# Challenge August 2013 - Tomatoes



## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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*Welcome to the August 2013 Challenge. Topic of this month is... tomatoes.*

I gave this challenge the name "La Tomatina", which refers to the annual crazy feast which takes place each last Wednesday of august in Buñol, Spain. The whole village participates in throwing overripe tomatoes at each other, tons of them. This is the moment to throw your tomato recipes into this thread, maybe not at each other and certainly not when you propose the use of canned tomatoes.

Think about what you can do to and with a tomato, it's endless. You can dry them, turn into a puree, boil them, roast them etc.. They can be used in any part of a meal, in a snack, in tapas, in mezze; in cold drinks and cocktails, in amuses like using cherry tomatoes and what not, in hot and cold soups, in hot and cold sauces, in quiches and tarts, as a vessel or important ingredient in main courses, in so many salads like Greek, Italian and, even better, your very own summery version.

Who's showing us how to make ketchup, chutneys, passata, tomato essence, tomato powder. Does anyone make ice-cream or a granita with tomatoes or any other dessert?

As you can see, this challenge is easy and very accessible for anyone.

Enjoy La Tomatina and thanks for participating!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Quick and easy summery dish; *Tomate crevette*

This dish is so very traditional Belgian, especially along our small coastline. We are blessed with these local shrimp with their very particular taste. Japanese tourists go crazy for these!

We swear by buying them as fresh as possible, preferable still in their shells. Hand peeled crevettes are a true delight. Maybe interesting to know that these tiny creatures are boiled in... seawater before they are sold.

A "tomate crevette" is such a summery thing and so easy to prepare. You need to peel the tomatoes, cut a little cap off, hollow them and stuff with a mixture of crevettes, mayo, pinch of cayenne and I used chives too. Done. Serve with salad and homemade fries.





  








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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

You are setting some high standards here Chris. Beautiful photographs as well. You might just win your own challenge.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

This will be tough.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Ok so not an official entry either, since this is a dish I made a while ago...

*Chicken Tajine with Tomato Jam. *

First, in a cold dish, assemble the chicken, cilantro stems, roots and leaves, ginger, garlic, finely minced onion and saffron. Bring to temp very slowly, and simmer very slowly for a few minutes so the chicken start cooking.





  








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Then put the chicken pieces aside and add a LOT of fresh diced tomatoes, cook very slowly for a loooong time to make the tomato jam.





  








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When the jam is ready (it can easily take 2 to 3 hours so just be really patient) add a little bit of honey. Finish cooking the chicken pieces in the tomato jam, and serve with couscous or fresh Morrocan bread:





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

butzy said:


> You are setting some high standards here Chris. Beautiful photographs as well. You might just win your own challenge.


Thanks but I don't really aim for that, I intend to try to keep low profile. How did the "rijsttafel" go?


> (it can easily take 2 to 3 hours so just be really patient


I do love slow cooking, it always ends in such a reward for the patience and the effort put in those dishes. Very nice tajine FF, I can imagine the tomatoes going all sweet and concentrated after that long cooking time.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

ChrisBelgium said:


> I do love slow cooking, it always ends in such a reward for the patience and the effort put in those dishes. Very nice tajine FF, I can imagine the tomatoes going all sweet and concentrated after that long cooking time.


Yes. Loooong slow cooking tomatoes and red bell peppers is a technique I learned from my Algerian/Morrocan grand mother. One time I cooked bell peppers for nearly 10 hours!! But what you get at the end is magical. The flavors are so concentrated!


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Oh my, starting off early and great! 

I just wish that my tomatoes were close to ready for this one. But, alas, they are still green and some plants haven't even set fruit. To hell with this spring...


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

GeneMachine said:


> Oh my, starting off early and great!
> 
> I just wish that my tomatoes were close to ready for this one. But, alas, they are still green and some plants haven't even set fruit. To hell with this spring...


Mine aren't ripe yet either, but they'll come on before the end of August. Yours will too I bet.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

The Subarctic Plenty and the unnamed local heirloom breed, hopefully. For the San Marzano I do not have much hope. They suffered badly in the freezing spring this year. No greenhouse.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

You talk about San Marzano tomatoes. I suffer cause of my woks and carbon steel pans. Damned Chris! Welcome stainless steel.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I may have some oxheart and green zebras coming on soon. Maybe I'll make another batch of beef heart sausage, and this time claim the tomatoes are the main, the sandwich the side:





  








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Fried, smoked, pickled green, stews, sauces, salads - where to begin - margherita pizza?

And speaking of slow cooking, I've got a hunk of pork shoulder that will be bo ssam tomorrow night.

mjb.


