Elevating Simple Dishes with Muir Glen Organics

On Monday I had the great pleasure of dining once again with a bunch of Boston bloggers at a dinner hosted by Muir Glen Organics and Chef Will Gilson at the Boston Center for Adult Education. A twist on last winter’s Vine Dining dinner which also featured Gilson’s famous cooking and Muir Glen products, this dinner had us on our feet and in the kitchen in a totally relaxed and laid back setting.

The event, called Elevating Simple Dishes with Chef Will Gilson and Muir Glen, featured simple, comforting recipes that were made fantastic by using the best ingredients, including Muir Glen Organics tomatoes. On the menu? Ratatouille, along with tomato bisque and grilled cheese, two dishes that Gilson made Boston fall in love with while he was at Garden at the Cellar. I could definitely eat this soup and sandwich combo on a daily basis, and since it’s super easy, real food, I just might.

After a brief introduction from Julie Johnson from Muir Glen (where we learned about Muir Glen’s 2011 Limited Edition Reserve tomatoes), Chef Gilson talked about his involvement with Muir Glen and then got us into the kitchen.

We split up and got to work chopping, slicing, and dicing.

I had the important job of putting Cabot cheese on the When Pigs Fly bread while Elizabeth chopped zucchini and Jen prepared fresh herbs.

Chef Gilson did the bulk of the cooking, whipping up the ratatouille in a giant pot (to which he added a hefty amount of olive oil!) and blending his tomato soup until smooth and creamy.

When the food was ready, we all got to sit down together to enjoy it, along with some wine and conversation.

The sky was darkening, I was tired and chilly, and the tomato soup and grilled cheese pairing were exactly what I needed. Luckily we were sent home with some tomatoes of our own to try, and with cold weather just around the corner, I am already brainstorming delicious tomato recipes, in addition to tomato soup, of course.

What are your favorite ways to use canned tomatoes?