Well, I couldn't not have a section on TOMATOES on here could I? We are now picking like mad, so I'm now trying to use them up as they arrive in the kitchen!
Here's just some of the things I do with them.
STUFFED TOMATOES WITH MINCE AND RICE
4 beef tomatoes
pinch sugar
4 tbsp olive oil , plus extra to drizzle
1 onion , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
200g minced lamb or beef
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato purée
50g long grain rice
100ml chicken stock
4 tbsp chopped dill
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and reserve. Scoop out most of the pulp with a teaspoon, being careful not to break the skin. Finely chop the pulp, and keep any juices. Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with a little sugar to take away the acidity, then place them on a baking tray.
TOMATO SAUCE
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 stick celery
1 small carrot, chopped
8-10 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp red wine
black pepper
herbs
50g risotto rice
2 spring onions , chopped
1 small courgette , chopped
50g mushrooms , wiped and sliced
250ml vegetable stock
½ tsp dried mixed Italian herbs
6 fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)
handful of rocket leaves
Preheat the oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/gas 5. Pour in the stock then stir in the dried herbs, tomato pulp. Cook gently for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently until the rice is tender and the stock has been absorbed - add extra stock or water if necessary. Turn off the heat, tear the basil leaves into the pan and scatter with Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and stir well.
I wasn't sure which section to put this in, so will include it in the 'Tomato' section. This one is taken from Rick Stein's 'French Odyssey' and is an excellent quick starter and as it is melon time here at the moment....
CHARENTAIS MELON SALAD
Serves 4
1/2 ripe, orange-fleshed melon, such as Charentais or Canteloupe
1/2 cucumber
225g tomatoes
100g firm, crumbley goat's cheese
1 tbsp finely shredded mint
DRESSING:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Here's just some of the things I do with them.
STUFFED TOMATOES WITH MINCE AND RICE
4 beef tomatoes
pinch sugar
4 tbsp olive oil , plus extra to drizzle
1 onion , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
200g minced lamb or beef
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato purée
50g long grain rice
100ml chicken stock
4 tbsp chopped dill
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and reserve. Scoop out most of the pulp with a teaspoon, being careful not to break the skin. Finely chop the pulp, and keep any juices. Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with a little sugar to take away the acidity, then place them on a baking tray. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and garlic, then gently cook for about 10 mins until soft but not coloured. Add the mince, cinnamon and tomato purée, turn up the heat, then fry until the meat is browned. Add the tomato pulp and juice, the rice and the stock. Season generously. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside to cool a little, then stir in the herbs.
Stuff the tomatoes up to the brim, top tomatoes with their lids, drizzle with 2 tbsp more olive oil, sprinkle 3 tbsp water into the tray, then bake for 35 mins. I like to take off it's hat and add a bit of grated cheese just 5 mins from the end then replace the lid when serving with salad and crusty bread.
This is a recipe that I do when I have a lot of tomatoes to use up and like to freeze lots ready for adding to pasta, mince or anything that needs a base of tomato sauce. Sometimes I just do the tomatoes and garlic, leaving out the carrots and celery, but depends what you have to use up!
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 stick celery
1 small carrot, chopped
8-10 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp red wine
black pepper
herbs
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and gently fry for about 7 minutes until soft.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until reduced and thickened.
RISOTTO STUFFED TOMATOES
2 beef tomatoes
2 tsp olive oil 50g risotto rice
2 spring onions , chopped
1 small courgette , chopped
50g mushrooms , wiped and sliced
250ml vegetable stock
½ tsp dried mixed Italian herbs
6 fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)
handful of rocket leaves
Slice the tops off the tomatoes and set aside. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from the tomatoes with a teaspoon, but be careful not to cut through to the base. Chop the pulp and keep the seeds, but discard the hard, central cores.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and tip in the rice. Fry gently over a low heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to stop the rice from browning, then add the spring onions, courgette and mushrooms and fry gently for 2 more minutes.
