Help, tomatoes have taken over my kitchen! 3 easy recipes to make during tomato season.
Sep 20, 2017
For those that have been following me for a while know how much I love eating seasonally. For me it's the easiest way to eat good food that has the best flavour and nutritional value. The transition from summer to fall means an abundance of tomatoes that take over the farmers markets....and my kitchen.
As a kid I used to avoid fresh tomatoes like the plague. The texture just didn't do it for me. Over the years these little gems have slowly made it back on my plate. In particular the heirloom tomato. I love the different sizes and colours that show up every year. Sometimes on the outside they look weird and mangled, but slice them open and each one is it's own work of art.
Yes, I always eat with my eyes first ;)
The heirloom tomatoes have such concentrated flavour and, much to my and anyone else who avoids tomatoes because of the seeds, there's way less of that gooey mess to deal with.
The simplest way to eat them is sliced with some olive oil, salt and maybe a bit of good cheese. Because I've been slightly obsessed with these guys (my kitchen's literally been overflowing) I've created a few new recipes to showcase their flavour and to give you some variety so you can fill your basket at the market with absolutely no shame.
Hopefully you'll end up as addicted as I am!
Fresh Tomato Tart
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1 sheet frozen all butter French Puff Pastry
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1/2 cup pesto (homemade or a quality store-bought brand)
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4-6 heirloom tomatoes (sliced into 1/4 inch slices)
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1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
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1 cup arugula
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Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
Preheat the oven to 425*
Place the sliced tomatoes in a bowl and season with salt. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. This will extract some of the water so you get a more concentrated flavour and prevents the tart from being soggy :)
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay thawed puff pastry out on the sheet. Prick pastry with a fork or knife all over the top of the pastry. This helps remove some of the air and prevents the pastry from puffing up too much.
Spread pesto to cover the pastry, leaving a 1 inch border. Top with sliced tomatoes, salt pepper and cheese.
Bake on bottom rack of your oven until the pastry is browned and crispy, about 20-25 min.
Removed from the oven and top with arugula. Slice into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
Serve this on its own or with some eggs for brunch. If you're looking for a good pesto recipe, try my spinach version here.
Tomato Corn Salsa:
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2 cups chopped heirloom or garden tomatoes, seeds removed
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1 cup fresh corn, sliced off the cob
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1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and minced
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1 green onion, sliced
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1 tsp cumin powder
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1 tsp salt
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juice of half a lime
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1/4 cup olive oil
Add all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until combined. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving for flavours to meld.
Makes approx. 2 cups
Serve this over fish or chicken, with tacos or as a snack with some tortilla chips.
Fresh Heirloom Tomato Sauce:
- 12-15 medium sized heirloom or roma tomatoes, halved and seeds removed (optional)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, whole
- 1/2 cup red wine or vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 350*
Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake tomatoes for 20-25 minutes or soft and slightly caramelized on the tops.
Remove from the oven and place in a stock pot. Add wine or stock, garlic, bay leaf and oregano.
Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat and simmer tomatoes for 20-25 minutes or until liquid has slightly reduced.
Remove bay leaf, garlic and salt. Blend with a hand blender or carefully in a regular blender until smooth.
Makes about 2 cups.
*Use this for any of your favourite pasta recipes. You could even add some cream and turn it into a soup or try it in my meatball recipe.*
