July 10, 2018
The tomatoes are here, and they are ripening fast! If you’re anything like us at the Garden, before you know it you’ll have pounds of tomatoes on hand and won’t be sure what to do with them all. I’ll never say no to a tomato sandwich during the summer or fresh salsa, but sometimes you need some new ideas on how to use up your bounty. Here are a few of my favorite summer tomato recipes. With recipes like this, you won’t want to share any extra tomatoes with your neighbors. Enjoy!
Tomato Basil Pie
1 frozen pie crust
3 large tomatoes, peeled
¼ C mayo
¼ C fresh basil, chopped
1 t oregano
½ t garlic powder
½ C cheddar cheese, shredded
½ C mozzarella
1 C cherry tomato, halved
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake pie crust according to directions on label. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Cut a small cross at the bottom of the tomatoes with a knife, this will allow you to peel the skin off the tomatoes. Toss them in the boiling water and blanch for 30 secs or until skin starts to peel off. Placed blanched tomatoes in ice water to stop cooking process. Mix cheeses together. Once your tomatoes are cooled; slice them into ½ inch slices and place in prebaked pie crust mixed with cheese in between. Mix all herbs, remaining cheeses and mayo together in a bowl and place on top of tomatoes. Reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for 30 min.
Tomato Jam (Courtesy of NY Times Cooking)
1 ½ pounds good ripe tomatoes (Roma are best), cored and coarsely chopped
1 C sugar
2 T freshly squeezed lime juice
1 T fresh grated or minced ginger
1 t ground cumin
¼ t ground cinnamon
⅛ t ground cloves
1 t salt
Optional: 1 jalapeño or other peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced, red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat, simmer, stirring occasionally until it has a jam like consistency. Cool and refrigerate. Will last about a week.
by Josh Steger | Head Gardener