Tag: tomatoes

Categories
Recipes

vegetable ‘ceviche’ salad

vegetable-ceviche-6-1

Jordan and I stumbled upon a recipe for vegetable “ceviche” when we were on a plane to Idaho a few weeks back. At first I thought it just sounded silly, like vegetarians trying too hard. For something to be ceviche, fish is a requirement. But, we let the thought marinate (ha), made the dish, and it was tough to come up with something else to call it. Diced raw vegetables with lime juice doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

So here we are, eating ceviche sin pescado and liking it. Liking it a lot. Chop up a little of whatever summer produce you’ve got hanging around, mix that with a ton of lime juice, some cilantro and an onion. Let the mixture sit together for an hour or two and call it dinner. Ceviche bonus points if you’re into practicing your knife skills and everything you dice comes out perfectly uniform. Ladies and gentlemen, let it be known, my man can dice like the best of ’em.

vegetable-ceviche-1vegetable-ceviche-3

Vegetable ‘Ceviche’ Salad 
2 ears of corn, cut of the cob
2 cucumbers, diced
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 red onion, diced finely
3 sweet peppers, diced
2 avocados, cut into cubes
1 bunch cilantro, choped
3 limes, zest of 1 and juiced
salt

In a large bowl, mix together corn kernels, diced cucumber, chopped tomatoes, diced sweet peppers, diced red onion, chopped avocado and cilantro. Douse liberally with lime juice and season with salt. Let sit at room temperature for an hour or two. Stir again and serve.

vegetable-ceviche-5

Because of all the lime juice, this salad survives quite well in the fridge for a few days.

vegetable-ceviche-7

-Emily

Categories
Recipes

pesto pasta salad

Last week I was lucky to attend an awesome blogging conference Alt Design Summit. It was fun and inspiring and I’m buried under a mountain of insanely cute business cards from all of my new bloggy friends. I’ll share more soon, but since I know you’re hungry, here is a recipe for a quick, easy and delicious pesto pasta salad.

+++

Pesto pasta is an old standby here. I make it about every other week in the summer when basil is in season and readily available. We usually have it for lunch over the course of a few days. It is fresh, flavorful and cheap. Plus you can through a little of whatever you’ve got lying around in it and it still turns out pretty good. I guess pesto just works miracles like that.

pesto-pasta-4

Pesto Pasta Salad
For the pesto
1 bunch basil (we used a small bunch of basil and some arrugula which was a day or two past its prime)
1 lemon, zest and juice
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup nuts (pine nuts are the standard, but we’ve used pecans and walnuts also)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 olive oil
salt and pepper

pesto-pasta-2

In the bowl of a food processor combine basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic nuts and parmesan. Pulse until you’ve got a coarse paste. Now turn the food processor on and drizzle olive oil in through the top hole until the pesto comes together and everything is chopped uniformly. Season with salt and pepper.

For the pasta salad
1 lb dry pasta
1 can whole pitted olives
8 oz mini mozzarella balls
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 batch of pesto

pesto-pasta-1

Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt it until it tastes like sea water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse for a minute or two with cold water. Combine pasta, olives, mozzarella, tomatoes and pesto in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Serve at room temperature or cold.

pesto-pasta-3

This pasta salad recipe is super flexible. You can add more veggies—blanched green beans are great, kidney beans or chick peas are a good way to make it heartier, marinated artichokes would be lovely too! Just remember that more sauce is better when you’re making a pasta that you’ll refrigerate and eat over a few days. Without enough sauce, the pasta will seem dry, bland and rather sad.

-Emily

Categories
Recipes

pasta bolognese

I’d never made pasta bolognese. We weren’t sure if we’d ever even eaten a true pasta bolognese. The closest we’d ever gotten was marinara sauce with ground beef, which as we found out in our recipe research, is not even close to a pasta bolognese.

This recipe is from the Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook and was cross-referenced with a Mario Batali recipe so we’ve got on pretty good authority we’re approaching authentic with this one. We had to make a few minor modifications (bacon in place of pancetta), but good golly pasta bolognese is good! Meaty comfort in a stock pot, real pasta bolognese kicks Ragu‘s ass.

