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Not Running => Food => Topic started by: DocBuzzkill on August 17, 2019, 02:31:23 PM

Title: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: DocBuzzkill on August 17, 2019, 02:31:23 PM
Ripe tomatoes are my favorite vegetable....I mean, favorite fruit.  Oh fuck it, a good ripe tomato by any other classification would taste as sweet.  I may be remembering the tomatoes we grew in our farm's garden through the rosy-colored glasses of lost youth, but those Big Boys and Better Boys were outstanding.  Might have been the hot summers combined with the rich central Illinois soil that did it, but they were so intensely flavored.  Following my father's example, I'd pick a sun-warmed tomato right off the vine and eat it like an apple.

In the "What do you like about where you live?" thread, I should have noted that a major dislike is the all-too-short tomato season in Massachusetts.  However, the tomatoes are finally coming in strong around here.

Using the haul I bought this morning at the farmers' market, I just finished making heirloom tomato salsa (basically pico de gallo) to go with the sea scallop and sweet corn fritters I'm making for tonight's dinner; bruschetta topping for miscellaneous snacking (got a batard at the local bakery); and Andalusian-style gazpacho for my lunch this week.  Now I'm exhausted.

I deeply envy those of you who live in warmer places where tomato season is longer.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: BonitaApplebum on August 17, 2019, 02:39:09 PM
Preach!

Ripe tomatoes are the very best part of summer.

None of mine are harvest ready yet, which makes me sad. But it’s my own damn fault, I left the starts in their tiny containers for too long before planting, and they are all stunted. Every day my FB memories remind me that by this time of year I’m usually swimming in them.

I went to the farm today and picked up three pints of sun golds. They are like candy. They will be gone in 24 hours!
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: diablita on August 17, 2019, 03:39:19 PM
Yes ! I was just dreaming of tomato sandwiches while I ran this morning.  I pass a tomato field near my house and was practically drooping.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: diablita on August 17, 2019, 03:46:16 PM
Food porn form a local bakery that just showed up in my feed. (OWL = old world leavain)
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: Run Amok on August 17, 2019, 04:30:10 PM
Oh yes-- growing up in CA and my mother being an amazing gardener-- her fresh veggies from the garden, and in particular her tomatoes basically ruined me for everything else.

Our growing season is both short & unpredictable. You just never really know what kind of summer we'll have-- this year we've had lots of grey days and some rain so no one is getting any tomatoes. I only plant them if I'm feeling really ambitious but the reality is our climate is just not ideal.

We have a decent farmers market but the reality is that a warm tomato straight off the vine is just... amazing... in a way a farmer's market tomato can't ever be.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: RioG on August 17, 2019, 04:47:17 PM
I've gotten scads of tomatoes and scads more to pick.

I once made my homemade tomato soup with canned tomatoes.  Everything else was ours - the stock, the onions.  But canned tomatoes.  It was inedible!

I will never not pack my freezer full of homegrown tomatoes.

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Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: merigayle on August 17, 2019, 06:30:01 PM
getting an average of 6-8lbs in my CSA half share every week  :e)
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: DocBuzzkill on August 18, 2019, 09:41:04 AM
Food porn form a local bakery that just showed up in my feed. (OWL = old world leavain)

Oh, my lord...that definitely is food p0rn!  I'm guessing that's burrata in the center?
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: DocBuzzkill on August 18, 2019, 10:00:52 AM
We have a decent farmers market but the reality is that a warm tomato straight off the vine is just... amazing... in a way a farmer's market tomato can't ever be.

OMG, yes.  That's it exactly, RA!

I've gotten scads of tomatoes and scads more to pick.

I once made my homemade tomato soup with canned tomatoes.  Everything else was ours - the stock, the onions.  But canned tomatoes.  It was inedible!

I will never not pack my freezer full of homegrown tomatoes.

In late August/early September, my mother processed our garden tomatoes and also made tomato juice (she mixed in a few other vegetables, sort of a homemade but better version of V8) using a water-bath/mason jar method.  These were nothing like store-bought tomatoes in metal cans.  Maybe not quite like the taste of a sun-warmed tomato off the vine like RA noted above, but damn.  Still really good.  These were stored in the basement of our farmhouse.  No frozen tomatoes though.  Space in our big chest freezer was reserved for applesauce, blanched corn, asparagus, peas, spinach, green beans, and Fordhook limas as well as our farm-raised beef, pork, and poultry.

Merigayle, that's a lot of tomatoes, but I'll bet you're enjoying them!  NJ/PA farm tomatoes are truly awesome, and those tomatoes (and peaches) are something I really miss.  Here's a way to use a big quantity of tomatoes.  I tried this out a couple of summers ago.  It was, uh, a LOT of work but the sauce was truly amazing. 

Serious Eats: How to make the best, fresh tomato sauce (https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/08/how-to-make-the-best-fresh-tomato-sauce-summer-spaghetti-sauce-which-tomatoes-to-use.html)

Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: diablita on August 18, 2019, 10:35:16 AM
Oh, my lord...that definitely is food p0rn!  I'm guessing that's burrata in the center?

yes, made on site.  basil grown in their little garden, agrodolce and local figs
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: merigayle on August 18, 2019, 03:51:19 PM
I made pico for tonight's dinner with a ton of the tomatoes. At my CSA you go to the farm and there is a sign with what you get for your share and bins with all the produce and you collect it on your own. One bin was "hot peppers" and I thought I got jalapenos, but OMG i am sure these were NOT because the pico is hoooootttttttt. But delicious.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: ihop on August 19, 2019, 01:13:58 PM
I love ripe tomatoes.  Tomato sandwiches, tomato pie, slices with basil, etc.  YUM!

Nothing beats NJ tomatoes.  Nothing.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: Run Amok on August 19, 2019, 01:34:05 PM
Someone here (dev? teetime?) posted a tomato tart a few years ago which was so pretty and easy and tasty, although I can't seem to find it now.

My mother made welsh rarebit with her fresh tomatoes over english muffins which is still one of my favorite dishes ever. Especially when she would make her own sourdough english muffins. To die for. 
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: caribougrrl on August 19, 2019, 02:18:10 PM
rasam season!
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: rocketgirl on August 19, 2019, 09:04:43 PM
The new guy has referred to my raised beds as the "tomato graveyard".   :(  My plants are in terrible shape.  And the tomatoes are either rotting before they ripen (the normal sized ones) or splitting and rotting (the grape Romas).  On the other hand, I have TONS of jalapenos.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: rocketgirl on August 19, 2019, 09:13:02 PM
I remember discussions of tomato tarts.  I'm digging through my computer, and I found this one.  But I know we did a different one with puff pastry on another occasion.  So I'm looking...

omato Tart (Pie)
September 1, 2014 at 6:32 PM
Well, we were going to make this one http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/fresh-tomato-tart-recipe.html, except that we couldn't find tart pans.  So then we were going to make this one http://allrecipes.com/recipe/summer-tomato-pie/ because we'd at least know how much "stuff" to put in a 9 inch pie shell, except that we didn't have garlic cloves (or a jar of minced garlic) or mayonnaise and were feeling more like mozarella than cheddar.  So, what we ACTUALLY did was:

Put premade pie crust dough in a pie plate and did this per the 2nd recipe:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Press pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan; prick bottom and sides with fork.
Bake crust in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.  (We were impatient.  We used a floor fan to "help".)
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Here's where we deviated.  We did not thinly slice 3 tomatoes of indeterminant size.  We sliced a bunch of cherry and grape tomatoes in half. Because the's what was growing in my garden. Maybe a cup and a half worth, but I'm guessing.   We didn't have the right garlic, so we used 2 teaspoons of garlic powder.  I didn't think that we quite had 1/4 cup of basil (fresh from my garden) after I cut it up with scissors.  So we threw in some random amount of dried basil.  And mayo, not happening.  3 eggs and a tablespoon of olive oil sounded better.  And a cup of mozzarella, instead of half cup mozz and half cup cheddar.  So...

 

5. Place tomatoes in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes to release moisture. Blot excess moisture with a paper towel.

6. Beat eggs in bowl.  Add olive oil, garlic, basil, and tomatoes.  Let sit for a bit to absorb all the flavors.

7. Put half the mixture in the bottom of the shell and spread the tomatoes around evenly.  Add half the mozzarella as a layer over that.  Then layer the rest of the egg/tomato/etc mixture, followed by a layer of the rest of the cheese.

8. Bake in the pre-heated oven until done.  That was somewhere in the 40 minute range with our modifications.

Let cool and eat.  It was delicious and this WILL be made again!  (Probably with more fresh basil and minced garlic from a jar vs. dry powder).
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: rocketgirl on August 19, 2019, 09:18:22 PM
And I only found where I re-did the puff pastry one and winged it:  Puff pastry, an egg, Gouda cheese, basil, tomatoes, salt, pepper, & caramelized onion.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: BonitaApplebum on August 19, 2019, 09:21:16 PM
Was I the one that posted it? My mom makes one with tomatoes and pesto, I can get my hands on that recipe again if you are interested.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: diablita on August 20, 2019, 08:51:23 PM
interested! 
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: BonitaApplebum on August 20, 2019, 09:34:55 PM
interested!
Okay next time I talk to her I’ll try to get it from her! It’s so good.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: Run Amok on August 20, 2019, 09:53:04 PM
I found it!

But, that doesn't mean we don't need BA's recipe, which obviously we do.

This is easily the most beautiful thing I've ever cooked.  (This is the stock photo, not mine--I think mine looked even prettier!):
(http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/assets_c/2014/08/20140818-beekman-heirloom-vegetable-tomato-tart-paulette-tavormina-thumb-625xauto-409751.jpg)

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/08/tomato-tart-from-the-beekman-1802-heirloom-vegetable-cookbook.html (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/08/tomato-tart-from-the-beekman-1802-heirloom-vegetable-cookbook.html)

The flavors were fantastic but I didn't let it cook long enough--probably needed another 5-10 minutes on the lower rack.  It was a great way to use an abundance of CSA tomatoes.  Very easy and quick to make, too.

Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: merigayle on August 21, 2019, 06:52:16 AM
oh dear god that looks good!
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: diablita on August 21, 2019, 09:00:10 AM
drooling here.  Thanks for finding that.  I didn't think it was me but did go searching through my Pinterest boards (hardly used anymore) just in case and found some things I've been meaning to make there.

And thanks BA
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: BonitaApplebum on August 21, 2019, 10:50:31 AM
My mom's is pretty similar. No ricotta, but she uses pesto. And hers is round.  :D

That pic looks so yummy!
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: Run Amok on August 21, 2019, 11:05:16 AM
Yes, there are lots of variations on this theme. That was the particular one I was thinking of but you can slather all kinds of things on puff pastry and it makes a simple/fast/gorgeous option.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: DocBuzzkill on August 21, 2019, 07:40:59 PM
That tomato tart is lovely.  Looks like culinary stained glass.

Spawn the Elder (who is becoming a pretty skilled and adventurous cook) and I went down a Google rabbit hole this past weekend digging into essays, photos, and recipes for Philly/Jersey-style tomato pies.  These are nothing like the tart above or the more southern quiche-like tomato pie with a pastry crust.  Jersey/Philly tomato pies appear to be something akin to foccacia with tomato sauce slathered on top.  :!:

Edited to delete NJ references.  The NJ/Trenton tomato pie is yet a different beast!
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: Rejaneration on September 02, 2019, 07:54:24 AM
Our tomatoes are in and they are fantastic.  The sungolds are my favorite.  They are delicious for just snacking on.  We also have better boys and lemon boys.  My guy has caught the vegetable gardening bug and is already planning raised beds and growing greens this winter.  He has also started watching homesteading videos and I have been regaling him with Rio tales!

Next year, I want to grow eggplant too.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: RioG on September 02, 2019, 08:36:19 AM
Our tomatoes are in and they are fantastic.  The sungolds are my favorite.  They are delicious for just snacking on.  We also have better boys and lemon boys.  My guy has caught the vegetable gardening bug and is already planning raised beds and growing greens this winter.  He has also started watching homesteading videos and I have been regaling him with Rio tales!

Next year, I want to grow eggplant too.
Oh God...

A friend came and helped pick some tomatoes yesterday,  took home a small laundry basket full.  I have about 4 laundry baskets in the kitchen to deal with.  Yesterday dh made salsa, chili sauce the day before.  The freezer needs to get reorganized so I can stuff more in.

Yesterday I watched a Wilderstead video about canning stewed tomatoes.  I always thought it was too risky but this guy made it look easy so I'm going to try it.  So much less plastic and easier storage for soup and stuff this winter.  Jan, he might like the Wilderstead guy.  He was folksy and cute, like you kind of expect a homesteader to be.



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Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: merigayle on September 02, 2019, 09:47:46 AM
Every market is out of gluten free phyllo and i want to make the tart.  :grr: I really do not want to go thru the hassle of making that from scratch.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: Rejaneration on September 02, 2019, 05:36:13 PM
Oh God...

A friend came and helped pick some tomatoes yesterday,  took home a small laundry basket full.  I have about 4 laundry baskets in the kitchen to deal with.  Yesterday dh made salsa, chili sauce the day before.  The freezer needs to get reorganized so I can stuff more in.

Yesterday I watched a Wilderstead video about canning stewed tomatoes.  I always thought it was too risky but this guy made it look easy so I'm going to try it.  So much less plastic and easier storage for soup and stuff this winter.  Jan, he might like the Wilderstead guy.  He was folksy and cute, like you kind of expect a homesteader to be.



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I will let him know.  He has been watching Roots and Refuge. We found another one the other day which was also good.  Always young, cute couples with little kids running around...
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: RioG on September 02, 2019, 05:46:50 PM
I will let him know.  He has been watching Roots and Refuge. We found another one the other day which was also good.  Always young, cute couples with little kids running around...
Yeah, this guy wasn't.  Older bearded dude in a hat.  He kind of reminded me of Red Green.



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Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: merigayle on September 12, 2019, 06:41:44 AM
I made the 1802 tomato tart for dinner last night. It was great. Bf said it was my #3 best recipe I’ve made him so far.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: Natasha on September 13, 2019, 01:57:09 PM
What were #1 and #2?

Someone on twitter suggested putting slices of tomatoes on your rice as it cooks, whether in a rice cooker, pot, instant pot, etc. “You will thank me later,” he says.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: diablita on September 13, 2019, 02:22:40 PM
I made a Spanish baked rice recipe long ago that had tomatoes in it and was delicious.
Title: Re: Ode to ripe tomatoes
Post by: merigayle on September 14, 2019, 06:30:38 AM
What were #1 and #2?

Someone on twitter suggested putting slices of tomatoes on your rice as it cooks, whether in a rice cooker, pot, instant pot, etc. “You will thank me later,” he says.
Both pizza :D

The first (I do not see online) is a makhani indian pizza using paneer cubes as the cheese. This is the second one
https://www.veganricha.com/2014/09/buffalo-chickpea-pizza-white-garlic-sauce-celery-ranch-vegan-recipe.html