Filet Mignon, Blistered Tomatoes, Fontina & Sundried Tomato Bread

Cast iron perfection with sundried tomato sourdough bread: Dad's San Francisco inspiration meets Labor Day grilling

It has been a busy week. My dishwasher fell into the void left by the previous owners, who decided not to install a floor. It fell back into a hole one week and three hours after the pump had just been replaced. I’m used to old homes with no dishwasher, but when you bake and cook all day, it’s a lifesaver. It’s fixed now. Thank goodness.

The following day, after a walk with Archie, my German Shepherd, my garage keypad stopped working. Luckily, my neighbor, who happens to be my mom, had a key, or I may have had to climb over the fence. That would have been a curious, comical test of my strength and flexibility. Mercury retrograde was clearly in full control this week.

To erase those zero-fun days from my memory, I decided a day trip to Oak Glen was in order. A small community in the San Bernardino Mountains near Yucaipa, Oak Glen sends you back in time, where you can pick apples, berries, and zucchini, shop for hand-knit blankets and fruit-infused candles, dine on cherry pies and BBQ, sip cider, walk nature trails, and visit historical landmarks. It’s a lovely place to spend the day. More on Oak Glen next week.

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Bounty Hunter Napa Valley | Pioneertown near Joshua Tree

Since it’s Labor Day weekend, I packed two recipes into one post. Bread baking - if you have some free time - and steak and tomato blistering if you feel like grilling or hosting friends and family for a holiday gathering.

My dad loved to drive. By car, truck, RV, you name it. We were always visiting new places, road trip style. One of his favorites was San Francisco. It took about 8 hours from Huntington Beach, but once we landed at Fisherman’s Wharf, we were happy to jump out of the slow mover and run along the pier. We typically landed at Pier 39 and then walked the waterfront. We watched the sea lions bark at one another (while holding our noses closed - stinkers), peeked through the seafood the fishing fleet brought in, slurped up clam chowder, and shopped for puca shells (they were big in the 80s). Our last stop was always Boudin Bakery, a sourdough bread fixture since 1849. My dad would walk us through the building and pick out handfuls of loaves to take home. It was also his inspiration for baking his own sourdough bread. Rumor has it my dad bought his starter here. They don’t sell their starter now, but it’s possible they did before the bakery changed hands.

Grilled steaks and blistered tomatoes are the perfect pair for celebrating Labor Day and the tomatoes of summer. Marinated in oil reserved from sundried tomatoes and blackberry oregano balsamic, cherry tomatoes are quick and easy to blister and cook in the same pan as your steak, making this an easy-to-cook, easy-to-clean-up yet satisfying dish.

Filet Mignon with Blistered Tomatoes, Fontina Cheese

Serves 2 | Prep: 5 min. | Cook: 15 min.

Double or triple the ingredients as needed to serve a larger gathering. If you plan to grill outside, use a grilling basket to blister the tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 organic grass-fed tenderloin filet mignon steaks

• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes

• 2 cups herb salad or spring salad mix

• Reserve the oil from a can of sundried tomatoes

• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, blackberry oregano, or aged

• 2 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• wedge of fontina cheese, thinly sliced

• sundried tomato sourdough bread (recipe below)

Directions

1. Remove filets from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.

2. In a bowl, combine cherry tomatoes with the reserved oil from sundried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and salt, then let marinate.

3. Heat a cast-iron pan to medium-high. Heat the olive oil, then add the steaks and the tomatoes to the pan. Cook one side of the steak for 3 to 5 minutes, then turn and cook the other side. Shake the pan from time to time to allow all sides of the tomatoes to blister. Each side of the steak should caramelize in that time and seal the juices, depending upon the thickness of your steak. When the steaks pull away from the pan, remove and rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Remove the tomatoes when blistered and place them in a bowl to retain their juices.

5. Plate steak, tomatoes, and lettuce. Serve with sundried tomato sourdough bread and slices of fontina cheese. Tip: Warm the bread in the oven, then place slices of fontina on the bread and watch it melt. Yum.

Enjoy, with a glass of Italian Chianti or Sangiovese.

Sundried Tomato Sourdough Bread

Serves 8 | Prep/Rest: 4 to 5 hours | Cook: 35 to 40 min.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sourdough starter

• 3 cups all-purpose flour*

• 3/4 cup room temperature water*

• 1 1/4 tsp. salt

• 8.5 oz. can of sundried tomatoes in olive oil

Directions

1. If your starter has been in the refrigerator, feed it. Let it sit at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours until it has doubled in size and is bubbly.

2. Drain the sundried tomatoes, reserving the oil for blistering the tomatoes.

3. Measure out your starter, flour, water, and salt.

4. Combine the sourdough starter, flour, water, and sundried tomatoes in a large bowl until moist, and the dough forms a soft, tacky mass. *Add extra water or flour as needed. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

5. Add salt, knead until smooth, then place in the bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.

6. Fold the dough, then turn it out onto a floured surface. Using a bench scraper, fold the dough like a letter. Turn 90 degrees, flatten, then repeat the fold. Return to the bowl, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.

7. Shape the dough into a round, place it seam-side down in a proofing basket, cover it, and let it rise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

8. Preheat the oven with a baking stone to 450ºF an hour before you’re ready to bake. Place a cast-iron pan on the oven rack below the stone to preheat.

9. Turn the dough onto parchment paper, slash with a sharp knife or lame, then slide the parchment directly onto the stone in the oven. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into the cast-iron pan (use oven mitts to prevent steam burns).

10. Bake until the crust is golden brown and crusty, about 35 to 40 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Filet Mignon with Blistered Tomatoes, Fontina Cheese & Sundried Tomato Sourdough Bread

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