At some point during the summer, most recipe columns attempt to deal with the overload of zucchini that seems to overwhelm most people. We, on the other hand, find that we are overloaded (voluntarily) with tomatoes and basil because every time we go to the Farmer's Market we buy more. On any Saturday, a look at our kitchen counter would convince most people that we are in the business of growing vegetables. It is not unusual for us to have ten pounds of tomatoes, several glasses filled with freshly cut basil, numerous cucumbers, eggplants and, recently, butter beans and crowder peas.
The challenge then is to come up with new ways to use all of these wonderful things while they are in season. With that in mind, here are more tomato recipes that we have enjoyed recently. The pasta is a variation on a recipe that appeared in Bon Appetit magazine (February 1995) calling for canned tomatoes. We revised it to include fresh tomatoes; although once summer is over, we will probably make it the way they suggested.
The bread salad recipe is excellent by itself or when served as a side dish with grilled chicken or tuna. When we first made the salad, we weren't sure it would work if kept overnight, but we were pleasantly surprised the first time we had leftovers to try out the next day. The column finishes with an interesting basil sesame dressing to serve over tomatoes.
Ingredients:
Heat 3 TBS olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft, but not brown. Mix in the chopped tomatoes, dried basil and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil, breaking up tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Add the chicken broth and once again, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste and continue simmering for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain well and return the pasta to the pot. Toss with 2 TBS olive oil. Mix the pasta with the sauce to blend. Stir in the Havarti cheese and spread the mixture in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with olives (if desired) and top with grated Parmesan. Bake the pasta until heated through and bubbling (about 30 minutes). Top with chopped basil and serve immediately. 6 servings.
This has become one of our favorite recipes for the summer. It requires a dense bread and the recipe is only as good as the quality of the bread (we have had good luck with the French baguettes from Celia's Porta Via downtown). The bread can be toasted up to two days ahead and kept at room temperature in a sealed plastic bag.
Ingredients:
Preheat broiler. Spread the bread pieces in one layer on a large baking sheet. Broil 4 inches from the heat until golden brown (2-3 minutes on each side). Set aside to cool.
In a small food processor, combine the vinegar, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Process until slightly thickened.
In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and bread pieces. Toss thoroughly with the dressing and let stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Stir chopped basil into salad and serve. 6 servings.
Ingredients:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, cheese and basil. Slowly whisk in oils until combined and slightly thickened. Add pepper to taste. Serve over sliced tomatoes. Makes 3/4 cup.
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