Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
2 pounds of vine ripe tomatoes
1 pound of fresh Mozzarella
1/4 pound of fresh basil
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp of red wine vinegar
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 freshly baked loaf of French or Italian bread
Slice and salt and pepper tomatoes and Mozzarella. Add chopped basil and lightly toss. Sprinkle with olive oil and vinegars. Serve with freshly baked bread.
French Bread Italiano
2 diced tomatoes
1 chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 pkg. of sliced mushrooms
1 loaf of French or baguette bread
3 tbsp of olive oil
Butter
Grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a sauté pan on medium-low heat. Sauté onion for 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic, sautéing for another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and seasoning. Sauté for another ten minutes. Add a small handful of Parmesan cheese.
While the vegetables sauté, heat oven on broil at 450 degrees. Slice bread and butter the tops. Broil in the oven until toasted, usually just a couple minutes. Peel a clove of garlic and gently rub the toasted part of the bread with it. Squeeze a little juice from a tomato on each piece of bread for a little extra zing. Top the bread with vegetables and more Parmesan cheese.
Fresh Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Pasta
8 oz of Bow Tie Pasta
3 cups of chopped tomatoes (about 1 pound)
1 tsp of chopped, fresh thyme
1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp of minced shallots
1 tsp of crushed garlic
1 cup of cubed fresh Mozzarella (an additional 1/2 cup of Brie with the rind removed makes the dish even better)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl combine tomatoes, basil, thyme, shallots, garlic, olive oil, cheese, salt, and pepper. Marinate the mixture for one hour. Prepare pasta al dente. Mix together hot pasta and sauce. Serve immediately.
Fresh Salsa
2 pounds of fresh tomatoes (peeled [boil for 1 minute and then remove skins], diced, and cut)
1 green bell pepper
1 large sweet onion
1 bunch of cilantro (stemmed and coarsely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 hot peppers
1/8 cup of cider vinegar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp of ginger
1 tsp of cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of one lime
Place diced tomatoes in a serving bowl. Lightly food process the onion, garlic, and peppers (it has a better texture if it’s coarse and not pureed). Add all other dry ingredients and lightly food process (just enough to mix). Add the mixture to the tomatoes, drizzle with vinegar and lime, and lightly toss. Serve immediately with corn tortilla chips. For an exquisite variation, fire-roast the tomatoes, peppers, and onions before adding.
Hot Tomato Soup
4 cups of peeled and diced tomatoes (1-2 pounds)
4 cups of tomato juice
12 fresh basil leaves
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup of whipping cream
1/4 tsp of cracked pepper
Salt to taste
Pour tomatoes and tomato juice into a large saucepan. Simmer for about thirty minutes
Add the basil to the tomato mixture, pour into a blender, and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pan, add butter, cream, salt, and pepper. Heat the soup until the butter is melted, stir and serve immediately.
Tortellini Soup
3, 14 oz cans of chicken broth
2 cups of fresh-diced tomatoes (about 1 pound)
2, 9 oz package of 3 cheese tortellini
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
12 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
4 fresh scallions, finely chopped
Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Then simmer for forty minutes.
Tara’s Pizza Recipe (with fresh tomatoes and homemade pizza sauce)
Pizza crust - From and old Betty Crocker Cook Book
1 pkg. (or 1 Tbsp.) dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
I have used both store-bought, all-purpose white, and wheat flour. I have also used freshly ground wheat. And then, I’ve made the recipe with a combination of both. Each combination makes a slightly different pizza crust. I recommend experimenting with what you have on hand and trying healthier ingredients as you can.
I’ve also used olive oil in place of the vegetable oil.
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Dissolve the yeast in water. Stir in other ingredients and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into sections depending on the size of the pizzas you are making. Roll out the dough, using a little flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. Before transferring the pizza dough to the baking sheet, sprinkle the pan with a generous amount of flour or corn meal; this will keep the crust from sticking to the baking sheet as you bake it.
The original recipe instructions say to bake your crust at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. I like to bake my crust on a solid metal pizza pan or cookie sheet for about 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure to poke several holes in the crust with a fork to keep the crust from ballooning. As the crust starts to brown just a bit, I remove it from the oven and transfer it to a mesh pizza-baking sheet. If you don’t have this type of a pizza sheet, then I recommend baking the crust according to the original recipe. The thing to be aware of is that the crust has to be baked in a way so that it doesn’t get soggy when you add the toppings and bake it again. This may take a little experimenting based on your oven and baking sheets. Once the crust is baked, I add the toppings: sauce, meat and/or vegetables, and cheese.
Pizza Sauce – I make mine from scratch.
1 quart of canned tomatoes – you can also use fresh tomatoes (w/o skins) or canned tomatoes
Italian seasoning to taste – or your own seasonings
I puree the tomatoes in a blender because the kids don’t like chunky pizza sauce (I actually prefer to only mash the tomatoes for a chunkier sauce). Add seasonings as desired. Simmer on a low heat for as long as possible. I usually start my sauce before making the crust, shredding the cheese, etc.
Toppings – use what you like or have on hand.
For the meat: my kids really like using pepperoni I buy from the store. I also make a sausage pizza using our own ground pork.
We also occasionally add sautéed mushrooms or spinach. Fresh tomatoes are my favorite.
The pizzas are usually topped with shredded mozzarella cheese. For a fancier pizza, I will use goat cheese, either Chevre or Queso Blanco.
Once the toppings are added, bake the pizza for about 20 minutes or until the cheese browns.
Tomato Risotto
3, 14 oz. cans of low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp of olive oil
4 cups of Arborio rice
1 small carrot, finely shredded
12 oz of halved cherry tomatoes
4 tbsp of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Simmer broth in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low after simmering to keep warm. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add rice, stir to coat, and cook until translucent (this should take about 5 minutes). Stir in 1/2 cup of warm broth, stirring until it has been absorbed. Repeat until all broth is added. Add carrots and tomatoes, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in butter, remove from heat, and top with cheese. Serve immediately.