Tag Archives: tomatoes

Tomato and Smoked Salmon Pasta

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Top Tomato 2012 finalist Mehan Dossani says this dish reminds her of a bagel with lox and tomato. It comes together in less than 20 minutes, and it’s her go-to recipe when she has leftover smoked salmon in the fridge. For the pasta, she is partial to perciatelli (long, hollow tubes), but you can use your preferred variety.

  • 8 ounces dried pasta, such as perciatelli
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, preferably a fruity variety
  • 1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press or very finely chopped and pressed with the side of a knife blade
  • 2 medium to large ripe tomatoes (12 to 16 ounces), coarsely chopped, with their juices
  • 1 ounce cream cheese
  • 8 ounces smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup torn or chopped basil leaves, packed
  • Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta, cook according to the package directions and drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for about 10 seconds, then add the tomatoes and their juices. Increase the heat to medium-high; cook the tomatoes for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften, then use a wooden spoon to break up the pieces and mash them down a little. When the tomatoes and their liquid begin to bubble gently around the edges of the skillet, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese, stirring until it has melted. Add the smoked salmon, season with pepper to taste and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce, toss to coat and let the pasta soak in the sauce for a moment. Stir in the basil, sprinkle with Parmesan to taste and serve.

2 to 4 servings

Chipotle Shrimp With Tomato Corn Salsa

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Top Tomato 2012

Barbara Brynelson invented this recipe after coming home from the Rockville farmers market with tomatoes, corn, onions and chili peppers. She also had a bottle of chipotle powder she had been wanting to use. A winner was born.
Because she’s usually pressed for time, Brynelson says, she uses frozen (uncooked) shrimp that has been peeled and deveined; if you prefer, you can buy 24 ounces of shell-on shrimp to peel and clean yourself. She also doesn’t peel or seed the tomatoes but wouldn’t object if you choose to.

If you like your food spicy, go with the jalapeno pepper; if not, you can use a poblano instead. And if you don’t like cilantro, she gives you the option of not adding it.

This can be eaten on its own, served over rice or pasta, or wrapped in a soft tortilla.

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 medium sweet onion, sliced lengthwise into strips (not rings; 1/2 cup)
  • Kernels from 1 or 2 ears of fresh corn (1 cup)
  • 1/2 jalapeno or poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped (see headnote)
  • 3 large Roma tomatoes, chopped (peeled and seeded if desired)
  • Finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice from 1 lime (1 teaspoon zest and 2 teaspoons juice)
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced or crushed
  • 1 1/2 cups peeled and deveined raw shrimp (12 ounces, 31 to 40 count), fresh or frozen, defrosted if frozen
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, preferably Penzeys brand
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (optional)

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the corn, jalapeno or poblano pepper, the tomatoes and lime juice. Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until the tomato has softened. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, then add the shrimp, lime zest and chipotle powder (to taste). Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are just turning pink and opaque. Return the tomato-corn mixture to the pan or skillet and cook for a few minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through.

4 servings

Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran

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Panch phoran (also spelled panch phoron and panch puran) is a Bengali blend of five spices– fenugreek, mustard, kalonji (nigella), fennel, and cumin, in equal amounts. (In Bengal, radhuni would be used instead of mustard, but it’s not available in the U.S.) You can buy this spice blend in Indian grocery stores or you can make it yourself.

If you want a more assertive panch phoran taste, grind an additional 1/2 tablespoon of it and add it during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

  • 1 1/2 cups masoor dal or red lentils
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/8 teaspoon canola oil (or canola oil spray)
  • 1 tablespoon panch phoran
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste (or 1 tsp. minced ginger)
  • 16 ounces diced tomatoes (or 1 can)
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets)
  • 1/2 cup water
  1. Pick over and rinse the lentils and add them to a pot with the water and turmeric. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the dal is tender, about 20 to 35 minutes. When done, add salt and set aside.
  2. While the dal is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Heat a large, deep skillet, preferably non-stick. When hot, add the canola oil and shake it to spread it around. Add the panch phoran and stir. (You may instead use oil spray; spray before and after adding the panch phoran.) When the first seed pops, immediately add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger paste. Stir and cook until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cauliflower, and water, and stir. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is just tender, about 10 minutes.
  3. When the dal and cauliflower are both done, add the dal to the cauliflower mixture. Stir well, and check seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve hot, over rice if desired.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 55 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 6

 

Green Bean and Tomato – River Cafe

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8-16 oz egg tagliatelle
1lb green beans
6 plum tomatoes
2 oz parmesan
1 garlic clove
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp basil leaves

Top and tail the green beans, cook in boiling salted water until tender, then drain.
Cut the tomatoes in half and chop the flesh coarsely. Season

Peel the garlic and mince, add to the cream and bring to a boil. Season and add the tomato, green beans, and basil. Stir to combine. Grate the Parmesan.

Cook the tagliatelle (pasta) in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, and add the tomato and beans. Serve with Parmesan. This is a summer pasta. Always use the ripest tomatoes and the finest green beans.

Spaghetti Puttanesca – Tina – Serves 4.

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The pasta and sauce cook in just about the same amount of time. If you like the fruitiness of extra-virgin olive oil, toss 1 tablespoon into the sauced pasta before serving.


4 medium cloves garlic , minced to paste or pressed through garlic press (1 packed tbsp)

table salt

1 pound spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 teaspoons minced anchovies (about 8 fillets)

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved

3 tablespoons capers , rinsed

1/2 cup black olives (such as Gaeta, Alfonso, or Kalamata), pitted and chopped coarse

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in large Dutch oven or stockpot. Meanwhile, mix garlic with 1 tablespoon water in small bowl; set aside. When water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; stir to separate pasta. Immediately heat oil, garlic mixture, red pepper flakes, and anchovies in large skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened, about 8 min.

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, then return pasta to pot; add 1/4 cup reserved tomato juice and toss to combine. Stir capers, olives, and parsley into sauce. Pour sauce over pasta and toss to combine, adding more tomato juice to moisten if necessary. Adjust seasonings with salt; serve immediately.