Preheat the oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/gas 5. Pour in the stock then stir in the dried herbs, tomato pulp. Cook gently for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently until the rice is tender and the stock has been absorbed - add extra stock or water if necessary. Turn off the heat, tear the basil leaves into the pan and scatter with Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and stir well. Put the tomatoes in an ovenproof dish and fill each one generously with the risotto. Replace tomato tops and bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are tender. Cool for 5 minutes, then serve with a few rocket leaves on top.
I wasn't sure which section to put this in, so will include it in the 'Tomato' section. This one is taken from Rick Stein's 'French Odyssey' and is an excellent quick starter and as it is melon time here at the moment....
CHARENTAIS MELON SALAD
Serves 4
1/2 ripe, orange-fleshed melon, such as Charentais or Canteloupe
1/2 cucumber
225g tomatoes
100g firm, crumbley goat's cheese
1 tbsp finely shredded mint
DRESSING:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
First, make up the dressing, whisk the oil, vinegar and sugar together with some sea salt and pepper to taste. Set to one side.
Cut the melon into four wedges and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice the flesh neatly away from the skin and then slice each wedge diagonally into long thin slices.
Peel the cucumber and slice on the diagonal into 3mm thick slices. Slice the tomatoes.
Arrange the sliced melon over the base of a large serving plate and cover with the sliced cucumber and tomatoes. Crumble the goat's cheese into small pieces over the top of the salad, and then scatter over the mint. Spoon over the dressing and serve straight away.
Best eaten outside on a hot, sunny day with some fresh baguette.
BASIC TOMATO SAUCE
I make lots of this sauce, basically to freeze in containers for use over the winter, saves me buying tinned tomatoes! I like to use this sauce as a base for lots of pasta dishes, chicken, fish, pizzas or anything really that needs a tomato sauce. I like to skin my tomatoes, as don't like the skins in my sauce, but entirely up to you whether you do or not.
Fry an onion and garlic in some hot oil, add the peeled and chopped tomatoes to this with a couple of tablespoons of tomato puree, season with salt and pepper, add a splash of balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar and leave to simmer on a low heat for about an hour. You can also add some chopped carrot or celery if you wish, for extra flavour. When cooled, I like to add some torn up basil leaves to this.
You can also roast your tomatoes for a similar sauce if you like:
Half your tomatoes (with this method I don't skin them), place on a large baking tray. Drizzle with a little oil, salt and pepper and then on each half of tomato place a little slice of garlic and a bit of fresh basil or they can also be sprinkled with dried herbs if you wish. Place in the oven on low heat and roast for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then when cool place in a container and freeze or use straight away. Simple!
Or with cherry tomatoes make the following:
SLOW-COOKED TOMATOES WITH BASIL
3kg cherry tomatoes
4tsp herbes de Provence
basil leaves
Olive oil
2 tsp black peppercorns
Heat the oven to 140c/fan 120c/gas 1. Spread the tomato halves over a large baking tray, cut side up. Season with salt and pepper, scatter with the dried herbes and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 3-4 hours, or until semi-dried and intensely red. They should be dry in the middle and have a chewy texture - the best way to test is to try one. Place a small basil leaf or piece of torn basil on top of each tomato half for the final hour of cooking.
Heat the oil and peppercorns in a saucepan. Pack the tomatoes into jars and cover with the oil. Keep in the fridge for up to a week.
HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE
This is another tomato sauce that I like to make and keep in the fridge; it will keep for up to 3 months in the fridge. There is also another similar recipe for Ketchup in 'Jams, Pickles etc.' section, but this one is quick and simple to do.
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions , chopped
1 thumb-size piece fresh root ginger , finely chopped or grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red chilli , deseeded and finely chopped
800g tomatoes, finely chopped
60g dark brown sugar
100ml red wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato purée
coriander seeds
Heat the oil in a deep pan, add the chopped onions, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook in the pan until soft, about 10 to 15 mins. Add the remaining ingredients and some seasoning. Then boil for about 30 mins, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened and is sticky.
