Tomatoes Recipes

Heirloom tomatoesTomatoes are the classic summer garden vegetable. Here on the farm, we grow heirloom tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes that are lovely in so many salads, chilies, salsas, sautees, and other tasty dishes. Is your favorite tomato recipe listed below? If not, let us know what it is!

Parmesan Polenta with Sausage Ragù

Cornmeal, different grinds

Both the polenta and the ragù can be made ahead of time, for a quick, easy, yet delicious weekday meal.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound Nash’s Italian sausage
1 red onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups Nash’s medium-grind cornmeal (use the coarse grind if you like a more rustic texture)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat; add sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes and boil; simmer until thick, 20 minutes. Add basil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring sea salt and 5 cups water to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Slowly add cornmeal and cook, stirring constantly, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining oil, Parmesan, and salt. Divide between bowls and top with ragù; garnish with more Parmesan. Serves 4.

We thank Saveur.com for this recipe.

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Kidney Bean Sloppy Joes

Kidney beans

We are rolling into picnic season, so we thought we’d offer a meatless version of this classic. It makes about 8 servings.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup dried Nash’s kidney beans, soaked for 12-24 hours, drained, and cooked
8 rolls of your choice

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and green pepper and sauté until tender. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, tomato paste, vinegar, and pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Prepare cooked kidney beans by roughly chopping before adding to the skillet. Once added, cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Spoon bean mixture evenly into rolls of your choice and serve immediately. Enjoy this childhood classic!

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.

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Italian Sausage Soup

1 pound Italian-spiced pork sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cups great Northern beans with cooking liquid
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach, packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.

Remove from heat and add spinach. Replace lid, allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.

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Moroccan Pork

2 lemons
2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons paprika, preferably Hungarian
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger plus 1 pinch, divided
1 1/2 pounds pork loin, cubed
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup butternut squash, diced (1/2-inch cubes)
1 cup carrots, sliced (1/2 inch thick)
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons preserved lemon, chopped and rinsed (see note; optional)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground allspice

Zest and juice the lemon(s) to get 1 tablespoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice; reserve the zest. Combine the juice, 1/2 teaspoon oil, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in a medium bowl. Add pork; stir to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until no longer pink on the outside and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.

Add broth, squash, carrots, chickpeas, onion, tomatoes, preserved lemon (if using), tomato paste, garlic, hot sauce, cinnamon, allspice, the reserved lemon zest and the remaining pinch of ginger to the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the pork, return to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the pork is just cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes more.

Note: Although entirely optional, preserved lemons make this ragu more authentic. A signature flavor in Moroccan dishes, lemons that are preserved in a salt-lemon juice mixture for at least 30 days have a salty, sweet taste and tender texture. Find them at specialty food stores or online at surlatable.com.

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Moroccan Winter Squash & Carrot Stew Over Quinoa

squash at the farm store

As the weather gets cooler, it’s time to warm up with hearty stews.

Time to hunker down and enjoy slower days and heartier meals. This vegetarian dinner is full of warm spices that will complement your winter evenings well. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch saffron
1 cup water
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups (1/2 pound) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Quinoa
1 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint, divided

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in paprika and the rest of the spices. Add 1 cup water, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Add squash and carrots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Rinse quinoa and drain. This step is not necessary but can reduce the bitter taste of quinoa. Melt butter with oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric; sauté 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

Rewarm stew. Stir in half of cilantro and half of mint. Spoon quinoa onto platter, forming well in center. Spoon stew into well. Sprinkle remaining herbs over. Happy Winter!

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com.

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Lindsey’s Greek Salad

lindsey-cucumbers-smSalad
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
1 lemon cucumber, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Half a red onion, sliced in rounds
1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in half-inch cubes
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Place dressing ingredients in a jar and shake until mixed, then pour over prepared vegetables and stir. Set aside for 30 minutes to blend flavors before serving. Enjoy!

We thank Lindsey of our farm store for this tasty recipe.

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About Nash’s Heirloom Tomatoes 2015

heirloom tomatoes and sungold tomatoes

Don’t be afraid to be washed away by the waterfall of Pink Berkeley Tie Dye heirloom tomatoes in the top-center of this photo. Also grab some Sungold Cherry tomatoes while they last, which make an appearance in the bottom-left corner of the photo.