Pasta Bolognese, adapted from the Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook
4 oz bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
salt
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 cups chicken or beef stock
1 1/2 cups milk
3 T tomato paste
1/4 cup cream
pepper
parsley and parmesan for serving

In a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat, add the bacon. Once the bacon has released some of its fat, add the vegetables. Saute the vegetables until they have softened and add the garlic. Remove the vegetables and bacon from the pan and set aside.

Brown the beef and pork in the same pan. Cook 10 – 15 minutes, until the meat is browned. Add the wine, herbs and vegetables to the meat. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and let the liquid evaporate.

Once most of the liquid has evaporated, deglaze with the stock and milk. Add the tomato paste. Simmer until the sauce is thickened, 30 minutes to an hour. Season with salt and pepper.

Before serving, add the cream and simmer for a few minutes.

Serve over pasta garnished with parmesan and parsley.

-Emily

Categories
Recipes

pasta with ricotta and marinated tomatoes

This is one of my absolute favorite summer dinners. I’ve shared the recipe before, but recently made a few improvements and thought I’d share it again. It is quick, light and you don’t need to turn on the oven—beneficial pretty much everywhere except San Francisco. It also features one of my favorite summer ingredients—tomatoes.

Like all simple dishes, the better the ingredients you put into the dish the better it will turn out. I recommend using a decent fresh ricotta over your typical dairy section fare and cherry tomatoes because they are more flavorful and less watery than other varieties.

Pasta with Ricotta and Marinated Tomatoes
1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 T olive oil
2 T each of fresh parsley, basil or chives, chopped (use any combination of herbs you have on hand)
1/2 T fresh thyme, removed from the sprig
1 lb pasta (shells or tubes are prefered)
1 clove garlic, grated
2 T olive oil
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper

Slice the tomatoes and put them in a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. The longer you let this sit and marinate, the better.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Just before you drain the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the olive oil and grated garlic clove. Stir. Add the ricotta and parmesan. Stir just to combine. Plate a mound of pasta and top with the tomato-herb mixture. Enjoy!

-Emily

Categories
Recipes

fettucini with tomatoes, onions and thyme

I made this pasta for Jordan and I about two weeks ago. It was so good I decide to make it again for my birthday dinner with friends last weekend. Because it is so simple, the quality of the ingredients can really shine. If you’ve got fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes, this is the dish for them. We sadly don’t have a garden, so heirloom tomatoes from Bi-Rite had to substitute—tough life.

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Onions and Thyme
10 oz fresh fettuccine (dried will work just fine too, but save some of the pasta water to add into the sauce)
1 basket cherry tomatoes, whole or sliced in half
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 t fresh thyme
1/4 cup parmesan
2 T butter
olive oil, salt, pepper
1 t basil, sliced thinly
1 ball of burrata

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Dice the onion and garlic. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and saute for two more minutes. Add the tomatoes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook about two minutes. Drain and put back into the pot. Add the butter and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate the pasta and top with the tomato mixture. Top with half of the burrata and fresh basil if you’ve got it around. Enjoy!

-Emily

Categories
Chez Jojonoodle/Chez Panisse Project Recipes

green bean and tomato salad

I’ve got to squeeze this recipe in here really quick before the green beans and tomatoes vanish until next summer. This recipe is from Chez Panisse Vegetables and is absolutely wonderful like most of Alice Waters’ recipes. Simple, fresh and easy to prepare, Jordan said it was his favorite way to eat green beans. Now that is an endorsement.

Green Bean and Tomato Salad with Vinaigrette, adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables
2 – 3 handfuls of green beans, ends removed and cut into 1 inch long pieces
1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved
1 shallot, diced very fine
2 T red wine or champagne vinegar
salt, pepper

Put on a pot of salted water to boil. In a small bowl, macerate the diced shallot in the vinegar. Add a hefty pinch each of salt and pepper and set aside. The longer this mixture sits together the better. Blanche the green beans for 3 – 5 minutes in the boiling water and then rinse with cold water. Pour into a serving platter and sprinkle with tomatoes. Just before serving,  pour the dressing over the vegetables and enjoy!

