| End
of Summer Brings Juicy, Ripe Tomatoes |
| Local farmer's markets are full of every shape, size and
variety of tomato, so here is a collection of our favorite
recipes. This summer has been a hard one for local tomato
growers due to lack of regular rainfall, but for those growers
who were watering on a regular basis, the warm weather really
enhanced their crops. Tomato plants thrive in warm weather
as long as they have plenty of water. |
| There is no end to the varieties of local tomatoes. From
the meaty plum variety to the juicy beefsteak tomato, tomatoes
are low in calories (1 medium tomato only has about 25 calories,
and a pound of tomatoes only about 91 calories). Tomatoes
are very easy to grow and plentiful in harvest. They are also
very rich in vitamin A and niacin and they are a reasonably
good source of vitamin C, iron and protein. For people with
sensitivity to acid in a fresh tomato, yellow tomatoes are
very intense in flavor-even the yellow cherry tomatoes are
sweet and juicy in salads. |
| The "Tomato Vinaigrette" recipe is one the easiest we have,
and it certainly is one of the most delicious side dishes
we serve in the summer time. The vinaigrette and the tomato
onion salad can be prepared ahead of time, and kept chilled
until ready to serve. They are very simple recipes, but elegant
in taste and presentation. The summer salad is the perfect
light dinner salad, especially on a warm summer night. It
also travels well, so it is good for picnics. |
| A number of these recipes call for peeled tomatoes, which
is simple and only takes a few minutes. Submerge the tomato
in boiling water for about a minute, and then put it into
a bowl of ice water to cool a bit. The skin can be easily
pulled off with a sharp knife. Tomato pulp can also be canned
or frozen, and some cooks freeze whole tomatoes on cookie
sheets. You can also run the tomatoes through a peeler or
seeder, and use the tomato puree to make homemade sauce, which
can be either frozen or canned. Any way you make them, tomatoes
are easy to preserve. Even the best commercial salsa tastes
better with a few pureed fresh tomatoes added to the mix.
Our favorite summer salsa recipe is Bill Fleming's Salsa,
which you can adjust to make it as spicy as you want based
on how many hot peppers you add. This recipe is perfect if
you are overstocked with tomatoes from the garden and want
to preserve them, or if you have only five large tomatoes,
just divide the recipe down and use it fresh. |
| Cherry tomatoes are also a favorite for a quick snack, or
add whole to a stir-fry of yellow and green squash (with onions,
garlic and olive oil) and then finish off with a 1/2 cup of
fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Stir and serve. The Parmesan
cheese melts with the tomato juice to make a nice sauce over
the stir-fry. |
| The cooler days of fall are ahead of us, so our days of
heavy, ripe tomatoes are numbered. Just remember, in January
we will have pink baseballs called tomatoes. Therefore, we
gathered some great tomato recipes to celebrate the end of
this garden season. |
| |
| Bill Fleming's Salsa |
| 25-30 tomatoes, diced |
| 6 hot or red peppers, chopped |
| 5 green peppers, chopped |
| 5 med. onions, chopped |
| 2 Tbsp. canning salt |
| 15 oz. tomato sauce |
| 1 Tbsp. black pepper |
| 1/2 cup sugar |
| 1 cup vinegar |
| Bring all ingredients to a boil. If mixture is too thin,
add 1-2 cans tomato paste, and return to a boil. Pour into
prepared hot sterile pint canning jars, and seal with hot
sterile lids. Process in a hot water canner to seal and preserve.
