Tag Archives: tomatoes

11 ways to use fresh tomatoes from Florida Tomato Committee

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imagesTomato Napoleons:
Cut peeled tomatoes into four crosswise slices. Layer with marscapone spiked with fresh dill and slivered smoked salmon. Serve on greens with toasts.

Tomato Tartar:
Season chopped, seeded tomatoes with olive oil, lemon juice, capers, minced fresh basil, nicoise olives and onion. Serve on endive; use as a dip, or as a topping for crostini, steamed fish or baked potatoes.

Fresh Tomato Salad Pizza:
Top pizza dough with Fontina and Parmesan cheese: bake until cheese melts and crust is golden. Top with sliced tomatoes, salad greens, sliced green olives and a drizzle of dressing.

Florida Tomato Toast:
Spread mayonnaise onto bread slices then place thinly sliced tomatoes on top (one or two layers). Sprinkle grated mozzarella on top. Bakein oven at 350 degrees F, about 15 minutes.

Roasted Tomatoes:
Cut tomatoes in halves; squeeze to release seeds. Place on a rack on a shallow pan, cut-side down. Bake at 450 degrees F, until skin
blisters, about 20 minutes.

Upside-Down Tomato Cornbread:
Line greased skillet with season tomato slices; pour cornbread batter over tomatoes; cook until bread is done, then invert.

Caribbean Jerk Tomato Salad:
Lightly grill tomato wedges brushed with a mixture of oil and jerk seasoning; toss with sliced avocado, hearts of palm and chunks of cool, cooked chicken or pork.

Charred Tomatoes with Garlic and Olives:
Broil whole tomatoes until slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove skins; chop flesh roughly. Transfer to a pan; add halved garlic cloves, olive oil and salt: roast at 400 degrees F, until thickened and flecked with dark bits, about 1 hour. Serve drizzled with more olive oil and chopped ripe olives. Use as a dip with pita breads.

Thai Tomato Spring Rolls:
Wrap a mixture of chopped tomatoes, mint, pork tenderloin, lemongrass and peanuts in wrappers. Serve with spicy soy dipping sauce.

Fried Pink Tomato Sandwiches:
Saute flour or cornmeal-dusted slices of pink tomatoes then place of rounds of polenta that have been seasoned with basil.

Little Tomato Goat Cheese Souffles:
Fill tomatoes with a basic souffle mixture made with goat cheese and chives. Bake until puffy and golden brown.

Smoked Corn and Black Bean Salad

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  • 3 or 4 eaFD-smokesignalsJuly150181435429156rs smoked corn 
  • 1/3 cup diced sweet onion
  • 1/2 cup seeded, diced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup seeded, diced red bell pepper
  • 1 teaspoon minced, seeded and stemmed serrano pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 16 ounces cooked or canned, no-salt-added black beans (if using canned, drain, rinse and dry on paper towels)
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
  • 3 or 4 grindings of black pepper, or more as needed

Scrape enough kernels from the ears to yield 3 cups. Transfer to a large bowl; discard the cobs or reserve for making broth (see related recipe). Add the onion, bell and serrano peppers, garlic, black beans, cilantro, oil, lime juice, salt and pepper (to taste); toss gently to incorporate.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 5 days). Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed; serve chilled or at room temperature.

 

Roz’s Caprese Salad with Grape Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Basil

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  • 4 – 5 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
  • 1 lb fresh imported Italian mozzarella, cut into ¼ – ½” cubes
  • ¼ cup extra virgin, first preseed Italian olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar for a more mild flavor)
  • 10 – 15 large fresh basil leaves (to taste)
  • Italian sea salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Fresh Italian bread
  1. Toss together the tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
  2. Tear the basil into large pieces and toss into the salad.
  3. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Serve immediately (can be refrigerated to serve a little bit later too).
  5. Serve with fresh, crusty Italian bread

 

Tomato Pie from Vivian Howard

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a chefs life series
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For the Filling
2 cups diced and drained fresh tomatoes
2 cups diced and roasted tomatoes
1 cup caramelized onions
1/2 cup picked basil
salt
pepper
sugar

