Tomato Recipes

1 ea                            Egg (beaten, mix in 1 TBS water)
1 ea                            Eggplant (peel, ¼“ slices)
¼ cup                             Parmesan cheese (grated)
½ cup                             Mayonnaise
2 cloves               Garlic (minced)
2 tsp                            Thyme leaves
2 ea                            Tomatoes (ripe, sliced)
1 loaf                             French bread (halved lengthwise)

Instructions

• Brush the eggplant slices with the egg and dip both sides in Parmesan cheese.

• Place slices on a sheetpan and place under broiler. Brown both sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

• Mix garlic and thyme into mayonnaise. Spread mayonnaise on bread. Layer the eggplant and tomato slices on bread. Slice sandwich into 4 sections

TERRIFIC TOMATO TART

Ingredients

For black pepper Parmesan pastry:

1 ¼ cups               All-purpose flour
6 TBS                            Cold unsalted butter (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
2 TBS                             Cold vegetable shortening
2 TBS                            Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)
½ tsp                            Freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp                            Salt
2 - 4 TBS              Ice water

For filling:
3/4 lb                            Fresh mozzarella (not unsalted) (very thinly sliced)
½ cup                             Pesto (store bought is fine)
2 lb                            Vin-Ripened Tomatoes (sliced 3/4-inch thick)
Special equipment: pie weights or raw rice

Instructions

• Make pastry: Blend together flour, butter, shortening, Parmesan, pepper, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.
• Gently squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together without falling apart, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition until incorporated, continuing to test. Do not overwork dough, or it will become tough.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 2 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather both portions of dough into 1 ball, then pat into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. Fold excess dough in to make sides. Lightly prick shell  with a fork.
• Line the shell with foil and fill with pie weights, or rice. Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool on a rack.
• Fill tart shell: Remove side of pan and slide shell onto a platter. Arrange 1/3 of mozzarella in bottom of shell and drizzle with 1/3 of pesto. Arrange 1/3 of tomato slices, overlapping, on top of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering twice.

NOTE:  Tart shell can be made a day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

TOMATO STILTON PIZZA

Ingredients

3 TBS                            Butter
1 ea                            Yellow onion (diced)
¼ cup                             Cornmeal, or flour
1 (4-inch) ball               Prepared dough, rise to room temp.
2 TBS                            Olive oil
3 ea                            Tomatoes (thinly sliced)
4 ounces               Stilton (crumbled)
to taste                             Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

• Caramelize onion by melting 3 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, or until onion is a deep brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and reserve.
• Sprinkle your rolling surface with a handful of cornmeal or flour. Place dough in the middle of the surface. Roll dough out gently 1/4-inch thick, into either a 12-inch rectangle or circle. Brush both sides with olive oil and set aside until ready to grill.
• If you are grilling on a charcoal grill, set coals on one side of the grill.
• Place dough directly on the cooking grate over medium heat for 1 to 3 minutes, until the crust is well marked and browned. Flip dough and spread tomato slices evenly over crust. Sprinkle onion over top, then sprinkle cheese over the top. Move to indirect heat (for charcoal: the side of charcoal grill that has no coals. For gas: turn off burner directly under pizza). Cover grill and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until bottom is well browned, and cheese is fully melted.
• Remove from grill, season with salt and pepper and slice. Serve immediately

TOMATO & TORTELLINI SOUP

Ingredients

1 TBS                            Olive oil
½ cup                             Onion (minced onion)
1 clove                             Garlic (minced)
4 - 6 cups               Chicken broth
3 ea                            Vine-ripe tomatoes (chopped)
1 pkg                            Fresh tortellini, 9 oz.,  or 4 servings dried tortellini
Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper
10 ounces               Fresh Spinach (chopped)
¼ cup                             Parmesan (fresh grated)

Instructions

• In a 3-quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring often until onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil.
• Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach and taste, adjusting seasonings with salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

SUMMER TOMATO AND CORN SALAD

Ingredients

1/2 cup               Champagne vinegar

1 cup                             Extra-virgin olive oil

to taste                            Kosher salt

to taste                            Freshly ground black pepper

6 ears                             Corn (grilled in their husks)

4 cups                            Cherry tomatoes (halved)

1/2 cup               Sweet Onion (diced)

1 ea                            Passilla pepper (diced small)

1/2 cup               Parsley (chopped)

Instructions

• Whisk vinegar and oil, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cut kernels off the corn cob. Put corn, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and parsley into a bowl to combine. Pour vinaigrette over salad, mix well, and adjust seasonings.

SUMMER TOMATO AND BEAN SALAD

Ingredients

2 lb              Heirloom Tomato (wedgeD)

1 lb              Creamer Potatoes (boil, chill & halved)

1 lb              French Beans (trim, blanch & shock)

½ ea              Red Sweet Onion (sliced thin)

2 ea              Sautéed Garlic Cloves

1/8 cup              Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 TBS                            Fresh Dill, Tarragon, Mint (chop)

2 TBS                            Rice Wine Vinegar

to taste                            Salt & Pepper

Instructions

• Place the garlic, olive oil, chopped Fresh Dill, Tarragon, Mint and  & rice wine vinegar in a blender and blend until emulsified..
• Gently toss the tomatoes, potatoes and French Beans separately with the vinaigrette.
• Shock the sliced onion in ice water to sweeten and then toss with potatoes.
• Compose the salad on plates and serve with tiny greens or micro greens as a garnish
• This salad is delicious alone or and also makes an excellent base for Tuna Nicoise.

NOTE:               Serve tuna warm as whole filets, chilled smoked or chilled poached.