Pierpont Presents at Tomato Tasting Festival

The Pierpont Culinary Academy helped organize and participated in the second annual Tomato Tasting Festival this past weekend. The Festival is sponsored by the Marion Co. Master Gardeners and WVU Extension. Chef Floyd and Pierpont have helped organize the event and have provided judges for the past two years.

President Blair Montgomery was among the group of honorary judges for the event this year. Chef Floyd prepared a cooking demonstration that feature three tomato recipes, and new students in the Culinary Academy helped with the day's logistics and preparation.

New students: Rebecca Krofcheck, Miranda Johnson, Joseph Bezjak, Cameron Dean, Maria Provencher, and Matt Crawford all helped with the event.

One of the favorite recipes of the event was:

Poached Salmon with Tomato-Leek Water

Ingredients Yield: (4) 6oz. Servings
(4) 6oz. Salmon Fillets, bones and skin removed
8 Med-lg Tomatoes, cored
8oz. Leeks, tops and roots removed, med. dice*
4oz. Yellow Onion, julienne
8oz. Asparagus, cut into 5”-6” spears
10 leaves + 4 sprigs of Basil
Juice one lemon
Olive oil
S&P to taste
Cheesecloth
Butchers string

*Fennel makes a fantastic substitute for the leeks

Methods
1. Rough chop the tomatoes. Add to a food processor or blender until pureed. In a non-reactive sauce pot, bring the puree to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat, allow to slightly cool.
2. Position cheesecloth over a strainer or china cap over a bain marie or a large bowl. Collect the tomato mixture in the cheesecloth and tie with string, allowing the liquid strain through to the bain marie. The idea is to capture as much of the liquid as possible the pulp and skin are to remain behind in the cheesecloth, so tying the string and cheesecloth up in your refrigerator and allow to drip all night might be the ideal way to accomplish this. However, for quicker results you can gently squeeze the cheesecloth until the liquid is removed. This method may cause more tomato puree to escape.
3. In a braising pot, sweat the leeks and onions with the olive oil until translucent. Add the basil and tomato water. Heat the mixture to 175°-185°.
4. Add the salmon fillets. Poach approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the water. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon.
5. Steam the asparagus until just tender. Should still be bright green.
6. In a pasta bowl, ladle a scoop of the tomato water. Fan 5 asparagus pieces in the bottom of the bowl. Gently place the fish on top. Garnish with a fresh basil sprig.