LOTS of Tomatoes...

[zwieback]

We have A LOT of tomatoes from our garden and A LOT still on the plants outside. They are mostly cherry, grape, juliette and yellow pear. Aside from the usual bruschetta, caprese salad, and salsas or addition to the green salad, does anyone have any good recipes/ideas for using up loads of tomatoes? I'm looking for vegetarian recipes, please. Thank you!

[funniegrrl]

First of all, you can can them! Don't bother with making sauces, etc. (you have to use a tested recipe safe for canning for that), just can the tomatoes and use them for sauce, etc. later.
http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_can_tom.pdf

Second, I love this tomato jam recipe from Mark Bittman. I've made it nearly every summer since it was published.
Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/dining/20mini.html
Recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/dining/201mrex.html
Video: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.c...ist-tomato-jam

[charley]

Our two favorite summer recipes ...

Fresh (uncooked) Tomato "Sauce"

Cherry tomatoes cut in half or beefsteaks cut into bite-size pieces or combo of the two
Minced garlic
a little extra virgin olive oil
fresh basil chiffonade
lemon zest
S&P

Combine, cover, and let sit at room temp for a couple hours. Toss with hot pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan.





Pasta with Sun Gold Tomatoes

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/20...-gold-tomatoes


You could use any cherry tomatoes.

[hAndyman]

Good and simple fresh sauce for pasta:

Alla Checca
A wonderful recipe for an uncooked sauce made with fresh garden tomatoes and you don't have to cook a thing except for the pasta!
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Printed from Allrecipes, Submitted by Star Pooley

5 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound pasta

Directions 1. Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil in a non-metal bowl. Stir in salt. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature at least 2 hours, or as long as 10 hours. 2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Pour uncooked sauce over hot pasta, and toss. Add grated Parmesan cheese to your liking.

Andy's notes: I don't bother seeding Roma tomatoes, but sometimes do seed the regular types. I use roughly 8 good-size Romas or Costolutos. Maybe I use less olive oil . This really needs to sit to allow the flavours to blend and the garlic to mellow and infuse the sauce. I generally add some other things, like 1/2 a sweet pepper, finely diced, a tsp of crushed red chilies, a half dozen or more chopped Kalamata olives, some good-quality balsamic vinegar, etc. Leftovers are good heated up the next day.

[LeaHamm]

Good and simple fresh sauce for pasta:Alla Checca

This is a summer go-to favorite, found on this BB. I add 1 tablespoon drained capers. Assemble in the morning, and you will have a cool kitchen, and a 10-minute dinner served over angel hair pasta, with a bagged salad and crusty garlic bread.

[Donna P]

I feel your pain! I am burried in tomatoes of all sizes and types. For the smaller plum or cherries I cut in half, cut up some onion and garlic, sprinkle with some dried herb (I use summer savory) add a little EVOO, toss, turn out onto a foil lined sheet pan. Bake at 225 for two hours (turning after 1 hour). I put mine through a food mill w/largest grate. Yummy. Freezes great. I use as dipping sauce, pasta sauce or pizza sauce. Easy, and it uses tons of the tomatoes!

[Canice]

It won't help with the smaller ones, but for the larger ones, it's time again to haul out Tyler Florence's roasted tomato soup recipe! Sooo good, and freezes well for those rainy November days when you're thinking of grilled cheese sandwiches.

[patt]

If it is too hot to can right now and you've used everything possible on all these wonderful recipes that are on the BB, throw the ripe ones in a plastic garbage bag or a zip lock and toss them in the freezer. Later on, say somewhere around October, you can freeze/can/process them if you choose. Dropping them in a bowl of water will make it easy to slip the skins off. If you don't want to process them because you're making Christmas cookies in October, just defrost and use them as is.

Patt

[Home Chef]

Simple but one of my favorites with summer tomatoes.

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/g..._tomatoes.aspx

[EmptyNestMom]

Here is a thread with green tomato recipes from last summer/fall...
VictoriaL posted the following green tomato curry recipe on it...even though I am sure you were thinking nice ripe tomatoes you might want to consider this recipe...I thought it was great (as did Victoria).

Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic

This recipe for Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries is incredibly simple and perfect for any unwanted green tomatoes. The browning of the garlic at the beginning may sound a little extreme, but as long as it doesn't burn, you'll be left with this gorgeous aroma that will deepen the flavor of each bite. It's all balanced by the green tomatoes, which help lend the dish some much needed acidity.

About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a freelance writer in Chicago and the co-founder of The Paupered Chef.

Ingredients
serves 2

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8 ounces green tomatoes, cores removed, sliced into 1-inch segments
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Procedures

1. Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is reddish brown, about a minute or so. Stir often. Make sure it doesn't burn. If it does, then start over.

2. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, garam masala, salt and turmeric. Turn heat down to medium. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Pour in a cup of water. Scrap the pan with a wooden spoon, dislodging any browned bits. When the mixture comes to a boil, cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes and tomatoes are tender. Stir every few minutes or so.

4. You want the final sauce to be kind of thick, so mash up a few of the potatoes and tomatoes with the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat, stir in the cilantro, and serve.

[Gumbeaux]

I bought a few containers of these after I took a picture of them at the farmers market last Saturday. We washed all of them and put them in a bowl in the refrigerator. We ate three or four at a time whenever we passed by the refrigerator. They didn't last long.

[vbak]

Go to advanced search and type in tomato pie[what I was looking for] and use the post and thread buttons. A ton of recipes for your perusing.

[charley]

We washed all of them and put them in a bowl in the refrigerator.

Never in the fridge!

[LeaHamm]

Never in the fridge!

For those unfortunate times when there are fruit flies, what is your solution?

[charley]

I've never had fruit flies. All tomatoes are kept on the counter year round. Nothing kills the flavor faster than refrigeration.

Recent harvest...

[LeaHamm]

I've never had fruit flies.

You are a woman who is truly blessed!

[Terrytx]

Good and simple fresh sauce for pasta:

Alla Checca
A wonderful recipe for an uncooked sauce made with fresh garden tomatoes and you don't have to cook a thing except for the pasta!
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Printed from Allrecipes, Submitted by Star Pooley

5 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound pasta

Directions 1. Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil in a non-metal bowl. Stir in salt. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature at least 2 hours, or as long as 10 hours. 2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Pour uncooked sauce over hot pasta, and toss. Add grated Parmesan cheese to your liking.

Andy's notes: I don't bother seeding Roma tomatoes, but sometimes do seed the regular types. I use roughly 8 good-size Romas or Costolutos. Maybe I use less olive oil . This really needs to sit to allow the flavours to blend and the garlic to mellow and infuse the sauce. I generally add some other things, like 1/2 a sweet pepper, finely diced, a tsp of crushed red chilies, a half dozen or more chopped Kalamata olives, some good-quality balsamic vinegar, etc. Leftovers are good heated up the next day.

I have lots too. I'm making this tonight! It sounds perfect for this 100+ weather we are having.

[Canice]

How about stuffing some as appetizers or side dishes?

[Gumbeaux]

Never in the fridge!

I had some of the tomatoes on the counter and some in the refrigerator and ate both. The only difference? Temperature.

[LakeMartinGal]

For those unfortunate times when there are fruit flies, what is your solution?

4 oz cider vinegar and a couple of drops of Dawn or the like. Place it near the fruit/veg that's sitting out, and no more fruit flies!! I've been using it for a couple of weeks, and I'm a believer!

[LeaHamm]

4 oz cider vinegar and a couple of drops of Dawn or the like. Place it near the fruit/veg that's sitting out, and no more fruit flies!! I've been using it for a couple of weeks, and I'm a believer!

Kay, I know WHAT to do. But, I'd eat a cold tomato rather than let them dance and suck on what I'll eventually put in my mouth. I don't tempt them with bananas left on the counter either. Brown banana skin may not look appetizing but I don't eat that part anyway.

BTW, forget the vinegar. A couple of tablespoons of water and a drop or 2 of dish liquid in a small decrotative vase does the trick nicely.

