CONTENTS T H E S TO RY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 TO M ATO S O U P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 B R U S C H E T TA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 TO M ATO - M O Z Z A C RO S T I N I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 T U N A S T U F F E D C H E R RY TO M ATO E S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 TO M ATO B A S I L P I Z Z A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 PA S TA W/ F R E S H TO M ATO S A U C E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 M E X I C A N TO M ATO R I C E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 TO M ATO B A S I L S A L M O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 A S U R P R I S E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
the scientific name for the tomato is Lycopersicon lycopersicum, which means, “wolf peach.�
THE STORY T H E R E O N C E WA S A N A N O N Y M O U S F R I E N D* W H O LOV E D TO M ATO E S. O N E DAY, H E M E T A G I R L W H O L I K E D K E TC H U P O N H E R S PAG H E T T I. I N M A N Y WAY S, S H E WA S S T RA N G E & S O WA S H E, B U T K I N DA I N A N I C E WAY. T H E Y W E N T TO A RT G A L L E R I E S, H A D B E AC H - S I D E P I C N I C S A N D AT E TO M ATO E S ( S O M E T I M E S ). I T WA S G R E AT. T H E E N D.
M E R RY C H R I S T M A S A N O N Y M O U S F R I E N D*
According to the USDA, Americans eat 22-24 pounds of tomatoes per person, per year. About half of that comes in the form of ketchup and tomato sauce. (Cheryl: 1 , Anonymous Friend*: 0)
TOMATO SOUP 3
LARGE RIPE TOMATOES
2
CARROTS
2
STICKS CELERY
2
MEDIUM ONIONS
TO MAKE YOUR SOUP:
Peel and roughly slice the carrots. Slice the celery. Peel and roughly chop the onions. Peel and slice the garlic. Put a large pan on a medium heat and add a couple of lugs of olive oil. Add all your chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon. Cook for around 10 to 15 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape, and the
2
CLOVES GARLIC
2
ORGANIC CHICKEN
Put the stock cubes into a jug or pan and pour in 1.5 litres of
OR VEGETABLE STOCK CUBES
boiling water from the kettle. Stir until the stock cubes are
onion is lightly golden.
dissolved, then add to the pan with your tinned and fresh whole 1
SMALL BUNCH FRESH BASIL
tomatoes, including the green stalks that may still be attached to some of them (these give an amazing flavour – trust me!) Give
-
OLIVE OIL
it a good stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Meanwhile, pick your basil leaves.
-
SEA SALT
-
BLACK PEPPER
400G
TINNED PLUM TOMATOES
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P5
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TO S E RV E YO U R S O U P:
Remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper and add the basil leaves. Using a hand blender or liquidizer, pulse the soup until smooth. Season again before dividing between your serving bowls.
It’s thought that tomatoes originated in Peru, where their Aztec name meant, “plump thing with a navel.”
BRUSCHETTA 1
CLOVE GARLIC
DIRECTIONS:
1/3
CUP FINELY CHOPPED ONION
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2
TBSPS. OLIVE OIL
Slice the French bread on the diagonal into ½” rounds
2
TOMATOES, MEDIUM CHOPPED
2
AVOCADOS, MEDIUM CHOPPED
2
TBSPS. FRESHLY
tip off the garlic clove so that the oils will seep out).
SQUEEZED LIME JUICE
Brush the tops of the garlic-rubbed toasts with olive oil and
and place on a baking sheet. Toast the sliced bread in the oven for 3 minutes, then flip each piece over and toast an additional 3 minutes. Remove the toasted bread from the oven and immediately rub with the clove of garlic (it works best to first cut a small
set aside. ½
LOAF FRENCH BREAD
In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, avocado, ½
TSP. SALT
onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix together gently making sure the avocado is well coated in the lime
¼
TSP. PEPPER
¼
CUP CHOPPED CILANTRO
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P7
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juice. Spoon a portion of the mixture onto each of the garlic toasts and serve.
Botanically speaking, a tomato is a fruit. The government classified it as a vegetable in the late 1800s so it could be taxed under custom regulations.
TOMATO-MOZZA CROSTINI DIRECTIONS:
1
FRENCH BAGUETTE, SLICED
4
CLOVES GARLIC, HALVED
6
PLUM TOMATOES, CHOPPED
clove for flavor.
1
BUNCH FRESH BASIL, JULIENNED
Place the tomatoes into a medium bowl, and drizzle with olive oil.
Preheat the oven’s broiler. Brush the slices of bread lightly with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet. Toast under the broiler for about 3 minutes. Watch carefully. Rub each crostini with a garlic
Season with salt and pepper. 1
LB. FRESH MOZZARELLA CHEESE, SLICED
Place the crostini on a serving tray. Top each one with a slice of mozzarella cheese, cover with a spoonful of tomatoes, and garnish
3
|
TBSPS. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
P9
|
with fresh basil.
Thomas Jefferson was known to be a connoisseur of the tomato and tried to convince people it was a great fruit.
TUNA STUFFED CHERRY TOMATOES 1
PINT CHERRY TOMATOES
DIRECTIONS:
1
CAN (6 OZ ) TUNA FISH
De-stem the tomatoes and hollow them out. My 1/8 teaspoon works the best for me. Cut a small slice from the bottom so they
3
TBSP. MAYONNAISE
1
TBSP. RELISH
-
LEMON JUICE
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sit flat and don’t roll away. Mix the rest of the ingredients and fill each hollow tomato with tuna mix.