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## mrmexico25 (Jan 7, 2012)

teamfat said:


> I may have some oxheart and green zebras coming on soon. Maybe I'll make another batch of beef heart sausage, and this time claim the tomatoes are the main, the sandwich the side:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Did u just eat the green tomatoes raw? Never had it before but it seems really tough and bitter. No?


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

The "green" tomatoes aren't green as in unripe, they are green as in a German green variety, likely Aunt Ruby's, not sure.  The ones in the picture were perfectly ripe and tasty.

mjb.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

There's also the Green Zebra cultivar, which does not redden when ripe.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

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Rijsttafel on a plate.

At the top is a chicken in *tomato*-ginger sauce (other ingredients: chili, garlic, lemon grass, djeruk perut)

In the middle from left to right: belly pork (double fried), rice and beef with spices in coconut

At the bottom: sweet and sour veges (egg plant, green pepper, red pepper, vinegar, chili, garlic).

I hope this entry counts/img/vbsmilies/smilies/confused.gif


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Thanks all for diving so soon into "La Tomatina"!*


> I hope this entry counts


Absolutely, Butzy! Sounds delicious and let's not forget, sauces are so important, they do bring all components in a dish together.

You're seriously getting into the photography thing too, aren't you? Great picture!


> The "green" tomatoes aren't green as in unripe, they are green as in a German green variety, likely Aunt Ruby's, not sure. The ones in the picture were perfectly ripe and tasty.


Mjb, The odd thing with oxhaert tomatoes is indeed that some stay partially green even though they are ripe. This type of tomatoes are since a few years a little more available in my country. However, I do remember them from holidays in the south of France where "coeur de boeuf" tomatoes were very popular. In the beginning we found it very strange to be served green-ish tomatoes, we thought they weren't ripe, but they sure were.


> For the San Marzano I do not have much hope. They suffered badly in the freezing spring this year. No greenhouse.


Gene, in march, I bought some imported San Marzano tomatoes and took some seeds from them. I normally don't grow veggies myself; too less space. That doesn't keep me from experimenting. I smeared the seeds with the gelatinous surrounding substance out on a sheet of paper towel and left it to dry completely. Then it's easy to cut out a piece of paper with a seed, now stuck to the paper, and plant them. I know you're gonna think, that's a hybrid and you're right. So, in a less than 2 weeks in house, the seeds came out. When the plants were around 10 cm, I transferred 3 of them to a large pot. I now have 1 meter high plants carrying around a dozen small green San Marzanos. I'm gonna post a picture of my breed. One thing; these plants are incredibly thirsty, 5 liters of water for 3 plants in one pot!!


> slow cooking tomatoes and red bell peppers is a technique I learned from my Algerian/Morrocan grand mother.


Oh, you do have roots in North Africa! I'd love to see some more tajines and couscous preparations in this thread, FF! I do remember your "couscous Royal" you posted a while ago.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Chris, I have an excellent source for tomato and chili seeds - and they did sprout 7 out of 8. However, when they were strong enough to go outside and really needed the additional sun, the weather broke down. Not enough light, bad conditions overall. Cost me most of my plants this spring. Lost my Cherokee Purples completely, only carrying on some Subarctic Plenty, Oxheart and San Marzano. Thankfully, I got some more from a friendly relative's well-kept traditional farmer's garden. Unnamed heirlooms adapted to the region.

Edit: Not Oxheart, those died too, but I have some Brandywine surviving.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Gene, I hope you and others take pictures from their fully ripened, own grown tomatoes. End of august must be high season for harvesting tomatoes?


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

I'm copying this one from a recent post I made in the "What did you have for dinner" thread. This is a fantastic summer dish, *sort of a tomato quiche*! and, so easy and quick to make.

Storebought pastry (pâte brisée), filling is a mixture of ricotta+fresh herbs+egg, halved "mini" tomatoes, cut side up, to keep the moist from dripping into the ricotta filling, thyme, garlic and the tomato vine branches for the aroma, which of course are not eaten.





  








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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

Simple, classic-Panzanella Salad!

Love summer tomatoes!





  








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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Gene, I hope you and others take pictures from their fully ripened, own grown tomatoes. End of august must be high season for harvesting tomatoes?


From the looks of it, I should be able to provide at least some ripe cherry tomatoes by the end of the month. For now, I have just started to work with some bought Oxhearts. More to come...


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Here's today's condition of my San Marzano experiment. The shape looks ok but if this continues like this, I'm gonna have to paint them red and pretend they are ripe.





  








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> Simple, classic-Panzanella Salad!


Small correction F&F; simple, classic, *delicious* Panzanella salad


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

*Cherries confit pizza with fontina cheese*

Cherries in olive oil, garlic, hot pepper.





  








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The dough half done as i have not a strong enough oven so i must precook ( a sín!)





