2009.07.17
We grew them - let's eat them!!
Well, we've talked about planting tomatoes and caring for tomatoes, so it feels like the right time now to talk about EATING tomatoes! Some of us are just now getting our first delicious, vine-ripened 'maters. But before long, conversation will turn to dealing with an overabundance of the things. The same good ideas are passed around each year -- freeze them, can them, make spaghetti sauce or salsa out of them, eat tomato sandwiches, fry them green, etc.
But wouldn't it be nice to hear some different ideas? We all know tomatoes are versatile, but consider for a moment that cultures all over the world eat tomatoes in ways many of us have never thought about. Asian cooks stir-fry with them, Africans make a dish with chicken and peanuts, Turks create a casserole with lamb and potatoes and Mexicans make a stew with tripe called menudo.
All of these recipes and more can be found in a new cookbook called "The Too Many Tomatoes Cookbook" by Brian Yarvin. It is packed with both basic and exotic recipes for tomatoes. I'd like to share a couple of recipes from this book. While we are on this topic, does anyone have an unusual tomato recipe you could share with the rest of us?
African Chicken in Tomato and Peanut Sauce
Serves 4
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into pieces
1 tsp. ground chili pepper
2 cups sliced onion
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the oil and chicken pieces in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the skin of the chicken is nicely browned, about 3 minutes per side. Set the browned pieces aside. You may have to do this in batches to make sure the chicken browns completely.
2. Add the ground chili, onions and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and the bits of chicken that stuck to the pan have loosened and combined with the onion, about 10 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and mix in the tomatoes, peanut butter, salt and pepper. Stir until combined into a smooth sauce. Return the browned chicken to the pan and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked (about 40 minutes). Serve immediately over rice.
Braised Fish with a Middle Eastern Tomato Sauce
Serves 2
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 cup water
2 tilapia, cod or salmon fillets (6-8 oz. each)
1. Heat the oil in a flat-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Mix in the thyme, cumin, coriander and cardamom and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute or until you can smell the spices.
2. Add onion, garlic and parsley and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the onions are tender and translucent.
3. Mix in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar and water. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer, uncovered, occasionally stirring, for about 10 minutes or until the raw taste is gone from the tomato.
4. Add fish fillets and cover with sauce. Cook about 20 minutes more or until the fish is cooked through. Serve immediately.
Source: "The Too Many Tomatoes Cookbook" by Brian Yarvin
What ever happened to chunkin' them at census takers?
Comment by Rich — July 17, 2009 @ 4:29 pm
Yum, thanks for sharing those. They sound great. I don't know that it's unusual, but my Grandma used to make tomato dumplings. The first letter my daughter ever wrote, was to her great grandma, asking her how to make them. Dear Grandma, How do you make your tomato dumplings, took up the whole page.
Comment by Debbie — July 17, 2009 @ 5:18 pm
Do you have the recipe, Debbie? If so, would you share?
Comment by Lindsey Nair — July 17, 2009 @ 10:22 pm
She told me that she didn't really have a recipe, she just cooked a pot full of chopped up tomatoes, until they were really soft, and add a little bit of sugar, to add sweetness. Not much, just enough to cut the acidity some. Stir the tomatoes so they don't stick. Then she just mixed up biscuit dough to make drop dumplings. Basically just like you would for chicken and dumplings. Drop spoonfuls of the dough into the boiling tomatoes, cover the pot and let them cook for about 20 minutes.
When she made chicken and dumplings, she always made rolled dumplings, but for tomatoes she made drop ones, because they get nice and fluffy.
Comment by Debbie — July 18, 2009 @ 12:07 am
Lindsey,
I found this recipe on a site called Heritage Recipes, and it sounds just like hers.
Tomato Dumplings
1 quart stewed tomatoes
2 T butter
sugar to taste
1 Make a batch of dumplings...these can be made from a simple bread type dough of flour, water and shortening.
2 Heat the tomatoes, butter and sugar together in a saucepan large enough to drop the dumplings on top.
3 Once the tomato mixture is hot, add the dumplings and then cook on you stovetop until the dumplings are done.
Comment by Debbie — July 18, 2009 @ 12:21 am
My husband loves tomatoes with couscous and feta cheese.
Comment by Michelle — July 18, 2009 @ 11:13 am
I don't know where that cook them "until they're really soft" came from!
It should be until they really stewey.
Comment by Debbie — July 18, 2009 @ 7:47 pm
Michelle, are the tomatoes and feta cooked with the couscous or served separately after the couscous is cooked???
Comment by Carol — July 20, 2009 @ 9:18 am
My mother-in-law makes a tomatoe casserole. It's pretty much just stewed tomatoes, bread, and sugar... I think. It's pretty good.
Comment by Dana — July 20, 2009 @ 10:45 am
The tomato dumplings sound delicious. I've been wanting to try a tomato pie, too. This one sounds and looks really good.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/ginas-summer-tomato-pie-recipe/index.html
Comment by Kathy — July 20, 2009 @ 10:47 am
A local restaurant makes a tomato pie that is loaded with tomatoes, cheddar cheese and onions. It is heaven on a plate I tell you!!
