10 Things You Can Do with Tomatoes by Women�s Health Magazine
Heirbloom Tomato Stack with Buffalo Mozzarella NEW!
Tomato Peach Salad NEW!
Boiled quail's eggs with toast
Truffled Quail Eggs
Tomato-Basil Garlic Shrimp
Eggplant Caprese with Tomato and Basil
Elser's Fresh Salsa
Fingerling Potatoes with Shrimp and Quail Egg
Salad of Quail with M�che in Raspberry Hazelnut Vinaigrette
Creamy Herbed Tomato Soup
Rustic Tomato-Bread Salad
Tomato Cajun Chicken Salad
Tomato-Artichoke-Rice Salad
Bucci's Insalata Pizza
Fresh Sicilian Tomato Sauce
Tomato Bruschetta
Gazpacho
Garden Herb Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinagrette
Insalata Caprese
Heirbloom Tomato Stack with Buffalo Mozzarella
- 3 assorted (red, orange, yellow) medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 �inch slices
- 16 basil leaves
- 4 oz fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced into 1/3 �inches
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- Freshly ground four-blend pepper, to taste
Dressing:
- 1 1/2 oz olive oil
- 1 1/2 oz balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp Italian herbs
- 1 tbsp French Honey Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
Servings: : 2
1. On two plates, place a slice of tomato on each and top with a slice of mozzarella and two basil leaves. Repeat twice. Finish with a cherry tomato on top. Garnish plates with four more cherry tomatoes, and remaining basil leaves
2. Place all dressing ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Drizzle dressing over tomato stack, top with freshly ground four-blend pepper and serve.
Tomato Peach Salad
- 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
- 3 ripe peaches, pitted and each cut into 8 wedges (about 1 pound)
- 1/2 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut into thick wedges
- 1/2 pound heirloom cherry or pear tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup small basil leaves or torn basil
Servings: : 8 (serving size: 1 cup)
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Combine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over peach mixture; toss well
to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.
Boiled quail's eggs with toast
- 6 quail's eggs
- 4 slices white bread, cut into thin finger slices
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Servings: 2
Preparation Time: less than 30 mins
Cooking Time: less than 10 mins
1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the quail's eggs for 2-3 minutes.
2. Remove using a slotted spoon and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, grill the bread on a medium-high grill for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden.
4. Peel the quail's eggs and transfer to a serving plate. Serve the toast slices alongside.
5. Season to taste.
Truffled Quail Eggs
- 50 g (1 1/2 oz) fresh or preserved black winter truffles*
- 1/4 cup hazelnut oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 24 quail eggs
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- Garnish: finely chopped fresh chives
- Special equipment: a 3/4-inch round cutter and a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip
Servings: Makes 48 hors d�oeuvres.
Start to finish: 2 hr
Very thinly slice truffles with a truffle slicer or other small manual slicer or with a sharp thin knife. Cut out 48 circles from slices with round cutter. Mince enough scraps to measure 1 tablespoon and reserve with 2 teaspoons juice from jar if using preserved truffles.
Whisk oil into lemon juice in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinaigrette into another small bowl and add truffle circles. Marinate truffle circles, covered and chilled, 1 hour, or until ready to use.
While truffle circles are marinating, cover quail eggs with water by 1 inch in a small saucepan. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes, then refresh under cold water to stop cooking. Peel eggs and halve lengthwise.
Carefully push out yolks and mash with chives, minced truffles (and any juice if using preserved truffles), and remaining vinaigrette to create a paste. Season with salt and pepper and transfer mixture to pastry bag fitted with tip. Chill deviled yolks in bag until ready to use.
Arrange egg white halves on a platter and pipe in just enough deviled yolks to fill holes (do not mound). Cover each yolk with a truffle circle.
Cooks' notes:
� Truffles, vinaigrette, egg white halves, and deviled yolks may be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled separately. (Cover whites with plastic wrap.)
� Although best assembled right before serving, hors d�oeuvres can be chilled, covered with plastic wrap, up to 2 hours.
