The way you...

Not too long ago I was having brunch with a couple of monkeys. We were discussing what we would be eating as we waited to be sat when Mr. Monkey declared he'd be having his meal with a substitution of charred tomatoes. My head cocked like a dog who's heard his name. "Charred tomatoes?" So specific! I thought Mr. Monkey was some sort of food savant demanding an exotic ingredient. Until he pointed out it was an ingredient used in some of their other dishes.

But still, the idea has stuck with me ever since. Charred tomatoes. I didn't know if I would like them or not since I'm not a fan of sun dried tomatoes. However, it's mostly the oil that turns me off and in theory, charred tomatoes should have the same flavor without all the oiliness.

So I took a chicken cacciatore dish where the tomatoes are the star, and roasted the heck out of them. I charred those babies like nobody's business. And the result? Nothing all that impressive. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since Mr. Monkey wasn't a raving loony over his own charred tomatoes. Of course, it doesn't help that I'm such a nut for raw tomatoes. Good thing I have a ton of pretty heirlooms to tide me over for the rest of the summer!

Charred Tomato Cacciatore

• 1 chicken breast
• 1/2 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 Tbsp marjoram, chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp basil, chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp thyme, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Coat chicken breast with paprika.
2. In large pan over high heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and saute until softened, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir in garlic and mushrooms and sautee 1 minute more.
5. Sprinkle the flour over mushrooms and stir.
6. Stir in marjoram, basil, and thyme.
7. Increase heat to high and pour in broth and wine.
8. Add tomatoes and stir well, bringing to a boil.
9. Add chicken back to pan.
10. Cover and reduce heat to medium low for 25 minutes.

Serves 2.
Each serving has:

Calories		287.5
Total Fat		9.6 g
Total Carbohydrate		13.9 g
Protein		32.1 g