FEATURED PRODUCE: 1 Ingredient 3 Ways: Tomatoes
Now’s the prime time for sweet summer tomatoes.
Rich in the anti-oxidant lycopene, as well as beta-carotene, folate, potassium, vitamin C, flavonoids, and vitamin E, these sweet summer fruits – that we typically think of as a vegetable – are as healthy as they are versatile and delicious.
Here are three great ways to serve them up:
Feature them in a salad. Meaning literally “Salad of Capri,” a Caprese salad highlights the juicy sweetness of summer tomatoes, combining tastes and textures that easily transport you to Italy with every bite. Layer slices of tomato with fresh mozzarella. Garnished with leaves of fresh basil, and season the salad with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Add roasted red peppers, or some aged balsamic vinegar to change up the flavor. Or chop them up with some cucumbers, red onion and fresh mint leaves, and dress with red wine vinegar, salt and a little sugar.
Heat them up and turn them into a side dish or topping. Oven-roasting deepens the rich, sweet flavor of tomatoes.Chop tomatoes, slice red onions and toss with whole garlic cloves and fresh herbs. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Roast on low heat at 300F for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the tomatoes are wrinkly. Serve as a topping or side dish with fish, chicken or scrambled eggs.
Blend them into liquid to sip or spoon. Make fresh tomato juice in your own kitchen! Puree 6 pounds of tomatoes in a food processor with 6 celery ribs, 2 cups chopped parsley and sea salt in batches until smooth. Chill for at least one hour. Strain the solids out through a medium sieve into a bowl to leave fresh juice. Drink it as is. Or mix it with vodka and customize Bloody Marys with varying amounts of hot sauce, horseradish, and lemon juice. Garnish with a celery stick and lemon wedge.