fresh salsa and grilled nachos

ingredients

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 4 tomatoes (about 650g), seeds removed, finely diced
• 1 red hot pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
• 1 yellow hot pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
• 1 green hot pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
• 4 tablespoons (1/3 cup) roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to sprinkle
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 230g packet corn chips
• 1 cup (150g) grated mozzarella

method

1. To make the fresh salsa, combine the spring onion, tomato, capsicum, parsley, olive oil and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat a grill to medium. Spread the corn chips over a large ovenproof plate. Spoon over the fresh salsa and sprinkle with the grated mozzarella. Grill the nachos for 1-2 minutes until the mozzarella is golden and bubbling. Sprinkle with the extra chopped parsley and serve.

tomato, sweet onion, and celery salad

from Martha Stewart

ingredients 

• 2 to 3 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick 
• 1 sweet onion, preferably Vidalia, sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick 
• 3 celery stalks with leaves, thinly sliced crosswise 
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream 
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 

directions 

1. Arrange tomatoes, onion, celery, and celery leaves on a serving plate. Sprinkle with basil; set aside. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and cream; whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad; serve immediately. 

Ratatouille

GOURMET JUNE 1991

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• a 3/4-pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 small zucchini, scrubbed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into thin slices
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3/4 pound small ripe tomatoes, chopped coarse (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

preparation

1. In a large skillet cook the onion and the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and heat it over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the eggplant and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the eggplant is softened. Stir in the zucchini and the bell pepper and cook the mixture over the moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the oregano, the thyme, the coriander, the fennel seeds, the salt, and pepper to taste and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the basil and combine the mixture well. The ratatouille may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated before serving.

beet-and-tomato soup with cumin 

Benjamin Leroux's terrific soup is an unexpected mix of beets, tomatoes and tomato paste; it has the flavor of a light borscht.

ingredients

• 1 pound medium beets
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for garnish
• 1 quart vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Get Ingredients

how to make this recipe

1. In a large saucepan, cover the beets with water. Bring to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until tender, about 1 hour; if necessary, add more water to keep the beets covered. Drain the beets and let cool slightly, then peel and coarsely chop. 
2. Wipe out the saucepan and heat the olive oil in it. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chopped beets, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the 1 teaspoon of cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the vegetable stock and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. 
3. Puree the soup in batches in a food processor. Rewarm the soup in the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. 
4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with dollops of crème fraîche. Sprinkle with a little cumin and the parsley and serve.

panzanella with mozzarella and herbs

NY TImes

ingredients

• 4 ounces ciabatta or baguette, preferably stale, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste
• ¾ teaspoon kosher sea salt, more to taste
• 2 pounds very ripe tomatoes, preferably a mix of varieties and colors
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion, about half a small onion
• 2 garlic cloves, grated to a paste
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, more to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or thyme (or a combination)
• Large pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup thinly sliced Persian or Kirby cucumber, about 1 small cucumber
• ½ cup torn basil leaves
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained

preparation

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt. Bake until they are dried out and pale golden brown at the edges, about 7 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
2. Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add mozzarella, onions, garlic paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar, oregano or thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes if using. Toss to coat and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, the mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some black pepper to taste. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil until the mixture is thickened. Stir in cucumbers, basil and parsley.
4. Add bread cubes, cucumber mixture and capers to the tomatoes and toss well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before serving. Toss with a little more olive oil, vinegar and salt if needed just before serving.

Tomato, Sweet Onion, and Celery Salad

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick
• 1 sweet onion, sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick
• 3 celery stalks with leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Arrange tomatoes, onion, celery, and celery leaves on a serving plate. Sprinkle with basil; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and cream; whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad; serve immediately.

Heirloom Tomato & Avocado Farro Salad with Lime-Mint Dressing

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked faro
• 1 small heirloom tomato, diced
• 1 avocado, sliced or diced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon mint, finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse 1 cup of farro. Add farro and 3 cups of water to a saucepan and bring it to a full boil.
2. Cover it, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 35 minutes.
3. Drain any excess water. Set aside and allow to cool.
4. Chop the heirloom tomato and slice or dice the avocado. Toss together with the cooked farro.
5. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, zest, mint, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
6. Pour the oil/lime juice mixture over the farro and veggies and toss together.

from http://www.theroastedroot.net/heirloom-tomato-avocado-farro-salad-with-mint-lime-dressing/

Enjoy.