For the Topping
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/3 cup grated Fontina
1/2 cup mayo
1 pie crust

For the diced and drained tomatoes
Seed and dice about 3 cups fresh, high-quality tomatoes. Toss them with a little kosher salt and sugar. Set over a colander while you prepare the remaining ingredients if possible. If not, drain for a minimum of an hour. You should be left with about 2 cups of tomato.
For the roasted tomatoes
Seed and dice 4 cups fresh, high quality tomatoes. Toss them with olive oil (at C&F we use garlic oil), plenty of kosher salt, and several sprigs of thyme. Spread this mix out on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. You want the tomatoes to be dry and slightly caramelized, but not burned around the edges.

For the Onions
Peel and slice (with the grain) 4 medium yellow onions. In a large sauté pan, heat 1/4 cup butter. Add the onions and season them with salt. Let the onions simmer and become juicy. Once the situation becomes a bit drier and much of the onion liquid has cooked out, turn down the heat, to its lowest setting and settle in for a long, slow caramelize. To get these onions where they need to be, it could take about 2 hours. You are looking for a medium brown, sweet caramelization.

To Assemble the Filling
Combine the onions, fresh tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Keep in mind, tomatoes take a lot of seasoning to really make them shine in applications like this.

To Bake and Serve
Spread the filling over the bottom of a blind-baked crust. Flatten the topping between wax paper or use your good ol’ hands to create a 1/3 inch thick round of delicious, cheesy topping that spreads nearly to the edges of the pie. Bake at 375 degrees until the top is nicely browned…20-25 minutes. Serve at just over room temperature.

Tips/Techniques
At Chef Vivian Howard’s restaurant, the Chef & the Farmer, they make a tight aioli to fold into the cheeses, but you can substitute your favorite brand of mayo to great effect. As for the crust… Chef Howard will add the crust recipe when she gather it from Kim, their pastry chef. For now, use your favorite crust recipe or even a frozen crust…and blind bake it!

ACL_tomato-pie

Potato-Bean Stew washington post

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  • stew2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 large sweet red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice
  • 1 to 2 medium poblano chili peppers and/or Anaheim chili oseeded and cut into small dice OR a 7 oz can of chopped green chilies
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or more as needed
  • 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 cup bean-cooking liquid or water, plus more as needed
  • 3 cups drained home-cooked pinto beans or 30 ounces canned, no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 15 ounces canned, tomatoes and their juices
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice from 1/2 to 1 lime

Heat a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat for about 1 minute, then add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the onion, chili powder and cumin; cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the bell pepper, chili peppers (to taste), garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt; cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Stir in the potatoes and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to low; cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add the bean cooking liquid or water, cover and cook for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. Add more cooking liquid or water if the mixture seems dry.

Gently stir in the beans, along with the tomatoes and their juices. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Taste and season generously with the black pepper, plus additional salt and/or chili powder, and the lime juice (to taste). Serve hot.

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Bulgur, Spinach and Tomato Casserole, NY Times

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1 cup coarse (#3) bulgur
Salt to taste
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 plump garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or cinnamon (to taste)
Freshly ground pepper
1 12-ounce bunch spinach, stemmed and washed thoroughly in 2 changes of water, or 2 6-ounce bags baby spinach
2 teaspoons dried mint or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed) (optional)
2 ounces Gruyère, or 1 ounce each Gruyère and Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup)

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the bulgur and salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat, uncover and place a clean dish towel over the pan, then replace the lid. Allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes or longer. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide skillet or a shallow 3-quart saucepan and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes, sugar, salt to taste, and allspice or cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant sauce, about 20 minutes. Taste, adjust salt and add freshly ground pepper.

3. Steam the spinach until it wilts, 1 to 2 minutes, rinse briefly with cold water and squeeze out excess water. Do this by the handful to get out all the water. Chop coarsely. Add to the bulgur. Add the mint and the chickpeas if using, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce and toss together.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Spread the bulgur mixture in the dish in an even layer. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle on the cheese. Drizzle on the last tablespoon of olive oil. Bake 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.  Yield: Serves 6

Variation: Substitute feta for the Gruyère.

