Food
The Apple Of Love
Tomatoes are at tastiest, lowest-cost time of the year.
ANNABEL COHEN
Special to the Jewish News
EE
ome-grown Michigan tomatoes
are at their peak this very
moment. That's happy news to
those of us who don't mind eating juicy
toms right out-of-hand with just a wee
bit of sea salt.
In fact, its hard to resist buying
bushelsful of the fruity vegetables at local
farmer's markets each week when they're
this affordable. But, what can one per-
son do with all those tomatoes?
With a little imagination and a few
techniques, you can enjoy your tomatoes
today and in a few months as well.
Canning tomatoes is easy. Just buy a case
of Mason or Ball jars at your local mar-
ket or hardware stores, stew the toma-
toes (quarter or slice and boil for about
10 minutes) and seal or freeze the jars
according to the directions on the box.
If you're not the canning type, try
oven drying. Simply slice the tomatoes
and place the slices on a parchment-
lined baking sheet. Bake at about 225E
for about six hours. Allow to cool com-
pletely and place in a freezer-type plastic
bag and store for up to six months.
Or, stuff the tomatoes in a jar with a
tight-fitting lid and pour olive oil into
the jar and chill for use up to three
months, using the tomatoes as salad,
pizza or sandwich toppings; or add a bit
to your favorite vinaigrette recipe.
The recipes below can be used with
any tomato variety. Tip: To seed toma-
toes, cut off the tops (stem ends) and
squeeze gently or use a teaspoon to
remove seed pockets.
TOMATO POTATO SALAD
2 pounds unpeeled new potatoes,
quartered
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved length-
wise
1 cup chopped dry-cured olives, pitted
and chopped (optional)
1/2 cup chopped red or Bermuda
onion
1 cup fresh chopped basil leaves, or
more to taste
kosher salt and pepper to taste
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and
cover with water. Bring to a boil over
high heat, reduce heat slightly and cook
until just tender, about 20 minutes.
Drain well (do not rinse) and place in a
large bowl.
Sprinkle the vinegar over the potatoes
and allow them to cool for about 20
minutes. Add remaining ingredients and
toss the salad well. Adjust vinegar and
seasonings to taste. Makes 8 or more
servings.
TOMATO YOGURT SOUP
This is beautiful made with yellow
tomatoes as well.
4 pounds very ripe tomatoes, any color,
cut into chunks
1 cup plain yogurt, plus additional
yogurt, garnish
kosher salt and white pepper to taste
2 cups chopped peeled, seeded cucum-
ber
1 roasted red or yellow pepper,
chopped
1 cup minced fresh basil or dill leaves
Combine the tomatoes and yogurt in
the bowl of a food processor and process
until smooth. Season to taste with salt
and pepper and chill until ready to
serve. Spoon or ladle the soup into 6
bowls, mugs or large wineglasses.
Garnish with the cucumber, roasted
pepper and fresh basil or dill. Makes 6
servings.
ROASTED TOMATO, ASIAGO
AND BASIL PITA SANDWICHES
Like a delicious pocket pizza.
4 whole wheat pocket pita breads
kosher salt to taste
1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, seeded
and sliced very thin
1 Tbsp. minced roasted garlic, optional
1/2 pound fresh baby spinach,
microwaved for 2 minutes and cooled
2 cups shredded Asiago or brick cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 350F. Cut off the pita
bread tops and spread open the pockets.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and layer
the garlic, if using, spinach, Asiago
cheese and basil in the pockets.
Place the sandwiches on a baking
sheet, overlapping them slightly so they
are not lying flat. Bake the sandwiches,
uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until
the bread is nicely browned or golden.
Drizzle a small amount of olive oil
inside the pockets and serve. Makes 4
servings.
ROASTED TOMATO AND
CORN TOPPING
Prepare this in place of bruschetta - sim-
ply spoon the topping onto the bread
and serve, or place the tomatoes in a
serving bowl with breads along the side.
Alternately, toss this topping with fresh-
cooked pasta or serve it over scrambled
eggs for a quick and healthful sauce.
2 pounds tomatoes, any variety,
chopped
2 cups corn kernels
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh or 1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 baguette, sliced into thin rounds
Preheat oven to 400E Toss the toma-
toes, corn and garlic in olive oil and
spread in a baking dish. Roast, uncov-
ered, for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and
add remaining ingredients, except bread.
Stir well, adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve on or with baguette slices. Makes
20 or more appetizer servings.
ROASTED SALMON WITH
FRESH TOMATO GINGER SAUCE
Sauce:
1 pound fresh tomatoes chunks, any
variety (peeled or unpeeled)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh, peeled ginger-
root
3 small garlic cloves
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. red pepper sauce (such as
Tabasco)
kosher salt and pepper to taste
Fish: six 5-oz. portions boneless and
skinless salmon fillets
Make sauce: Combine all sauce ingre-
dients in the bowl of a food processor
and pulse a few times to combine. Set
aside.
Preheat oven to 400E Place the
salmon portions on a baking sheet that's
been sprayed well with nonstick cooking
spray and roast for about 12 minutes,
until just cooked through (do not over-
cook).
Serve the salmon topped with the
sauce. Makes 6 servings.
SHORT-CUT FRESH TOMATO
FRENCH DRESSING
Use this as a delicious salad dressing or
sandwich topping
3/4 cup ketchup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 large ripe tomato, cut into chunks
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Combine all ingredients in the bowl
of a food processor and pulse until com-
bined, but still slightly chunky. Makes 3
cups of dressing. ❑
For more recipes, see JNOnline. corn.