Tagged: tomatoes

September 11, 2017

Tomato Chickpea Salad

Tomato Chickpea Salad
When I went to the farmers market over the weekend, I thought it would have been pumpkins and gourds all over, but I was thrilled to see tomatoes taking up most of the stands. Summer isn’t over yet, and I will be consuming every last bit of it before I welcome those warming autumn flavors like cinnamon and apples that I swear I love so much—I’m just not ready for them to take over.

I dug deep in the pantry for the last can of garbanzo beans for this tomato chickpea salad. Instead of just mixing everything together as is, I roasted both the tomatoes and chickpeas. While they were in the oven, I made a little quinoa to bulk up the salad. I didn’t even bother with any vinaigrette. The tomatoes broke up a little bit giving those grains and greens a lot of flavor.
Tomato Chickpea Salad

Tomato Chickpea Salad

Serves 2

1-15 ounce can chickpeas
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus more for serving
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 ounces baby arugula

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Pat them dry with paper towels. Remove any loose outer skins. In a small bowl, toss the chickpeas with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Spread in a single layer on one of the prepared sheet pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp and browned, gently shaking the pan about halfway through cooking.

Place the cherry tomatoes in a single layer on the other prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt & 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Roast for 20-25 until they are slightly wrinkled.

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Add the salt & pepper. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let the quinoa cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, carefully stir together the chickpeas, tomatoes, quinoa, scallions and arugula. The tomatoes will fall apart a little bit. Season with additional salt & pepper as desired.

August 28, 2017

Fresh Herb Pappardelle

Fresh Herb Pappardelle
As much as it breaks my heart, our beautiful, bountiful container garden is just about kaput for the season. We are harvesting the last round of Super Sweet 100, Amish Paste and Cherokee Purple tomatoes, and I’ve already started buying basil again instead of picking it from the boxes on our back deck. Our garden was good while it lasted!

With a tangle of chives, rosemary and a few store-bought greens, I made a batch of fresh herb pappardelle. It was so aromatic and flavorful that I only tossed it in garlic-infused olive oil along with rainbow cherry tomatoes, zucchini ribbons and torn fresh mozzarella. I sprinkled on more herbs, flaky sea salt and black pepper for this simple late August meal.

Fresh Herb Pappardelle

Serves 4

For pasta

5 ounces all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
5 ounces semolina
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (chives, basil, rosemary, thyme)

For serving
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into ribbons
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon minced chives
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pulse the flour, semolina and salt in a food processor. Add the eggs, olive oil and herbs and pulse until the dough forms. Shape the dough into a round disk and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight. (If the dough is refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling out the pasta.)

Divide the pasta dough into 4 pieces keeping them covered. Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten slightly and feed through the smooth rollers of a pasta machine starting at the widest setting. Fold the pasta sheet in half each time it is fed through at a narrower setting until the pasta sheet is very thin but does not tear. Place the pasta sheets on a floured work surface to dry for 10 minutes.

Cut the pasta sheets into 12-inch lengths. Sprinkle with flour and roll them up loosely. Using a knife, trim the rough edges and cut into 1-inch wide strips. Unroll and place the strips on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes until al dente.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss the pasta into the oil before transferring to a large bowl and stirring in the tomatoes, zucchini, mozzarella, chives, salt and pepper.

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August 14, 2017

Corn Edamame Succotash

Corn Edamame Succotash
Yesterday at the farmers market I picked out 4 ears of corn and a bunch of scallions. We are coping with a major tomato surplus in our garden, so I am trying to balance it out with other fresh fruit and veggies. Don’t get me wrong—I’m NOT complaining. Having too many tomatoes is an absolute dream. Fingers crossed we can recreate this magical soil mix, so we have the same bounty next summer.

When I was about to pay for everything at the market, the farmer said I should grab 2 more ears of corn, because 4 were the same price as 6. I didn’t read the sign to see the deal. At home I fired up the grill and made corn edamame succotash. The classic version uses lima beans, but I had a partial bag of edamame stashed in my freezer. Plus edamame is way more exciting than lima beans, right?

Corn Edamame Succotash

Serves 4-6

3 ears corn, shucked
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus more for serving
1-1/2 cups shelled edamame, cooked
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, if large
2 scallions thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chives

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.

Rub the corn with 1 teaspoon olive oil and grill until lightly charred, about 5-7 minutes. Let the corn cool slightly before slicing the kernels off the cob.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and the remaining olive oil.

In a large bowl, combine the corn, edamame, tomatoes, scallions and chives. Stir in the lemon vinaigrette. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

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June 26, 2017

Zucchini Noodles and Cherry Tomatoes

Every year when tomato season is in full swing it becomes part of my daily routine to roast a sheet pan full of sliced tomatoes. It doesn’t matter the size, color or variety, I drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle on salt & pepper. Then they wrinkle a bit in the oven revealing their most tomato-y flavor.

The time had come to give the oven a rest and enjoy summer in the raw. I pulled out my spiralizer and made zucchini noodles and cherry tomatoes with pesto and fresh mozzarella. Not cooking these “zoodles” kept them a bit crunchy. I marinated the tomatoes in olive oil and garlic.

Zucchini Noodles and Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 2

1-1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon black pepper plus more for serving
3 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons basil pesto
1/4 cup torn basil
3 ounces mozzarella, torn into pieces

In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Trim and spiralize the zucchini. Cut any long noodles, so they are about the length of spaghetti. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the pesto. Add the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper before serving.