"THE LOVE SHAK-(shuka)

....is a little old recipe" we can easily prepare in the summer. Here are the ingredients:

• Tomatoes, cut in large coins
• Jasmine rice (cooked, leftover's fine)
• Crème Fraîche
• Hot Tea water (black tea with orange peel infusion, preferred)
• Spices: turmeric ginger powder, herb de Provence, garlic salt, red pepper flakes and whole nutmeg (to grate over later)
• Ewephoria Goada cheese (or any hard cheese that pastas love together with)
• Cucumbers, peeled and sliced into coins (for the side salad)
• Crema Bianca di Tondo vinegar (white version of Balsamic, but creamed; Agata & Valentina should have it)

How to: Preheat oven to 425. Oil and butter cast iron at medium-high heat and gently place tomatoes around pan to fill entire and sear one side. Sprinkle all the spices, except nutmeg, over tomatoes, evenly, then salt and pepper them. Spread rice over, flatten nicely (doing this while tomatoes are frying in their juices and smoking out the aromatics to coat the rice) - then carefully pour in pan about a cup.5 of tea (the pan will sizzle - the acidity of the tomatoes will absorb and burn to sweetness) - 30 seconds later, turn off heat, dollop over the crème fraîche at the center of the dish, grating over some lovely nutmeg, some salt and pepper, maybe a little more pepper flakes, a little olive oil as you like, and finally the grated cheese, copious amount, please; then throw in the oven until middle is browning and crisping (see picture). Done. (The salad is pretty straight forward: shake them all up with salt, pepper, olive oil, white balsamic creme; done. Don't forget to toast a baguette. Plate over shakshuka as much to make you happy.) 

It's a love dish. Even if you're alone!