Heirloom tomatoes are soft and juicy when ripe, and extremely flavorful. Allowing them to ripen on your countertop for a few days until their color is bright and rich will bring out their fullest flavor.

Heirlooms are great where you want to showcase the tomato’s own flavor, such as bruschetta, salsa or sauce or homemade tomato soup. They are soft because of their higher juice content, which will require longer time to cook down, but their intense flavor makes it all worthwhile.

Heirloom Varieties

  • Black Krim: Near chocolate-colored, large heirloom with rich, balanced flavor.
  • Pink Berkeley Tie Dye: When ripe, this eye-catching tomato will be purple with green striping, with a softer flesh and juicy, mild flavor.
  • Katja: Pink heirloom tomato from Siberia. More irregular in shape and size. Great intense, rich flavor. Grower’s favorite pink.
  • German Johnson: Large, round pink tomato, less ribbing than Katja. Nice firm tomato with good flavor.

Slicing Varieties

  • Legend: Good old-fashioned red slicer tomato, sometimes a bit smaller. Good for salads and sandwiches.

Cherry Varieties

  • Sungold Cherry: Bright orange cherry tomato with sweet and tangy flavor. Eat them by the handful or dress up your salads with them.
  • Indigo Cherry Drops: Beautiful black and red cherry tomatoes with a full-sized tomato taste.
  • Gold Nugget: Bright yellow sweet/tart cherry tomato.
  • Washington Cherry: Red cherry tomato with good flavor.
  • Mixed Cherry Baskets: Fun and colorful cherry tomato medley, great for salads!

Meet our tomato greenhouse manager, Suzy Strom, in an interview on our Farm Shares blog.

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Kia’s Chilled Veggie & Bean Salad

Kidney beansThis wonderful summer salad hits the spot for cookouts, as a topping for a fresh green salad, or as a high-protein snack on the go. It’s also versatile, so get creative about what types of veggies you use, depending what’s in your fridge or your weekly CSA box!

You can also mix up the types of beans you use in this dish. Any combination of black, kidney, garbanzo, Nash’s dried favas, or even lentils will work well.

This recipe was whipped up for one of Nash’s’ July Farm Lunches, as a topping for tacos. It makes about 3-4 quarts. Downsize the ingredient list accordingly, to make a smaller batch, as desired.

1 medium zucchini
1 medium-large cucumber
1 small-medium Wall Walla onion or red onion
1 green or red pepper
6-8 cups cooked beans (any kind!)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3 limes, juiced
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 cups fresh cilantro, finely minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or tamari soy sauce
(A cup or two of fresh cut corn and some diced tomatoes are also wonderful in this salad. I didn’t have any on hand at the time, but they would be a great addition!)

Shred or small diced the zucchini, cucumber, onion and pepper. Add the cooked beans to the fresh veggies and toss well.

Combine the vinegar, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, oregano, fresh cilantro, chili powder and liquid aminos or tamari with the veggies and beans, and mix everything up really well.

Eat immediately, or let dish rest for an hour or two, or even a full day if possible, for the marinade to work its magic!

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Ful

fava beans

Fava beans are fun and delicious!

Ful is considered the national dish of Egypt and it is eaten at all times of the day, but it is most popular at breakfast.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried mint (can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 3/4 cup cooked fava beans
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
5 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Warm the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, and salt, cover, and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft (about 7 minutes). Add the mint and cumin and sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beans and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Adapted by Virginia Newman from The Moosewood Restaurant’s Low Fat Favorites by the Moosewood Collective.

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Holiday Kale Salad

green curly kale

Kale only gets sweeter during the winter. Kale plants produce sugars as antifreeze, making this salad sweet as well as colorful and nutritious.

1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bunch kale, cut into small bite-size pieces
1 large or 4 small tomato(s), diced
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Whisk lemon juice, oils, sugar, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add kale, tomato, sunflower seeds, and cranberries; toss to combine.

Prefer a wilted kale salad? Bring the dressing ingredients to just shy of boiling in a sauce pan. Remove from heat. Stir in the kale bits and let cool. Add the other ingredients, toss, and serve.

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