Every week in summer brings new flavours from the garden, and tomatoes in season have the best flavour.
They’re at their best at room temperature, so unless you are going to keep them for more than three days. leave them on the counter. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before eating fresh.
When refrigerating, place tomatoes in the crisper drawer in their original clamshell package, a paper bag or a plastic bag with a few slits. Doing this will prevent moisture loss.
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Scooping out the seeds and gel from the inside of a tomato is throwing away both flavour and nutrition. There is also lots of flavour and different nutrients in the skin.
Puff pastry tomato tarts
- 1/2 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp. olive oil 15 mL
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 package brie cheese
- 1 tsp. basil pesto 5 mL
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Gently roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a flat 10 x 10-inch (25 x 25 cm) square. Cut into four equal squares for the tarts. Using a sharp knife, score a line about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) from all edges to create a border on each tart. Be careful to not cut all the way through. Use a fork to generously prick the centre of the tarts all over.
Set tarts onto the parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine tomato halves, olive oil, crushed garlic, basil pesto, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir until tomatoes are well coated. Set aside.
Remove partially baked tart bases from the oven. If the centres have puffed up, use the bottom of a glass to press down only the centres of the tart.
Cut cheese into 1/4 inch thick (.6 cm) rectangles and remove the skin of the brie. Place a single layer in the middle of each tart, leaving the edges clear. Arrange tomatoes cut-side up on top of the cheese in a single layer, and brush the tart borders with beaten egg.
Return tarts to oven and bake until tart borders are golden brown and tomatoes are lightly roasted, 12 to 14 minutes.
They are best served warm, although serving at room temperature is fine.
Tomato and corn pie
- 1/3 c. mayonnaise 75 mL
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 30 mL
- 6-8 sheets of phyllo pastry
- 3 tbsp. butter, melted 45 mL
- 1 3/4 lb. beefsteak tomatoes 750 g
- 1 1/2 c. fresh corn kernels, coarsely chopped by hand 375 mL
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped chives, divided 15 mL
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper, divided 1 mL
- 1 3/4 c. coarsely grated sharp cheddar, divided 425 mL
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) with rack in middle.
Combine mayonnaise and lemon juice and set aside.
Brush melted butter on the inside of a springform pan or pie plate. Fit in one sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Do the same for the remainder of the phyllo sheets.
Slice tomatoes crosswise 1/4 inch (.6 cm) thick. Arrange half of tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of corn, 1/2 tablespoon (7 mL) chives, 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt, 1/8 teaspoon (.5 mL) pepper and one cup (250 mL) of grated cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, chives, salt and pepper. Pour lemon mayonnaise over filling and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Fold the edges of the phyllo sheets to cover the top. Brush top with melted butter.
Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes, and then cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Pico de gallo
- 3 c. roma tomatoes 750 mL
- 3/4 c. chopped cilantro
- 1/2 c. minced red onion 125 mL
- 3 tbsp. jalapeno, finely diced 45 mL
- 2 tbsp. lime juice 30 mL
- 1 tsp. salt 5 mL
Stir tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime and salt together in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or chill up to three days.
Braised romano beans with spicy cherry tomato sauce & lemony ground walnuts
- 2 tbsp. olive oil 30 mL
- 1 medium shallot, small dice
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 2 mL
- 1/2-1 tsp. dried chili flakes 2-5 mL
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika 1 mL
- 1 tbsp. capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped 15 mL
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste 30 mL
- 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved 500 g
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 c. water 125 mL
- 3/4 lb. green romano beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/4 c. walnut pieces 60 mL
- 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest 2 mL
- 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley 60 mL
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once the pan is hot, pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the shallots and thyme to the pan and stir. Cook until the shallots are translucent and soft, stirring often, about three to four minutes.
Add the chili and smoked paprika to the pan and stir for about 30 seconds. Then, add the capers and garlic. Keep stirring until garlic is very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste to the pan and break it up with the back of your spoon. Keep stirring and mashing the bits of tomato paste until it has darkened a shade or two.
Add cherry tomatoes to the pan and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the cherry tomato sauce base for five minutes. Then, add the water to the pan and stir. Let sauce simmer another five minutes. The sauce should be slightly thick but still liquid enough to move around the pan easily.
Add cut green romano beans to the pan along with some more salt and pepper, if desired. Stir to coat the beans in the sauce. Bring the sauce and beans to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the beans and continue to simmer until they are tender and the sauce has thickened around the beans, about 15 to 18 minutes. Stir occasionally.
While the beans are simmering, finely chop the walnuts and mix them together in a small bowl with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt.
Once the beans are tender, serve them warm with the lemony walnut mixture and parsley sprinkled on top.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and avid supporter of local food producers. She has been a market vendor, grew up on a farm in southeastern Saskatchewan and is a member of TEAM Resources.
