MERRY TOMATOES

Here Are 4 of Our Favorite Ways to Eat Our Tomato Harvest at Midsummer Farm 

Tomato Salad

When the very first tomatoes start to finally ripen, we simply have to start with this recipe. It truly highlights and celebrates the fresh tomato flavor, which we wait all year to taste as we do not buy tomatoes off-season.

A variety of different colored tomatoes cut into bite-size chunks (I cut cherry tomatoes in half)
A sprinkle of golden balsamic vinegar
A splash of extra virgin olive oil
A big pinch of salt
Lots of fresh ground black pepper
And a handful of fresh minced basil leaves
you could also add fresh chopped parsley or a couple rosemary leaves 

Start by combining all ingredients, gently stirring them together. Put in fridge. Let sit at least 1/2 hour. But even better if left overnight. When ready to serve, add basil leaves and other herbs if using. And enjoy! 

Simple Marinated Tomato and Pasta Summer Recipe

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
2 pounds (about 2 big ones or 4 medium ones) heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges 
3/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil 
3 tablespoons salt-packed capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped 
1-1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest 
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 
1 pound pasta – I used a ruffled long fettucine style pasta called “tripolini” but any flat and long pasta would work fine.

Heat garlic in oil in a saucepan over low heat until pale gold, about 10 minutes. Strain; reserve oil and garlic. Let cool.

Combine tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, the capers, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pour garlic oil and chips over tomato mixture. Marinate, covered, tossing occasionally, for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

Cook the pasta and drain reserving about 3 tbsp of the pasta water. Add warm pasta to the bowl with the tomatoes and toss gently. Add pasta water. Top with remaining 1/2 cup basil. Season with lots of black pepper. And enjoy!

Simple, Fresh Tomato Sauce

A basic, but awesome, Tomato Sauce Recipe

Extra Virgin olive oil – to coat bottom of pot 
one onion, coarsely chopped 
black pepper and sea salt (to taste) 
a sprinkle of red pepper flakes 
a sprinkle of dried oregano 
about Tomatoes, coarsely chopped
one head of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 can of organic tomato paste 
A handful of fresh basil and parsley – torn up (optional)
~or you can add a couple anchovies, some capers, and some olives (also optional)
 
Heat Olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onions, black pepper, red pepper, dried oregano. Cook until onions start getting translucent.

Add tomatoes and garlic. Stir well and cook for about 1/2 an hour until they start to form a sauce.

Turn heat to low. Add 1 small can of tomato paste. Stir in thoroughly and cook for another 15 minutes or so. Then at very end, add fresh herbs, and take off heat.

Don’t overcook this sauce – this isn’t a “Sunday Meat Sauce” – overcooking will bring in bitterness and you’ll find yourself wanting to add sugar to try to doctor it up. This is a fresh, bright, tomato sauce.

I plated this sauce over angel hair spaghetti and sprinkled more fresh raw parsley over each bowl along with freshly grated romano cheese. Absolutely delicious. The romano and parsley flavors were just superb. I then froze the rest of the sauce in individual meal-sized containers. You can use this frozen sauce as a base for a whole gamut of other sauces.

Grilled Zucchini with Green Olives, Grilled Zucchini With Green Olives, Cilantro, and Tomato

The flavor that somehow is produced with this combination of ingredients is sublime. I found this recipe in one of my absolute favorite cooking books, Vedge, by Rich Landau. It is a vegetarian cookbook that celebrates vegetables (Landau’s recipes are not about how to make up for the missing meat). We have loved every recipe we have tried.

​4 tablespoons olive oil 
2 teaspoons tamari 
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 
3 zucchinis, sliced lengthwise into three equal-sized planks 
1 tablespoon minced garlic 
3/4 cup diced tomatoes 
1/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, drained and sliced 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup vegetable stock 
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil with tamari, 1 teaspoon pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

Brush zucchini planks on all sides with the marinade.

Heat a grill pan on high, then sear the zucchini planks for about 2 minutes on each side, in batches if necessary (an outdoor grill works well: set grill to high and char each side until grill marks appear, 3 to 4 minutes total).

Arrange grilled zucchini on a serving dish. Meanwhile, start the sauce by heating the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. When oil begins to ripple, add garlic and brown. Add tomatoes, olives, salt, and remaining teaspoon of pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, add stock, and then cook until volume reduces by one quarter, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro, pour over grilled zucchini, and serve!

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Or if you are interested in our Classic Italian Tomato Sauces, Click here!