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Fresh Tomato Recipes


brendanc

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Bumping this thread for a reminder for everyone of some great recipes.

Also a question........I thought I remembered a post (maybe in a different thread?) where someone took smallish tomatoes, cut them in half and slow roasted them for hours until they dried out quite a bit, and then froze them for use latter in the year in soups, sauces, etc. and a flavor booster.

Does anyone remember that?

Details?  Skin on or off?  Roasting temperature/time?

Thanks!

I do the roasting/dehydrating thing too. I go somewhere between 150 and 175 overnight and sometimes longer. I use slices, but only on USA Baking baking sheets (otherwise they would never come off a normal pan). I never thought about using wedges or slabs. Good idea. If you have convection, that would be good to turn on as well. When done, toss in a bag in the freezer.

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Yes, I core them, cut them in half, quarters for larger ones, skin on, and roast them for a really long time at 200 in the oven, on a baking rack over a baking sheet.  I would say overnight, but when I do that, I feel like I sleep with one ear open, but I really worry about that sort of thing.  I have done this for stonefruit too.  It is GREAT when you are going on vacation and have stuff that is going to go bad if you don't use them.  The time really depends on the size and juice content.

Have you done it with peaches?

What do you do with the concentrated peach goo when they are done roasting? I have a lot of peaches that I need to do something with and I'm thinking roasting may be the way to go, but I'm not sure what to do with them after they're roasted.

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From the blog by Ruth Reichel, I was intrigued by Edouard de Pomiane's fresh tomatoes a la creme.

The recipe is simple, and yet mystifying.  Cut six tomatoes in half, widthwise.  Put a lump of butter in a frying pan.  Put the tomatoes in the pan, cut side down.  Pierce the shoulders of the tomatoes.  Let them heat for five minutes.  Turn them over.  Salt them. Let them heat for ten minutes. Turn them over again.  The juices should run out and spread in the pan.  Turn them over again.  Pour in three ounces of thick cream.  When the cream bubble, it is done.  Serve very hot.

Well.  It doesn't state the temperature.  After experimentation, I went with medium low. It doesn't state the amount of butter.  Not a problem, I like butter. It also doesn't specify, and this is important, the tomatoes should all be the same size.  Also, for this recipe to work, they should be on the small side, say three inches in diameter.  I used three on the small side, and three on the large side, and that wasn't good.  Fished out the small ones and let the big ones cook longer. They should also be cored first.  The skin is unpleasant, but it slips off.  This might be better if you skinned the tomatoes first. I used heavy cream, but probably something much thicker is called for, sour cream, or creme fraiche, and those may be too thick.

Others who have tried this recipe rave about it.  I will try again with all small tomatoes and creme fraiche, but I suspect that letting the tomato juice and cream cook down would lend a better result.

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All I can think about right now is a fresh BLT.  One thing we we really enjoyed in Japan was cherry tomatoes directly on a grill then dipped in either soy and wasabi, or a yakiniku sauce. Also, when I was in France during high school my host family made a spaghetti dish with stuffed tomatoes that had ground meat in them that I adored.  Not sure why I haven't looked for a good recipe of that. Have you checked out the Cava Grill Pinterest for tomatoes?  It has some good looking things- including a stuffed tomato recipe. https://www.pinterest.com/cavagrill/tomatoes/  Also I liked the looks of this tart last year, but I think it would be hard to make it without it getting soggy so I didn't try it: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/savory-corn-tart-heirloom-tomatoes

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9 hours ago, ktmoomau said:

One thing we we really enjoyed in Japan was cherry tomatoes directly on a grill then dipped in either soy and wasabi, or a yakiniku sauce.

Sounds interesting.  Do you remember if the skins were removed or left on? 

Last week at Pineapple and Pearls, one of the dishes was called "charred sungold tomatoes and peach broth".  The little sungolds had the skins removed and they had a nice charred/gilled taste.  Although thinking about it now, I wonder if a skinless cherry tomato would denigrate seconds after it hits the grill

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20 minutes ago, Bart said:

Although thinking about it now, I wonder if a skinless cherry tomato would denigrate seconds after it hits the grill

I believe the tomato's disparagement of that circumstance would be most apparent.

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7 hours ago, Bart said:

Sounds interesting.  Do you remember if the skins were removed or left on? 

Last week at Pineapple and Pearls, one of the dishes was called "charred sungold tomatoes and peach broth".  The little sungolds had the skins removed and they had a nice charred/gilled taste.  Although thinking about it now, I wonder if a skinless cherry tomato would denigrate seconds after it hits the grill

Skin on, but on the grill, the skin would blister and split apart.

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22 hours ago, Bart said:

TIme for the yearly bump.  

Anyone have any newly discovered gems or some old favorites?  I'm buried in tomatoes.

My mom's stuffed tomatoes are quite simple to make, and I find them tasty and comforting. Core and hollow the tomatoes, saving the insides to make tomato water. To fresh white bread cubes add lightly sauteed chopped onion, marjoram, pepper and salt to taste. Stuff tomatoes loosely with mixture, put them into a greased baking pan and cook uncovered at 350 until the bread starts to brown. The skin comes off easily after baking.

