vegetable of the week: tomatoes

meurtelken · 01-09-2009, 12:51

On the Flemish forum, we started the topic: vegetable of the week. A whole week, we discuss one vegetable and what we can do with it. How to prepare it, new recipes, favorite recipes...

How about we start this topic here too? I'm sure many of you can tell us their experiences with different veggies.

I would like to start with an easy one: tomatoes

They're available all year through. Please post your favorite tomato recipes or comments in this topic.

meurtelken · 01-09-2009, 12:57

Tomato salad

2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
30 ml olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
fresh thyme
fresh oregano
fresh parsley, chopped
fresh chives, chopped
garlic
parmesan cheese, grated
salt & pepper

Arrange your tomato slices in a shallow bowl.
Prepare the dressing and pour it over the tomatoes.
Sprinkle with the cheese. Season with salt & pepper.
Put the dish in the fridge for at least an hour, so all the flavors can blend.

TIP: arrange some diet mozzarella between the tomatoes, to add extra protein
TIP: if you have no access to fresh herbs, try dried herbs
TIP: add some finely chopped shallots for extra zing

meurtelken · 01-09-2009, 13:02

warm cherry tomatoes

300 gr cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
garlic to taste
dried basil
salt & pepper

Heat the oil. Add the tomatoes. Let them heat through, until they burst open. Add the garlic, basil, salt & pepper.
Toss well. Enjoy!

meurtelken · 01-09-2009, 13:07

tomato-lentil dish

100 gr dried lentils
235 ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
140 gr canned tomatoes
1 sweet potatoe, washed, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, with leaves
teaspoon of curry powder
garlic to taste
salt & pepper

Wash the lentils. Add the stock and bring them to the boil.
Add the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onion, celery, curry and garlic.
Simmer for about 45 min. Season with salt & pepper.

TIP: check for dry cooking. Add some more stock or water if necessary.
TIP: add some carrot slices

meurtelken · 01-09-2009, 13:14

ovenbaked tomatoes

500 gr tomatoes
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of dried thyme (or rosemary or oregano)
2 tablespoons of olive oil or canola oil

Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Chop the tomatoes roughly and layer them in an oven dish.
Sprinkle them with salt, herbs and oil.
Put the dish in the hot oven and turn off the temperature immediately.
Leave the dish in the oven for 12 hours. Don't open the door until the 12 hours are up. Keep the flavors inside

You can use these tomatoes whenever you need a tin of peeled tomatoes. These will taste so much better.
You can double the recipe of course. I freeze these tomatoes in ziploc bags. You can also put them in jars if you wish.

TIP: the skins come off and you can trash those if you wish. I like the skins, so I keep them. They don't bother me.

Anthill · 01-10-2009, 09:06

Thankyou Cathy for sharing ideas with us as I make fried tomataos on toast.

Olive oil.
tomatoes chopped.
some spices to what ever you have on hand??
A little sugar to taste.
toast.

Heat oil in pan and add the tomatoes and once that the tomatoes are cooked add the spices & sugar. Make your toast and tomatoes on the toast. Enjoy.

meurtelken · 01-10-2009, 09:42

I heard that the combo of tomatoes and hot oil, makes it easier for your body to absorb all the vitamines. So this recipe sounds nice!

Doesn't it make the toast soggy? Or do you eat it that fast that it doesn't get the chance?

Anthill · 01-10-2009, 10:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by meurtelken

Doesn't it make the toast soggy? Or do you eat it that fast that it doesn't get the chance?

I have it with toast without the butter and yes it do soak the toast but I love it.
I try to do away from using butter if I can as it's a proven cholesterol additive. However exercise will get the HDL (The good stuff) in your body. Much like the vitamin D as sunshine will get this going. And I can stand to be corrected here.
Tonight I had some fun with measuring the rice for counting carb value and with the database that's on the scales makes counting easy.
I must get some olive oil tomorrow and I will look for roma tomatoes too.