Refridgerating your tomatoes will reduce their flavor. Tomato user beware.
TOMATO BASIL PIZZA 12
OZ. FRESH PIZZA DOUGH
8
OZ. MOZZARELLA CHEESE
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). On a non-stick baking sheet (or parchment paper) that’s large enough to hold the tomatoes in a single layer, toss together the tomatoes with the garlic, olive oil,
2.5
LBS. MEDIUM TOMATOES,
thyme, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven
SLICED IN HALF
for 1 hour, checking midway during roasting to make sure the garlic isn’t burning. If the tomatoes are getting overly dark on the bottom,
3
CLOVES FRESH GARLIC,
turn them gently with a spatula.
THICKLY SLICED
Turn off oven and leave tomatoes in the oven until it cools 2
TBSPS. OLIVE OIL
1
TSP. THYME
1
BUNCH FRESH BASIL
1
BAY LEAF
-
SEA SALT & BLACK PEPPER
completely. Roasting time will vary depending on the size of tomatoes; roast them until they’ve given up their juice. To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450ºF (235ºC) and place a heavy baking sheet on rack on the lower third of the oven. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the pizza dough into a 14inch circle. Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Brush the dough with a thin layer of olive oil. Drain the tomatoes well (reserve the liquid for a vinaigrette), then distribute the tomatoes and garlic over the dough. Put the mozzarella slices over the tomatoes, then place a dozen fresh basil leaves on top of the
-
PARMESAN CHEESE
pizza and grate some Parmesan over the top. Return the pizza to the oven and bake until the pizza is baked to your liking (10-20 min). Remove from the oven and chopped fresh basil and parmesan all over.
VARIATIONS :
You can use different cheeses if you wish. Fresh goat cheese, mozzarella, or a semi-soft cheese like Fontina work well on pizza. You could also add bits of bacon or prosciutto. NOTE :
Ovens vary greatly in terms of heat and browning ability. Very hot temperatures are recommended for pizza, although small home ovens often lack that power. So I encourage you to bake the pizza at a very hot temperature, but monitor it while baking and move it about the oven to cook the top and bottom evenly.
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P13
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La Tomatina (Valencia, Spain), held annually on the last Wednesday in August, attracts tens of thousands of visitors. The highlight is the tomato fight, in which 30,000+ participants throw an estimated 150,000 overripe tomatoes (100 metric tons) at each other.
PASTA WITH FRESH TOMATO SAUCE TO MAKE YOUR SOUP:
1
LB. SPAGHET TI
2¼
LBS. TOMATOES
1
TBSP. FLAT- LEAF PARSLEY
1
TBSP. CHOPPED GARLIC,
raw sauce. Transfer to 6 shallow bowls, and drizzle with oil.
TWO CLOVES
Serve with cheese.
Finely chop tomatoes, basil, parsley, and garlic, and mix together with oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until ready. Drain pasta, and toss it in a serving bowl with the
¼
CUP FRESH BASIL LEAVES
¼
CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
-
SALT & PEPPER
-
PARMESAN CHEESE, GRATED
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P15
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Tomatoes are the most flavorful in the summer. Look for ones that yield slightly to pressure and are fragrant and heavy for their size.
MEXICAN TOMATO RICE 2
TOMATOES, CHOPPED
2
GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
1
CUP LONG GRAIN RICE
1
MEDIUM ONION, CHOPPED
DIRECTIONS:
Process the tomatoes and onion in a processor or blender until pureed. It should give you about 1 cup worth of puree. Set aside. Meanwhile in a skillet, heat 1 tsp oil (you can use upto 1 tbsp). Add the drained rice to the oil and sautĂŠ until rice is golden and translucent. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook for another
1
JALAPENO CHILE
1 minute.
1
TBSP. TOMATO PASTE
Add the pureed tomatoes, 1 cup of vegetable stock along with
1.5
CUPS VEGETABLE STOCK
-
SALT TO TASTE
-
CILANTRO TO SERVE
halfway), or until the rice is tender and cooked completely.
-
LIME JUICE
Garnish with cilantro and squeeze lime juice (if using) You can
tomato paste and salt. Depending on the rice quality you might need 1/2 or 1 cup more of water. I use totally 2 cups of 1 cup of Basmati rice to get that perfect cooked yet separate rice texture instead of mushy. Close with a tight fitting lid and cook for 10-15 minutes (stirring
otherwise serve lime wedges to be squeezed on individual plates as per taste.
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P17
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The Vancouver Tomato Festival takes place usually mid-September.
TOMATO BASIL SALMON 2
BONELESS SALMON FILLETS (6OZ )
1
TBSP. DRIED BASIL
1
TOMATO, THINLY SLICED
1
TBSP. OLIVE OIL
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the salmon fillets onto the foil, sprinkle with basil, top with tomato slices, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until the salmon is opaque in the
2
TBPS. GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
center, and the Parmesan cheese is lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes.
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P17
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Anonymous Friend* loves tomatoes. Cheryl likes salmon.
THE WAIT IS OVER, NOW YOU TOO, CAN BE YOUR OWN TOMATO CONNOISSEUR.
*A PACKAGE OF TOMATO SEEDS WENT HERE* MERRY CHRISTMAS, ANONYMOUS FRIEND*
XMAS 2 013 ; FROM CHERYL
CHERYL C, 2 013 | VANCOUVER |