  








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The pizza





  








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Not the best dough in my life to tell the truth, but edible.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Here's today's condition of my San Marzano experiment. The shape looks ok but if this continues like this, I'm gonna have to paint them red and pretend they are ripe.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok, Chris, we are in the same stage here.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Oh , god i love tomatoes , but im allergic to them XD ( i can eat them but the juices give my skin a rash when in contact. )

But since i love them heres my dish

*Creamy Rice Stuffed Tomatoes*

The pitcure is horrible but i made a stuffed tomatoe , stuffed with a creamy rice with tomatoes and winter squash. The rice was cooked till al dente and the squash and the tomatoes were also cooked in separate vessels till soft. The i mixed the squash and tomatoes with the rice , seasoned with S&P , paresley , oregano , and basil then added fresh cream and very little mozarella cheese to the mix.

One the rice was done , i got me a plum tomatoe and removed the top , the seeds and a good amount of the flesh( note: you can use the flesh in you rice ) , stuffed the tomatoe with the rice and closed the tomatoe with the top i had removed. Placed in a separate cup cake baking pan , topped it off with some more cheese and some good olive oil , and sent it to the oven at 150 degrees for about 8 minutes.

Removed from baking sheet and plated with some fresh parsely an basil.

Well thats my 2 cents XD /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rollsmile.gif

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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

ChrisBelgium said:


> I'm copying this one from a recent post I made in the "What did you have for dinner" thread. This is a fantastic summer dish, *sort of a tomato quiche*! and, so easy and quick to make.
> 
> Storebought pastry (pâte brisée), filling is a mixture of ricotta+fresh herbs+egg, halved "mini" tomatoes, cut side up, to keep the moist from dripping into the ricotta filling, thyme, garlic and the tomato vine branches for the aroma, which of course are not eaten.
> 
> ...


Looks great Chris. Not that it's the same thing - but it does make me think of my mustard tart: pate brisee, dijon mustard, sliced tomatoes, herbes de provence, sliced cheese. Hmmmmmm....


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Since we are starting early, here we go:

Some Oxheart tomatoes from my greengrocer:





  








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Peeled, deseeded, drenched in olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and thyme:





  








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They now shall confit for 3 hours at 110°C, turned once half-time. Meanwhile, some fresh basil:





  








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And in the blender it goes, together with some more olive oil:





  








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Also, some aubergines and courgettes are sliced and fried in, who would have thought, more olive oil. Also, some mozzarella di bufala is sliced up, when the tomatoes are done:





  








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Nothing left but plating it:





  








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Et voilà - mille-feuilles à l'aubergine et aux tomates confites.

Can't take credit for the recipe, it is shamelessly stolen from Robuchon, but whom to steal from than the master himself... And yes, the table is a mess...


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Stunning. Superb. Chapeau!


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

OMG , GM that blew my mind <_<

Just splendid


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

GeneMachine said:


> Et voilà - mille-feuilles à l'aubergine et aux tomates confites.


Trop mignon a croquer! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


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## dcarch (Jun 28, 2010)

Now wait a minute! Why did you pick tomatoes? Tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/talker.gif

dcarch

Tomato ice cream. Garnished with crispy tomato chips.





  








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## foodie 13 (Jul 30, 2013)

OMG GM that is just amazing looking. am seriously impressed!!


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

French Fries said:


> Trop mignon a croquer! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


 Thanks. Was my mangled french half correct at least?


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

dcarch said:


> Now wait a minute! Why did you pick tomatoes? Tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/talker.gif
> 
> dcarch
> 
> Tomato ice cream. Garnished with crispy tomato chips.


Now you will have to confess how you did those crispy tomato chips! Great entry.


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

GM that is simply outstanding. You may of already won and we have not even started Aug.


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## colleens (Feb 18, 2010)

Congratulations ChrisBelgium on winning the July Pork challenge!  Your dishes are always shining stars on this site!


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

ordo said:


> Now you will have to confess how you did those crispy tomato chips! Great entry.


Indeed! Dcarch, this looks great! But we need details!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks all for jumping so wildly in "La Tomatina". Let's have fun and go as crazy as the Spanish;





  








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@Ordo, you leave us no choice than to create a special qualification criterion for your food and pictures. Wish I could make a pizza like that.

@Kaikue, despite your tomato-allergy handicap, you still manage to put something really interesting together.

@Gene, stunning mille feuille!

@dcarch, that's extra points for making tomato ice-cream plus, nota bene, tomato crisps. Of course, these points are only earned when you share the recipes!

@Colleen; thanks for that nice appreciation. And please, dive in "La Tomatina" too!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Tomatoes go fantastic in simple dishes. Here's yesterday's lunch and dinner;

- Lunch; a few tomatoes, bit of feta, red onion, black pepper and olive oil. Good bread from the bakery around the corner and mortadella. Sort of Italo-Greco-Belgo multicultural mix.





