Bucks County Taste » tomatoes

The taste of summer

Rich Baringer — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:37:00 +0000

There are lots of things to like about this time of year. Nice weather (recent 100 degree days excluded), baseball, summer vacations, fresh veggies and herbs from the garden. In my mind, though, the true taste of summer is a fresh, ripe, juicy tomato.

Give me a shaker of salt and set me in a tomato patch and I’m a happy boy. I know that many of you agree with me. But these fruits (botanically, they’re fruits, not vegetables) haven’t always been favorites.

In the 16th Century, botanists thought tomatoes were poisonous because they’re a member of the nightshade family. This unfortunate belief continued in America long after Italians disproved it by making tomatoes a staple of their cuisine.

In fact, it wasn’t until 1848 that the tomato was first mentioned in an American cookbook. And that was only to describe how to temper its taste. Luckily, some brave folks finally started eating them and realized that tomatoes are far from unhealthy.

Today we know that besides great taste, tomatoes are filled with Vitamins C, A, B6 and E, among other things. In addition, loads of studies show that the more tomatoes and tomato products that people eat, the lower their risk of many kinds of cancer. Tomatoes contain lycopene, the cancer-fighting chemical that gives them their red color. Cooked tomatoes—including ketchup, tomato sauce, etc.—have even more lycopene, since cooking breaks down cell walls and releases the chemical.

Round red tomatoes are only the beginning of the varieties of these tasty fruits. Salad tomatoes are small to medium in size and are not very juicy—perfect for a salad. Slicing tomatoes are large and full of juice. Currant tomatoes, the closest we can find to wild tomatoes, are grown in South America and are very tiny and ultra sweet. Cherry, pear and grape tomatoes are plentiful in the US and are delicious in a salad or eaten out of hand. Plum (or Paste) tomatoes, such as the Roma, are meaty and firm and are favorites of sauce makers all over the world.

Heritage or Heirloom tomatoes are becoming more available these days. They’ve been cultivated from plants of the past—before cross-pollination spoiled their uniqueness. You’ve seen the results at the farmers’ markets—tomatoes in a rainbow of colors like red, orange, purple, yellow, green and more. Many have stripes or swirls of colors to make for a beautiful presentation on your summer table.

For best results, tomatoes should be left on the vine as long as possible. They ripen after picking, but their sugars don’t continue to develop, so taste won’t improve. When choosing a tomato at the market, pick firm, brightly colored fruits that feel heavy for their size. They should also have a nice “tomatoey” smell to them. (Avoid those tasteless red balls sold in supermarkets as tomatoes during the off-season. They’ve been shipped from who-knows-where, been artificially ripened and picked before any flavor develops. Use canned out of season.)

Once you have the tomato, store them on the countertop with the stem side down. This helps to prevent moisture from escaping and mold and bacteria from entering. They should last about a week stored like this. Never store tomatoes in the refrigerator. Cold will make the taste deteriorate and turn the flesh mealy.

As for recipes, I have to say that my two favorite tomato dishes are as simple as it gets. The first is a BLT—good smoky bacon, thick juicy tomato slabs, crisp lettuce, mayo and a little salt and pepper on some good toasted bread. The best sandwich ever.

For something a little lighter and absolutely delicious, I go with a Caprese Salad. There really are no rules. You can slice or dice, stack or layer—whatever you want. Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, salt, pepper and the best extra-virgin olive oil you can get your hands on. Truly the taste of summer.

The end is near…

Lynne Goldman — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:11:12 +0000

Just stopped by Fred Slack’s farm in Forest Grove to pick up some corn. Fred says this is the last week for him, and most other places too. So if you want to stock up for the winter, go rustle up some Bucks County corn before it’s gone. Fred also says he’ll have tomatoes until the first frost. Whew.

The Tomato Triangle

Canal House Cooking: A local voice

Lynne Goldman — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:43:06 +0000

Cookbooks have changed in many ways over the years. There were tomes like Joy of Cooking, and even more recently, How To Cook Everything, that you could turn to for any recipe or cooking technique. My mother’s bible was Craig Claiborne’s New York Times Cookbook. We grew up on his basic recipes for Caesar Salad, Chili Con Carne, Breast of Chicken Florentine, and other exotic dishes. Hey, a barely cooked egg was exotic for the seventies.

Today’s cookbooks all seem to have a particular voice, heard through the text, the photography and even the organization of the book. Nigel Slater’s Tender, a recent gift from my sister in England, is a strong example of this. His love of the vegetable, the garden and the kitchen all meld together. In fact, sometimes it’s hard to find the recipe. It’s not that the older cookbooks didn’t have a voice, but it was much more subdued and behind-the-scenes.

