Tomatoes

This year I purchased a couple of the Topsy Turvy planters so I could have some fresh tomatoes. I was so organized - I bought the planters early (before they even had plants to put in them), bought the tomato plants as soon as they came in and then waited… I must have thought they were going to plant themselves! Anyway, I finally got them in the planters, got them hung up on the south side of the house and bought a special attachment for my hose so I could water them. I finally have some little tomato starting to come on the plants. If it doesn’t freeze for another few weeks I might even get some red tomatoes to use in a variety of recipes. Store-bought tomatoes just don’t compare to home-grown ones. So while you can get your hands on some good home-grown tomatoes try the following recipes:

Grilled Tomatoes
with Basil Vinaigrette
3 yellow tomatoes
3 red tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Garnish: fresh basil sprigs
Cut tomatoes in half; thread onto skewers, alternating colors. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium heat (300° to 350°) 10 minutes, turning skewers often.
Combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and basil; drizzle over kabobs. Garnish, if desired.

Fresh Tomato Tart
1/2 of a 15-ounce folded refrigerated unbaked pie crust (1 crust)
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
4 roma or small regular tomatoes
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Fresh basil leaves (optional)
Unfold the piecrust according to package directions. Line a 9-inch tart pan with pastry (it’s easier to remove the baked tart if pan has a removable bottom). Press the pastry into the fluted sides of the tart pan and trim the edges. Don’t prick. Partially bake in a 450 degree F oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until pastry is slightly dry.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degree F.
Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into wedges; drain the wedges on paper towels. Arrange the tomato wedges over the melted cheese in a baked crust.
In a food processor bowl, combine basil and garlic; cover and process with on-off turns until coarsely chopped. Or snip the basil and mince the garlic.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the basil-garlic mixture, the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese, the mayonnaise, the grated Parmesan cheese, and pepper. Spread the mixture evenly over tomato wedges.
Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 25 minutes or until cheese is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve warm. If you like, garnish with additional basil leaves. Makes 8 appetizer or 4 main-dish servings.

Salad Bread
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 8-oz. loaf baguette-style French bread, split in half lengthwise
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion tops
Spread butter evenly over cut sides of bread. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Top with shredded cheese, tomatoes, sweet peppers and onion tops. Wrap each half loosely in foil. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.
To serve, cut crosswise into 1-1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve immediately. Makes 24 slices.
Make-Ahead:Butter baguette and sprinkle with garlic salt and cheese, wrap in foil and refrigerate. Prepare vegetable toppings and refrigerate; add to bread slices when ready to bake.

Fresh Tomato Salsa
2-3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (from 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb), stems removed, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
1 serano chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: oregano and or cumin to taste
Start with chopping up 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes. Prepare the chilies. Be very careful while handling these hot peppers. If you can, avoid touching them with your hands. Use a fork to cut up the chilies over a small plate, or use a paper towel to protect your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the peppers. If the salsa isn’t hot enough, you can add a few for heat.
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add some ground cumin.
Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.
Makes approximately 3-4 cups.
Serve with chips, tortillas, tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, pinto or black beans.

Garden Fresh Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 large onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
16-ounce can tomato sauce
4 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6-ounce can tomato paste
1 medium carrot, grated
In a large pot, saute garlic, onion and celery over medium heat.
Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for three hours. Serve over pasta.
This sauce can also be cooled and frozen in freezer bags.
Note: Don’t be afraid to adjust the spices to your liking. 1/2 cup fresh chopped mushrooms can be added.

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup
3 lb ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 large potato, peeled and grated
2 - 3 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon tomato puree
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
Fresh basil leaves
Peel the tomatoes. An easy way to do this is place tomatoes in to a bowl and pour boiling water over, leave a few seconds, the peel should come off easily.
Cook the chopped onion in the heated olive oil until soft.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, crushed garlic, salt and pepper some of the basil leaves and stir. Pour the stock over it and let it simmer for 30 - 40 minutes.
Grate a potato into the soup and let it simmer another 10 -15 minutes.
Blend it until smooth. Add the butter and allow it to melt in the soup. Decorate with basil leaves.

Zucchini-Tomato Cups
3 small zucchini, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices (1 to 1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 cup crumbled Blue cheese (1 ounce)
8 cherry tomatoes, each cut into 3 or 4 slices (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup finely shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
Ground black or white pepper
24 small fresh basil leaves
Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Scoop out some of the flesh from the center of each zucchini slice with a melon baller, creating a shell that resembles a bowl. Place slices, bowl sides up, on prepared baking sheet.
Fill each shell with a crumble or two of the blue cheese. Top each with 1 tomato slice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper.
Bake in a 350 degrees F for 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese melts. (Watch carefully so they do not brown.) Arrange on a serving tray. Garnish each with a fresh basil leaf. Makes about 24 appetizers. Print this post