss in the minced garlic and barely cook, just about 3-5 minutes.

3. Add the sautéed vegetables into the brown butter-tomato mixture, along with the tube of tomato paste, head of roasted garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Simmer this mixture for 30 minutes.

4. Stir in the torn and chiffonade basil. Season with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a little bit of sugar (if needed and all to taste).

5. It’s ready to serve!

"Easy Peasy" Pizzadilla with Herbed Ricotta Stuffed Double Flour Tortilla, Homemade Brown Butter Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Grated Parmesan, Pepperoni, Italian Herbs, + Balsamic Reduction

"Easy Peasy" Pizzadilla with Herbed Ricotta Stuffed Double Flour Tortilla, Homemade Brown
Butter Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Grated Parmesan, Pepperoni, Italian Herbs, + Balsamic Reduction 

Raise your hand if you hate me or are mad at me. Seriously, do it. You can't see me now, but my hand is high up to the sky because I'm ashamed I left you high and dry over the last year. I think I posted less recipes in an entire year than I used to in an entire month, and I promise I'm going to change that. It has been a difficult year to say the least, one day my world was completely normal, and then I woke up and my world came crashing down. I struggled, I struggled a lot. I don't quite think struggle actually depicts on how depressed and sad I have been. Thank god for my amazing husband and the unbreakable friendships with my best friends because I was surely losing my sanity every hour that passed by. So, 2015 was a learning experience to say the least, but I think that it has made me a stronger person in the long run. I never thought in a million years that my mid-life crisis would occur at age 25, but hey, maybe that means I just got mine out of the way before everyone else goes through it. However, I do not want to make this blog post sad or kind of a drag, so the second the clock his midnight on New Years Eve, my year of hell was over. I was ready to begin the next chapter of my life and put my energy into what I love doing, starting a family, and experiencing as much as I can. So here is a list of my resolutions for 2016...

1. Be a better blogger
2. Learn how to make cute embroidery hoops
3. Bake more; Cook more
4. Try to let go of the bitterness and move onto the next chapter of my life
5. Learn how to control my stress and anxiety
6. Show how much I love my husband every single day
7. Begin a healthy lifestyle and feature some healthy recipes on the blog
8. Never EVER take my best friends for granted. They keep me sane and have been there for me during the worst year of my life. They are my family.
9. Do whatever I can to help my father through this difficult time 
10. Become a “half glass full” kind of girl AND stay positive no matter what!

The University of Alabama won the National Championship... ROLL TIDE!

With his hand in mine, I feel like the luckiest girl alive.

Meet Hercules: our brand spankin' new Blue Merle Great Dane puppy who sports an
Alabama themed bow tie on game days! How handsome is he??

fratty daddy + flower child

At the Farmer's Market with our doggie version of Biggie-Smalls

At our one year anniversary dinner party with our closest friends
celebrating where we got married, JCT Kitchen + Bar

We love our Dirty Birds!

Our wedding anniversary Celebration... fit with an amazing floral crown!

My Whole Damn Fam... Hercules, Cleetus, Eloise, + I

Okay, so now that we've caught up a little, it's finally time to move onto the first recipe post of the year, yippee!! There's a funny story behind this and it has to involve my diva of a niece, Miss Mollywood, as I like to call her because it's her world and we're all just living in it. When my husband and I babysit her, she always requests a pizza on a flour tortilla with tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. I had never heard of the concoction, but I figured if she loves them that much, then heck I should make a grown-up version. And I trust her advice because she's 4 going on 30. I started off by making my famous brown butter-fresh tomato sauce (which I will post the recipe for that tomorrow, just in case you want to make it... if not grab a your favorite jar of sauce from the store). You can buy any kind of tortilla... I use super soft flour tortillas, but surely you can make it healthy by getting whole wheat, low-carb, or gluten free! Now, moving onto the cheese, I use three different types. The first is a homemade herbed ricotta cheese that I spread on top of the bottom tortilla "crust", and then I press the second tortilla onto the ricotta, so that they stay together. Warm up a big enough skillet to low-to-medium heat and place a few tablespoons of butter in the pan until they have melted. Continue assembling the "Pizzadilla" by spreading on a few generous spoonfuls of the brown butter tomato sauce, making sure to leave an edge for a crispy crust. Generously sprinkle about 1-2 handfuls of shredded mozzarella and as much freshly grated Parmesan, as you want. But hey, the more cheese, the better... right? Spice up the pizzadilla with Italian herbs, such as dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flake, kosher salt, + fresh cracked pepper. Just a little dab of each will do ya, so it's up to you how much you use! As for the toppings, this is way you can go crazy... add ANYTHING you want :) I had pepperoni on hand and it was just a great pizza alternative with a classic pizza topping. Place the assembled pizzadilla into the skillet of the melted butter and slowly let the bottom tortilla to turn perfectly golden brown and crispy. Don't keep it on there to long because you don't want a burnt pizzadilla, y'all. You just don't. I think I kept it on there for about 5 minutes, but just keep checking occasionally until the desired crust color has been reached (and don't worry about getting the whole p'dilla done in the skillet). After your crust in perfect, slide the p'dilla onto a baking sheet, lined with a Silpat, and place it in the oven. Turn your broiler on and watch it carefully, like really, don't leave its side. You will want your cheese melted, your pepperoni slightly crisping up, and an outside crunchy ring of tortilla "crust". Remove it from the oven and slide it onto a cutting board. I recommend letting it sit for a few minutes, so that when you cut it into slices, none of the cheese oozes out and the pepperoni doesn't slide off. Finish it all off by slicing it into triangle pizza wedges and add a healthy drizzle of yummy balsamic reduction for a little bit of sweetness! I hope y'all enjoy this easy peasy recipe, y'all! I know my niece and I sure do! Enjoy :)

