A Southern Girl Spoiled by the Hudson Valley:
Marrying my southern heritage with local tastes
As I struggled to get a crate of fresh tomatoes up my apartment stairs yesterday, it suddenly hit me. There is nothing better than the goodness in a perfectly ripe tomato, still warm from growing in the sun, thickly sliced and sprinkled with salt. 
Gilding the lily a bit I go as far as to drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil. Many of my younger days in Mississippi were spent eating tomatoes from my Delta Grandfather’s garden. Any one and everyone who enjoys food knows the beauty of an in season tomato, and no magazine can be read, or food show watched during these late summer months that does not mention tomatoes as a stand out star.
Growing up in the south gave me farm fresh tomatoes, but it took the Hudson Valley to give me rich organic olive oils, apples in more varieties than I can remember, and many other things that made my foodie heart jump for joy. Fresh dairy and eggs, artisan breads, perfect produce, and the list goes on. My tastes have broadened and my appreciation grows daily for the local food providers of the area. I have spent the past few years taking the tastes I know from home and recreating them to better suit the time and place in which I am now living and fully enjoying.
Tomatoes and olive oil are kitchen staples for me when tomatoes are in season. I usually do little to them, and sit happily munching away just as I did years back, with the only difference being the lack of humidity and mosquitoes. These two items are so simple, so good, so satisfying, yet can they, dare I say, be made even better?
A beloved dish of mine has always been Shrimp Creole, a Louisiana specialty consisting of a roux, minced vegetables, tomato based stock, and showcasing the local gulf shrimp, plump and sweet with the smell of the sea. 
From the first time I had this dish at a French quarter dive bar, late in evening, I knew it there was something more than just tomato drenched shrimp and spices. Sitting with a friend, I recall seeing his mouth moving, but not hearing anything he was saying as I was trying to figure this lovely combination out. All my mind thought was how great the cooked down tomatoes were with the shrimp being just a meaty side note. At home, I scoured over recipes yet still wanted little more than the thick cooked down tomatoes to shine through.
Being in love with the tomatoes of the Hudson Valley farmers markets, I decided to show case the tomatoes in a beautiful tango with the shrimp, all topped with the local organic olive oil. Throwing tradition to the wind, I went for it. Sautéing plenty of chopped garlic in full bodied olive oil, throwing in diced summer tomatoes which need little help tasting wonderful, and adding a few more ingredients yielded a dish that was less Shrimp Creole, and more Shrimp Claire-ole.
Here is the recipe, which is rough, and open to interpretation. Good food can always be great when the finest of ingredients are purchased, and you follow your heart with what to make. No recipe is as good as the one you are yearning to make inside. Swing by a farmers market before the season is over, and pick up some fresh dark red tomatoes, making sure they are firm, and heavy for their size (these juicy insides make for a lovely saucy mixture, meaning no stock as tradition calls for.) Grab some garlic free of blemishes, and store it in a cool dry place. And don’t forget the Ana Marie’s Organic Olive Oil, which makes the dish really stand out from my now distance New Orleans memory.
Shrimp Claire-ole
2 tablespoons Ana Marie olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (or red if you prefer)
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped depending on taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, about 2-4 depending on size
(I don’t skin or seed them, but you can if you like)
1 small bay leaf
salt and ground pepper to taste
1 lb large or jumbo shrimp, 21/25 count preferred, peeled, leaving the tail on
fresh parsley or basil, chopped
1.) Heat a medium deep sided, oven proof skillet (I prefer and use a cast iron here) over medium heat, adding in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once you the oil glistens, toss in the onions and pepper. Cook until tender, about 7-9 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute more, until both are fragrant.
2.) Add the tomatoes, and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and add the bay leaf. Simmer until mixture becomes thick, about 20-30 minutes.
3.) Nestle the shrimp into the tomato mixture and cook just until the shrimp are pink and begin to curl slightly, about 2-3 minutes. (I actually turn the heat off, put the shrimp in, and let it sit 10 minutes or so. The heat cooks the shrimp thru perfectly without any risk of them becoming over cooked and rubbery.)
4.) Place in bowls and drizzle with olive oil, topping with fresh parsley or basil.
*I eat it like this. It is also great served over hot rice, and made with a little hot sauce.
