Enjoy summer tomatoes in fall and beyond

It’s 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, tomatoes fresh off the vine tempt people. Their flavor can’t be beat, and they marry well with 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 101cookbooks.com.

 

 

Roasted Tomato Salsa

2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1 medium white onion, cut into six wedges

1 large garlic clove, halved

Couple pinches finely ground sea salt

2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium dried guajillo chile pepper, soaked in boiling water until softened, then drained

1 to 2 chipotles in adobo sauce

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 400F degrees. 

Gently toss tomatoes, onions, garlic and salt with olive oil in a large bowl. When nicely coated, arrange in a single layer, tomatoes cut-side facing up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast in a 400-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until tomatoes start to collapse and onions begin to caramelize. 

Puree guajillo and chipotle chiles with roasted garlic and two roasted tomato halves. Chop remaining tomatoes by hand once they’ve cooled a bit. Chop and add onions as well. Season with salt generously and stir in cilantro.

 

 

Rustic Tomato Tart

2 to 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Fine grain sea salt

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, optional

3 tablespoons cooked red or black quinoa

1/2 cup rye flour

1/2 cup flour

Heaping 1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 egg, whisked

To serve: Slivered basil, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, herb flowers, a dusting of Parmesan or Gruyere cheese

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine onions, olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring, or until onions are dark, deeply caramelized, and jammy in texture. Stir in turmeric and black pepper, remove from heat and let cool. 

If you’re making a tart immediately, cool onions by spreading them across a large plate and refrigerate. 

Mix flours, 1/4 teaspoon salt and quinoa in a bowl, then turn out onto a counter. Working quickly, cut butter into four long slabs and arrange in a single layer across the flour. Hold a bench scraper or wide metal spatula in one hand, and use the palm of your other hand to smear the butter into the flour. Use the bench scraper to scrape the smeared flour-butter off the counter and back up into the pile. Use your palm to smear some more, scrape, and repeat. You want lots of feathery flakes throughout the flour. 

Drizzle mixture with ice water and smear, flip and mix a few more times to bring dough together into a ball. Decide how many tarts you’d like to bake and cut into that many equal pieces (one, two or four). Shape into balls, press into discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 45 minutes or overnight.

Roll dough out into a 1/8-inch-thick circle on a floured surface. Transfer dough to a piece of parchment paper. Arrange a generous amount of the onions in the center of the tart, leaving a one inch border. Cover onions with overlapping sliced tomatoes, then fold tart dough in toward the filling, overlapping it just a bit. Brush any visible pasty with the beaten egg. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake n a 400-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until crust is deep golden.

Finish with any or all of the suggested toppings.

 

 

Roasted Tomato Salad

2 pounds heirloom and cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup

Fine-grain sea salt

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 large clove garlic

1 tablespoon harissa

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Small head lettuce, trimmed

labneh

In a bowl, toss  half the tomatoes gently with two tablespoons olive oil, sugar and a couple of pinches salt. Arrange in a single layer, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the top third of a 350-degree oven, without stirring, 45 to 60 minutes, until tomatoes shrink a bit and start to caramelize around the edges. Set aside to cool.

Toast caraway seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush. Add garlic clove and a pinch of salt and mash into a paste. Work in harissa, then the lemon juice, and gradually the remaining olive oil. 

When ready to serve, gently toss the roasted and raw tomatoes in a large bowl with about half of the harissa oil and the lettuce. Taste and season with a bit more salt, if needed. 

Serve topped with a little strained yogurt (labneh) and the remaining harissa oil on the side.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

 

 

Frittata Sandwich

For garlic-serrano spread:

5 medium cloves garlic, peeled

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded, optional

For sandwich:

Focaccia

Ripe avocado

Roasted cherry tomatoes

Thin slices of cheddar cheese

Lettuces

Sheet pan frittata

To make spread: Combine garlic, egg, salt, mustard, one tablespoon lemon juice, olive oil and serrano pepper in a wide-mouth jar. Use a hand blender for 30 to 60 seconds to create a smooth, glossy emulsion. Taste and season with more salt and lemon juice, if needed. Refrigerate.

Carefully slice bread horizontally and toast both pieces.

Slather each side with garlic aioli. Smash some avocado into one side, and arrange roasted tomatoes and thin slices of cheddar on the other side. Add a few lettuce leaves and a square of sheet pan frittata. 

Close sandwich and wrap tightly in parchment or waxed paper. Repeat to make more sandwiches. Refrigerate until about 15 minutes before you eat.