[LakeMartinGal]

Kay, I know WHAT to do. But, I'd eat a cold tomato rather than let them dance and suck on what I'll eventually put in my mouth. I don't tempt them with bananas left on the counter either. Brown banana skin may not look appetizing but I don't eat that part anyway.

BTW, forget the vinegar. A couple of tablespoons of water and a drop or 2 of dish liquid in a small decrotative vase does the trick nicely.

Once I put that out, I didn't see another fruit fly -- DH tried it in his shop, and found them all in the bottom of the glass -- I think mine went out there to die! And, I do have bananas on the counter! And peaches, along with the tomatoes!

[LeaHamm]

Once I put that out, I didn't see another fruit fly -- DH tried it in his shop, and found them all in the bottom of the glass -- I think mine went out there to die! And, I do have bananas on the counter! And peaches, along with the tomatoes!

Surely, they will die of happiness rather than of any preventative measures!

[zwieback]

Simple but one of my favorites with summer tomatoes.

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/g..._tomatoes.aspx

Made this one for dinner tonight. FANTASTIC! Thank you, Home Chef, for the link. This will definitely be a repeater.

Thank you, all, for the recipes and ideas. I'm looking through all of them and bookmarking.

[Happy Mom]

4 oz cider vinegar and a couple of drops of Dawn or the like. Place it near the fruit/veg that's sitting out, and no more fruit flies!! I've been using it for a couple of weeks, and I'm a believer!

Definitely going to try this - thanks for the idea!

[jmarie]

Tomatoes out of your garden, already? WOW! It will be August, for us!

[zwieback]

Since the weather had been so mild and warm this winter and spring, we planted about a month or so early. The plants are enormous and full!

[Heather C]

I love this recipe for baked tomatoes with baguette (from ottolenghi) and cherry tomatoes are perfect for it. You can half the recipe and cook in the toaster oven. You can also just toast the whole baguette and serve it all together as a panzanella.

I'm also going to try it on the grill later this summer when our tomatoes start rolling in.

2 tbsp double cream (milk is fine)
1 tsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
½ sprig rosemary, finely chopped
1½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the croutons
50g finely grated parmesan
900g top-notch tomatoes of as many colours and sizes as you can get
1 small French baguette, half to make croutons and half to serve
2 tbsp picked oregano leaves
Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. In a small bowl, mix the cream, sugar, garlic, rosemary, oil and a third of the cheese. Cut larger tomatoes widthways into 1.5cm slices and halve smaller ones. Put them in a bowl and pour in the cream mix. Gently combine with your hands, so the tomatoes are coated, then place cut side up in a 22cm x 26cm ovenproof dish; bake for 15-20 minutes, until their edges start to crisp.
Meanwhile, cut the crust off half the baguette and tear the bread into rough chunks ranging from small crumbs to 1cm pieces – you should end up with 80g of croutons. Toss them in a tablespoon of oil, spread out on a baking sheet and bake alongside the tomatoes for seven minutes, until dry and lightly golden.
Remove both trays from the oven and spread the croutons on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and the oregano, and bake for seven minutes more, until the cheese has melted. Remove, set aside for 20-30 minutes (the flavour intensifies), then serve with the rest of the baguette.

[Sue1]

My husband just puts them on a sheet of foil with the sides turned up a bit, drizzles the tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, lots of crushed whole garlic cloves, salt and pepper and grills them until they are soft. Delicious and so easy.

[vbak]

This is from Kevin of Closet Cooking. A recipe similar or the same was floating around here years ago. I will be making this when the tomatoes come in.

Tomato Pie from Closet Cooking
(makes 6+ servings)

Ingredients:
1 pie shell
4 large tomatoes (sliced thickly)
1 tablespoon sugar
pepper to taste
1/4 cup green onions (sliced)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cheese (grated)
1/4 cup bacon (sliced into 1 inch pieces and cooked)

Directions:
1. Place the tomato slices on the bottom of the pie shell in one or two layers and sprinkle with the sugar, pepper and green onions.
2. Mix the mayonnaise, cheese and bacon and spread over the tomatoes.
3. Bake in a preheated 400F oven until golden brown and bubbling, about 20-30 minutes.