Tomato Scallion Shortcakes with Whipped Goat Cheese
Every spring, I get anxious for summer tomatoes to start showing up at our favorite farmers market. I don’t remember when I first fell in love with them, but tomatoes are one of my most favorite things about summer. Clara goes crazy for them, too, so we aren’t able to keep them in the house for long periods of time. I’ve had this recipe in mind since last winter. It’s been calling to me, right from the cover, since I first received The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. I was determined to hold off on making it until tomatoes were at their peak and available locally. It was worth the wait.
Deb is a genius when it comes to recipes, and this one is no exception. She took what has always been a dessert and turned it into something savory and altogether wonderful. I mean, she’s even figured out a whipped topping for this shortcake. It’s essentially a green onion and pepper biscuit topped with tomatoes and goat cheese. It sounds simple, and it is, but that’s really the beauty of it. The tomatoes are allowed to really shine, and the biscuits absorb the flavorful juice that’s created when the sliced tomatoes meet the olive oil and vinegar dressing. This meal showcases summer produce at its finest, and there’s nothing more I want to do with tomatoes now that I’ve made this recipe.
- YIELD: 6-8 shortcakes
For the biscuits:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup whole milk
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the tomato salad:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
⅛ teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ pound (about 1½ cups) cherry or grape tomatoes
For topping:
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
4 ounces goat cheese, softened
Greens from 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1
Heat oven to 425º. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking mat and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the scallions and milk until evenly moistened.
- 2
Pat the dough into a ¾ to 1-inch thick circle and use a 3-inch cutter to cut rounds, reforming the scraps as needed. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating halfway through baking.
- 3
While the biscuits are baking, prepare the tomatoes. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper in a medium bowl. Quarter the tomatoes lengthwise, place into the bowl and toss gently to coat.
In another bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the goat cheese and continue beating until the topping is light and fluffy.
- 4
To serve the shortcakes, split each biscuit in half and top with a generous amount of the tomato salad. Add a dollop of the whipped goat cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Serve immediately.
These sound heavenly! Love this idea!
These sound heavenly! Love this idea!
I made these in the spring and it was seriously love at first bite! I bet they’d be even better with perfectly in season tomatoes!
I made these in the spring and it was seriously love at first bite! I bet they’d be even better with perfectly in season tomatoes!
I will definitely be making these shortly.
This is the food dreams are made of.
This is the food dreams are made of.