BU: BB's Backtracking--Goat Cheese & Tomato Tart

I still have the glow of being a relatively new member of the Barefoot Bloggers. I get very giddy and love the fact that I have found a group of people who will be making the same recipe as I do, and blog about it! (So now Red doesn't have to "suffer" my interrogation as he is enjoying the fruit of my labor..., well not as much!) My friends, who are not *yet* in the blogging world asked: "Wow, so that's neat that you get to chat with other people on their experiences making the same recipe." I nodded excitedly.

The BB has just celebrated its first year anniversary, and we got to vote on our fave recipe. It was very difficult, but I picked the Banana Sour Cream pancakes! Of course, it was so yummy that I wasn't patient enough to take good pictures of the food. I was ready to eat, so there you go. Please check out some of the other member's favorites.



One other new feature that the group has added this month was a "Barefoot Backtracking" where we get to swap one recipe from a previous one already tested, due to whatever reasons. And since May's first recipe is the Tuna Salad, selected by Kate from Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails & we don't have access to fresh tuna, I decided to use my one pass to backtrack for the Goat Cheese & Tomato Tart, selected by Anne from Anne Strawberry.

And... I'm so glad we did! This tart turned out to be a lot heartier than I had anticipated. And being the onion lover that I am, the strong onion flavor in this tart really didn't bother me. So maybe if you don't like onion soup, this isn't quiet the dish for you! But all in all, we really liked this dish!

Braised Cod with Plum Tomatoes

This was the first recipe that I used when I cooked my first cod. I found this recipe on a Martha Stewart magazine, and loved at how simple the recipe was. The flavor though, I thought was sophisticated. I haven't been able to find any cod steaks since I moved to Iowa almost three years ago, but for those of you who have access to fresh cod steaks, or even frozen-- this recipe is worth a try! Simple enough for a regular weeknight meal, but impressive enough for company. I love to serve mine with garlic mashed potatoes, in a shallow bowl. Enjoy!

(I will post pictures as soon as I can get my hands on cod steaks!)

Ingredients

Four 7-ounce cod steaks, skin and bones removed
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Sprinkle both sides of cod steaks with oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the tomato slices with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. When hot, add cod and tomato slices. Cook until cod steaks are golden on bottoms, about 41/2 minutes. Using a metal spatula, turn cod steaks and tomatoes. Add 1 cup water and the garlic; bring liquid to a simmer.

Simmer until cod begins to feel firm when you press it with your finger and it starts to flake, about 4 minutes. Divide cod, tomatoes, and broth among four soup plates. Garnish with parsley, and serve.