So it’s no wonder that I enjoy the Canal House Cooking cookbook series, now in its second year of publication. In case you’ve missed these lovely, seasonal cookbooks, it’s time to get acquainted. They are written and photographed by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer. Melissa is a co-founder of Hamilton’s Grill Room in Lambertville and former food editor at Cooks Illustrated, Saveur and Martha Stewart Living. Christopher was food and design editor for Metropolitan Home, and one of the founders of Saveur. The cookbooks come out three times a year, in tune with the seasons, each full of timely recipes, anecdotes and luscious photography. The books emerge from their food studio in Lambertville.

The voice is soft, warm and welcoming – kind of “come into our kitchen, pull up a chair and let’s talk food.” They support and cherish the same local growers and producers that many of us have come to know and love. It’s fun to recognize the places as you read through the books. Here’s a few lines from the introduction of this summer’s book, Volume No. 4, Farm Markets and Gardens,

All summer long, little farmers’ markets pop up like wildflowers around our county – happily, they seem to be spreading. It might be Thursday afternoon in the high school parking lot or Sunday morning in a field next to an old barn. One of our favorites, the Ottsville Farmers’ Market goes from Friday afternoon until sunset. It’s on a beautiful old farm, Linden Hill Gardens, that has blossomed into a nursery for rare plants. A local band jams as the farmers set up in the gravel courtyard next to the old farmhouse and its potager.

Or from Volume No. 3, Winter and Spring, as they describe that end-of-winter-but-not-yet-spring frustration, as we long for fresh vegetables again,

The farmstand market on the edge of town has closed for the season, so there is no sliding in on the way home at the end of the day to grab something for dinner. We can’t rely on vegetables we don’t have this time of year! … Now we’re in tomato-wilderness time, so we pull out our summer stash from deep in the freezer. It’s the ant and the grasshopper fable, and preserving last summer’s bounty is paying off big time. We stir pesto into penne. Spread herb butters on fish or roasted chicken. And oven-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, and rich tomato paste find their way into everything.

Ah…I know of what they speak! (I dug my last bag of tomatoes out of the freezer in May.) In the same essay, they mention the Stockton Farmers’ Market, Bobolink Dairy & Bakeyard, Metropolitan Seafood, and Illg’s Meats in Chalfont. All places and people close to my heart and stomach.

Hamilton and Hirsheimer set out to create cookbooks that are “home cooking by home cooks for home cooks.” They strive to include ingredients that can be found in local supermarkets (well, maybe Wegmans), and they keep the recipes pretty simple technique-wise. Still, in this day and age of convenience cooking I’m not sure if that mission can be accomplished. I only say this because what seems easy to me, I have sometimes found intimidates home cooks. It’s always a hard call.

What I do like about the recipes is their simplicity – in use of ingredients and technique. There is a certain elegance in keeping it to a few key, flavorful ingredients, and one or two time-tested cooking techniques. In the summer edition, there are two pages full of simple ways to cook summer vegetables. It’s a great resource when you have run out of ideas for zucchini or eggplant or corn.

As an experienced cook, I have also found myself surprised at some of the recipes. I’ll be reading one and think, “Well, so what? I make that.” But then there’s a different ingredient – one that makes me go, “Oh, now that’s interesting…” For example, Grilled Eggplant with Mint. We make grilled eggplant with herbs all the time in the summer, but I’ve never tried mint, or adding lemon, garlic and other seasonings after the vegetable comes off the grill. You learn something new every day.

This recipe for tomato tart is a great example of simple and great, in fact, I thought it seemed too good to be true until I made it. Now it will become one of my staple appetizers or simple dinners. Worth keeping puff pastry in the freezer just in case.

Tomato Tart
Serves 4-6

“We usually make this simple tart with large ripe tomatoes in season, tucking some halved supersweet cherry tomatoes in between the slabs. But we’ve found that using even those hothouse varieties – a little more acidic and certainly less juicy – can be quite delicious, too. Eat this tart warm or at room temperature, but definitely the same day you make it as the crisp, delicate crust becomes limp if left to sit too long.”