Tomato water is a refreshing drink made by draining the gelatinous insides of tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl until nothing but the seeds remain. It is light and mildly tangy and has none of the texture associated with tomato juice.Try cold infusing the water with herbs of your choice in the fridge.

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Thanks Jenna!

What else do you do with tomato water?   I made a huge batch of sauce last week (and again tonight) and I saved the liquid from last week's batch and turned it into tomato water.  My problem is, I'm not sure what to do with it.  As a last resort I'll freeze it, but even then I'm not sure what to do with it.

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3 minutes ago, Bart said:

Thanks Jenna!

What else do you do with tomato water?   I made a huge batch of sauce last week (and again tonight) and I saved the liquid from last week's batch and turned it into tomato water.  My problem is, I'm not sure what to do with it.  As a last resort I'll freeze it, but even then I'm not sure what to do with it.

Chill and drink it is what I usually do. It  makes a good base for a vegetable broth, and would be lovely for poaching eggs, fish or poultry. It is mildly acidic and so is well-suited for marinades.

 

What kinds of tomatoes are you growing?

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On August 16, 2016 at 10:36 PM, ktmoomau said:

All I can think about right now is a fresh BLT.  One thing we we really enjoyed in Japan was cherry tomatoes directly on a grill then dipped in either soy and wasabi, or a yakiniku sauce. Also, when I was in France during high school my host family made a spaghetti dish with stuffed tomatoes that had ground meat in them that I adored.  Not sure why I haven't looked for a good recipe of that. Have you checked out the Cava Grill Pinterest for tomatoes?  It has some good looking things- including a stuffed tomato recipe. https://www.pinterest.com/cavagrill/tomatoes/  Also I liked the looks of this tart last year, but I think it would be hard to make it without it getting soggy so I didn't try it: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/savory-corn-tart-heirloom-tomatoes

We've been eating BLTs.  I love them, especially at this time of year when I don't want to heat the kitchen. I often keep bacon in the refrigerator that's already cooked, so it just needs a short zap in the microwave to get back to the right texture.  

On that tart, I haven't made it, but I've seen the advice to brush a layer of mustard or egg white on the inside of tart crust before adding the filling to keep it from getting soggy.  I think the advice might include letting the brushed crust sit for a little while for the coating to dry.  (That's kind of stuck in my head associated with this tip, but I'm not sure that's where it belongs.)

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10 hours ago, Jenna Gardiner said:

What kinds of tomatoes are you growing?

I've been gravitating to more and more blacks over they years trying to find others that match Paul Robeson in taste.  I absolutely love that one, but it is always one of my first to fall to bacterial wilt or some other ailment that kills the plant.  I tried Vorlon for the first time this year which (from the reviews) is supposed be as good if not better than Paul Robeson in taste, but earlier and with better disease resistance.  I had a problem with my seeds germinating but by some miracle I found some plants for sale so I bought three, but I think at least one of them (maybe all) were mislabeled because they're all performing differently

Anyhow, here's most of my list:

 

Paul Robeson (black) which is my all time favorite with an intense smoky flavor.  If you're not growing this one, try it next year!

Cherokee Purple

Cherokee Green - probably the sweetest tomato I grow.  Incredible flavor and great green color

Lucky Cross (bicolor) - beautiful when sliced (or unsliced)

Little Lucky (bicolor) - smaller version of above

Black From Tula (black)

Vorlon (black) - 1st time growing this one

Caspian Pink

Brandywine Suddth

Yellow Brandywine

Aunt Gerties Gold

Lillian's Yellow

KBX (orange)

Black Krim

4th of July (hybrid) - a small early tomato, with great flavor.  My only full size non-heirloom

Green Zebra

Green Copia

Chocolate Stripes

A few cherries:  Sungold, Lemon Drop, Super Sweet 100, Black Cherry

 

What are you growing and what are your faves?

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Thanks!  But it's just about killing me.  I spend all weekend harvesting and working the garden (which is not where I live) and spend every weeknight processing and processing.

This is about 1/3 of last weekend's haul.  (apologies if the photo doesn't show up)

 

image.jpeg

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5 minutes ago, Bart said:

I have a chest freezer.  I make a ton of tomato sauce and tomato soup and I don't think you can safely can either one of them because they both have olive oil in them. 

Well honestly freezing is easier than canning anyway.  That issue in canning has a very long running debate on it, I am not enough of an expert to weigh in on it.  

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I'm not either.  I've seen people post thing like "my grandmother has been using this recipe for 70 years and has never gotten sick" and the next person would post "the National Center for Home Preservation says it's unsafe and you'll be dead by midnight if you use it"  (the part about being dead by midnight was added by me for effect!).

No one in my family was ever a food canner so I don't have frame of reference other than what I read,and fear of botulism has kept me on the conservative side when it comes to canning recipes.

