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Tips for Best Tomato Taste Choose unblemished ripe tomatoes from a farmers’ market or your family garden. Heirloom varieties come in different flavors and colors—for example, yellow tomatoes are generally milder and less acidic; some types remain green when fully ripe. Never store tomatoes in the refrigerator; they’ll lose flavor and get mealy. To make peeling easier, core the tomato, then scrape the blade of a small paring knife over the skin to loosen it. Oven-Dried Tomatoes Halve ripe tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the sheet in the oven on the lowest temperature (150 to 170 degrees) and let the tomatoes dry for 8 hours, until they’re shrunken but still a little plump. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months. Keep reading for nine more ideas!  Tomato Salad with Tahini Dressing Slice garden-ripe tomatoes (unpeeled) into thick slices; use an assortment of heirloom varieties for best taste and presentation. Thoroughly blend 2 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Drizzle dressing over tomatoes.  No-Cook Tomato Sauce This is a super fast, almost one-pot dish that’s ideal for the heat of summer when tomatoes are at their ripest. There’s nothing to it: Just fresh tomatoes, olive oil and basil. Perfect with whole-wheat spaghetti or as a bruschetta topping. Try this recipe today!  Easy Tomato Sauce Peel and seed 6 ripe tomatoes; coarsely chop and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. Bring tomatoes to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until you have a thick sauce, about 30 minutes. Add chopped fresh basil. Makes enough to sauce 4 servings of pasta.  Perfect Tomato Soup This recipe from Chef Meg uses 2 pounds of ripe summer tomatoes; it’s creamy but contains no cream. Ask at your farmstand for less-expensive blemished tomatoes to use for this soup.  Summer Tomato Salad #1 Halve 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (red, yellow or mixed). Add 1 cup of ciliegine (mini fresh mozzarella balls). Add zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons good olive oil, sliced fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste.  Summer Tomato Salad #2 Halve 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (red, yellow or mixed). Peel, seed and dice 1 ripe avocado. Toss tomatoes and avocado with juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons good olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Best Summer Tomato Sandwich Toast 2 thick slices of whole-grain or sourdough bread; spread 1 slice with prepared hummus (plain or flavored), add thick slices of the best, ripest tomato you can find and top with the other slice of toasted bread. Enjoy—with a napkin.  Fresh Tomato Salsa When tomatoes are in season, ditch the store-bought salsa and make your own! It’s easy: just chop tomatoes, green onion, garlic and peppers. Here’s how.  Grilled Chicken Stuffed with Tomato and Basil For each serving, begin with a boneless, skinless chicken breast; use a knife to cut a deep pocket starting at the thickest edge (not all the way through). Open the chicken breast like a book; season with salt and pepper and layer two slices of ripe tomato and 3 or 4 large fresh basil leaves. Close the pocket and use toothpicks to secure; rub outside of chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill on medium heat until done, 8 to 10 minutes per side.  Bryn Mooth is extending her 20-year career in publishing as an independent journalist and copywriter. She shares seasonal recipes, kitchen techniques, healthy eating tips and food wisdom on her blog writes4food.com. Want more healthy recipes? Be sure to subscribe to SparkPeople's Recipe of the Day email. Click here to sign up! Did you know SparkRecipes is now on Facebook? Click here to "Like" us! Like this blog? Then you'll love "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight." What is your favorite way to eat tomatoes--aside from plain, that is? |
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