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
(Note: I found using just one sheet too small, and ended up using both sheets in the package)
2-3 tomatoes, cored and sliced
2-3 branches fresh thyme
Really good extra-virgin olive oil
Pepper
Salt, preferably Maldon or other crunchy sea salt

HOW TO

Preheat the oven to 375°.
Lay the sheet(s) of puff pastry out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Using the tip of a paring knife, lightly score a border about ½ inch from the edge of the pastry. Prick the dough inside the border all over with the tines of a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much during baking.
Arrange the tomatoes on the pastry in a single layer (crowding or overlapping the tomatoes will make the puff pastry soggy).
Strip the branches of thyme, scattering the leaves over the tomatoes.
Drizzle the tart with some olive oil and season with pepper.
Bake the tart until the pastry is crisp and deeply browned on the bottom and around the edges, 30-40 minutes. Season with salt.

If you are interested in purchasing the books, you can buy them individually ($19.95 each) or by subscription (3 seasonal books per year for $49.95). Visit the Canal House Cooking website. Some area bookstores carry the cookbooks too (Farley’s in New Hope, Doylestown Book Store and at Hamilton’s Grill Room in Lambertville).

Pasta on a cool summer evening

Lynne Goldman — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:57:55 +0000

We had planned for salad caprese. Fresh mozzarella – check. Basil – check. Beautiful, multi-colored heirloom tomatoes from the farm – check. But then the weather turned cool and rainy and I just wanted something warmer. Then I remembered seeing a recipe on Cook’s Illustrated for a Pasta Caprese. Perfect. Easy and great for late summer when the tomatoes are still luscious. I do recommend using fresh mozzarella if it is at all possible. Enjoy!

PASTA CAPRESE

Serves 4 to 6. Published in Cooks Illustrated, July 1, 2007.

This dish will be very warm, not hot. The success of this recipe depends on high-quality ingredients, including ripe, in-season tomatoes and a fruity olive oil (the test kitchen prefers Columela Extra-Virgin). Don’t skip the step of freezing the mozzarella, as freezing prevents it from turning chewy when it comes in contact with the hot pasta. If handmade buffalo- or cow’s-milk mozzarella is available (it’s commonly found in gourmet and cheese shops packed in water), we highly recommend using it, but skip the step of freezing and add it to the tomatoes while marinating. Additional lemon juice or up to 1 teaspoon sugar can be added at the end to taste, depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (see note above)
1 small garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 small shallot , minced fine (about 2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes , cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see note above)
1 pound penne pasta or other short tubular or curly pasta such as fusilli or campanelle
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon sugar (see note above)

HOW TO

Whisk oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, garlic, shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Add tomatoes and gently toss to combine; set aside. Do not marinate tomatoes for longer than 45 minutes.
While tomatoes are marinating, place mozzarella on plate and freeze until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. [If using fresh mozzarella, skip this step, but add cheese to tomato mixture above). Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain well.
Add pasta and mozzarella to tomato mixture and gently toss to combine. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in basil; adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice or sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.

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The Tomato Triangle

Lynne Goldman — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:00:10 +0000

If you’ve ever been to the Pineville Tavern in the summer months, you may have noticed – or even ordered – an appetizer called, “Freddie’s Tomatoes.” It is the quintessential summer dish. Fresh tomatoes, sliced thick, sprinkled with crumbled blue cheese and thin slices of red onion, and finished with a splash or two of red wine vinaigrette.

Of course, the question that begs is, “Who is Freddie?” Easy enough. As you pull out of the Pineville’s parking lot, and come up to the traffic light, instead of turning onto Route 413, go straight onto Township Line Road. A mile will bring you into Wycombe, the pretty little railroad village we call home, but keep going over the small bridge. Drive two plus miles through Forest Grove, an even smaller village that looks like time and real estate developers forgot about it. Just a bit further and you’ll see a big sign shouting, “TOMATOES.” The Slack Farm is on the left. Pull in, get out and buy some of the best tomatoes you’ll eat in Bucks County.

Fred and Evelyn Slack, and now their progeny, have been growing these tomatoes for a long time. They bought the Roselawn Farm – originally a minister’s house – when they married in 1952. Miles Slack, Fred’s brother, lives in the farm next door, just a little down the road. You’ll see his farm’s roadside shack selling a wide variety of vegetables and flowers throughout the growing season (sign says, “The Center Farm”). Miles and his wife live in the old Slack homestead.

I learned all this sitting at the kitchen table with Fred and Evelyn on a warm June afternoon. I guess you could say that Fred Slack is a traditional farmer. He’s got a good thing, and he’s sticking with it. He mostly grows tomatoes, corn, pumpkins and hay on his 76 acres and the 100 or so acres he rents. “Tomatoes and corn,” he says, “just go together, sell well together. Don’t know why. Just do. Seems you have to have both.” His stuff isn’t organic (he does spray when needed), and I didn’t discuss modern farming techniques with him either. You get the feeling that Fred is himself a vanishing breed, one you don’t want to mess with. It is what it is.

Last summer I stopped by the farm to pick up some tomatoes. There was a cute dog in the car next to mine who looked a lot like my Cody. Well, that’s enough to strike up a conversation for me. That’s how I met Chuck Rekemeier. He was picking up some corn from Fred. Turns out Chuck owns and runs Town & Country Greenhouses, on land he rents from Fairview Farm on Pineville Road, about a half mile from the Pineville Tavern. There he grows tomato seedlings for Fred Slack, who gives him his tomato seeds every year. The tomato triangle is completed.

Chuck starts the seeds in February and has the first batch of seven thousand or more plants ready for Fred’s first planting in late April. Fred does two more plantings, one in mid-May and one in mid-June, so that we can all eat delicious tomatoes throughout the summer and early fall. In fact, he’ll have tomatoes to sell into mid-October until the first frost. Along with corn, of course.

So how did Freddie’s Tomatoes come about? For that, we have to go back to the Pineville Tavern and Drew Abruzzese, son of owner Andrew Abruzzese, and general manager of the popular restaurant. The Abruzzeses love the well-known Italian restaurant, Chick and Nello’s Homestead Inn in Trenton, and enjoy their vegetable salads – simple salads made with just a fresh vegetable, red onion, some cheese and red wine vinegar. Once Andrew discovered Fred Slack’s tomatoes, Freddie’s Tomatoes, was born and it’s been a summer staple on the blackboard since Andrew took over the Pineville twenty years ago.

I asked Drew what he likes about the salad. “I don’t,” he shot back, “I don’t like raw tomatoes.” I burst out laughing, at a loss for words. But Drew, the consummate chef and restaurateur came back. “But everyone else loves it.” It’s all about simplicity, he went on to say. “It’s a perfect balance of flavors – the sweetness of the tomatoes, the sharpness of the blue cheese and vinegar… such a simple mix of ingredients, but just perfect.”

And the best part? “It’s the ‘soup’ at the bottom of the plate when it’s all finished,” explains Drew. “People cannot wait to dip bread into it. The best part…is when you are done eating.”

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The end is near…

Putting up tomatoes and other stuff

Lynne Goldman — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:03:46 +0000

It’s a beautiful, cool day here in Wycombe. Instead of working at the computer, I’m thinking of “putting up” veggies and fruit. Found this nice Web site by the Penn State Cooperative Extension that has lots of tips on freezing, canning and preserving our Bucks County bounty (http://foodsafety.psu.edu/lets_preserve.html). Check out the boards at Chowhound , and if you have a subscription to Cooks Illustrated , they have suggestions as well. What with the tomato blight this year, I’d recommend grabbing all the good tomatoes you see and preserving or freezing them.

Here’s a ”quick-and-dirty” method for freezing tomatoes that I was taught last year by Miles Slack at the Center Farm in Forest Grove. Pick up a box of overripes for less money and follow this:

Wash tomatoes and cut off all damaged parts and stems. You do NOT have to remove the skins.
Lay out on cookie sheet and place in freezer.
Once tomatoes are frozen, remove and place in ziploc freezer bag until you want to use.
When it is time to use tomatoes, place in a large pot and let them slowly defrost at room temperature.
Drain in colander, saving tomato juice (to drink or use in soup stock.)
Separate and discard skins and any seeds.
Use pulp in sauce (which will be so sweet) or other recipes.

Fresh from the market: August 29th

Lynne Goldman — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:00:04 +0000

Here’s all the great vegetables and fruits available at many local farmers’ markets this week. See our Food Events in Bucks County calendar for listings of weekly area farmers’ markets. For a listing of year-round markets, roadside and “pick your own” farms in your neighborhood, see our previous post.

This week’s freshly picked vegetables are: basil, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, cilantro, cucumbers, dill, edamame beans, various eggplants, fennel, garlic, perennial herbs, hot peppers, lettuce, onions, parsley, diverse sweet peppers, radishes, rhubarb, scallions, string beans, summer squash, sweet corn, swiss chard, tomatillos, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Freshly picked fruit: apples, blackberries, cantaloupes, nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries and watermelon.

