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.