For the Herbed Ricotta Cheesy Yum:

8oz Whole Milk Ricotta, Strained for Excess Water

½C Freshly Grated Parmesan

¼-½C Fresh Mixed Herbs, Minced (do this to taste; we used basil, oregano, parsley, & chives)

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

For the Pizzadillas:

2T Unsalted Butter

2 10-inch Super Soft Tortillas

Prepared Herbed Ricotta Cheesy Yum (to your liking)

¼C Homemade Brown Butter Tomato Sauce

½-1C Shredded Mozzarella (to your liking)

Freshly Grated Parmesan (to your liking)

10-15 Slices of Pepperoni

A Sprinkling of Dried Oregano, Dried Basil, & Red Pepper Flakes

Pinch of Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper

Homemade or Store-bought Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. Assembling the Pizzadilla: Place one super soft flour tortilla on a cutting board and spread on some of the herbed ricotta cheesy yum on top, following this step, press a second tortilla onto the ricotta until they have completely adhered to one another. Next, spoon on some of the brown butter tomato sauce on top of the second tortilla, making sure to leave an edge in order to achieve a crispy outer crust. Mound a big ‘ole pile of mozzarella cheese all over the tomato sauce until it is covered, and then freshly grate some parmesan to finish it off. Don’t forget those slices of pepperoni, so make sure squeeze as many of those as you can onto the pizzadilla. Lastly, sprinkle the top of the assembled pizzadilla with the dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper.

2. Crisping the Tortilla: Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the unsalted butter and let it melt completely. Place the pizzadilla into the pan and cook it until the bottom tortilla is golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Watch this carefully by checking the bottom of the tortilla “crust” with a spatula… trust me, you do not want a ruined, burnt pizzadilla.

3. Preheat your oven to broil and slide the pizzadilla out of the skillet and onto a Silpat lined baking sheet. Once the oven is up to the correct temperature, it’s time to put the pizzadilla in to finish cooking.

4. Finishing the Pizzadilla: Broil the pizzadilla until the cheese has completely melted, the pepperoni has started to slightly crisp up, and the outside tortilla “crust” has reached a delightful golden brown color and is crunchy in texture. Do not leave the oven while this is broiling because it can burn quite quickly, so stay there and watch until it is perfectly done. Remove the pizzadilla from the oven and put it on a cutting board. Let the pizzadilla cool for a few minutes, just to ensure that the cheese doesn’t ooze out and the toppings don’t slide off. After cooling, cut the pizzadilla into triangle-like slices. Drizzle the top with some balsamic reduction for a touch of sweetness and devour immediately.

Summer Strawberry Pizza with Sauteed Ramps, Crumbled Gorgonzola, Shaved Speck, Baby Arugula, + a Balsamic Reduction Drizzle on Multigrain Pizza Dough

Every time Summer starts to creep around, I begin to crave a rustic pizza with fruit as the star ingredient. It might sound delicious to some of y'all... and it might sound absolutely-down-right-disgusting to the rest. But bless your heart, you couldn't be more wrong. Just take my word for it. This pizza came about on a Saturday at our local farmer's market. Don't you love when dishes just come together so spontaneously? We saw  lusciously ripe, ruby red strawberries and some perfectly pungent (yet still mild) wild ramps and I thought, well heck, let's marry those two flavors. I am on a real ramp kick lately. I can't find them at grocery stores in our hood, but at the edge of Spring, you can find them by the barrel, freshly pulled out of the ground by your friendly local farmer. They are the loveliest combination of a leek, green onion, shallot, and garlic. And when they are sauteed, they just mellow out a bit and give any extremely rich recipe a itty bitty kick. So, I spread a thin pesto-like sauteed ramp base on the pizza dough before I loaded it up with a bunch of different cheeses. I crumbled the ever-so-sticky gorgonzola cheese on top for an extra pop of flavor. It perfectly paired with the sweet strawberries. UM YUM. The pizza is finished with shaved Speck, which we prefer to Prosciutto, if you get in a pickle, just use that instead... no biggie. Baby arugula is scattered across the top for its' peppery bite, and anyway, it goes amazingly with strawberries and gorgonzola. And no fruity pizza would be complete without a drizzle of syrupy balsamic reduction. It just wouldn't. So take our word for it, this is something that can't be missed during these hot summer months. I guarantee it!! Enjoy :)

