Tantalizing Tomatoes

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Fresh and simple recipes.

Summer! What an incredible season to delight us all. Every outdoor market is full of luscious ripe tomatoes of all types and styles. In summer, when backyard gardens and farmers markets overflow with good tomatoes, make sure to use fresh ripe backyard or market tomatoes.

Tomatoes are a treasure of riches when it comes to their antioxidant benefits; tomatoes provide an excellent amount of vitamin C and beta-carotene; a very good amount of the mineral manganese; a good amount of vitamin E as well as a healthy dose of Lycopene, considered healthy for the heart. Take home a variety of them and try some of these delightful recipes, before winter sets in and tomatoes lose their summer taste! So dig in and savor these delicious recipes. Ketchup a staple in every home can easily be made with the recipes below. You are sure to know that there are no additives or preservatives in your home cooked meals.

These recipes may not be very new but are tantalizing in their simplicity!

Tips for the Best Tasting Tomatoes
Choose unblemished ripe tomatoes from a farmers’ market or your family garden. Heirloom varieties come in different flavors and colors – for example, yellow tomatoes are generally milder and less acidic; some types remain green when fully ripe. Never store tomatoes in the refrigerator; they’ll lose flavor and get mealy. To make peeling easier, core the tomato, then scrape with the blade of a small paring knife over the skin to loosen it; alternatively boil a pot of water and place tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute then plunge into a bowl of cold water; the skins will come off very easily.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Fresh Tomato SalsaWhen tomatoes are in season, ditch the store-bought salsa and make your own! It’s easy: just chop tomatoes, green onion, garlic and peppers. Add some spices and enjoy over a bed of lettuce.

  • 3 Large tomatoes, seeded and chopped (3 cups)
  • 4 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
  • 1 small red pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 2 Lebanese cucumbers quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)
  • 2 jalapeno chilies, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)
  • 2 to 3 Tbs lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in non metal bowl.

Serve salsa with tortilla chips, fish, chicken, chops or steak or over a bowl of cooked rice.

1/4 cup is a serving
Preparation 10 minutes
Serves 8-10

Tomato Salad with Tahini Dressing

Tomato Salad with Tahini Dressing

  •  2 cups assorted tomatoes
  • 1 small red onion
  • ½ cup tahini paste
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Slice garden-ripe tomatoes (unpeeled) into thick slices; use an assortment of heirloom varieties for best taste and presentation. Thoroughly blend 2 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Drizzle dressing over tomatoes.

Preparation 10 minutes

Serves 4-6

Easy No-Cook Tomato Sauce

Easy No-Cook Tomato SauceLooking for something to serve when too hot to cook? Try this simple pasta dish topped with a delicious tomato sauce. This is a super fast, almost one-pot dish that’s ideal for the heat of summer when tomatoes are at their ripest. There’s nothing to it: Just fresh tomatoes, olive oil and basil. Perfect over your favorite pasta or try it as a topping for toast or grilled cheese sandwich. This recipe showcases the freshest, ripest summer tomatoes you can find. The only cooking involved is warming a bit of olive oil, which infuses the herbs and takes the raw edge off the tomatoes. The kids will thank you for it.

Easy No-Cook Tomato Sauce

  • 4 large ripe tomatoes, to yield about 4 cups, chopped
  • 1/4 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup (packed) finely sliced fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or to taste

Tips

The recipe can easily be adjusted to serve as many people as you need to feed; simply use 1 tomato, 1 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs basil per serving.

This sauce is perfect on its own, with the fresh flavors of tomato and basil. But cheese makes a good accompaniment. Add diced fresh mozzarella cheese to hot drained pasta, if you'd like. Or top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It also makes great bruschetta/toast topping with a bit of garlic added!

Core the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes crosswise in half and squeeze out the seeds. Chop the tomatoes. Transfer to a large bowl and add basil.

Place the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat the oil until it is hot but doesn't bubble or smoke.

Quickly but carefully pour the warm olive oil over the tomatoes (careful: the oil may spatter).Serve right away, over pasta if desired.

Serving Size: 1 cup

Easy Tomato Sauce

Easy Tomato SauceHere is an easy way to use your summer tomato bounty all year around! It freezes well and does well preserved in canning jars as well.

Peel and seed 12 ripe tomatoes; coarsely chop and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and sugar to taste. Bring tomatoes to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until you have a thick sauce, about 30 minutes. Add chopped fresh basil. Allow to cool until not too hot to handle, then pass it through a sieve to get tomato sauce like you find in stores. Put them into jars or favorite containers to use over pasta dishes or any other dishes that call for tomato sauce.

Perfect Tomato Soup

Perfect Tomato Soup

This tomato soup is so rich and thick you'll swear it's laden with cream and butter. The trick is really good tomatoes.

  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 yellow or white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 4 small slices white bread, crust removed
  • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a stock pot or large saucepan.

Add the onions and garlic; saute for 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, then add the pepper, sugar, thyme and bread; cook for 3 minutes.

Puree, using an immersion blender or food processor.

If you're using an immersion blender, take care not to splatter tomatoes all over yourself!

Slowly add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook another two minutes.

Adaptation

I used the recipe but needed to adapt it to be gluten free. I used cooked acorn squash in this soup and served it to guests who were thrilled. The soup pot was empty. No bread, cheese or brown sugar just 2 cups squash in the blender with the stock. Turned out fabulous!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Minutes to Cook: 20
Serves: 8

Dairy Summer Tomato Salad #1

Dairy Summer Tomato SaladBoth these salads are refreshing and delicious especially when tomatoes are at their best in freshness and taste.

Halve 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (red, yellow or mixed). Add 1 cup of mini fresh mozzarella balls or your favorite cheese. Add zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons good olive oil, sliced fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Pareve Summer Tomato Salad #2

Halve 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (red, yellow or mixed). Peel, seed and dice 1 ripe avocado. Toss tomatoes and avocado and sliced heart of palm with juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons good olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Stuffed Tomato Delight

Stuffed Tomato DelightTomatoes are delicious when stuffed with just about anything that pleases your palate. Try it with cottage or farmer cheese or tuna for Sholosh seudos or with mashed chicken livers for Shabbat morning entrée. How about quinoa and veggies? They are refreshing as the tomatoes give your stuffing a tangy taste. Stuffed tomatoes were regularly served at home as entrée when trying to impress guests.

  • 8 Roma/Beefsteak /vine tomatoes
  • 2 Tbs purchased pesto
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbs snipped fresh parsley
  • 2 Tbs snipped fresh chives
  • 1 8 oz. package cream cheese or cottage cheese
  • 4 ounces fresh goat cheese (chevre) or cream cheese
  • Fresh parsley or fresh dill sprigs (optional)

Using a sharp knife cut off the top 1/3 of each tomato on the stem end. Set aside the tops for garnish, if desired, or discard. Hollow out tomatoes; invert on paper towels and set aside.

Place pesto, garlic, the 2 tablespoons parsley, chives, and tarragon or dill in a food processor . Process for 15 seconds; add the cream cheese or cottage cheese and goat cheese. Process another 30 to 45 seconds or until the filling is smooth.

Place the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe into each cherry tomato. Garnish with fresh parsley or dill sprigs and/or reserved tomato tops..

Preparation 20 minutes
Serves 8

Linguine with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Linguine with Fresh Tomato SaucePasta is ever the popular dish and the children especially love it. Indulge them in this simple and flavorful dish!

  • 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 lb tomatoes, peeled and chopped (about 6 tomatoes or 3 c chopped)
  • 1 ¼ tsp salt
  • 12 oz linguine
  • 16 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
  • ¼ c grated Parmesan

HEAT 2 tablespoons of the oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and salt and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.

PREPARE pasta per package directions while sauce cooks, undercooking slightly. drain pasta well and add to simmering sauce. Cook until sauce has thickened and pasta is done, about 2 minutes. Add basil and remaining 1 tablespoon oil and toss to combine. Serve topped with cheese.

Prep time 20 minutes
Serves 4

Enjoy a happy summer season!

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