  








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- Dinner; tiger prawns in hot tomato sauce





  








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A sauce made of onion, garlic, lot of tomatoes, half a fresh chili pepper and a few of its seeds, thyme, oregano and cream. When done, add a large bunch of basil and lemon verbena, stalks and all. Let simmer for a while until the herb flavors are in the sauce. Plunge in the stick mixer and sieve. Panfry the prawns quickly on high fire in olive oil. Done.

The fresh herbs are incredible in this dish! You all know the taste of basil and how well it combines with tomato. Maybe a little less known is the lemon verbena, which adds such a nice lemony taste without the adicity. Maybe ***** lime leaves would be a good alternative for the verbena?


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

@ Chris: That sauce....That sauce ! Love the use of the lemon verbena. Those shrimp are doing nage synchronisée .





  








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*C'est Merveilleux ! *


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## dcarch (Jun 28, 2010)

Thanks everyone.

Tomato ice cream is not that unique, there are many recipes on the WEB. So I will not post my recipe on how I made it.

However, you may find my crispy tomato chips technique useful for your kitchen.

1. Make tomato paste/juice with no seeds and no skin. You do this with a blender at the lowest speed, then strain thru a sieve. You can add flavoring and herbs at this point.

2. Use plastic produce bags to spread on your dehydrator trays and pour the tomato juice on it to about 1/4 inch thick and dehydrate.

3. Set the dehydrator at the highest temperature. At some point, you will get tomato leather, which you can use for many recipes that require tomatoes. And BTW, the plastic bag is non-stick. This leather can be kept in the freezer forever.

4. As the leather drys out some more in the dehydrator, it can get to crackling crispy. Delicious snacks! The crispy tomato chips can be stored at room temperature in a sealed box.

5. Then you can use your blender to turn the crispy chips into tomato powder. You can Google how wonderful tomato powder is.

Tomato is 95% water, therefore you can turn a 100 lbs of  tomatoes into less than a lb of crispies or powder. (Skin and seeds removed). Great for storage.

dcarch


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

DC: Thank you so much for those ideas, especially the tomato powder. You have thought provoking  ideas. My dehydrator has 7 trays and I'm just waiting for the tomatoes to ripen up a little more.


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

I've shown this before, but this is why I become a vegetarian during the summertime

I'll admit, it's not special, or cheffy, but the main ingredient makes it so.

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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

foodnfoto said:


> I've shown this before, but this is why I become a vegetarian during the summertime
> 
> I'll admit, it's not special, or cheffy, but the main ingredient makes it so.
> 
> ...


 Simple, clean, straightforward and I'd eat that sandwich every day!


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

That's quality tomato! A beauty.

Now, what to do with these ingredients?





  








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An open omelette!





  








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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

After stacking 6 cubic meters of firewood into the basement today, to be prepared for the next winter, all in the summer heat, that would be the dish of my choice now!


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

FNF, 
You beat me to it!!!! I am so jonesing for a tomato sandwich. I truly live for summertime tomatoes, and eat them every single day once they arrive....
My second most favorite way to eat summertime tomatoes is this.....

This is from last year's bounty......




  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Glad you joined "La Tomatilla", Joey!

The Spanish style Tomatilla looks like this, enjoy;





  








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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Joey, Very nice platters, it's just great to see your work.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I am SO looking forward to that first fresh sandwich of the season. And eagerly anticipating toting my knife down to this event. I usually decide which varieties to plant next season by what I taste while slicing:

http://wasatchgardens.org/events/tomato-days-2012/tomato-sandwich-party-and-fall-plant-sale

mjb.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

I wasn't going to post today's lunch, but here it is anyway.

The bread was brushed with olive oil, then toasted in the oven together with the other stuff. Then the bread was rubbed with a clove of raw garlic. Squeeze or rub a little tomato on it and you have a delicious meal. Something they do both in Italy and Spain.

I added this goat cheese, imo too frugally wrapped in bacon, that's why the end result looks funny... Anyway, taste wise it was yummie.





  








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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

I humbly thank you....i have noticed a few imperfections for sure......
1) I am a much better chef than photographer 
2) I just realized that the photos did not have the 'piece de resistance' the subtlety that ties it all together for me.....Cabernet balsamic redux drizzle.
looking back the tomatoes were plattered for the dinner party earlier but were not finished off entirely.....

Sorry I haven't been a participating challenger this summer, but you cannot believe the summer i'm having.....be careful of what you wish for!!!
I so adore summertime tomatoes so just felt I had to add something. I have gleefully enjoyed both all the challenges and the amazing dishes from everyone...truly beyond good....bravo!!!!
joey


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

GeneMachine said:


> Thanks. Was my mangled french half correct at least?


