all turned out well.
LBO COOKS: TOMATOES
TOMATO GAZPACHO
by Jamie Deen
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 medium shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup good extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnishing
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Add the tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, bell pepper and shallot to a large bowl and toss together with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add to a blender and blend until smooth (you may have to do this in batches). Then drizzle in the olive oil and vinegar with the blender running. Place back in the bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavors to develop and for the soup to chill.
Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with olive oil to serve.
TOMATO PARTY
from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
¾ cup couscous
Salt
Olive oil
2/3 cup boiling water
1 cup fregola, or Israeli couscous, (or double the amount of couscous)
3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
¾ teaspoon brown sugar
Black pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons roughly chopped oregano
2 tablespoons roughly chopped tarragon
3 tablespoons roughly chopped mint
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small green tomato, cut into thin wedges
¾ cup red cherry tomatoes, halved
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the couscous in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Pour over the boiling water, stir, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside for 12 minutes, then remove the plastic wrap, separate the grains with a fork and leave to cool.
Place the fregola in a pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 18 minutes, or until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Leave to dry completely.
Meanwhile, spread the quartered vine tomatoes over half of a large baking pan and sprinkle with the sugar and some salt and pepper. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and some oil over the top. Place in the oven. After about 20 minutes remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees. On the empty side of the baking pan, spread the yellow tomatoes. Season them with salt and pepper and drizzle over some oil. Return to the oven and roast for 12 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and allow to cool down.
Mix together the couscous and fregola in a large bowl. Add the herbs, garlic, cooked tomatoes with all their juices, the green tomato and cherry tomatoes. Very gently mix together using your hands.
TOMATO GALETTE
By Midwest Living
For Crust:
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
4 -6 tablespoons cold water
For Filling:
4 large heirloom tomatoes, cored (about 2 pounds)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
4 -6 ounces semisoft goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
Fresh basil leaves
In a large bowl cut butter into flour until pieces are pea-size. Stir in Parmesan and cracked pepper. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of cold water until all of the dough is moistened. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.
Slice the tomatoes about 1/4-inch-thick and arrange on a wire rack over a baking pan or paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to about a 13-inch circle. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Evenly spread bread crumbs on pastry, leaving about a 2-inch border. Layer tomatoes, shallot, thyme and goat cheese on bread crumbs. Fold crust over filling, pleating as necessary and leaving some filling exposed in center. Combine egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush on edges of pastry.
Bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is browned and crisp. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with fresh basil.
CONCHIGLIE WITH TOMATO, MOZZARELLA AND FRESH HERBS
From Anne Casale's Italian Family Cooking.
Combine in a non-reactive bowl:
10 large ripe plum tomatoes (2 lb.), peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
1/2 cup minced Italian parsley leaves
3 tbs. minced oregano
3 tbs. capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Toss well, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
1 lb. conchiglie (medium shells)
Salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 oz. Mozzarella, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (fresh is best)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Additional Parmesan for serving
Boil pasta in salted water. Toss in a bowl with the olive oil. Add 1/4 of the sauce and 1/2 the Mozzarella and toss well. Top with remaining sauce, remaining Mozzarella and ½ cup Parmesan. Serve additional Parmesan on the side.
LBO COOKS: TOMATOES
TOMATO GAZPACHO
by Jamie Deen
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 medium shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup good extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnishing
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Add the tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, bell pepper and shallot to a large bowl and toss together with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add to a blender and blend until smooth (you may have to do this in batches). Then drizzle in the olive oil and vinegar with the blender running. Place back in the bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavors to develop and for the soup to chill.
Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with olive oil to serve.
TOMATO PARTY
from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
¾ cup couscous
Salt
Olive oil
2/3 cup boiling water
1 cup fregola, or Israeli couscous, (or double the amount of couscous)
3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
¾ teaspoon brown sugar
Black pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons roughly chopped oregano
2 tablespoons roughly chopped tarragon
3 tablespoons roughly chopped mint
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small green tomato, cut into thin wedges
¾ cup red cherry tomatoes, halved
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the couscous in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Pour over the boiling water, stir, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside for 12 minutes, then remove the plastic wrap, separate the grains with a fork and leave to cool.
Place the fregola in a pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 18 minutes, or until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Leave to dry completely.
Meanwhile, spread the quartered vine tomatoes over half of a large baking pan and sprinkle with the sugar and some salt and pepper. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and some oil over the top. Place in the oven. After about 20 minutes remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees. On the empty side of the baking pan, spread the yellow tomatoes. Season them with salt and pepper and drizzle over some oil. Return to the oven and roast for 12 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and allow to cool down.
Mix together the couscous and fregola in a large bowl. Add the herbs, garlic, cooked tomatoes with all their juices, the green tomato and cherry tomatoes. Very gently mix together using your hands.
TOMATO GALETTE
By Midwest Living
For Crust:
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
4 -6 tablespoons cold water
For Filling:
4 large heirloom tomatoes, cored (about 2 pounds)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
4 -6 ounces semisoft goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
Fresh basil leaves
In a large bowl cut butter into flour until pieces are pea-size. Stir in Parmesan and cracked pepper. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of cold water until all of the dough is moistened. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.
Slice the tomatoes about 1/4-inch-thick and arrange on a wire rack over a baking pan or paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to about a 13-inch circle. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Evenly spread bread crumbs on pastry, leaving about a 2-inch border. Layer tomatoes, shallot, thyme and goat cheese on bread crumbs. Fold crust over filling, pleating as necessary and leaving some filling exposed in center. Combine egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush on edges of pastry.
Bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is browned and crisp. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with fresh basil.
CONCHIGLIE WITH TOMATO, MOZZARELLA AND FRESH HERBS
From Anne Casale's Italian Family Cooking.
Combine in a non-reactive bowl:
10 large ripe plum tomatoes (2 lb.), peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
1/2 cup minced Italian parsley leaves
3 tbs. minced oregano
3 tbs. capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Toss well, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
1 lb. conchiglie (medium shells)
Salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 oz. Mozzarella, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (fresh is best)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Additional Parmesan for serving
Boil pasta in salted water. Toss in a bowl with the olive oil. Add 1/4 of the sauce and 1/2 the Mozzarella and toss well. Top with remaining sauce, remaining Mozzarella and ½ cup Parmesan. Serve additional Parmesan on the side.