Posted on 10 August 2010 by tomatocasual.com
By David Harbilas
I’ve been laboring over ways to “update” the traditional caprese salad and came to the conclusion that it simply can’t be done.
Bruschetta made with the exact same ingredients, however, is as close to reinvention as this combination needs.
The tomatoes are dressed in exactly the same manner, and the mozzarella helps to keep the whole thing together, adding a level of savory to go with the sweet.
Makes 6 bruschetta
- 6 slices of crusty baguette, about ½ in thick
- 1 clove of garlic
- About ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 08 August 2010 by tomatocasual.com
By David Harbilas
Salsas are little more than a mixture of diced vegetables dressed with olive oil and either vinegar or citrus juice, which makes the use of fresh vegetables all the more important.
Here, the sweetness of ripe tomatoes is contrasted with peppery radishes that are mellowed slightly by being marinated in lemon juice.
Chopped parsley lends another floral quality, while a good extra virgin olive oil adds fruit.
Serves 4
- About 1 pound sea scallops, dry
- 3 medium, vine-ripe tomatoes
- 4 small red globe radishes
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf pasley
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 06 August 2010 by tomatocasual.com
By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter
Being brought up in the country I have a different viewpoint on deer damaging my garden especially my tomatoes.
My parents and I relished the times that the deer roamed freely across the yard.
And while we did loose vegetables and fruits to those beautiful deer it was a minor price to pay.
Some of my Dad’s neighbors shot the deer because they were eating into their farm profits and the law said they could do it without any repercussions but for my family the cost of loosing 1 deer over a few tomatoes was not worth it.
But as we as a society move farther into the country the encounters with deer increases. Some again will shoot the deer only to end up with a dead deer and missing produce. Some will try dogs, bullhorns Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 04 August 2010 by tomatocasual.com
By David Harbilas
This is a soup that seems to be best during the colder months of autumn but is really at home in summer, when the vegetables are at their peak.
The method couldn’t be simpler: roast each of the vegetables and puree with a little stock and cream.
Eggplant is surprisingly similar to tomato in its meaty quality.
What is lacks in sweetness it makes up for in depth of flavor that even the staunchest of vegetarians can’t resist as a close substitute to beef.
Yields ½ gallon of soup
Posted on 02 August 2010 by tomatocasual.com
By David Harbilas
Corn and tomatoes go together like sunshine and joy.
Here the tomatoes add a sweetness to the plain, old butter spread.
Tarragon is also a natural partner to corn, and if you don’t like tarragon parsley is another good choice.
Yields about 1 cup butter
- 4 large ears of corn
- About 1 cup of milk
- 1 stick of butter
- 4 roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2 additional sticks of butter
- olive oil Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 31 July 2010 by tomatocasual.com
By Jenn Mercer
During the holidays, many people enjoy getting together for cookie exchanges.
The idea is simple and the logic impeccable.
When you make a batch of cookies, you get a lot of one kind of cookie.
If you want two kinds of cookies, you need to make two batches (mmm… no downsides here). But — if you want a dozen different kinds of cookies, your kitchen is going to be trashed; you’ll have cookies coming out of your ears, and your jeans will have suddenly shrunk two sizes.
As I tried to decide what kinds of tomatoes to grow this year, I realized I had a similar problem. Even the most expensive hybrids usually have 12 seeds to a packet. Why not have a Seedling Exchange?
As with a cookie exchange, laying out a few ground rules in the beginning can avoid a lot of disappointment later.
