Mexican Caviar

Yes, another tomato recipe - 'tis the season! :o)
I actually made this several weeks ago when my sister and her family were visiting, so I had to use store-bought tomatoes. It was still tasty, but I think with fresh-from-the-garden fruits, the flavor would be amazing!

Mexican Caviar
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
5 green onions, chopped
3 TBS olive oil
3 1/2 TBS tarragon vinegar
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (2.25 oz) can chopped black olives
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp salt
In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight before serving.

Caprese Salad

One the of the simplest, tastiest ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes and basil is the classic Caprese salad. Jess and I had this with our supper the other night, using the first ripe tomato and some fresh basil from the garden.

I like to chiffonade my basil and sprinkle over the top of the sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Add a little salt and pepper, then a quick drizzle of olive oil.

This was a fresh and flavorful side dish that we served with grilled chicken.

Tomato Time!

It's time for tomatoes from our garden. They're several weeks late this year, but we haven't had an abundance of hot weather all summer, and that's what they need. Anyway, late ripeners they may be, but they're finally red and finally ready for feasting!
I've posted a couple of tomato recipes in the past couple of years, including Roasted Tomato Soup and cheese topped tomato slices. We'll make these again, but I'm also trying some new things. Tonight was this cheese and tomato tart from Our Best Bites. It was easy to whip up with a purchased pie crust that was in the frig needing to be used.
Cheese and Tomato Tart
1 recipe for pie crust (or just use a pre-made pie crust if you're short on time)3/4 c. light sour cream (I had to use part sour cream, part plain yogurt)
1/3 c. light mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
1 Tbsp. coarse grain or Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, minced

4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2-3 Tbsp. butter (I used 2 TBS olive oil, 1 TBS butter)

8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded

3-4 fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare pie crust and place in the bottom of a 9" pie plate. Set aside (preferably in the fridge).

Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until tender and fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese. Set aside. (This is where I added the onions/garlic mixture. The recipe didn't say when to add them in.)

Slice tomatoes about 1/4" thick and layer in the bottom of the pie plate.
Top with cheese/sour cream mixture.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the top is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to stand at least 30 minutes in order to set. Cut into 12 wedges and serve! This can be served by itself as an appetizer or with a spinach or Romaine salad with a light vinaigrette for brunch. Or a snack pretty much any time you want...

You can see that this was pretty wet, and not really set up when I cut it to serve for supper. Before putting it away in the frig, I did pour off some of the wetness, and hopefully it'll be firmer tomorrow.

It is very rich, so a small piece is a good idea. If I make this again, I'll add some fresh herbs to the cheese mixture.

Jessi's review: "It's different."

Holy Mexican Caviar, Batman!

This post was written in August 2008 and never published. I must've been wanting a photo of the finished product. Here you go anyway - put this on your list of stuff to make next summer! (Feb. 1, 2011)

With all the rain we had in the Spring (and my procrastination), the tomatoes and jalapenos were planted a bit late and are just now, today, giving forth of their fruits. And look how many fruits they put forth!

I've been patiently waiting for these lovelies and I know just what I'm doing with part of this first batch. Wanna hear? Yes? Good - because I'm telling you. :o)

When our families were here for supper one Saturday night a few weeks ago, I made a new-to-me recipe that was a huge hit, and I'm making it again.

It's called "Mexican Caviar" and it is deee-licious:



Prep Time: 10 Minutes


Ready In: 6 Hours 10 Minutes


Yields: 32 servings


INGREDIENTS:

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

5 green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

1 (2.25 ounce) can chopped black olives

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Touch of Summer

The weather today gave us hope. Hope for an end to this long, long winter. So for supper tonight I made something I saw on "Everyday Italian" the other day. I think the show was done in the summertime because she had some fresh heirloom tomatoes. I had some "on the vine" from WalMart, but you can bet I'll be making this again come summer - and probably before.

Giada cut her tomatoes into 1/2" thick slices and arranged them on the serving plate. Then she mixed some soft goat cheese with cream to thin it out. I used fat-free half and half. No amount to give you, just keep mixing it in little by little until the cheese is creamy. Dollop on top of the tomato slices.

Then Giada put a bunch of fresh basil and fresh mint in the food processor to chop it up, then drizzled in about a cup of olive oil. This she spooned on top of the dollops of cheese.

I simply plucked some fresh basil leaves from my plant (that has stayed alive all winter and I love it!) and made a chiffonade. Sprinkled over the cheese, and added a teeny drizzle of olive oil.

We both sprinkled with some salt and pepper.

This was very tasty and I'm thinking the leftover cheese will be used to make it again tomorrow for lunch.

Preserving the bounty

If you know me at all, you know that I intensely dislike canning food. It's hot, messy, tedious, and potentially dangerous. I do, however, want to be able to enjoy some summer sunshine during the cold, bleak winter days. I'm able to do that with just a fraction of the effort by freezing my garden bounty, and this year I will have the tastiest roasted tomato sauce to make into soup and sauces.

I have a tomato-basil soup recipe from Barefoot Contessa that I discovered last winter. Paid dearly for those fresh tomatoes and basil, but very much enjoyed the end product. This year I grew my own and with the help of the Kalyn's Kitchen blog, I've got summer wrapped up in the freezer. Wish you could have smelled this while it was cooking...

Here's what I did:

Washed and chopped up the tomatoes. I can't tell you how many pounds, but I got a 9x13 pan and an 11x15 pan full. Chopped several cloves of garlic and sprinkled over. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of red chili pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, stir, and pop into a 375 degree oven for about an hour, or until tomatoes begin to brown. I did not add any herbs - will do that when I use it in a recipe - gives me a little more versatility.

Here's the tomato basil soup recipe that I'll use it in:

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Copyright, 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice

4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 quart chicken stock or water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

(I won't have to do the tomato roasting, obviously, but can just put it all together to heat up. Oh, and the soup freezes nicely, too.)