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Homegrown Tomato Recipes

Several dishes where homegrown tomatoes will shine.

Home Grown Tomatoes Add Fresh Flavor to Summer Recipes

Tomato lovers rejoice - tomato season is in full swing and promises to yeild a plentiful crop until fall. No matter if you indulge in a tomato and mayo sandwich or use them chopped as a bruschetta topper, enjoy home grown tomatoes now while they last.

See Related Story Home Grown Tomato Recipes 

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Fresh picked tomatoes, one of summer's culinary treats

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In spite of our hot, dry summer Missouri tomatoes are yielding a good crop. Backyard gardeners are delighted to see their tomato crop ripen. However, before you pick, it pays to know when to pick to get the best tomato.

Novice gardeners often leave tomatoes on the vine too long while waiting for the perfect tomato, but they often crck if lft oo long.

h. While waiting for the prefect tomato they often crack when left on the vine too long. Once the weather begins to cool and daytime temperatures stay below 60 degrees tomatoes will not ripen on the vine, so you may have baskets of green tomatoes to contend with. Just pick them and bring them inside to ripen.

Green tomatoes ripen easily by placing them on a sunny windowsill. On the farm we always wrapped individual green tomatoes in newspaper and layered in a box, no more than 2 layers deep, The box is then placed in a dark, dry spot. It usually takes 3-4 weeks for the green tomatoes to ripen, but check frequently and remove any fruits that show signs of rotting.

If you haven’t your own backyard tomatoes you’ll have to rely on the local farm crop. When selecting tomatoes at the market, use your nose. Smell the blossom (not stem) end. The most flavorful ones will have a rich tomato aroma. Select tomatoes that are round, full and feel heavy for their size, with no bruises or blemishes. The skin should be taut and not shriveled. Store fresh ripe tomatoes in a cool, dark place, stem-side down, and use within a few days.

For optimum flavor don’t refrigerate tomatoes. Refrigeration compromises its flavor and turns the flesh mealy, which is caused by a compound in the tomato called Z-3 hexenel that accounts for the tomato's scent and taste. If you must refrigerate a tomato, take it out about an hour before using it to let it return to room temp.

Home cooks and Area chefs are relishing the tomato crop, including Executive Chef Adam Lambay who over saw the Chaumette Tomato Festival and tasting dinner at its Grapevine Grill. This year Chef Adam has created a batch of tomato recipes for Chaumette’s new picnic basket menu. Featured dishes are his Tomato Roquefort Tart and Mediterranean Nachos (toasted pita chips with red pepper hummus, kalamata olives, cucumber, feta and fresh tomatoes).

“Chef Adam’s tomato tart is amazing,” said CSW Certified Sommelier Jennifer Johnson who recommended the Chaumette 2008 Spring Rose or the 2008 Semi-dry Chardonel to pair with the tomato tart. “Because of the high acid content tomatoes can be a little tricky to pair with wine. I like a Rose or something with light oak like a Chardonnay or Viognoier with a fresh tomato dish. However, if you're tomatoes are cooked - that calls for a completely different pairing."

Chef Adam has shared s few of his favorite tomato recipes with Patch readers. Give one a try while the tomatoes the local crop is plentiful.

Tomato Roquefort Tart

1 package puff pastry

  • 2 perfectly ripened summer tomatoes
  • 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1tablespoons crushed or chopped garlic
  • 1tsp fresh chopped oregano
  • 1/2  teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 4 oz Roquefort cheese; or a high quality bleu cheese like gorgonzola
  • 2oz of fresh grated parmesan

To marinate the tomatoes:

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan, and add the garlic to quickly sauté for no more than 1 minute, as to not ruin the olive oil. Turn off the heat, and add the fresh herbs, then add the sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper and coat the tomatoes well enough that they are equally seasoned.

To assemble the tarts:

Heat a separate, oven-friendly sauté pan or skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Drop in the puff pastry squares, until the bottom of each puff pastry is crispy. Layer the marinated tomato with Parmesan cheese on top of each, then place whole sauté pan in a 400-degree oven for 6-8 minutes or until the puff pastry is light-golden brown on top. Remove from oven, and the Roquefort cheese and let cool. Serves four.

Chef Adam's Oberle Meat Pizza

  • 1/4 onion, small, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced, or 1/2 tsp garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large farm fresh tomato, medium diced
  • 1 tablespoons sugar
  • 1tsp black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup Spring Rose wine
  • 1 sprig fresh oregano, chopped
  • 2-5 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
  • 8-ounces each Gruyere, aged white cheddar and mozzarella
  • 1 pound thick sliced Oberle Krakow Sausage*

Sauted the onion and garlic in the oil. Add the tomatoes, simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, allowing time to sweat out natural moisture and reduce by 1/2. Add sugar, salt, pepper and wine, and further reduce until it becomes thick, resembling the consistency of jam. Finally, remove from heat, and stir in the herbs. 

Spoon sauce onto crusts, add the cheese and sausage and bake at 425 degrees until golden brown, about 8 – 10 minutes.

* Oberle Krakow can be found online, at various grocers such as as Dierberg’s or at Oberle in Ste. Genevieve. If Krakow can’t be found substitute thinly sliced Canadian bacon. 

  • Tomato Jam
  • 1 large onion, diced, small
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 baseball sized tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup Norton red wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopping oregano
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 teapsoon fresh chopped thyme

Sweat the onions, garlic in oil, not allowing them to brown. Add the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, allowing the mixture to reduce by 1/2. Add the sugar, salt, pepper and Norton wine. Reduce by at least 1/2 or desired consistency and stir in the herbs, then turn off heat. Refrigerate. Jam will store for 10 days. Use as a condiment instead of ketchup or as a bruschetta topping.

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