This makes a large batch, but it can be reduced down to a
smaller batch. This will also keep fresh refrigerated for
about a week. |
| |
| Carolyn's Marinated Summer Salad |
| 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into wedges |
| 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced |
| 1 large green or red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin
strips |
| 1 (10-oz.) can white asparagus, drained, cut in half |
| 1/2 large, or 1 medium, ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and
sliced |
| 1 generous head of lettuce, fresh watercress or spinach |
| Dressing: |
| Juice of one fresh lemon |
| 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar |
| 1 tsp. dry mustard |
| 1/2 tsp. onion salt |
| 1 Tbsp. sugar |
| 1 tsp. fresh dill, or 1/2 tsp. dried |
| 1 tsp. fresh basil, or 1/2 tsp. dried |
| 1 tsp. fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp. dried |
| 1 tsp. ground black pepper |
| 1/2 cup canola oil |
| Mix the ingredients for the dressing, and pour over the
vegetables, except the lettuce. Cover and chill for at least
3 hours, to blend flavors. To increase flavors, shake the
container a couple of times while it is chilling. Serve over
crisp lettuce in a bowl. This salad is delicious when served
with a crusty French bread. |
| |
| Dorothy's Southern Side-Dish Tomatoes |
| 1 onion, chopped |
| 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine |
| 1 quart fresh tomatoes, peeled and quartered |
| 1/2 cup fresh green pepper, chopped |
| 1/2 tsp. salt |
| 1 cup sugar |
| Brown the onion in a non-stick saucepan, and add the rest
of the ingredients. Simmer over very low heat for 1 1/2 hours,
stir occasionally. Serve as a side dish for any grilled meat. |
| Home-canned Green Tomato Relish |
| 2 1/2 lbs. green tomatoes |
| 6 large onions |
| 6 sweet green peppers |
| 1 pint vinegar |
| 1 1/2-inch stick cinnamon |
| 1 tsp. whole cloves |
| 1 whole allspice |
| 1 Tbsp. salt |
| 1 tsp. mustard seed |
| 2 cups sugar |
| Grind or chop the tomatoes, onions and peppers fine; cover
with boiling water and boil for 15 minutes. Drain well. Put
vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice together in a separate
saucepan and bring to a boil. Strain out the spices. Add salt,
mustard seed, and sugar to the vinegar mixture. Add to vegetables;
boil for 20 minutes. Put in hot sterilized jars and seal,
and process in a hot water bath for 25 minutes. Makes 4 1/2
pints. |
| |
| Chilled Cream of Tomato Soup |
| 2 lbs. ripe tomatoes |
| 1 Tbsp. sugar |
| 2 tsp. salt |
| 1/2 tsp. onion juice |
| Juice and grated rind from 1/2 lemon |
| 8 Tbsp. half ‘n half |
| 2 slices ham, diced (any kind) |
| 1/2 cucumber, diced |
| Fresh parsley for garnish |
| Peel tomatoes after letting them set in hot water for one
minute. Puree tomato pulp with seasonings and lemon in a blender.
Chill in refrigerator for a couple of hours, and then add
cream, ham and cucumber. Let it set covered in a refrigerator
for a couple of hours to let flavors blend. Stir. Garnish
with parsley and serve. |
| |
| Tomato Vinaigrette |
| 12 thick slices of tomato (about 3/4 inch thick) |
| 1 cup olive oil |
| 1/3 cup red wine vinegar |
| 2 cloves garlic, crushed |
| 2 tsp. dried whole oregano |
| 1 tsp. salt |
| 1/2 tsp. dry mustard |
| 1/2 tsp. black pepper |
| Lettuce leaves |
| 2 green onions, minced |
| 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley |
| Place tomato slices in a large shallow glass dish. Combine
oil and next six ingredients in a small bowl. Beat with a
wire whisk until blended. Pour vinaigrette over tomatoes.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, basting
tomatoes with the vinaigrette occasionally. To serve, remove
tomatoes from the vinaigrette, and arrange in lettuce leaves.
Sprinkle tomatoes with a small amount of vinaigrette. Garnish
with green onions and parsley. |
| |
| Easy Tomato Red Onion Salad |
| 4 ripe, large tomatoes, peeled and seeded |
| 1 large red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings |
| Mixed fresh or dried herbs of your choice (dill, chives,
basil are good) |
| Celery salt or garlic salt, to taste |
| Salt and fresh ground black pepper |
| On the bottom of a large platter or bowl, spread the onion
rings. Cover with tomato slices in a single layer. Sprinkle
with tomatoes and the herbs. Cover and refrigerate. Oil and
vinegar may be added, but this salad is good as is. Let chill
at least 3 hours so the flavors mix. |