Pico de Gallo: Fresh Tomato Salsa

by Roberto Santibañez with JJ Goode

Epicurious April 2011

Truly Mexican

YIELD: Makes 2 cups

ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound tomatoes (about 2 medium), seeded and finely diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 small fresh jalapeño or serrano chile, finely chopped, including seeds, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, or 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Parsley, Mint, Cherry Tomato Salad

Ian Knauer, The Farm Cooking School

Serve 6

• 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1 large bunch mint
• 1 quart cherry tomatoes
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Pick the leaves from the parsley and mint and place in a large bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and toss with the parsley and mint leaves.
2. Combine the shallot, mustard, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in the oil until emulsified, then toss the dressing with the salad and season with salt and pepper to taste.

raichlen's gazpacho on fire

• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 3 large tomatoes (1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 medium cucumber
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 medium sweet onion, unpeeled
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup cold water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Light a grill. Wrap the garlic cloves in a sheet of foil. Grill the tomatoes, cucumber, green and red bell peppers, onion and garlic package over a medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are charred all over and almost softened, about 8 minutes for the tomatoes, cucumber and bell peppers, 10 minutes for the garlic and 15 minutes for the onion. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, remove the charred skins as well as any stems and seeds and chop them coarsely.
2. Transfer all of the vegetables, including the peeled garlic, to a food processor and puree. With the machine on, gradually add the 1/4 cup of olive oil, then blend in the vinegar. Add the 1/4 cup of the herbs, then transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the water and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled. Ladle the gazpacho into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with herbs and serve.

Long Bean, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad

yield
Makes 4 servings

Thai salads are full of crisp vegetables and fruits mixed with intense condiments. "It's not about just tossing the ingredients together," says Ricker. "It's about working them into the dressing," which can also be used to dress green-papaya and cabbage slaws.

Ingredients

• 2 dried Thai chiles, soaked for 2 minutes in warm water, drained
• 3 small garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 lime, cut into 3 wedges
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar or granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried tiny shrimp
• 9 long beans (2 1/2 ounces) or green beans, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2" lengths
• 2 kirby cucumbers or 1 English hothouse cucumber, coarsely chopped into 1" pieces
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts

Preparation

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a clay mortar and pound with a wooden pestle until mashed into a fine paste, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp; mash until pulverized and well combined, about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, process in a mini-processor until finely chopped.)
2. Add long beans to mortar; lightly crush with pestle to bruise. Add cucumber pieces, fish sauce, and lime juice. Mix well. Add tomatoes, lightly crush, and mix in. (Alternatively, place beans and tomatoes in a resealable plastic bag. Roll a rolling pin over bag to bruise vegetables; transfer to a bowl with the cucumber, fish sauce, lime juice, and chile dressing.) Let marinate for 10 minutes. Stir in peanuts.

Balsamic Bruschetta

"Balsamic vinegar adds a delicious zip to easy bruschetta."

Ingredients:

• 8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black
• pepper
• 1 loaf French bread, toasted and sliced

Directions:

1. In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?recipeID=54165&origin=detail&servings=8&metric=false

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

I know what you’re going to say: “You want me to turn on my oven in the middle of the summer for three freakin’ hours? Are you insane?” And all I can say is, well, yes, but also the oven is so low that I swear it won’t heat up your apartment in any noticeable or annoying way.

• Cherry, grape or small Roma tomatoes
• Whole gloves of garlic, unpeeled
• Olive oil
• Herbs such as thyme or rosemary (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 225°F. Halve each cherry or grape tomato crosswise, or Roma tomato lengthwise and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle herbs on, if you are using them, and salt and pepper, though go easily on these because the finished product will be so flavorful you’ll need very little to help it along.
2. Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about three hours. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside–this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes.
3. Either use them right away or let them cool, cover them with some extra olive oil and keep them in the fridge for the best summer condiment, ever. And for snacking.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes/ 

Pizza!