Cool slightly and then either use a hand blender (which is what I tend to use) or put into a food processor until smooth. I then like to sieve it to get a finer consistency. Place in sterialized jars or bottles and keep in the fridge.
TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA SALAD
This is another one that we have a lot of, Mr TK's and my Son's favourite starter!
You can alter this, according to the amount of people you are serving, but for 2 people I do:
2 large tomatoes, sliced
Mozzarella - one packet
Olive Oil
Toasted pine nuts
Salt and pepper
Basil
Lay the sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella onto a plate, drizzle over some olive oil, season and add the toasted pine nuts and some torn basil leaves. Such a lovely quick and easy starter.
BASIC TOMATO SAUCE
I make lots of this sauce, basically to freeze in containers for use over the winter, saves me buying tinned tomatoes! I like to use this sauce as a base for lots of pasta dishes, chicken, fish, pizzas or anything really that needs a tomato sauce. I like to skin my tomatoes, as don't like the skins in my sauce, but entirely up to you whether you do or not.
Fry an onion and garlic in some hot oil, add the peeled and chopped tomatoes to this with a couple of tablespoons of tomato puree, season with salt and pepper, add a splash of balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar and leave to simmer on a low heat for about an hour. You can also add some chopped carrot or celery if you wish, for extra flavour. When cooled, I like to add some torn up basil leaves to this.
You can also roast your tomatoes for a similar sauce if you like:
Half your tomatoes (with this method I don't skin them), place on a large baking tray. Drizzle with a little oil, salt and pepper and then on each half of tomato place a little slice of garlic and a bit of fresh basil or they can also be sprinkled with dried herbs if you wish. Place in the oven on low heat and roast for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then when cool place in a container and freeze or use straight away. Simple!
Or with cherry tomatoes make the following:
SLOW-COOKED TOMATOES WITH BASIL
3kg cherry tomatoes
4tsp herbes de Provence
basil leaves
Olive oil
2 tsp black peppercorns
Heat the oven to 140c/fan 120c/gas 1. Spread the tomato halves over a large baking tray, cut side up. Season with salt and pepper, scatter with the dried herbes and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 3-4 hours, or until semi-dried and intensely red. They should be dry in the middle and have a chewy texture - the best way to test is to try one. Place a small basil leaf or piece of torn basil on top of each tomato half for the final hour of cooking.
Heat the oil and peppercorns in a saucepan. Pack the tomatoes into jars and cover with the oil. Keep in the fridge for up to a week.
This is another one that I did, but this time with whole cloves of garlic roasted with them
This is another tomato sauce that I like to make and keep in the fridge; it will keep for up to 3 months in the fridge. There is also another similar recipe for Ketchup in 'Jams, Pickles etc.' section, but this one is quick and simple to do.
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions , chopped
1 thumb-size piece fresh root ginger , finely chopped or grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red chilli , deseeded and finely chopped
800g tomatoes, finely chopped
60g dark brown sugar
100ml red wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato purée
coriander seeds
Heat the oil in a deep pan, add the chopped onions, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook in the pan until soft, about 10 to 15 mins. Add the remaining ingredients and some seasoning. Then boil for about 30 mins, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened and is sticky.
Cool slightly and then either use a hand blender (which is what I tend to use) or put into a food processor until smooth. I then like to sieve it to get a finer consistency. Place in sterialized jars or bottles and keep in the fridge.
TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA SALAD
This is another one that we have a lot of, Mr TK's and my Son's favourite starter!
You can alter this, according to the amount of people you are serving, but for 2 people I do:
2 large tomatoes, sliced
Mozzarella - one packet
Olive Oil
Toasted pine nuts
Salt and pepper
Basil
Lay the sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella onto a plate, drizzle over some olive oil, season and add the toasted pine nuts and some torn basil leaves. Such a lovely quick and easy starter.
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