In addition, many markets are selling pastured, all natural meat (beef, chicken, pork), pastured eggs, homemade pies and sweets, breads, cookies, muffins, scones, raw veggie chips, raw honey, organically grown flowers, freshly roasted organic coffees, prepared foods and handmade soaps, fiber products and handicrafts!

Thanks to Robin Hoy of the Wrightstown Market for her help on this list.

Interested in showing your support of buying and eating local? Check out the new marketplace on the Buy Fresh Buy Local Web site. Get a t-shirt, hat or bumper sticker and show the world you eat local.

Fresh from the market: August 22nd

Lynne Goldman — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:00:01 +0000

Here’s all the great vegetables and fruits available at many local farmers’ markets this week. See our Mexican-Style Grilled Corn post for a great seasonal recipe.

This week’s freshly picked vegetables are: basil, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, cilantro, cucumbers, dill, edamame beans, various eggplants, fennel, garlic, perennial herbs, hot peppers, lettuce, onions, parsley, diverse sweet peppers, radishes, scallions, string beans, summer squash, sweet corn, swiss chard, tomatillos, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Freshly picked fruit: blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries and watermelon.

Thanks to Robin Hoy of the Wrightstown Market for her help on this list.

Fresh from the market: August 15th

Lynne Goldman — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:00:51 +0000

Here’s all the great vegetables and fruits available at many local farmers’ markets this week.

This week’s freshly picked vegetables are: basil, beets, cabbage, carrots, cilantro, collards, cucumbers, dill, edamame beans, various eggplants, fennel, garlic, perennial herbs, hot peppers, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, parsley, diverse sweet peppers, radishes, scallions, string beans, summer squash, sweet corn, swiss chard, tomatillos, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Freshly picked fruit: blackberries, blueberries, nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries, and possibly watermelon and cantaloupes.

Thanks to Robin Hoy of the Wrightstown Market for her help on this list.

Fresh from the market: August 8th

Lynne Goldman — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:10:28 +0000

Here’s all the great vegetables and fruits available at many local farmers’ markets this week, followed by a recipe using all those summer squash and tomatoes. Bon appetit!

This week’s freshly picked vegetables are: basil, beets, cabbage, cilantro, collards, cucumbers, dill, edamame beans, various eggplants, fennel, fresh garlic, green beans, perennial herbs, hot peppers, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsley, diverse sweet peppers, radishes, scallions, summer squash, sweet corn, swiss chard, tomatoes, zucchini, and possibly tomatillos (the staple of salsa verde!).

Freshly picked fruit: Blackberries, blueberries, peaches, pears and raspberries.

Thanks to Robin Hoy of the Wrightstown Market for her help on this list.

Summer Vegetable Gratin
Serves 6-8 as a side or 4 as a light main dish. Published July 1, 2008. From Cook’s Illustrated.

The success of this recipe depends on good-quality produce – AND taking the time to remove some of the water from the vegetables. Buy zucchini and summer squash of roughly the same diameter. While we like the visual contrast zucchini and summer squash bring to the dish, you can also use just one or the other. A similarly sized broiler-safe gratin dish can be substituted for the 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Serve the gratin alongside grilled fish or meat and accompanied by bread to soak up any flavorful juices.

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound zucchini , ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note)
1 pound summer squash (yellow), ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note)
2 teaspoons table salt
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (3 to 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium onions , halved lengthwise and sliced thin pole to pole (about 3 cups)
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 large slice white sandwich bread , torn into quarters
2 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1 cup)
2 medium shallots , minced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

HOW TO

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 13- by 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil; set aside.
2. Toss zucchini and summer squash slices with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; transfer to colander set over bowl. Let stand until zucchini and squash release at least 3 tablespoons of liquid, about 45 minutes. Arrange slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towels. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible.
3. Place tomato slices in single layer on double layer paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Place second double layer paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry tomatoes.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and dark golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Set onions aside.
5. Combine garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and thyme in small bowl. In large bowl, toss zucchini and summer squash in half of oil mixture, then arrange in greased baking dish. Arrange caramelized onions in even layer over squash. Slightly overlap tomato slices in single layer on top of onions. Spoon remaining garlic-oil mixture evenly over tomatoes. Bake until vegetables are tender and tomatoes are starting to brown on edges, 40 to 45 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, process bread in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. (You should have about 1 cup crumbs.) Combine bread crumbs, remaining tablespoon oil, Parmesan, and shallots in medium bowl. Remove baking dish from oven and increase heat to 450 degrees. Sprinkle bread-crumb mixture evenly on top of tomatoes. Bake gratin until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.