Baked Summer Tomatoes

In her cookbook “The Taste of Country Cooking,” Edna Lewis includes this homey dish of baked tomatoes in her menu for a summer wheat-harvesting dinner. Sweetened with sugar and thickened with pieces of buttered bread, it’s an unusual side dish that’s just as good when made with soft, overripe tomatoes as it is with perfect ones. Using a mix of different size and color tomatoes makes this both visually and texturally appealing.

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 15 minutes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small bits, plus more for pan

3 1/2 to 4 cups (about 2 pounds) mix of cherry tomatoes and regular tomatoes (cherry tomatoes halved; larger tomatoes cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces)

2 slices stale sourdough bread, cut into 12 pieces

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon to 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar (see note)

Freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 1-quart casserole dish (or 8-by-8-inch baking dish).

2. In a saucepan, combine tomatoes and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook gently, stirring often, until most of the liquid evaporates, 5 to 15 minutes depending on how juicy they are. They should soften but still more or less hold their shape.

3. Line the sides of the prepared pan with 8 pieces of bread. Pour the stewed tomatoes and any liquid into the pan. Top the tomatoes with half of the butter and season with the salt, sugar and pepper. Place the 4 remaining pieces of bread on top, dotting each piece of bread with the last of the butter.

4. Bake until the tomatoes are bubbling for 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: Lewis’ original recipe calls for 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar, but you can add less if you like. More sugar makes it taste like a sweet tomato jam. Less sugar is lighter and brighter.

— Recipe from Edna Lewis; adapted by Melissa Clark

Stir-Fried Chicken With Mushrooms and Snow Peas

This classic stir-fry recipe, adapted from “The Key to Chinese Cooking” by Irene Kuo, calls for velveting chicken breast, a process of marinating the meat in a mix of egg white, cornstarch, salt and Shaoxing wine, and then blanching it. The extra steps help ensure the lean chicken stays tender and silky, even when seared at very high heat. You can use this basic recipe as a template for any chicken stir-fry, varying the vegetables depending on the season and what’s available. Serve it piping hot, with rice on the side.

Makes: 3 to 4 servings

Total time: 30 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes’ chilling

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise (against the grain) into 1/8-inch-thick slices, 1 1/2 to 2 inches long

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus another 2 teaspoons, if you like

5 tablespoons neutral oil (peanut, safflower, grapeseed)

2 ounces snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise (about 3/4 cup sliced)

8 ounces mushrooms (any kind you like), sliced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce, more to taste

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1. Put the chicken slices into a bowl, and stir in Shaoxing wine and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In another bowl, beat the egg white until the gel is broken and it thins out slightly (it should not be frothy) and add to the chicken mixture. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and stir until smooth.

2. Refrigerate chicken for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours so coating has time to adhere to meat.

3. Bring medium saucepan of water to a boil, then add 1 tablespoon neutral oil. Add the snow peas to a sieve or strainer that fits in the pot. Lower into boiling water for 10 seconds. Pull out the sieve (leaving water in the pot) and rinse snow peas with cold water. (Alternatively, you can put the snow peas directly in the water, stir once with a slotted spoon, then scoop them up and drain in a colander, rinsing well with cold water to stop the cooking.)

4. Lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Add in the chicken, stir to separate, and keep stirring gently until the coating turns white, about 1 minute. Drain chicken. (If you’d like a thicker, glossier sauce, whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water until the cornstarch has dissolved. Reserve.)

5. Heat a wok or large, heavy skillet over high heat. Once hot, add remaining 3 tablespoons neutral oil, swirl and heat for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and ginger to hot oil, and stir and flip rapidly for about 30 seconds, or until the color of the mushrooms begins to brighten. Add the snow peas and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and briskly stir mixture for 1 minute.

6. Add the chicken, soy sauce and reserved cornstarch slurry if using, and stir until the mixture is coated. Add the sesame oil, flip the mixture a few times and cook until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

— Recipe from Irene Kuo; adapted by Melissa Clark