Get ready to harvest your garden tomatoes

The months of August and September are prime tomato season, when the bright red and orange orbs are at their peak.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that every American eats more than 22 pounds of tomatoes a year — most in the form of catsup or tomato sauce.

But this time of year, it’s tomatoes fresh off the vine that tempt people. Their flavor can’t be beat, and it marries well with most other foods.

Try making a simple caprese salad of halved cherry tomatoes with small pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, a little olive oil and salt.

Or a tomato watermelon salad. Combine four cups coarsely chopped tomatoes with two cups coarsely chopped watermelon, toss with two tablespoons olive oil, one teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and two tablespoons chopped mint. Top with chopped pistachios.

Scoop out cherry tomatoes to create edible cups for fish or egg salads, herbed cheeses or caviar as an appetizer.

Medium-sized tomatoes can also be hollowed out to create a bowl for side dishes or filled with various stuffings for an edible side dish.

Just remember to turn the hollowed-out tomatoes upside down to drain for about 10 minutes before filling them.

When picking tomatoes, choose those that are brightly colored and heavy. Avoid those with shriveled skin, blemishes, bruises or cracks.

Ripe tomatoes should yield to pressure, but not be too soft.

Don’t be afraid of tomatoes that are light red or even green. They will ripen if you store them in a cool area away from direct sunlight.

Whatever you do, don’t store tomatoes in the refrigerator or they will lose flavor.

When cutting tomatoes, a serrated knife works best.

If your tomatoes are overly acidic, add a sprinkle of salt and sugar to bring out the flavor. If you’re making sauce, add a grated carrot, which will dissolve and add sweetness but no hint of the carrot flavor.

And don’t use aluminum pots, cans or utensils. The acid in the tomatoes will react with the aluminum, making the cooked tomatoes bitter and potentially pitting and discoloring the cookware.

Following are tomato recipes from food52.com and whiteonricecouple.com

 

whiteonricecouple.com

 

Peach and Heirloom Tomato Salad

3 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced

2 medium heirloom tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme

Kosher or sea salt

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled in large chunks

Fresh thyme sprigs, optional

In jar or medium bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, thyme and salt.

On plate, assemble sliced peaches, tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle vinaigrette on top. If desired, garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Makes four servings.

 

 

Baked Tomatoes With Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Herbs

2 medium tomatoes, cut in half

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt

Pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh thyme or herbs

Place tomatoes on baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese to cover the tomato. Sprinkle chopped herbs on top.

Bake in a 450-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese has melted and or tomatoes are cooked to your preferred texture.

Makes two servings.

 

food52.com

 

A Tomato Sandwich Worthy of a Little Bacon

For bacon-avocado aioli:

3 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled and rendered fat reserved

1 room temperature egg

1 large clove garlic

1 medium avocado

Juice of half a lemon

3/4 cup vegetable oil

For sandwich:

Toasted slices of a good rustic Italian bread

Tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Salt

Pepper

To make the aioli, process bacon, egg, garlic, lemon juice and avocado in the bowl of a mini food processor until smooth. Add vegetable oil and the rendered bacon fat through the holes on the lid slowly while continuing to process until very smooth and thick. Refrigerate about an hour to thicken a bit more.

Slather as much of the aioli as you like on a slice of the toast. Top with a few slices of tomato and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sandwiches may be served open face or topped with a second piece of bread slathered with aioli.

 

 

Baked Salmon With Brown Buttered Tomatoes and Basil

2 pounds salmon fillet, skin on or off

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon brown or black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 to 2 cups fresh basil leaves

Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Crusty bread, pasta or rice, for serving

On a quarter sheet pan or baking dish, place salmon, skin-side down. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Place butter and mustard seeds in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook three to four minutes, gently swirling the pan, until the butter is nutty and browned and the seeds are fragrant and toasted, lowering heat if needed. Black mustard seeds will begin to pop once they’re fully bloomed.

Add red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes to taste and cherry tomatoes. Season with a few big pinches of salt. Cook another two to three minutes, until tomatoes have started to burst and release their juices. Gently smash them to help them on their way.

Pour brown-buttered tomatoes over the salmon, smearing the butter and mustard seeds evenly over the salmon’s flesh. Bake in a 325-degree oven about 15 minutes, until just cooked through and the flesh flakes or an instant-read thermometer reads 120 degrees in the thickest part.

Cool for a few minutes, then shower the salmon with the basil.

To serve, break salmon into large pieces and divide across plates with the brown-buttered tomatoes. Season with a few pinches of flaky sea salt.

 

 

Hasselback Caprese

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1 tablespoon dried minced garlic

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon mild vinegar such as white wine or apple cider

1/2 teaspoon honey

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large heirloom tomatoes

1 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella

8 basil leaves, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, dried onion, dried garlic, pepper flakes, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Place both tomatoes on a cutting board, stem side down. Using a serrated knife, evenly score the tomatoes, slicing three-quarters of the way through.