Eggplant Caprese with Tomato and Basil
- 8 ounces fettuccine
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped and seeded jalapeno chilies (optional)
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and patted dry
- 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 8 ounces)
- 3 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges (about 1 pound)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
Add broth a few tablespoons at a time, otherwise the vegetables will simmer rather than stir-fry.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. In a small bowl combine cup broth and cornstarch.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot. Swirl in oil, garlic, chilies and shrimp and stir-fry 1-2 minutes or until shrimp just begin to turn pink. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
Add zucchini, tomatoes and remaining cup chicken broth a few tablespoons at a time and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add a few more tablespoons of broth as the pan becomes dry. Return shrimp to wok and add salt, pepper and basil. Restir broth mixture before adding to wok. Cook 1 minute or until shrimp and vegetables are cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly. Divide fettuccine among 4 plates and top with the shrimp mixture.
Eggplant Caprese with Tomato and Basil
- 1 medium eggplant
- 2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- 8 thin slices unsalted fresh mozzarella (about 4 ounces total)
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
This restaurant quality dish is low in calories, high in nutrients.
Preheat oven to 425�F. Slice the eggplant and tomatoes crosswise into �-inch-thick pieces. Place 8 eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Set the tomatoes aside.
In a small bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Brush the mixture over the eggplant and tomato slices, then set the remainder aside.
Bake the eggplant slices for about 10 minutes. Turn them over, brush with more of the olive-oil mixture, then bake for another 10 minutes; set aside. Place the tomatoes on the same baking sheet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they're soft.
Place a slice of cooked eggplant on a work surface. Top with a tomato slice, a basil leaf, a slice of mozzarella, a tomato slice, another slice of cheese, then a basil leaf. Finish the stack with a slice of eggplant. Repeat to make three more stacks.
When ready to serve return the stacks to the oven for about 5 minutes to reheat and melt the cheese. Top each with a drizzle of the remaining olive-oil mixture and a fresh basil leaf.
Elser's Fresh Salsa
- 5 Tomatoes
- 1 large Pepper - use both sweet and hot
- 1/4 Garlic clove
- Cilantro - 1/2 the bunch
- Salt - to taste
- Garlic Powder - to taste
- 1 packet of Lorays Salsa Seasoning
- Olives (optional)
First blend your tomatoes in a food processor to your liking and place in a bowl. Add packet of Lorays salsa seasoning. Blend all other ingredients together and mix with tomatoes. Put in fridge for 1 hour.
Fingerling Potatoes with Shrimp and Quail Egg
- 2 lbs Fingerling potatoes, unpeeled
- 1 ear Corn, shucked
- 4 Tbsp plus 2 tsp Butter
- 1 Medium Spanish onion, �-inch diced
- 1 Red bell pepper, 1/4-inch diced
- 1 Yellow bell pepper, 1/4-inch diced
- 2 Shallots, finely diced
- 1 lb Shrimp, cleaned, deveined, diced
- 1 Tbsp Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp Fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp Fresh chervil, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp Fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream
- 1/8 tsp Ground red pepper
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Butter, for saut�ing
Yields 10 small-plate servings
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Blanch fingerling potatoes until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain; slice evenly to about 1/8 inch. Reserve.
2. Melt 2 teaspoons of butter; rub over corn. Wrap in aluminum foil; roast in 400F oven until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes; cut kernels from ear; reserve.
3. In large, heavy-bottomed saut� pan over medium-high heat, sweat onion, peppers and shallots in 2 tablespoons butter until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
4. Add potatoes, shrimp, corn, herbs, cream, ground red pepper, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and shrimp is cooked, about 6 minutes. Correct seasoning.
5. In medium saut� pan, cook quail eggs in butter sunny-side up until firm, about 2 minutes.
6. Per portion: Loosely mound home fries in center of small bowl or soup plate. Top with fried quail egg.
Salad of Quail with M�che in Raspberry Hazelnut Vinaigrette
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted butter
- 6 Tbsp Olive oil, divided use
- 4 Quail, boneless
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup Madeira
- 1 cup Rich chicken stock, reduced by half
- 1/4 cup Mustard sherry vinaigrette
- 4 Quail eggs
- 5 cups M�che
- 1/2 cup Hazelnut oil
- 1/3 cup Raspberry vinegar
- 3/4 cup Toasted almonds, sliced
- 2 Tomatoes, seeded, cut into diamond shapes
Yields 4 Servings
1. Heat butter and 3 Tbsp. olive oil. Season quail with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides. Remove wings; split and quarter each quail so each has 2 breast halves and 2 leg/thigh portions. Return wings to pan, brown and deglaze with Madeira. Add stock and simmer briefly. Strain, discard wings and stir in vinaigrette.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil and cook quail pieces medium-rare; remove and add remaining olive oil. Fry quail eggs individually until set; set aside.
