By David Harbilas

Tomatoes are a natural in quesadillas, and while one could easily chop fresh tomatoes and Vidalia onions and just layer them between tortillas, why not make use of the tomato-vidalia onion jam recipe in the previous post?

There are, of course, other variations with the same ingredients, such as grilled slices of the tomatoes and onions, cooling them and cutting them into chunks and then mixing them into a sort of relish.

Even a puree of the ingredients that is stewed into a thick paste would make a fine sauce for just about anything.

The thick jam lends itself well to a quesadilla, especially when paired with diced, roasted chicken.

Makes 2 quesadillas

• 1 recipe of tomato-onion jam (see previous post)
• 2 large flour tortillas
• About 1 cup shredded jack cheese Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

This is hardly a jam in the traditional sense, though it does contain some sugar, lending it a jam-like consistency.

Vidalia onions are a special type of onion, in that they contain a great deal of water and sugar.

Just slicing into them will yield a slight spray of juice, which in fact makes a superb sauce of its own–a subject for another post.

This jam makes a terrific accompaniment to some sliced cheese, but can also be spread on a sandwich with some sliced, grilled beef.

Makes about 1 cup of jam

• 1 large Vidalia onion
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• ¼ cup sugar Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Heirloom tomatoes are often so special and delicious that they need little more than a little salt, pepper, and olive oil.

While this dressing may sound complicated, it is in fact very simple.

A little goes a long way, as it is quite rich, so use it as sparingly as possible–or excessively, if you like.

Serves 2

• 3 heirloom slicing tomatoes, such as brandywine or purple Cherokee
• 1 medium sized red beet
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

For some reason, beets and tomatoes are rarely paired together on menus, and while there’s probably a good reason for that I don’t know what it is.

Roasting beets concentrates their sweetness, and what goes better with sweet flavors than tomatoes?

Serves 2

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 12 baby beets, any color or a combination of colors like red, yellow, and chioggia
• ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled Read the rest of this entry »

Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Tomatoes by nature are beautiful plants.

The emerald green leaves provide a clean backdrop that enhances the fuzzy stems that glisten in the morning sunlight.

Later on in the season, the landscape is greeted with bright yellow blooms that, depending on the variety, turn into balls of crimson, gold and green.

These plants do not have to be hidden away in the vegetable garden but instead can be showcased in planters, flowerbeds, and rose gardens.

Planters

Several different planters can be used to Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Coulis is little more than a fancy word for puree, but in this case I use a raw tomato puree as a base for a simple sauce.

Garlic, which is nearly as versatile as tomatoes, provides the base of the sauce, which is enriched with the tomato puree.

Usually garlic forms a flavor base for tomato sauce, so the opposite technique is used here despite the red appearance of the sauce.

This recipe doesn’t yield a large amount, which is fine since it carries a lot of flavor. It goes best with a simple grilled or sautéed fish, shrimp, or scallop dish.

Makes about 1 cup of sauce

• 2 heads of garlic
• About ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tomatoes Read the rest of this entry »