Halve the mozzarella, then thinly slice into half-moons.

Stuff the tomato crevices with the mozzarella slices, then drizzle dressing over the tomatoes. Garnish with basil, plus more salt and pepper.

 

 

Grilled Marinated Tomatoes

4 large, firm tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/2-inch thick (or halved if short)

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

1 lime, halved

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 bird’s eye chili, thinly sliced

1/2 shallot, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Leaves from two sprigs of mint

Heat a grill or grill pan to high. Coat both faces of the tomato with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lightly oil the lime halves. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, chili and shallot.

Grease the grill or grill pan, then lightly char the tomatoes on both sides, about five minutes total so they don’t turn mushy. Grill the lime halves about five minutes, until caramelized.

Transfer tomatoes to a serving platter, then top with fish sauce marinade. Squeeze grilled limes over the tomatoes, then let sit about 10 minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds and mint.

 

 

Sarah Leah Chase’s Scalloped Tomatoes

3 tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil

2 cups diced French bread (1/2-inch pieces)

16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons sugar, optional

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat bacon fat in a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Add bread cubes and stir to coat with oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat five minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned. Add tomatoes, garlic and sugar and continue to cook five minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper, add basil and remove from the heat.

Pour tomato mixture into a shallow six to eight-cup baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with two tablespoons olive oil. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.

 

 

 

Rick Bayless’ Chicken Tortilla Soup with Shredded Chard

4 to 6 corn tortillas, preferably stale store-bought ones

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 to 5 medium dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 medium-large round ripe tomato

1 medium white onion, peeled, halved and sliced 1/8- inch thick

6 cups chicken broth

Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon

2 cups shredded Mexican Chihuahua cheese or other melting cheese such as brick or Monterey Jack

1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges

4 cups loosely packed, thinly sliced chard leaves , preferably red

Slice tortillas in half and then into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Heat 1/3 cup of vegetable oil in an 8 to 9 inch skillet over medium-high. When hot, add about one-third of the tortilla strips and fry, turning frequently, until they are crisp on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Fry the remaining strips in two batches.

Cut chiles into rough one-inch squares using kitchen shears. Reduce heat to medium-low, let pan cool a minute, then fry squares three to four seconds to toast them. Immediately remove and drain on paper towels.

Place one-third of the chiles in a small bowl, cover with hot water and let rehydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Drain and discard the water. Set aside remaining fried chiles.

Roast garlic and tomato on a baking sheet set four inches below a very hot broiler for about six minutes, until blackened and blistered on one side. Flip and broil the other side. Cool, then peel both, collecting any juices.

In a four-quart pot, heat remaining oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and fry about 10 minutes, until brown.

Place the rehydrated chiles in a food processor or blender along with the roasted garlic, tomato and one cup broth, then puree until smooth. Raise the temperature under the pot to medium-high and, when noticeably hotter, press the tomato-chile puree through a medium-mesh strainer into the fried onion. Stir for several minutes as the mixture thickens and darkens. Mix in the remaining broth, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt.

Make mounds of fried tortilla strips, fried chiles, cheese and lime on a large platter. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add sliced chard and simmer five to six minutes, until chard is tender. Ladle into warm soup bowls and pass the garnishes for each guest to use.

 

 

 

Yotam Ottolenghi’s Sweet Corn Polenta With Eggplant Sauce

For eggplant sauce:

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup chopped peeled tomatoes

6-1/2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon chopped oregano

For polenta:

6 ears corn

2-1/4 cups water

3 tablespoons butter, diced

7 ounces feta, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pinch black pepper

For sauce, heat oil in a large saucepan, then fry eggplant on medium heat about 15 minutes, until nicely brown. Drain off as much oil as possible and discard it. Add tomato paste and stir , then cook two minutes. Add wine and cook one minute. Add chopped tomatoes, water, salt, sugar and oregano and cook five minutes. Set aside.

For polenta, remove the leaves and silk from each ear of corn, then chop off the pointed top and stalk. Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels. You want to have 1-1/4 pounds kernels.

Place kernels in a medium saucepan and barely cover them with water. Cook 12 minutes on a low simmer. Use a slotted spoon to lift the kernels from the water and into a food processor and reserve the cooking liquid.

Process kernels for several minutes to break as much of the kernel case as possible. Add some of the cooking liquid if the mixture becomes too dry to process.

Return corn paste to the pan with the cooking liquid. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture thickens to mashed potato consistency. If you have a lot of liquid left in the pan, it can take a while to cook down the polenta.

Fold in the butter, feta, salt and some pepper and cook two minutes more. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serve with eggplant sauce.