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1 hour ago, Bart said:

No one in my family was ever a food canner so I don't have frame of reference other than what I read,and fear of botulism has kept me on the conservative side when it comes to canning recipes.

My family cans everything, but they both hot water and pressure can, still what I will chance for myself, versus someone else is very different and if I can err on the side of no one sick, I normally do.  But I also have never gotten sick from smelling a jar that I thought may be off and dumping it, although the internet seems to indicate it is possible.  I have to can a lot of things I want to preserve only because I have a tiny freezer, unless I am up at my Mom's where there is abundant freezer space.  Very jealous of your chest freezer, that is part of my dream house, especially in this heat, so much better than canning.  I am likely not doing much this year by way of preserving, there just has been too much going on in other parts of our life.  But I will miss all the canned goods.

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On 8/19/2016 at 4:20 PM, ktmoomau said:

My family cans everything, but they both hot water and pressure can, still what I will chance for myself, versus someone else is very different and if I can err on the side of no one sick, I normally do.  But I also have never gotten sick from smelling a jar that I thought may be off and dumping it, although the internet seems to indicate it is possible.  I have to can a lot of things I want to preserve only because I have a tiny freezer, unless I am up at my Mom's where there is abundant freezer space.  Very jealous of your chest freezer, that is part of my dream house, especially in this heat, so much better than canning.  I am likely not doing much this year by way of preserving, there just has been too much going on in other parts of our life.  But I will miss all the canned goods.

For a long time I canned a lot of tomatoes.  Worthwhile effort.  Nobody ever got ill from the results as I recall.  But I agree with ktmoomau above.  A large freezer is a far better solution imho.  In fact a large extra freezer is a great solution for enormous variety of foods way beyond tomatoes.

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On 8/18/2016 at 8:36 AM, Bart said:

I've been gravitating to more and more blacks over they years trying to find others that match Paul Robeson in taste.  I absolutely love that one, but it is always one of my first to fall to bacterial wilt or some other ailment that kills the plant.  I tried Vorlon for the first time this year which (from the reviews) is supposed be as good if not better than Paul Robeson in taste, but earlier and with better disease resistance.  I had a problem with my seeds germinating but by some miracle I found some plants for sale so I bought three, but I think at least one of them (maybe all) were mislabeled because they're all performing differently

 

 

What are you growing and what are your faves?

This year I'm not growing any tomatoes since my back yard has gotten too shady because of the neighbor's overgrown Asian honeysuckle bushes :(  I've grown many on your list in the past, though not PR. I looked it up and it is not listed as being resistant to anything, and the soil fumigation treatment (methyl bromide) for the common types of wilts has long been banned for private and most commercial use because it is a powerful neurotoxin.  I gave up trying to grow Yellow Pear tomatoes because of fusarium.

 

Mister Stripey, the various Brandywine strains, Big Boy, Taxi, Garden Peach (which has a soft, fuzzy skin!),Yellow and Red Pears, Sungold, and Sweet 100 and its offshoot Sweet Millions are some of my faves. As a B5 fan I have wanted to try the Vorlon strain since I first read of it, perhaps next year - I found all my rototiller bits and am making plans for plots in the front yard.

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I hate to bust your bubbles here, but freezing instead of canning is no guarantee that you will not get botulism. Freezing temporarily stops the growth and toxin production of C. botulinum, but as foods thaw, the spores will revive and resume making poison. It is best to thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator. http://extension.missouri.edu/p/GH1501

Another advantage to canning is you will not lose a season's worth of food if you have an extended power outage like we did during the Blizzard of _____ (choose any of the recent ones you'd like) or the summer lightning storms.

The USDA offers free guides on home canning:

 http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html 

Even if you've no plans to try canning, it is an interesting and informative read. One of the tomato sauce recipes does include oil, and all tomato recipes reiterate the need for proper acidification via addition of specific amounts of citric acid, bottled lemon juice, or commercial vinegar of 5% acidity. Fresh lemon juice or homemade vinegar are unacceptable because their acidity can vary.

 

 

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I introduced my hubby to slow-roasted cherry tomatoes this year.

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We like to go to the market and buy 3-4 pints of assorted cherry, pear and grape tomatoes, then toss them with salt, black pepper and 2-3 tbsp. olive oil.  Place in a parchment paper and foil-lined tray.  Roast for 2 hours in a pre-heated 250 F oven, then for 90 minutes at 200 F.

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Incidentally, this shot is why we recommend lining the tray with both foil and parchment paper, so you can avoid an outcome that looks like this.  Made for a great picture though.

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We adore them in everything from omelettes to pasta to sandwich and focaccia toppings.

And as crostini, as shown below.

Take a few slices of bread.  Rub each with a cut garlic clove, then season with salt and black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.  Toast the bread slices until golden brown.  Spread the slices with good-quality ricotta cheese.  Top with a basil leaf, then spoon cherry tomatoes over.  Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.  Eat, then swoon.

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