Ingredients

Pizza Dough:  Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Pizza Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Cornmeal (to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)

• Tomato sauce (purée)
• Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Feta cheese
• Mushrooms, thinly sliced
• Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, thinly sliced
• Italian sausage, cooked ahead
• Chopped fresh basil
• Pesto
• Pepperoni, thinly sliced
• Onions, thinly sliced
• Sliced ham

Special equipment needed

Method

Making the Pizza Dough

1  In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer (such as a Kitchen Aid), add the warm water.  Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved.  Stir to dissolve completely if needed at the end of 5 minutes.

2 Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer.  Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for about a minute.  Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook.  Knead using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and knead by hand. If the dough seems a little too wet, sprinkle on a bit more flour.

3 Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil.  Turn the dough around in the bowl so that it gets coated with the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or several hours longer, a longer rise will improve the flavor).  If you don't have a warm spot in the house you can heat the oven to 150 degrees, and then turn off the oven.  Let the oven cool till it is just a little warm, then place the bowl of dough in this warmed oven to rise.

At this point, if you want to make ahead, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Preparing the Pizzas

1 Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven.  Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

2 Remove the plastic cover from the dough and punch the dough down so it deflates a bit.  Divide the dough in half.  Form two round balls of dough.  Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes.

3 Prepare your desired toppings.  Note that you are not going to want to load up each pizza with a lot of toppings as the crust will end up not crisp that way.  About a third a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese would be sufficient for one pizza.  One to two mushrooms thinly sliced will cover a pizza.

4 Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface.  Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick.  Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further.  Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter - 10 to 12 inches.  Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker.  You can pinch the very edges if you want to form a lip.

5 Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy from the toppings).  Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes. 

Repeat with the second ball of dough.

6 Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with corn meal.  Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel.  If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.

7 Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.

8 Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (watch your hands, the oven is hot!).  Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal.  Slide the pizza off of the peel and on to the baking stone in the oven.  Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes.  If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you can sprinkle on a little more cheese.

Yield: Makes 2 10-12-inch pizzas.

Simply Recipes http://www.simplyrecipes.com

Fresh Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, chopped
• 2 hot chile peppers, Serrano or Jalapeno, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Put chopped onion and garlic in a strainer; pour 2 cups boiling water over them then let drain throughly. Discard water. Cool.
2. Combine onions and garlic with chopped tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours to blend flavors.
3. Makes about 2 cups of salsa.                           

 

Tian de Courgettes et Tomates

(Zucchini and Tomato casserole)

 By CRAIG CLAIBORNE

Ingredients

• 3 medium-sized red peppers, about 1/2 pound, optional
• 6 medium-sized zucchini, about 1 3/4 pounds
• 4 large red, ripe tomatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds
• 1 large onion, about 1/2 pound
• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• Salt to taste, if desired
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme broken into small pieces

Preparation

1. If the peppers are to be used, preheat the broiler. Place the peppers under the broiler and roast until they are burnt on one side. Turn and roast on the other side. Continue turning until roasted all over, top and bottom. Put in a plastic bag to cool. Peel. Discard the stems and seeds. Cut the peppers into thin strips. There should be about three-quarter of a cup.

2. Trim off the ends of the zucchini. Using a swivel-bladed vegetable cutter, trim off the sides of each zucchini, leaving intervals of green to make a pattern. Cut the zucchini on the bias into quarter-inch slices. There should be about seven cups.

3. Remove the cores from the tomatoes. Cut each tomato slice about one-third inch thick.

4. Peel the onion and cut it in half crosswise. Cut each half into very thin slices. There should be about two cups. Put the onion in a heavy saucepan.

5. Add one-third cup of oil and the water to the onion. Bring to the boil and cook over relatively high heat about 10 or 12 minutes. When ready, the onion will be nicely glazed and lightly browned. Do not burn.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. Spoon the onion over the bottom of an oval or rectangular baking dish (a dish that measures about 13 1/2 by 8 by 2 inches is ideal). Sprinkle the garlic and pepper strips over the onion.

8. Arrange a layer of tomatoes, letting them lean at an angle against the sides of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of zucchini against the tomatoes. Continue making layers until all the tomatoes and zucchini are used. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and the thyme. Dribble the remaining one-quarter cup of oil over all.

9. Place in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Increase the oven heat to 475 degrees and continue baking about 45 minutes. At this point the top of the vegetables will be quite dark. Press the vegetables down with a flat pancake turner. Return to the oven and continue baking 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

YIELD:    4 to 6 servings

Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
•  2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
•  1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!
2. After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/gazpacho-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback