Tomato Basil Scones

Recently my fellow monks and I have been doing more of our own cooking, in part because the pandemic has reduced our need for outside kitchen help---no students, no faculty, fewer support staff, etc. Most evenings our meal is prepared for us and all we have to do is warm it up and put it out on the hot cart, but three nights a week one of the brethren cooks a meal of his own choosing, depending upon his level of kitchen experience and how much prep time he might have.

For nearly four weeks I have been somewhat laid up with a herniated disk in my back, which made standing or walking for any amount of time intensely painful, so I've not volunteered for awhile. But time, prayer, and physical therapy have improved my mobility, so I signed up to fix supper on Thursday. Naturally, I tend toward a menu that is "bread forward" to use a trendy restaurant term, so I decided on Tomato Basil Scones with Italian Sausage Gravy.  ("It's not just for breakfast anymore!")

A delicate sprig of rosemary against the ivy wall of my garden

The basil and rosemary in our kitchen garden is large enough to harvest a few sprigs, although the parsley is being sampled daily by the two groundhogs who live nearby, so I may have to make do with dry until I can get some chicken wire in place! I may toss in a little marjoram as well, since that herb is in need of a gentle pruning. Come to think of it, some garlic chives might make a welcome addition, but then again, I don't want to add too many flavors to compete with the Italian sausage gravy. You can find my recipe for Italian sausage HERE, and pretty much any sausage gravy recipe will do. 

My first attempt at this recipe included some shredded zucchini, since I had some monster squash to use up. The zucchini added too much liquid and almost no flavor, so I abandoned it in scones and stuck to walnut zucchini batter bread from then on! It’s unusual for a scone recipe not to include some kind of dairy for the liquid, so you may find the texture a little off-putting at first, but the flavor is exquisite.
 
It may seem a bit odd to make scones in a square cake pan, but the dough is easier to manage that way and makes for neat and even servings. They are also modestly sized, in contrast to the giant wedges you see in some coffee shops. If you make it as a scored round on a baking sheet like traditional scones, reduce the baking time to about 20 minutes.

I'll be serving this for supper along with fresh green beans from Br. Luke's vegetable garden (steamed in a little chicken broth) and some kind of side salad.  Dessert? Well, I'm thinking about Pecan Pie Bars . . .

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Fresh or dried herbs may be used in Tomato Basil Scones, just as one can use fresh or canned tomatoes.

Tomato Basil Scones
 
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (½ stick) cold butter cut into slices
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil (2 tsp. dried)
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (1 tablespoon dried)
½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (¼ teaspoon dried and ground)
½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
¾ cup crushed tomatoes
 
Preheat oven to 425° F. and lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch cake pan.  In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in herbs and sun-dried tomatoes until evenly distributed. Add crushed tomatoes and mix until dough forms into a ball. Knead gently for five or six strokes. Press dough into pan until spread evenly in pan. Using a bench knife or spatula, divide into 9 squares. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned and the scones are slightly firm to the touch. Allow to cool in pan for ten minutes before serving warm. 

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Tomato Basil Scones with Italian sausage gravy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight snack---whatever!