For the Strawberry Pizza:

1 Ball of Multigrain Pizza Dough (regular or whole wheat dough can be substituted)

1 Small Bunch of Ramps, Chopped

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8oz Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella (sliced, torn into small pieces, or shredded)

4-8oz of Ripe Strawberries, Thinly Sliced

¼C Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

¼t Dried Red Pepper Flakes

4oz Shaved Prosciutto (we actually used Speck just because we prefer it over prosciutto)

2T Fresh Basil, Minced

Homemade Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

1-2 Handfuls of Baby Arugula, For Garnishing
Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to its hottest setting, around 500-550 degrees, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Let your pizza stone heat up in the oven for at least 30-45 minutes.

2. For the Sautéed Ramps: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in olive oil, red pepper flakes, and chopped ramps. Sauté until they become fragrant and translucent, but still slightly crunchy and sharp. This usually 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set them aside to cool before you spread them on the pizza dough.

3. For the Strawberry Pizza: Create a 12inch round of dough on a semolina dusted pizza peel and spread the sautéed ramps over the top. Place the torn fresh mozzarella evenly across the dough, and then add on the sliced strawberries, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, some red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Slide the pizza onto the heated pizza stone and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted and begun to caramelize. Remove it from the oven and immediately lay small piles of the thin slices of speck (or prosciutto) over the hot pizza. Just before serving, scatter the baby arugula on top, followed by a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

4. Cut into slices and serve immediately!

Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi on Crispy Parmesan Polenta Cakes with Sun Dried Red Pepper Puree, Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, + a Drizzle of Balsamic Reduction

Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi on Crispy Parmesan Polenta Cakes with Sun Dried Red
 Pepper Puree, Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, + a Drizzle of Balsamic Reduction

As y'all all know, we love us some shrimp + grits on the Haute + Heirloom blog. Matter of fact, it's my Mountain Man's favorite meal. He loves it so much that he asked the executive chef at our wedding venue, JCT Kitchen + Bar, to create a custom shrimp + grits entree featuring pimento cheese grits and smokey andouille sausage. So far, our favorite recipe for this famous southern dish is The Most Ridiculous Blackened Cajun Shrimp + Pimento Cheese Grits with Tomato-Tabasco-Andouille Gravy, Collard Green Pesto, Crispy Soft Poached Eggs, + Candied Bacon because, well, it's a dixieland delight. Our second loved recipe, BBQ Shrimp + Charred Corn-Goat Cheese Grits with Roasted Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes, Country Ham, + Red Eye Gravy, went in a completely different direction, but is just as satisfying. I think this low-country classic is so extremely versatile that it can adapt to almost every type of cuisine. I can visualize each new recipe in my head already... Asian, Classical French, Caribbean, Spanish, Mexican, and Italian. Well, today's recipe is gonna feature an Italian twist. It starts off with some slow roasted cherry tomatoes because it's one of my favorite ingredients and I love the concentrated tomato flavor that you achieve just by cooking them low + slow. As you open up the oven door, your mouth begins to open along with it because they look like gorgeous little tomato jewels. Recently, I have been beyond-obsessed with Delallo's Sweet + Tangy Sun-Dried Red Peppers. We seriously can't get enough of them. They are amazing on pizza, in pasta dishes, added into hummus, and blended into an aioli. We chose to use it by making it into a thick red pepper puree. For the crispy parmesan polenta cakes, you can either go the easy route or the more-labor intensive route. While I normally go with the harder route, we decided to forgo that option and by one of the tubes of polenta that you can buy at your local grocery store. It's so easy-peasy because all you have to do is slice them into thick rounds, and then they are ready to be fried in olive oil until they reach a perfectly golden brown color and an utterly crispy outside. I also freshly grated parmesan on top of the fried cakes for that nutty, salty flavor we all just can't live without. Now onto the most important component, the shrimp, duh. And what is more Italian than Shrimp Scampi? The classic recipe for Scampi is already fabulous, but guess what, it's even better this way! My way involves lots of brown butter, fresh garlic, white wine, lots of italian herbs, and some lemon juice. Juicy shrimp + brown butter + slow roasted cherry tomatoes = a winning combination that should be considered our new favorite celebrity couple. Assembling this dish was by far my favorite part, besides eating if of course, because of all the rich colors that just pop off the plate. Start by creating a sun dried red pepper puree puddle in the middle of your plate, followed by plopping a crispy parmesan polenta cake on top of your puree, and then finally spooning all that brown-butter-shrimp-scampi goodness into a mountain that almost completely covers your cakes. Garnish the final dish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and a-whole-mess of herbs for color + flavor. And I just have to say that this Italian spin on shrimp + grits was wildly successful, so I think y'all should make it too!! Enjoy :)

the beginnings of slow roasted rainbow cherry tomatoes

brown butter. slow roasted tomatoes. fresh herbs. garlic. juicy shrimp. 