It was actually perfect! Not mangled at all. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## slayertplsko (Aug 19, 2010)

French Fries said:


> This is a dish I made a while ago...
> 
> *Chicken Tajine with Tomato Jam. *
> 
> ...


Lovely! This is one of the dishes I've been planning to make for a long time. Perhaps it's time to finally do it? Anyway, I've got a tagine that looks just like yours (bought in Fez) - how do you use yours? I haven't yet used mine because I'm afraid of cracking. Do you need some extra utensil or something? So that it won't crack?


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## slayertplsko (Aug 19, 2010)

ChrisBelgium said:


> I wasn't going to post today's lunch, but here it is anyway.
> 
> The bread was brushed with olive oil, then toasted in the oven together with the other stuff. Then the bread was rubbed with a clove of raw garlic. Squeeze or rub a little tomato on it and you have a delicious meal. Something they do both in Italy and Spain.
> 
> ...


This reminds me of one of Michel Roux's dishes. I don't know if you've seen it:






I quite like the idea myself.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Slayertplsko said:


> Lovely! This is one of the dishes I've been planning to make for a long time. Perhaps it's time to finally do it? Anyway, I've got a tagine that looks just like yours (bought in Fez) - how do you use yours? I haven't yet used mine because I'm afraid of cracking. Do you need some extra utensil or something? So that it won't crack?


Yes I use a heat diffuser that I place on top of the gas burner, then the tajine goes on top of that. Also most of the time I load the tajine dish cold, then place it on the heat already full, and I heat it up very, very slowly.


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## kingnothing (Mar 15, 2013)

Here it is, my first ever home grown tomatoe. It's a beefsteak tomatoe.





  








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Here are a few more on the vines:




  








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Hopefully I can now make a dish for the monthly challenge and submit it on time. Made many pork dishes but never found the time to post.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

I did a variation on tarte tatin, the classic French upside down apple tart in which the fruit is caramelized in sugar and butter before baking.

Instead of apples though, I used tomatoes and instead of granulated sugar and butter, I caramelized the tomatoes in honey and olive oil seasoned with cinnamon.

To accompany it I made a xeres vinegar ice cream and a cardamom flavored honey.





  








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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Brilliant, cheflayne! That I will have to try!

I kept it simple yesterday. Fresh and sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped:





  








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Simmered with a fresh vegetable broth, made from leek, carrots, celery, onion and flavoured with garlic, star anis, salt, pepper and parsley:





  








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Strained to yield a clear, rich consommé:





  








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And served with peeled, deveined and lightly grilled shrimp and a twig of tarragon:





  








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Nice, clean and very tomato-y summer soup.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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@ChefLane; can't wait to try your "tatin" too! Thanks for posting such a wonderful tomato dessert. Love it!

@Gene; did you serve your splendid dish hot or cold? Seems like both or possible. Looks indeed so fresh and summery.

@KingNothing; hope to see your work soon.

@Slayer; I understand what you're saying but Michel Roux is without a dought a culinary category on his own.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

This is such a simple but very summery dish that I want to repeat here after already having posted it in the "What did you had for dinner" thread. It's cod in a sauce vièrge (virgin sauce). Put tomato concassée, capers, parsley, lemon zest and finely chopped shallot in a not too small metal container. Heat some good olive oil to quite high, then pour it in one go over the tomato preparation; careful, the hot oil bubbles for a second or two. Spoon over the fish.





  








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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

@Chris This one was hot,I prefer it that way with the shrimp. But you can of course serve the consommé cold - perhaps with just some chilled cucumber juliennes and a basil/mint chiffonade, just as one example. It's rather versatile.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Fish and capers. A big yes.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

cheflayne said:


> I did a variation on tarte tatin, the classic French upside down apple tart in which the fruit is caramelized in sugar and butter before baking.
> 
> Instead of apples though, I used tomatoes and instead of granulated sugar and butter, I caramelized the tomatoes in honey and olive oil seasoned with cinnamon.
> 
> ...


OMG I WILL HAVE TO TRY THIS


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Lamb, sauce choron, oven grilled tomatoes. Sauce choron is nothing more than a béarnaise, home made of course, with a little tomato purée added. Still, that small addition of tomato makes all the difference. Choron is a perfect match with lamb!

The tomatoes are simply halved, covered with a mixture of breadcrumb, parsley and garlic, butter or oil and oven grilled. Potato; boil, cut a cap off, hollow the potato, crush the potato crumb, add cream, chives and ample s&p. Under the oven grill.





  








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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Sounds (and looks) amazing Chris. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Very nice dishes Chris .I like you're never short of sauce I hate micro saucing.