Comment by Kim — July 20, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
Carol, my husband and I make a similar dish to the one described by Michelle, but we also like to add squash, onion and sometimes mushrooms. We sautee the vegetables while the couscous cooks, then toss the veggies and couscous together, adding the feta last. Adding the feta too early will make it melt and we like to have the chunks in there.
I've been wanting to try a tomato pie, too. Let me know if that's any good, Mom!
Comment by Lori — July 20, 2009 @ 12:45 pm
Oh Kim, I think you need to try and get that recipe.
Here is a tomato pie recipe from Libba Wolfe, our former gardening columnist. Libba ran this recipe with her final column, but it bears repeating:
1 Pillsbury pie crust
Dijon mustard
Brown sugar
Fresh tomatoes, sliced
Fresh zucchini, sliced
Olive oil
Basil
Thyme
Shredded Swiss cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Fit pie crust into a standard pie pan. Coat the bottom of the crust with Dijon mustard to taste, then sprinkle with brown sugar to taste.
3. Toss zucchini in olive oil, basil, garlic and thyme. Fill the rest of the crust with a layer of Swiss cheese, a layer of tomatoes, a layer of zucchini, a layer of Parmesan cheese and another layer of Swiss cheese.
4. Bake for 1 hour (1/2 hour covered and 1/2 hour uncovered).
Comment by Lindsey Nair — July 20, 2009 @ 12:53 pm
I made a great gazpacho yesterday that the family just loved. Very simple..tomatoes, cucumber, and a purple onion seeded and pulsed ( individually) in the food processor to a coarse puree. Add them to 2 quarts of tomato juice, add 1/4 c. white wine vinegar, same of olive oil, chopped cilantro and salt/pepper to taste. Fresh tasting, light, and with some nice bread a lovely summertime lunch.
You can't mess this recipe up...I added about 2x as much tomato as it called for and it was absolutely great.
Comment by Kristen — July 20, 2009 @ 3:56 pm
OMG that tomato pie recipe sounds delicious! I'm going to have to try that one for sure!
Comment by Lori — July 20, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
This was given to my by a friend, I add onions and crumbled bacon bits. It is delicious. Some others use miracle whip instead of the mayo, but I don't care for the flavor... enjoy:
TOMATO PIE
1 pie crust (I use the frozen kind)
6 lg. tomatoes
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 c. grated cheese (cheddar, fontina, Swiss, etc.)
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Slice tomatoes thinly. Lay in the crust. Sprinkle with chopped fresh or dried basil, salt, and pepper. Mix mayonnaise and grated cheese and cover tomatoes with this mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes; turn oven to 325 degrees and bake another 30 minutes.
Comment by Katy Cates — July 20, 2009 @ 5:04 pm
Hey Lindsey and others, As a native of Richmond Va. I grew up going to the Hanover tomato festival and one thing I will always remember is the Hanover Tomato pie! You truly havent tasted a tomato until you've tried the Hanover. And luckily they are on sale this week at Ukrop's. : ) Gotta try it!
Ingredients
• 1 (9 inch) deep dish pie shells, unbaked
• 4-5 large tomatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
• 1-2 vidalia onion, sliced thin and separated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or powder to taste)
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (Dukes!)
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 lb lean bacon, fried and crumbled (optional)
Directions
1.
Spread sliced tomatoes on paper towels and let sit for about 20 minutes to remove excess liquids. You can sprinkle with salt at this point if using salt.
2.
Bake pie shell for 10 min at 375 (prick w/ fork first). Remove from oven.
3.
Layer tomatoes and onion rings in shell, sprinkling each layer with pepper, basil and garlic (and bacon if you choose touse!).
4.
Combine mayonnaise and cheese.
5.
Spread over tomatoes.
6.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until pie is browned and bubbly.
7.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
8.
**Note it is important to SPREAD the mayo mixture over entire pie, don't just "dollop" it on --
9.
**Note you may also need to tent with aluminum foil about half-way through cooking to keep crust from getting too brown.
Comment by Ukrop's Produce Lead — July 20, 2009 @ 10:47 pm
Home grown tomatoes... MMMMMMM...
I don't think I need that cookbook, I have never had too many home grown tomatoes. I grow my own and usually, I need more. I will take as many as anyone will give me. Those store bought lumps of red clay they call tomatoes... BLECH!
The easiest way to fix tomatoes:
Yom-Yom Tomato Salad
Slice up as many ripe tomatoes as you can find
Cut up a couple of green peppers into bite size pieces
Cut up a softball sized onion into bite size pieces
Slice up a cucumber
Throw it all into a big bowl and dump a bottle of your favorite Italian Salad dressing on it.
(It gets better if you let it sit in the fridge over night.)
Yom-Yom!
Comment by Maggie — July 21, 2009 @ 2:54 pm
Lori, Hope you get this belatedly - I tried the couscous with yellow squash & onions sauteed, and the couscous cooked w/ coriander, a little dried chili pepper, & the feta cheese - Oh my!
Comment by Carol — August 3, 2009 @ 9:43 am
Carol, what I love about dishes like that is that they taste SOO good and you can hardly believe it's good for you!!
Comment by Lori — August 3, 2009 @ 4:31 pm