brown butter shrimp scampi goodness is coming your way...

sun dried red pepper puree. crispy parmesan polenta cake. brown butter shrimp scampi.
slow roasted cherry tomatoes. fresh herbs. balsamic reduction. 

now try and tell me that this dish isn't perfection because it certainly is 

okay enough of the chit-chat, i'm ready to dig into this.

Roasted Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes:

2C Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes, Cut in Half

Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

For the Sun Dried Red Pepper Puree:

1 Container of Delallo Sun Dried Red Peppers, Drained & Patted Dry (as good as possible)

1 Bulb of Roasted Garlic

¼C EVOO

Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper, & Sugar (to taste)

1T Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Water or Chicken Stock, For Thinning the Puree (if this is even needed)

For the Crispy Polenta Cakes:

1 Tube of Store-Bought of Polenta, Cut into Thick Slices

AP Flour, For Dusting the Polenta Cakes

EVOO, For Frying

A Pinch of Salt & Pepper on Each Slice of Polenta

Freshly Grated Parmesan, For Topping the Cakes

For the Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi:

2T EVOO

1lb pound of Fresh Georgia Shrimp, Peeled + Deveined

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted + Browned

6 Cloves of Garlic, Cut into Thin Sliced (so that they are slivered)

1t Dried Red Pepper Flakes (we like ours spicy, if you don’t, then decrease to your liking)

½C White Wine

2T Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped

1T Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped

1T Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Salt + Pepper, To Taste

Prepared Slow Roasted Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes

Homemade Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. For the Roasted Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400 °. Toss tomatoes with olive oil and kosher salt and arrange on a sheet pan cut side up. Top the tomatoes with a few sprigs of rosemary. Cook for approximately one hour until they are soft, shriveling, and turning golden brown.

2. For the Sun Dried Red Pepper Puree: In a food processor, add in the drained + dried Delallo sun dried red peppers (of oil), along with the roasted garlic cloves. Begin to puree the mixture, while it is still on, drizzle in the olive oil until you have reached your desired thickness. If you find it too thick for your tastes, then add some water or chicken stock to thin it out a little bit. Season to taste with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and sugar if needed. Once you have made your perfect puree, set it aside until you are ready to assemble the dish.

3. For the Crispy Polenta Cakes: Cut the tube of polenta into thick slices, and then dust them in a little AP flour and shake off any excess. Heat about 1-2 inches of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and starting to smoke just a little, add the polenta circles. Cook the polenta on both sides or until they are golden brown in color and have crisp edges. Finish by grating it with a little bit Parmesan. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm until the shrimp scampi is done.

4. For the Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi: Heat a sauté pan on high heat then reduce to medium high heat. Swirl the butter and olive oil into the pan. After the butter melts it will foam up a bit then it will begin to subside. If using unsalted butter, sprinkle a little salt in the pan. Stir in the slivered garlic and red pepper flakes. Sautee the garlic for 1-2 minutes or until it begins to brown around the edges, and then add in the prepared shrimp. Pour in the white wine and brown butter and stir to coat the shrimp in the sauce that has formed in the pan. Make sure to keep the shrimp in an even layer in the pan, so that they all cook and brown at the same speed. Increase the heat to high and boil the sauce (with the shrimp) for 2-3 minutes or until is has become a cohesive, silky sauce. Stir or fold the shrimp again into the sauce, making sure to flip them over, so that the other side browns some as well (this should only take about 1 minute). Gently add in the slow roasted tomatoes into the pan and fold them in with the shrimp (the more gentle you are, you are more likely to have solid pieces of tomatoes that don’t break down into a tomato sauce, we want them whole). Remove this mixture off the heat add in the fresh parsley, basil, & lemon juice. Season with salt + pepper to taste. Finally, toss all of the ingredients together until your brown butter shrimp scampi is absolutely perfect.

5. Assembling the Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi + Crispy Polenta Cakes: Spoon the sun dried red pepper puree into a thick circle in the center of a plate. Top the puree with a crispy Parmesan polenta cakes, followed by some brown butter shrimp scampi with roasted tomatoes. Finally garnish the plate with some more herbs and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Enjoy while it is still hot!!