tomatoes

Summer Orzo Salad

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I just love summer!  We are right in the thick of it now with temps in the 90s and humid.  But I’m not complaining. I’m thankful for the season of laid back summer days, running around in the yard well into the evening and taking in the small moments.  Even if it’s for just a few minutes, I take time to be in the garden a few nights a week.  This is my meditation in the summer.  This week we’ve harvested plenty of cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and green beans.   And I took some time to be present and appreciate this season.  These moments are the beautiful, ordinary stuff of life.

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This salad is great for summer picnics and will not take a lot of time in the kitchen! I take this salad to so many picnics and potlucks because it’s so easy to make.  The “dressing” is really versatile and you can change up the vegetables to what you have.  I’ve made this with asparagus, spinach with or without the cucumber, different herbs…you name it.

 

 

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Ingredients:

Dressing:  1/4 c. red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp honey- whisk this all together in a bowl or shake it up in a jar

1 lb of orzo, cooked, drained and cooled

1 quart of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 cup of fresh basil, chopped

1 cucumber, seeded and cubed

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup chopped green onion or chives

Mix it all together and enjoy!!

 

 

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Salsa, Roasted Tomato Sauce and Why it’s ok to not deal with the tomatoes…

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First of all, I wanted to post this a few weeks ago. I hope you all still have tomatoes and can enjoy these recipes!!  Just the story of my life right now!

The other week I looked at my kitchen counter and saw all of the tomatoes and I’m like, I just can’t.  I can’t deal with the tomatoes.  In a previous life (a mere few months ago actually), I would take joy in arranging these tomatoes in a nice scattered yet organized way on an old tray or cutting board and take pictures in preparation for a blog post.  Then I would cook something up that’s simple and nutritious and tell the world, hey, this is soooooo easy guys.  There is no excuse to not eat this way.  And the other day, I threw a away a whole bowl of tomatoes that rotted on my counter…..this is not ok.  What IS okay, is not dealing with the tomatoes.  If you love to grow tomatoes and you can’t deal with them, give them away to a neighbor, take them to work, put a table out of “free tomatoes”.  Or just don’t buy the tomatoes.  Buy a jar of sauce, cut up a few vegetables and be done with it because you have chosen to do other things with your time at the moment.  Maybe you have said “yes” to a big project that is taking your time, maybe you are being present with your family, maybe you are just busy enough with everyday life.  Whatever it is, it’s ok and you can’t do it all.  Obviously, this is not about the tomatoes but intentionally saying yes or no to the important things in your life and being okay with it.  Here are two very easy recipes so you can deal with those tomatoes without too much thinking involved!

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Salsa

6 Larger Tomatoes, diced

small red onion, minced (about 1-2 tablespoons)

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

Dash of balsamic vinegar

1 small jalapeño paper, minced (optional)

bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Combine the onion, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl first (this mellows out the onion).  Then mix all of the ingredients together.  Eat with tortilla chips and it’s also excellent with eggs!!

 

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Roasted Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes, quartered (around 2 lbs) or 6-8 larger tomatoes

1 onion, quartered

any type of pepper, quartered

fresh oregano and rosemary (or dried Italian herbs)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375.  Chop all of the vegetables and toss with herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet with sides and line with parchment paper if you prefer easy clean up.  Roast for 45 min-1 hour.  Remove the vegetables and place in a pot and either puree with an immersion blender, place in a blender or just smash with a fork or potato masher if you prefer chunky  sauce.  Eat with pasta or over zucchini “noodles” or an easy dinner!

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Roasted Tomato and Leek Soup

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This time of year my kitchen counter is constantly filled with tomatoes.  We have a good bit from our garden (not as many as I hoped) and a bunch from our CSA.  It’s not exactly soup weather yet, but once the cooler weather starts to hit, I will be in full soup mode.  I’m not quite ready for that yet, but I had plenty of tomatoes to use and leeks. If you don’t have leeks, any white onion will do.  I love to use fresh tomatoes in soups and sauces.  I like this soup because it is simple, no fuss and freezes well. And it’s also kid friendly and packed with veggies!   It it just perfect with some toasted crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Ingredients

Tomatoes, quartered (around 2 lbs)

extra-virgin olive oil

1 large leek, white and light green portions, diced

1-2 carrots, diced

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves

pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.  Quarter the tomatoes and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet (with sides so the juices do not spill) cut side up.  Roast for about 2 hours until the tomatoes are slightly caramelized.  Your house will smell amazing!

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In a dutch oven, saute the diced leek, garlic and carrots in olive oil until softened, around 10 min. Salt and pepper the mixture.  Add the tomato paste to the mixture and cook for another minute or two.  Add the roasted tomatoes and any juices and the stock, thyme and honey and simmer for about 30-45 minutes.

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Puree the soup with an immersion blender or work in batches and puree the soup in a blender until smooth.  Adjust the consistency with stock if needed and season with salt and pepper. I also add some crushed red pepper for a little heat, depending on your taste.  Serve with parmesan shavings and a drizzle of olive oil.

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