Last night we were meeting with Chef Paul Bogardus of
Dolce Basking Ridge in New Jersey to learn more about the Dolce Hotels & Resorts' Thoughtful Food for Thoughtful Minds program, which ups the ante for food and beverage offerings at meetings with menus created with wholesome ingredients to nourish the mind and keep guests alert and attentive, when we spied some red crumbles atop the salad — butter head lettuce, hen of the woods, toasted macadamia nuts with a roasted Cipollini vinaigrette. Had Bogardus figured out a way to make bacon wholesome and nourishing? No, but even more interestingly, it was crumbled tomato (
…perfect time of year…) fruit leather.
Bogardus takes his marinara sauce — housemade from local Jersey tomatoes of course — and spreads a thin layer onto a Silpat. He cooks it at 200 degrees for 45 minutes and then lets it cool and "it peels off just like Colorforms" he explains. He crumbled the strips over the salad for a salty sweet savory element. Healthy. Wholesome. And delicious.