3. Toss m�che with hazelnut oil, raspberry vinegar, salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates; add almonds and tomatoes. Arrange 2 breast portions and 2 leg/thigh pieces on each plate and drizzle with vinaigrette.
Creamy Herbed Tomato Soup
Try roasting the tomatoes on a hot grill for more flavor...
- 4 large heirlooms chopped
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 - 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup half & half or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 tsp chopped mixed fresh herbs such as basil, chives, parsley, marjoram or oregano
In a medium pot, add the butter and onions, saut� until translucent about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and herbs and cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes and stock and simmer until tomatoes begin to fall apart, about 10-15 minutes. Remove several ladles full of soup and add to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Continue until soup is the consistency you prefer (you can have a very smooth soup, strained or keep it coarse and rustic.) Add cream or half and half and cook until hot. Serve garnished with homemade herb croutons, focaccia, cheese biscuits or as a first course for an elegant meal.
Rustic Tomato-Bread Salad
- 4 cups fresh tomatoes diced into 1/2-inch pieces (1.5 lbs or 5 medium tomatoes)
- 3/4 cup slivered red onion
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup each olive oil and white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp each ground black pepper, salt and sugar
- 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil
- 6 cups day-old dense, crusty bread cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 lb)
Combine all ingredients except bread in a large bowl; let stand for flavors to develop, about 10 minutes. Add bread; toss well to coat. If bread seems dry, sprinkle with an additional tablespoon or two of water. Salad will hold several hours at room temperature before serving.
Tomato Cajun Chicken Salad
- 3 cups cubed, cooked chicken
- 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cups (about 1.5 lbs) diced fresh tomatoes
Combine lemon juice and next five ingredients. Beat in yogurt. Gently fold chicken and next 3 ingredients into dressing. Chill 30 minutes. Just before serving, fold in tomatoes. Serves 6
Tomato-Artichoke-Rice Salad
- 1 jar (6 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 cups cooked, cold rice
- 1.5 lbs (3 large) fresh tomatoes, seeded, diced and drained
- 1 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 can (5 3/4 oz) pitted whole black olives, drained and cut in quarters
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade. Roughly slice artichoke hearts lengthwise; reserve. Combine lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Beat in reserved marinade. Gently combine dressing with rice, artichoke hearts and remaining ingredients. 6 servings
Bucci's Insalata Pizza
- 1 homemade pizza crust or store bought crust
Toppings:
- 5 - 6 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 head garlic, roasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup goat cheese
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint 1/2 cup chopped arugula
Marinate tomatoes in 1 Tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper for 1-2 hours. Roll out pizza dough to make a 16-inch circle. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange marinated tomato slices on pizza dough. Dot with garlic and goat cheese. Bake at 500 F in a pizza oven for 10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with mint and arugula. Cut into desired number of slices and serve at once.
Fresh Sicilian Tomato Sauce
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 2 medium onions (chopped)
- 9 cups Tomatoes (very ripe - chopped)
- (2) 28 oz cans Diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 Green pepper
- 6 cloves Garlic (crushed)
- 1/4 cup Fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1/2 cup Dry white wine
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 1 Tsp Basil (dried)
- 1 Tsp Rosemary
- 2 Tsp Sugar
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Heat oil in an 8 to 10 quart heavy-bottom pot. Saut� onion and garlic until tender. Add all remaining ingredients except salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, uncovered, for four hours. Stir often. Taste, and add salt & pepper as desired. Yield: about 4 quarts You can make big batches of this at the end of the season and store in freezer bags for use all winter long. Great for lasagna, spaghetti, chili, etc.
