Posted by Snow in 
Looking for new ways to re-use tomatoes? Don’t go shopping, look for garden recipes and do some creative trading with the neighbors. People growing garden produce may outdate their own barnyard greens by dining out, maintaining a busy schedule, or simply not noticing their herb garden produce is topping out. Use every last tomato and never be afraid to buy too many. Tomatoes can complement peppers in vibrant and surprising ways.
Tomatoes should be coming out of our ears, and there’s no excuse not to integrate them into many winter dishes now summer is almost over. Most cooks consider tomatoes a summer dish and use them principally for garnishing salads and sauces in winter. But even your Thanksgiving table can benefit from the lycopene rich tomato plant. Enriching pasta tossed in olive oil and Parmesan with slightly dried roasted tomatoes makes a outstanding winter snack. And pure tomatoes make soup and sauce bases at all times.
Tomatoes can literally make a meal. Keep tomatoes on hand and produce a small plates dinner and leave the fast fod wrappers in the store.
Extra points if you scour the neighborhood for vine ripened tomatoes and exchange some re-usable or recyclable goods for them. Hint: heating basic tomato dishes make a tasty confit. Throw some cut tomatoes in a reusable pie tin next time you are roasting chicken or baking vegetables. Those empty soda cans and plastic 2 liter bottles suddenly have salad cred!
1. Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
Grill 2 ears of shucked corn for every person served. Place removed kernels in hot oven for 20-25 minutes depending on volume, watching for browning and crisping. Half cherry tomatoes or dice beefsteak tomatoes for flavor. Diced red onion and minced garlic in olive oil and a spritz of lemon juice (stirred through) keeps the rich Thanksgiving table hearty without being fattening. Roast briefly in hot oven to “melt” onions and provide a roast vegetable alternative to the turkey gravy and rich stuffing. Give your guests a colorful all-vegan choice at the Autumn table.
2. Ratatouille
A peasant dish to be sure, yet this thickish soup makes excellent winter and autumn fare while using up farmer’s market produce and crisper remains. Cook onions over low heat in olive oil and water in equal parts, allowing for a ten minute oven roasting. Saute cubed zucchini until flesh is cooked through, and combine with onion mixture in soup pan. Add diced tomatoes with no seeds or skins, warming through the whole to make a blend of the basic elements. Some chefs leave skins on and blend through a processor for smoothness. Balsamic olive oil drizzled on the plaste to taste.
3. Bisque It
Use tomatoes in their washed and seeded form to make the base of a stock soup that will become seasoned with herbs and dotted with rich creme fraiche. A savory animal protein base makes any bisque pop, reserve drippings and deglazing from roasting fish and use it to flavor a stunning dinner treat. If you have some pastry mix, fold over a crust shell and pop this in the oven to thicken and make the kids finish every bit. Re-use well washed soup and vegetable cans for this purpose. Rarely any leftover bisque, sadly.
Just jam a few carrots, onions, and garlic bits with celery in the processor and mix it with some fish stock base. Clam sauce or lobster drippings work best. This is a good way to use veggie “ends”. Heat slowly, running through a strainer if necessary to separate food bits after about 15 minutes cooking medium heat. Run half and half, cream, or creme fraiche through the hot soup, thickening with more cream to taste.
4. Pink Risotto
Glamorizing rice is never easy, but fresh chopped mushrooms mixed with crisped rice in stock starts up a great tomato risotto. Add any white cheese, the flavor will be enhanced by the tomatoes for greater enjoyment. Mozzarella makes a safe choice. Stir in tomatoes just quickly enough to heat through and remove risotto from heat. Fork through cheese until all is melted. Seasoned with basil, shaved curls of Parmesan-Reggiano and spoon onto plates ASAP.
5. Baconettes
Use your bacon on the grill and enjoy a healthy treat that can add protein power and veggie ving to your get together. Wrap halved bacon strips around small to medium cherry tomatoes, winding and tucking in place. Spear onto skewers and use the grill to cook the bacon. For added flavor, lightly pierce tomatoes with tines of fork after wrapping. Roasting tomato baconettes will absorb flavor, and some in the group may peel the bacon and enjoy the flavoring.
RSS Feed