For frittata, rub a quarter sheet pan with olive oil, then line with parchment paper. Sprinkle with the zest of one lemon. In a bowl, whisk together 12 eggs, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and zest of a lemon. Stir in 3/4 cup well-chopped kale, stems removed, and 4 scallions, thinly sliced. Pour into pan, then bake in a 325-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes,  until eggs are a bit puffy and well set. 

 

 

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

1 pint cherry tomatoes, stemmed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup

Fine grain sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C with rack in top third of the oven.

Slice each tomato in half or in quarters if they are a bit large. Place in a single layer in a large baking pan, roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.

Toss with the olive oil, brown sugar and a couple generous pinches of salt. Arrange cut side up.

Bake in the upper third of a 350-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes, tossing once or twice, until tomatoes are shrunken and golden around the edges. Cool. Transfer to jar or storage container.

Tomatoes keep nicely in a jar for as long as a week refrigerated.

 

 

Potato Gratin With Tomatoes and Spices

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups thinly sliced yellow onions

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1-1/4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 pounds ripe tomatoes

Small handful basil leaves, slivered

Sea salt 

Freshly ground pepper

Combine spices in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. When hot, stir in onions and a few pinches of salt. Cook four to five minutes, stirring often, until onions soften. Turn heat down to medium and stir in butter. Stirring regularly, cook 10 to 15 minutes, until onions just begin to caramelize. Reduce heat a shade more and cook 20 minutes, until onions are deeply golden. A minute before onions are finished cooking stir in the spice mixture. Remove from heat and set aside.

Use a mandoline to slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Place in a medium bowl along with the cream, one teaspoon salt and bit of pepper. Toss well and set aside.

Use a knife to cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange on a large plate and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and some pepper.

Smear half the caramelized onions across the bottom of a 10-by-10-inch gratin or baking dish. Arrange half the potatoes and half the tomatoes on top of the onions. Drizzle with a couple tablespoons of the cream from the potatoes and a tablespoon of olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and half the basil.

Scatter remaining onions across the potatoes and tomatoes, then arrange another layer of tomatoes and potatoes on top. Pour remaining cream and remaining olive oil across the top. Season with a pinch of salt and remaining basil. Gently press down on the vegetables so the cream comes up through the layers evenly.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the top third of a 350-degree oven for two hours, until potatoes are tender throughout. Increase heat to 450 degrees, uncover and bake 30 minutes, until the top is golden.

 

 

Tomato Sandwich With Zucchini Butter

2 slices bread

2 tablespoons mayonnaise, labneh or goat cheese

1/4 cup zucchini butter

1/3 ripe avocado, thinly sliced

6 leaves fresh basil

1 medium heirloom tomato, sliced

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt 

Pepper

Toast or grill bread, then cool a bit.

Spread mayo across both slices of bread. Spread zucchini butter on both sides as well.

Arrange avocado on one side of the sandwich and top with the fresh basil.

Arrange sliced tomatoes on the other side, then drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the avocado side on the tomato side and serve.

To make zucchini butter, melt 1/4 cup olive oil or butter, in a large pan or skillet. Add 1/2 cup scallions, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons chopped serrano pepper (optional) and 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt. Stir in 2 pounds zucchini or summer squash that’s cut into 1/4-inch cubes and cook one hour, stirring every few minutes. If it gets too dry, add one cup water, about 1/4 cup at a time. Once zucchini is creamy and collapsed into a spreadable paste, remove from heat and season with more salt, if needed.

 

 

Quick Ricotta Dumplings in Tomato Broth

28-ounce can whole or crushed tomatoes

40 potsticker dumpling wrappers

1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons pesto

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the arugula

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

For serving: arugula tossed with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt

Place tomatoes in a strainer and collect the tomato water in another bowl. Stir, smash and stir tomatoes as they drain. 

Combine ricotta, pesto, two tablespoons olive oil and salt in a bowl. Mix well, taste and add more salt or pesto if needed.

Working quickly, arrange 20 dumpling wrappers on the countertop. Place a small dollop of ricotta just off center of each wrapper. Run a wet finger around the rim of each wrapper and press the edges together well, trying to avoid trapping air bubbles in the dumplings. Pinch the edges together and form a semi-circle shape. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Combine one cup tomato water with two cups water, scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, taste, adjust seasonings, then set aside.

Boil dumplings in well-salted water until they float, plus another 20 to 30 seconds. Lift out, gently shake off any residual water and place in bowls. Ladle tomato broth over the dumplings and top with arugula.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.