*Milanesas a la napolitana*

_Breaded steak napolitana_

A classic of Argentina, country populated with a big percentage of Italian immigration. In general, everything _a la napolitana_ means with tomato, cheese and oregano. Pizza, milanesas, matambre (flank steak) etc. can be done this way. I used a nice steak mashed to about 5 mm.





  








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It was brined in garlic-salt infused milk overnight a recently learned tip.





  








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Beautiful raw tomatoes with oregano, pepper flakes, salt and pepper.





  








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And we'll use cooked ham, the tomatoes and cheese.





  








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We fry the milanesa in the traditional way (flour, egg, panko) but not fully cooked. Pat dry and transfer to a pan for oven.





  








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Over each milanesa put 2 slices of cooked ham, the tomatoes and the cheese on top.





  








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Roast or broil until the cheese is melted and gratin. Traditionally served with fries or salad, I opted for mashed potatoes.





  








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PS: The beautiful bread you see in the pick was home made. Inedible. Period.


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## skipstrr (Jun 8, 2013)

phatch said:


> Mine aren't ripe yet either, but they'll come on before the end of August. Yours will too I bet.


Previously being an organic farmer I reccomend a product called "Tomatoe Tone " organic by Espoma..it's amazing what it does!!!!


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

It is still cold here at night, so time for some comfort food!





  








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I fried me some onions, added garlic, mince and sambal manis (chili paste). Then added tomatoes and paprika powder and cooked all till done

Then all got transferred to an oven tray, topped with tomatoes, dorito nacho chips, parmesan and cheddar





  








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And In the oven it went and a couple of minutes later :

We got our comfort food.!!

It's not possible to plate it in any decent way, but very tasty. I would have liked to have it with some sour cream to the side, but after the pork challenge I got to watch my weight a bit





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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@FF; thanks! We have the French to thank for the béarnaise and the sauce choron.

@Ordo; sensational beef Milanese. I forgot there is a large Italian community in Argentina. What could possibly go wrong; the best beef in the world cooked the Italian way!

@Butzy; you're right, comfort food it is and we all need that! Lovely recipe.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

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Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Somebody had to do it. My maters aren't ready yet, I had to use store bought.





  








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Not just any tomato soup, this was smoked tomato with roast garlic. Here's some of the tomatoes getting ready for a hot date:





  








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The yeast I used to make the bread was a bit old, I was concerned about getting a good rise - I needn't have worried:





  








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The smoked tomatoes were peeled, the non-smoked blanched and peeled. Some shallots softened in oil oil, the tomatoes all diced and tossed in. Some red wine, some chicken stock, basil and oregano from the garden, salt and pepper. I had a bit of trouble with the roasted garlic. While squeezing the garlic out of the skin into the soup somehow a big blob of it just happened to fly around the kitchen and land on a slice of the fresh, warm bread that was laying there. Aw, shucks.

While the soup was simmering I sliced the bread and did the provolone and proscuitto sandwiches. Basic grilled cheese technique. Dished it up, topping the soup with sour cream and garden fresh basil. I was a bit worried about the soup being too smoky and too garlicky for Karen. Again, I should not have worried:





  








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A happy ending to a simple soup and sandwich meal.

ps: Not EVERYTHING goes in the soup pot:





  








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## chefwilsonuk (Jul 2, 2013)

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A quick bruchetta from this weeks tdh.

Char-grilled ciabatta, serrano ham, roast cherry vines, black olive tappenade, red onion jam, basil oil and a red chilli oil.

Camera lets the colours down, A customer took this picture, will upload one from my slr later- hail the british summer!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

@teamfat; a dish made with love, an empty bowl and a happy face, that's much more than mission accomplished!

@ChefWilson; welcome to "La Tomatina" with this very appetizing and very professional looking dish!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Lamb skewers and summery ratatouille*

For this ratatouille, I first made a simple tomato sauce; lots of fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion, herbs. Let simmer without a lid (don't let it burn!!) and let reduce for as long as you wish, but at least half an hour. Then push through a sieve. You now have a nice flavorful thick tomato coulis. Add chopped bell peppers (peeled) from different colors and a bit of courgette. Put these veggies in the tomato coulis and let simmer until they are still slightly "al dente". Cool down asap; I let around an inch of water in the sink and put the cooking pot in it to cool rapidly. Before serving add a generous dash of your best olive oil, it will make the ratatouille shiny and even more tasty. Indeed, served at room temperature.

The potatoes were boiled, cooled, halved with a bit of butter and a good sprinkle of smoked paprika powder (pimentón) on top. They went under the oven grill together with the skewers.

I used a slice of the lamb leg (gigot) for the skewers, marinated in oil, garlic, fresh herbs and lemon zest.





  








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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

OMG I love ratatouille and I love lamb. I think I now know what dinner is tonight. Thanks!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Tomato risotto with chipolata*

Yesterday we went shopping and I noticed that tomatoes are so ripe and sweet and... so cheap! So, as a tomato lover, it was another tomato dish yesterday.

Make a simple vegetable broth with onion, carrot, celery, pepper, little salt, lemon and let simmer for a good 30 minutes. Then add a bunch of fresh herbs and let simmer shortly.

Meanwhile; peel and deseed the tomatoes and cut in small chunks (yep, a concassé as they call it). All tomato waste goes in the broth too. You can sieve the broth before use or simply use a sieve to pour ladles of broth onto your risotto, I prefer to work like that.

I used Spanish paella rice for this risotto (don't tell the Italians). I frequently use Spanish rice for risotto; works perfect when you're out of arborio or the very best for risotto imo; carnaroli.

For people who want to know the basics of making risotto; Start by sweating a chopped shallot in olive oil, add rice, stir and let coat entirely with oil. Let the rice warm up quite high, only then add a good dash of white wine, let evaporate completely, add the tomato chunks, add a ladle of the simmering vegetable stock. Keep stirring the risotto from now on and adding ladle by ladle of broth and stir each time until the broth disappears. Twenty minutes later, taste for doneness of the rice. Take away from the fire, add a few chunks of cold butter and stir in vigourously. Add parmesan and s&p.

Meanwhile; panfry some chipolata sausages and serve.





  








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@ChefLayne; you're very welcome.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Chris, I've made rice dishes with tomato before but I've never made tomato risotto.  Sounds like something I'll have to try soon, and pork is the perfect accompaniment.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

@ Wilson: We would love to see more of your food, looks lovely

@ Chris: I really like your take on tomato risotto.

Have you ever fried thick slices of tomato in butter ? The risidual flavors that come from that are incredibly good. I made an app of tomato au gratin the other day. Stuffing was goat cheese (mixed with pan fried garlic and onions ) stuffed in the tomato, baked. Served with Turkish bread croustini (mix of oil, ground coriander, cumin, cardamom) grilled in oven. Served on a grilled portobello mushroom.





  








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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

I feel so lazy it's embarrassing, looking at all those great dishes. Anyway:

*Pa amb tomàquet*

Bread with tomato

Typical from Cataluña, served with a multitude of options, the basic is always bread, garlic, tomato, olive oil.





  








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You rub the garlic, then the hell out of the tomato over the toasted bread,





  








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Drizzle some olive oil, top with prosciutto in this case and that's it.





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

@Koukou; do give it a try! As always with risotto, the stock you use is crucial. In this case it is so easy to make a fresh tasting one with a handful of basic "soup veggies", a bunch of fresh herbs and a little lemon to get the risotto summery and more than exciting. Pork is perfect but next time I'm gonna try to find some squid and quickly panfry it. Must be sensational!

@Petals; thanks! Tomato and goat cheese, always a perfect combo. I was kind of expecting a lot of summery salads using a tomato/cheese combination in this thread, like salads with tomato and feta, mozzarella, olives etc.

@Ordo; many restaurants in Barcelona will offer (read; gently push) those large slices of toasted bread/garlic/tomato combination when people don't order it. Catalonians are actually very proud about this humble but delicious treat. Mostly it's the first thing that comes to the table while guests are waiting for the rest of the meal to arrive and it's eaten throughout the meal.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Three color cherry tomato salad





  








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## bughut (Aug 18, 2007)

im sooooo impressed with your dish Dcarch... excellent pic too


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## bughut (Aug 18, 2007)

Can u smoke veg/fruit...ie. tomatoes?

I bought a smoker last month in the sales after being inspired by all the amazing pork entries in the challenge. I'm now a smoker junkie... does anyone smoke tomatoes? I want to smoke cheese too. A smoked cheese and tomato dish is brewing in my head


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Yes you can smoke just about anything. I used to smoke wild rice, salmon, cheese, tomatoes, tuna, chicken, beef you name it. Smoke adds a wonderful element to tomatoes and we used to do a smoked tomato beurre blanc which was a wonderful and versatile sauce. You can smoke fruit but I think a light smoke is best not too too heavy.

Teamfat I really love your entry!


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Dcarch tell us how you made this please.


dcarch said:


> Now wait a minute! Why did you pick tomatoes? Tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/talker.gif
> 
> dcarch
> 
> ...


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## cacioepepe (Apr 3, 2011)

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Heirloom tomatoes, red and yellow watermelon, serpent cucumbers, pickled onion, smoked paprika vinaigrette.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

ordo said:


> *Pa amb tomàquet*
> 
> Bread with tomato
> 
> ...