-Emily

Categories
Recipes

how to can 20 pounds of tomatoes

As I’ve mentioned before, we have an awesome CSA through Eatwell Farm. Every week we get a little newsletter with our box of produce describing the types of fruits and veggies and the goings-on around the farm. Last week’s newsletter had an end of the season offer for tomatoes … 20 pounds of tomatoes for $20. $20! As in $1 per pound for amazing, organic, vine-ripened tomatoes. HEAVEN!

If you know me, you know that I have absolutely no power to resist such an amazing offer despite the fact that 20 lbs is a lot of anything. I immediately called Eatwell, purchased my tomatoes and scheduled a pick up at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market that Saturday. My friend Amanda agreed to go with me to the market and thank goodness I had her help … 20 lbs is heavy! My arms felt like jello after carrying those suckers and I absolutely counted it as exercise.

Upon inspection, I decided to can half of the tomatoes whole and make the other half into tomato sauce. I’ve never really canned anything before (aside from jam under the close observation of my Nonnie), but fortunately Ball- maker of all things canning- has a great website with helpful tips and recipes. I followed their waterbath canning instructions for cold-packed whole tomatoes and basic tomato sauce.

For the whole canned tomatoes
10 lbs tomatoes, skins removed and cored
lemon juice (2 T per quart jar)
coarse salt (1 t per quart jar)
sugar (1 t per quart jar)

To remove the tomato skins: In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil. Make a small x-shaped cut in the bottom of each tomato. Put the tomatoes into the boiling water for 1 – 2 minutes then plunge them into a ice water bath. The skins should easily peel off the tomato. After you’ve removed the skin, remove the core of the tomato.

Wash the jars in the dishwasher or boil the jars. In a saucepan, boil the jar lids and rings for 10 minutes.

In each 1-quart jar, put 2 T lemon juice, 1 t salt and 1 t sugar. Fill each jar within 1/2 inch of the rim with the peeled, cored tomatoes. Press down on the tomatoes to remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim, center hot lid on the jar and seal with the ring.

In a stock pot of boiling water, boil the sealed jars for 85 minutes.  The jars should have at least 1 inch of water covering their tops. After 85 minutes, remove the jars and place on the counter to cool overnight taking care to leave several inches between each jar for air to circulate. Once the jars have cooled, the lid should not move up and down. That is how you know you’ve achieved a good seal.

For the canned tomato sauce
10 lbs tomatoes, peeled and cores removed
3 onions, diced
1 bulb garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 T red wine vinegar
salt, pepper, chili flake

The tomatoes were so flavorful on their own that I decided to make the most simple sauce. We’ve enjoyed it twice since the canning and it is wonderful! I am so happy to have preserved that summer flavor for us to enjoy all fall and winter long.

Remove the skins and cores of the tomatoes. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, saute the onions over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of chili flake. Simmer for 20 – 3o minutes uncovered to evaporate some of the water. Add a pinch of salt and some pepper. Puree the sauce in a blender or using an immersion blender. Taste for salt and add more seasoning as necessary.

Prep the jars and lids as directed above. Fill each jar within 1/2 inch of the rim. Center the lid on the jar and twist on the ring.

In a pot of boiling water, boil the jars covered in 1 inch of water for 35 minutes. Remove from the water and let cool overnight. The lid should not move up and down once cooled.

I am very satisfied with my first canning adventure! It was fairly easy, although a bit time consuming. I’m considering buying one of those super large canning stock pots for the next time, since I could only fit three 1-quart jars at a time in my regular stock pot. That made for a lot of rounds of boiling and, at 85 minutes a pop,  that is no small chunk of time. Still, a day investment is nothing compared to the pleasure of enjoying summer tomatoes in the dead of winter!