 

Farro with Tuna and Tomatoes from Lidia

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farro_with_tuna_and_tomatoes_985_f 1 pound farro
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
1 tablespoon Coarse sea salt, or kosher salt
10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more
6 plump garlic cloves
½ teaspoon peperoncino, (crushed red pepper flakes)
3 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand
12 ounces canned tuna in olive oil, (preferably imported from Italy)
4 tablespoons small capers, drained
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Rinse the farro well and drain in a sieve. Put it in the pot with 6 cups of water, the bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, set the cover slightly ajar, and adjust the heat to maintain a steady bubbling simmer. Cook about half an hour, stirring from time to time, until the farro grains are cooked through but still al dente, then turn off the heat. Most of the liquid should have been absorbed; if there’s water still visible, pour it off. Discard the bay leaves. Keep the farro in the covered pot to stay warm while you make the sauce.

Pour 1/3 cup of the olive oil into the big skillet and set over medium-high heat. Scatter in the sliced garlic and peperoncino in the pan and cook for a couple of minutes to caramelize. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt and the capers and heat to a moderate boil and let the tomatoes bubble away, uncovered.

Meanwhile, drain the canned tuna and break it up into thick flakes, 1/2-inch or a bit larger. After the tomatoes have cooked about 5 minutes, drop the tuna in the skillet and stir it into the tomatoes slowly, so the flakes of fish stay together. Cook at the same bubbling boil for another 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are cooked and slightly reduced.

Lower the heat a bit and stir in the remaining olive oil (about 3 tablespoons). Now spill the cooked farro on top of the sauce and toss and stir, still over moderate heat, until the grains are very hot and thoroughly mixed with the tomatoes and tuna. Turn off the heat, toss in the chopped parsley and serve.  serves: 6

Heirloom Tomatoes with Blue Cheese Dressing from Ina Garten

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3 pounds heirloom tomatoes, mixed colors and sizes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ pound Roquefort cheese, divided
1 cup good mayonnaise
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons tarragon wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Core the tomatoes and cut the large ones into thick slices; halve or quarter the small ones. Arrange artfully on a platter and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

For the dressing, place half the Roquefort cheese, the mayonnaise, heavy cream, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in the bowl food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until combined but still chunky.

Drizzle the dressing over the tomatoes. Crumble the remaining blue cheese over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve at room temperature. (Serves 6 to 8)

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta Ina Garten

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6 ounces good feta, crumbled
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup good olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced shallots (2 shallots)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
2 pounds ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, 1/2-inch-diced

For the whipped feta, place the feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until the cheeses are mixed. Add 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and process until smooth.

For the tomatoes, up to an hour before your’re serving, combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the tomatoes, stir gently, and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and taste for seasonings.

To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on top. Put the crostini on plates and scatter with the pine nuts. Sprinkle with extra basil and serve.   (Serves 6 to 8)

ZUCCHINI PARMIGIANA Parmigiana di Zucchine from Lidia

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Zucchini is such a convenient and delicious vegetable. It is inexpensive, and you can find it -year–round, although it is best in the summer. In this delicious and simple recipe, the zucchini is baked into a parmigiana but does not have the traditional frying step. I like using a large baking pan and making just one layer; this way, the zucchini will dry up more in the oven, 1090and you will have more of the crispy cheese top, which everybody loves.

2 pounds medium zucchini
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces sliced -whole–wheat bread
4 cups Marinara Sauce (page 80)
2 cups shredded -low–moisture mozzarella
1 cup Grana Padano or -Parmigiano–Reggiano
¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole zucchini, and bring back to a boil. Simmer until the zucchini are almost tender throughout, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and slice lengthwise into -½–inch–thick slices. Season with the salt.

Grease a -9–by–13–inch baking dish with the butter, and fit the bread in one layer into the bottom, trimming to fit if necessary.

Layer as follows: Spread the bread with 2 cups of the marinara sauce. Arrange half of the zucchini in an even layer. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and Grana Padano. Sprinkle with all of the basil. Arrange the remaining zucchini in an even layer. Spread with the remaining marinara, and top with the remaining mozzarella and Grana Padano. Bake, uncovered, until browned and bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes.