Tomatoes | 20something cupcakes

peach + tomato panzanella.

August 6, 2012 — 8 Comments

One of my favorite things: When I tell Daniel what I’m making and he whines about it … then he eats it, and loses his mind over how delicious it is.

Peach + Tomato Panzanella

How on earth could one whine after being presented to the thought of a luxurious bread salad – packed with fresh summer peaches, tomatoes, arugula, basil, and blue cheese – you ask?

Well, it all started when I explained to him what a panzanella is … Traditionally, it’s an Italian bread and tomato salad where the chunks of stale bread soak up the juices from the tomatoes. From there, anything can be added – more veggies, dressing, etc. But none of that matters because I lost him at the whole bread-soaking-up-tomato-juices thing.

In Salad Bar arugula, basil, blue cheese, main course salads, peaches, side salads, summer recipes, tomatoes

heirloom tomato galette.

June 4, 2012 — 19 Comments

This heirloom tomato and fresh mozzarella galette has officially just blown my mind.

Heirloom Tomato Galette

It’s almost like a pizza: A flaky, buttery pastry replaces the crust, a balsamic-Dijon blend acts as a sauce, slices of luscious heirloom tomatoes and fresh local mozzarella melt into each other like buttered toast, and a layer of garlic, olives, and Parmigiano-Reggiano seals the deal. Followed by a generous helping of fresh chives and basil after it comes out of the oven.

I realize it’s a bit of a stretch from this week’s recipe for The Food Matters Project, which is that of a savory tomato crisp. There, you won’t find a crust at all – tomatoes are topped with a cheesy breadcrumb-oat topping and baked. It’s really more of a gratin. (Get the original recipe here, on Nicole’s blog for her inspiring company seeking to teach others about doing good with food, The Giving Table.) Bittman points out that, of course, it would be best in summer when tomatoes are at their peak, but because baking them brings out their sweetness, you can get away with making this recipe all year long.

Heirloom Tomatoes + The Start of Dough

We’ve talked about the magical experience that is roasting tomatoes, and the same magic goes down here in this galette. Gorgeous heirloom tomatoes in vibrant shades of green, yellow, and red are a little piece of heaven this time of year, no matter how you slice it {hehe} … I ate the extra slices and scraps drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt – heaven, I tell you! But when you cook them in this galette, their flavors intensify even moreso, and yes … MINDS. ARE. BLOWN.

In Food Matters Project, Main Dishes basil, chives, galettes, goat cheese, mozzarella, olives, savory tarts, summer recipes, tomatoes, vegetarian

curried tomato soup + hard-boiled eggs.

March 19, 2012 — 11 Comments

This recipe, at first glance, could potentially seem like a very strange idea.

When I read it through, however, I didn’t find it strange at all. I was excited by it. I’ve done curry in soup only once, with butternut squash, and it was pure heaven. I thought, curry with tomato soup? This is totally interesting. In my head, I imagined that the curry would add warmth and depth, and the tomato base would be fresh and bright. Coconut milk would add a silkiness, and I was obsessing over the idea of a hard-boiled egg garnish. That was something that, in my head, made complete sense with tomato soup. Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

Everything I imagined was correct, and then some. I am officially in love with this soup.

There are a lot of veggies happening inside, but you wouldn’t know it, because I puréed it into a magical existence. I can’t imagine not puréeing this soup, because when you do, it’s basically a curried tomato bisque. And who doesn’t love a good and creamy bisque?

In Food Matters Project, Healthy Eats, Main Dishes curry, hard-boiled eggs, soups, tomatoes

tomato + watermelon salad.

September 23, 2011 — Leave a comment

Have you ever eaten something that’s made you moan?

Seriously. I bet you have. And I bet it was something sinful – maybe a super-rich dessert, or a perfectly marbled rib-eye that just melted in your mouth.

I bet it wasn’t a salad.

That’s right – this salad made me moan. From my first bite, all the way until I ate the leftovers at work days later. I can’t even remember the last time I ate leftover salad and even remotely enjoyed. And this one… I just didn’t want it to end.

In On the Side, Salad Bar alex guarschanelli, balsalmic vinegar, summer recipes, tarragon, tomatoes, watermelon

tomato + avocado salad with blue cheese.

September 6, 2011 — Leave a comment

Here’s a super-simple idea to help you use up all of those gorgeous tomatoes at the market right now.

{Not that you needed any help in that area}

There’s something about yellow tomatoes that I just love – they always seem to be extra-firm, even when perfectly ripe. My picky tomato eater – who never ate them until the ripe old age of 34 – is also partial to the yellow variety, so that has to mean something.

In On the Side arugula, avocado, blue cheese, side salads, summer recipes, tomatoes

I should probably let you in on this fact before I begin: I don’t like ketchup.

I know, I know. How can one not like ketchup? Probably comparable to how I feel about people who don’t like cheese. Or chocolate. Or garlic.

{I have one friend who doesn’t like any of them! Can you believe that? Well, she is lactose-intolerant, but she chooses not to like chocolate or garlic – which just baffles me}

And people who love ketchup, well – let’s just say there are definitely ketchup enthusiasts out there. People who will put ketchup on anything. I have another friend who used to put ketchup on her pizza. Doritos, even. See? A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

If you’re wondering what I eat on my fries, it’s mayo. I’m sickly into mayo – especially homemade. Ketchup is just too sweet and overpowering for me. It has that artificial taste that I just can’t deal with. Maybe one day I will try homemade ketchup.

For now, I’m all about the slow-roasted tomato confit. I love tomatoes. And you’ve heard it before: Roasting tomatoes makes something magical happen. Well, slow-roasting doubles that magic. The flavor that comes out of these tomatoes is just incredible. They are so dramatically sweet, and the essence of the thyme runs throughout. I like to leave the thyme leaves on the stems – you can remove them when the tomatoes are finished cooking, and the flavor is still there.

The method is also totally foolproof – depending on how much time you have, you can turn the temperature down to 200 degrees and so, and let them go for 5 or 6 hours. Or, alternatively, if you’re short on time, you can up the temperature and roast them for an hour or so. You can’t screw these up. They’re just too perfect.

Enjoy them on burgers. Enjoy them on sandwiches. Enjoy them thrown in with a bowl of pasta, or perhaps tossed into an antipasto. Enjoy them in salads, on pizza or crostini…

Just enjoy them.

Oven-Roasted Tomato Confit

2 pounds plum tomatoes – peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded
Extra-virgin olive oil
Handful fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and arrange the tomatoes cut side up. Drizzle with oil and scatter thyme throughout. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 2 – 3 hours, until the tomatoes have softened and partially dried out. To serve, place tomatoes in a dish and pour the oil from the pan over the tomatoes.

MAKE-AHEAD: The confit can be made in advance – it will keep in the fridge for about a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.