-Emily

Categories
Recipes

pico de gallo salsa

This was the fresh tomato salsa that I served with my tamales. It was wonderful, mostly because of the quality of the tomatoes. Pico de gallo is absolutely a summer salsa, and not advisable with flavorless hot-house tomatoes in the winter. Get it while you still can!

Pico de Gallo
4 – 6 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalepeno or serrano chili, seeds removed and diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
salt

Dice the tomatoes and onions to about the same size pieces and put in a medium bowl. Finely chop the garlic and chili, taking care to not touch your eyes or face while handling the chili. Add to the tomato mixture. Add the cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt. You can make this salsa ahead and it will keep for several days.

Fresh and easy!

-Emily

Categories
Recipes

fried green tomatoes

Despite the fact that it is rather late in the season for green tomatoes, on our last visit to her house my Nonnie gave me a few that had fallen off her plants. And, what else is there to do with green tomatoes but fry them?

There is quite a bit of discussion on the internet about what is the correct way to fry green tomatoes. While my method might not be as traditional, it sure was delicious. The tomatoes are very tart, the breading was crunchy and slightly spicy and sweet. My idea was to have cornbread wrapped tomatoes, and I almost got there, but not quite. I might try a bit more sugar and a finer cornmeal for my next batch. I’ve adjusted the recipe below to get closer to my ideal fried green tomato.

Fried Green Tomatoes
3 – 4 green tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
1/2 cup finely ground corn meal
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1 cup buttermilk
peanut oil, safflower oil or other light oil for frying

Pour 1 inch of oil into a cast iron skillet. Heat over medium high heat. In the meantime, slice the tomatoes. Mix the corn meal, flour, sugar, salt and paprika together. Dunk them first in the buttermilk and then in the flour mixture to coat both sides.

Fry in small batches until golden brown on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt when you remove them from the oil and then drain on paper towels.

-Emily

Categories
Recipes

savory tomato cobbler

When I came home from work last Thursday, I was greeted by Miss Willow and a GORGEOUS bowl of cherry tomatoes. They were so beautiful and there were so many of them! I was so excited! Jordan had picked up our CSA earlier in the day and the tomato bounty of late summer finally hit.

Earlier in the week, I had been making my food blog rounds and saw a recipe for a Tomato Cobbler on Honey and Jam. I also saw a similar recipe on Lottie + Doof. I guess it was a Martha Stewart recipe gone viral, fueled by the surplus of tomatoes at this time of year. Well, the photos on both blogs were so beautiful and the recipe so tempting that I knew instantly what to do with my big bowl of cherry tomatoes.

When most people think of cobbler, they think of stewed fruit with a crumbly topping. This is similar technique turned savory— stewed tomatoes and onions with a biscuit topping.

Despite my absolute love of raw cherry tomatoes, I am so glad I made this dish. It was the definition of comforting, but also still fresh and bright. The biscuit topping was buttery and balanced nicely by the acidity of the tomatoes. Plus, no one’s ever criticized the combination of thyme and tomatoes. Like Hannah from Honey and Jam observed, this dish is the perfect transition between summer and fall.

Tomato Cobbler
For the tomato filling
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 pounds cherry tomatoes
3 T flour
olive oil, salt, pepper, chili flake, thyme

In a cast iron skillet or dutch oven, saute the onion in olive oil over low heat for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the biscuit topping and preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Add the garlic and saute for another 3 minutes. Turn of the heat and add the tomatoes, flour, and a nice pinch of salt, pepper, chili flake and thyme.

For the biscuit topping 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour (you can substitute APF if you don’t have cake flour)
1 T baking powder
1 T fresh thyme
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter, rubbing it into the flour with your fingers until small clumps of dough form. Add the buttermilk, stirring until the dough is just combined. Divide it into 5 rough clumps and top the tomato mixture with the balls of dough. Bake for 45 minutes  – 1 hour, until the biscuits are golden brown and the tomato mixture molten. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy and be transported to a heavenly buttery, tomatoey land.

This dish was also wonderful the second and third days. I am most definitely making this one again. Hopefully before the season is out!

-Emily