Tomato Bruschetta
- 8 slices of thick, crusty, firm bread
- 2 large cloves garlic, halved
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
Grill or broil bread turning once until golden brown. Remove and rub one side of each with garlic halves. Combine next 4 ingredients and season with salt & pepper. Divide the tomato mixture among the bruschetta and serve immediately.
Gazpacho
Soup
- 1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
- 1 1/2 cups cubed crustless day old bread
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic
- kosher salt
- 5 lbs vine ripened tomatoes halved
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Relish
- 1/2 pound vine ripened tomatoes quartered
- 1 small mediterranean cucumber; peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 gypsy pepper; cored, seeded and diced
- 1/2 red onion; peeled and diced
- 1/2 bunch chervil, chopped
- 1/2 bunch basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Tuscan olive oil
- 6 slices Italian bread brushed with extra virgin olive oil, toasted, and rubbed with 1 clove peeled garlic
For the soup:
Soak the chile in a bow of hot water for 30 minutes or until soft, drain, peel, and crush it to a paste with a mortar and pestle; set aside. Soak the bread in a medium bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, or until soft. Drain and squeeze out excess water and set aside. Crush the garlic with 2 tablespoons of salt to a paste with a mortar and pestle, add the soaked bread, and grind until smooth; set aside.
Grate the cut side of the tomatoes on a box grater into a strainer set over a large bowl. Straining out seeds and pressing through as much pulp as possible; discard the skins. Stir the reserved chile, garlic bread paste, and oil into the tomato pulp, and season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
For the relish:
Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, gypsy pepper, onion, chervil, basil, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Divide the soup among 6 bowls: add a generous spoonful of relish and a slice of toast to each bowl
Garden Herb Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinagrette
Salad
- 5 Lb. Mixed fresh cherry and mini yellow pear tomatoes, halved)
Herb Mixture
- 1 bunch chives, finely chopped
- 1 small handful fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 small handful fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 small handful fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 1 small handful fresh oregano, finely chopped
Vinagrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- from one lemon
- Juice from one lemon
- 2 - 3 TBS honey
- 2 large cloves garlic
- Reserved herb mixture
- salt and pepper to taste
When herb mixture is chopped, the herbs should roughly constitute a well packed 2/3 of a cup. Reserve a small amount of basil, oregano, parsley and rosemary for use in the vinagrette. Mix herbs into the tomatoes and add salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
Add all ingredients of the vinagrette to blender or food processor and process until the garlic and lemon zest are well incorporated and the dressing is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Pour dressing over tomato-herb mixture and stir to coat. Reserve any unused dressing for another use. Add salt & black pepper to taste if needed.
Enjoy this served over fish, chicken, or steak as a salsa, as a side, or as a starter salad with a nice glass of vin and fresh baguette. This would also be good if fresh mozzarella were added and/or if freshly made croutons were incorporated as a panzanella salad or tossed with fresh pasta either as a hot dish or as a cold pasta salad.
Insalata Caprese
- 2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (about 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced1/4 inch thick
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil or arugula leaves, washed well and spun dry
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled, if using arugula instead of basil
- 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- fine sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Slice the tomatoes and add in the cheese. Take the basil and stack the leaves. Roll like a cigar, then slice 1/4 thick. Add to salad. Drizzle olive oil, add in some vinegar if you like. Toss twice and add a splash of sea salt. Let sit in fridge for a few and then devour.
Insalata caprese (literally, the salad from Capri) is the perfect summertime dish for cooks in a hurry; slicing is the hardest part. The salad was created in the 1950s at the Trattoria da Vincenzo for regulars out for a light lunch. They'd order a just-picked tomato and fresh fior di latte (cow's-milk mozzarella - no buffalo on Capri). The salad has evolved on the island to include a few leaves of rughetta (wild arugula) and a pinch of dried wild oregano, both local products; everywhere else in Italy it takes the form of tomato, mozzarella and basil.
The dressing is always a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil only. Vinegar would destroy the delicate flavor of the cheese and is never used. Because this salad is so simple, top-rate ingredients are imperative: Hothouse tomatoes and rubbery processed mozzarella are unacceptable.
|
