You Say Tomayto, I Say Delicious! |
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Probably my favorite part of summer is fresh tomatoes, grown in their proper season. There is just something about the way the stem smells so... green that gets me every time. It always reminds me of my grandfather and all the tomato plants he grew every year, including a cherry tomato plant that he said was just for me (suuuuuuuure, grandpa). Hopefully these recipes will inspire you to enjoy summer's finest produce with your family! |
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Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad |
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There only other produce that signifies summer as much as tomatoes to me is watermelon. And cucumbers. Ok, basically this whole salad. This is a perfect dish to take with you to a barbecue or potluck. It is perfect and refreshing on a hot summer day. Because making salad dressing can be a bit tricky, I have a video for that! | | |
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Serves 4-6 Ingredients: For the salad: 1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cored and diced 2 cups cubed seedless watermelon 1 cup diced cucumber 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced and rinsed very well under cold water or soaked in ice water 6 ounces crumbled feta 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled well) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste For the dressing: 1 teaspoon honey mustard (I prefer Maille) 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Procedure: Place all ingredients for the salad in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mustard and vinegar. While whisking rapidly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once all the olive oil is added, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Place mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to 24 hours to meld flavors. Serve cold or room temperature. |
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Summertime Stuffed Tomatoes |
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When I was just out of culinary school, I tried to show off my skills by making a friend of mine lunch. But she was a vegetarian. So I made stuffed tomatoes for her, and I've thought about how delicious it was ever since. The sweetness of the corn balances the acidity of the tomato nicely. This is a perfect vegetarian entrée or side dish to any grilled meat. And if it's too hot to turn on the oven, you can even do it on the grill! Because there are so many ways to cut a bell pepper, I've made a short video showing you two different ways you can try! | | |
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Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as avocado, canola, or vegetable) 1 cup finely diced red onion (see a "hack" on how to do this here) 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper (or you can use yellow, green or orange) 1 cup finely diced zucchini 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (from approximately 1 large ear of corn) 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (see the best way to do this here) 1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme 2 teaspoons minced Italian parsley (see how to get the leaves off the stems here) 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese, divided 4 large heirloom tomatoes, cored out to leave only a “shell” Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Procedure: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Alternatively, preheat grill on medium high heat. In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add oil. When hot, add onion and pepper and sauté until onion is translucent and vegetables are beginning to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini has started to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add corn, garlic, and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is very fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cook. When mixture has cooled slightly, add 1/2 cup goat cheese and mix. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired. Season the inside of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Divide filling equally between tomatoes. Sprinkle remaining goat cheese over the top of the filling. Place tomatoes on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place tray in oven and roast until tomatoes have softened, and goat cheese begins to brown, 20-25 minutes. Alternatively, place tomatoes on well-oiled grill grates and close grill lid. Cook until tomatoes have softened, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve as an entrée or side dish to grilled meats. |
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I love risotto. I love tomatoes. Why not put the two together? Plus, it was a great way to use up the "innards" of the scooped out tomatoes of the recipe above. I just hate food waste, so finding any way to use scraps always makes me happy. I also had some basil oil leftover from the caprese salad dish. I used a combination of that and a chiffonade of basil that I grew in my hydroponic system. If you don't know how to chiffonade basil, fear not: I have a video for that! | | |
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Serves 4 Ingredients: 6-8 cups vegetable stock 2 pounds tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 cup arborio or carnaroli rice 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish Basil chiffonade, for garnish Basil oil, for garnish (optional - see the caprese salad recipe) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Procedure: Blend together stock and tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Pour mixture into a large saucepan, season with salt, and bring to a simmer. Keep at a simmer the entire cook time. In a separate saucepan set on medium heat, add oil and butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add rice and toast until outer part of the rice grain is translucent. Ladle in just enough tomato mixture to cover the rice. Stir until the liquid takes on a starchy appearance, then stop stirring. Allow to simmer until the rice is peeking through the liquid. Repeat this process until most of the liquid is absorbed. Check for desired doneness. When rice cooked all the way, remove from heat and add parmesan. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately, garnished with additional parmesan and basil and/or basil oil. |
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Who doesn't love a caprese salad? But it's been... done. So I took the basic flavors that go in a caprese and gave them a bit of a twist. I hope you enjoy this new version as much as the old. You might even like it a touch better (we do!). The one thing you do have to have in this recipe is a silicone baking mat. This helps to make sure the sugars from the tomatoes don't glue themselves to the parchment or the sheet tray. If you don't have one, they are inexpensive (especially when you can stop using disposable parchment) and you will find yourself using them all the time. I have included a link below if you need one. |
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Serves 3-4 Ingredients: 2 Roma tomatoes, cored and sliced in 1/4" thick slices Several sprigs fresh thyme 2- 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling 1/4 cup basil leaves 4 ounces burrata cheese Aged balsamic, for drizzling (Villa Mandori is my favorite) Large flake sea salt, for finishing (Maldon is my favorite for this purpose) Crusty bread, for serving Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Procedure: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with a silicone baking mat. Arrange tomato slices in a flat layer on the prepared sheet tray. Sprinkle thyme sprigs and garlic slices over the top. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven until tomatoes have begun to shrivel at the edges, but still have some moisture, about 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile, place 1/4 cup olive oil and basil leaves in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a small saucepan and place on medium heat. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Strain mixture and set aside to cool. When tomatoes and oil are both cool, spread tomatoes on a serving platter. Top with burrata (burst open if desired). Sprinkle large flake sea salt over burrata. Drizzle platter with aged balsamic and basil oil. Serve with crusty bread. |
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| | We can't talk about tomatoes without talking about coring them. Yes, you can do it with a paring knife. But this gadget makes it so much easier, and will even clean out cherry tomatoes for stuffing! I know I am usually against single-use gadgets. But this is one I always have in my knife kit. Plus it's small, so it doesn't take up a lot of drawer space! | | |
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| | This is another single-use gadget that I adore. I hate that it is only good for one thing, but it takes the corn off the cob better than any other method I've found, and it won't send corn kernels flying around your kitchen like a knife! For me it's worth it, if nothing else, because my husband won't eat corn on the cob. So anytime I want fresh corn, out it comes! | | |
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| | If you love making risotto, you should seriously consider this pan. Because of the rounded bottom, there are no edges for the rice to get caught in, and the starch development on the rice is unparalleled. Yes, it's pricey, but it's seven layers of metal and no rivets to have to try to clean. This is also my go-to pan for dessert sauces, and well, everything really. No corners makes a massive difference in the ability to stir in delicate recipes. I use this so much I own two (not kidding). | | |
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| | I will say it every time: I love my Gardyn! Having fresh produce available whenever I want and using less water than traditional growing methods is something I'm definitely on board for! I used thyme, parsley, basil, oregano, and mint that I had grown myself in this week's recipes. Somehow they just taste better that way. And, Gardyn has lowered their prices! Now it is cheaper than ever to get your very own Gardyn, and if you use my code, you get an extra $125 off! Use code rfrochelle32148! | | |
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