Awesome. Reminds me of Paula Wolfert's favorite meal-for-one: http://www.paula-wolfert.com/articles/meal_for_one.html





  








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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

A delightful reading FF. Thanks a lot. Let me quote her gourmand's wisdom:

_Because this dish is so simple […] the ingredients must be perfect._


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

bughut said:


> Can u smoke veg/fruit...ie. tomatoes?
> 
> I bought a smoker last month in the sales after being inspired by all the amazing pork entries in the challenge. I'm now a smoker junkie... does anyone smoke tomatoes? I want to smoke cheese too. A smoked cheese and tomato dish is brewing in my head


Smoked tomatoes? Gee, I haven't done that in, oh, a few days. What I do is cut the tomatoes in half thought the equator, so to speak. Put them cut side up in some sort of pan, like a disposable aluminum tray, or an old skillet or something you don't mind getting a black, crusty layer all over. I drizzle the maters with a bit of oil to help prevent them from getting too dry. Then I smoke at a fairly low temp for about 30 minutes. Usually I have the smoker fired up with a brisket or butt or something, and the tomatoes are just done on the side. For the soup and sandwich I just did a small batch in the Weber rather than fire up the big smoker. I don't salt the tomatoes, so the sodium level doesn't mess with whatever recipe you use with the final product.

Aha - I just got an idea about another possible entry. It will involve tomatoes, cheese and smoke.

mjb.





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Parmigiana di melanzane or aubergine/eggplant gratin*

I have a winter version of this, using store bought passata but this is a summer version with lots of fresh tomatoes instead. If you're not into slow cooking, this might not be your thing.

Yesterday I started with cutting slices of the aubergines, salt them and let the bitter moist drip out (around one hour), then rinsed the salt off and pan-fried them in plenty rapeseed oil at high temperature. It takes quite a while to do this. The slices have to be cooked really well, underdone aubergines are truly disgusting to eat! I left them in the fridge overnight with a sprinkle of fleur de sel on top.

Today I made a sauce with a load of fresh tomatoes, a celery stalk, a red bell pepper for extra color and taste, onion, dried oregano, lots of garlic and a deseeded chilli pepper and let it simmer for an hour, then added a bunch of fresh herbs from the garden (mainly basil). Let simmer for another 10 minutes and mix finely, then sieve.

Building the gratin is easy; start with a layer of aubergines, add a generous tbsp. of tomato sauce and a sprinkle of cheese; I used grated provolone instead of parmesan. That's one layer. Build more layers like that. Cut a ball of mozzarella in slices and put on top, add some more tomato sauce and another sprinkle of provolone or parmesan. Put in the oven at 180°C/350°F for a good 30 minutes.

As you can see, I used a lot of sauce, so divine mopped up with a piece of good bread!





  








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## cacioepepe (Apr 3, 2011)

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Hangar steak, charred Louisiana eggplant puree & pickled tomato relish (cherry, sungold, and pickled green tomatoes, shallots, scallion, mustard seed, cumin, coriander, lime juice, cane syrup, mint parsley, olive oil, fresno chili, jalapeño.) Just went on the menu tonight.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

petalsandcoco said:


> Three color cherry tomato salad
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Why? Why do you do this to me?


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## organik (Apr 10, 2013)

i'll try and get a picture soon and i can't take credit for the recipe as it was my sous chef who made it up. But being the garde manger i make  it everyday.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

starts on the plate with a bead of olive bread crumbles topped with a tomatoe jelae made from fresh tomatoes. In a bowl is cherry heirlooms and heirlooms, salt, pepper, baby arugula, and tarragon tossed in a tiny bit of lemon vinagarette. That goes on top of the olive crumbs and tomatoe jelae. Pancetta then goes on top with shaved goat cheese and a tiny bit of micro basil. Finished with a circle of parsley oil around the plate. Looks beautiful i'll try and get a picture to post


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

@Petals, CacioEPepe, organik; I love those multicolor tomato presentations. I wish I could find more ot those over here. Seems like only red and the Kumato brown-ish types are in stores.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Chris: The dish spells pure comfort when I look at all the those flavors. I make this alot but have never prepped the eggplant a day before. I agree with how it should be cooked, if not done right, it can taste a little off. Makes for a nice vegetarian meal.

Cacio: That meat looks like its cooked to perfection, I'd eat that dish any day of the week.


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## cacioepepe (Apr 3, 2011)

An appropriate article for this months challenge. At least the pictures apply...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/14/d...greenmarket-dinner-party.html?ref=dining&_r=0


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

@Petals; prepping the aubergines a day before is really nothing more than practical organization, no culinary intention. It saves a lot of time the next day.

@Cacio; thanks, nice article!

My tomato growing experience is going nowhere. All tomatoes are still very green and I would be surprised to be able to collect a few ripe ones. If nothing else helps, let's make *green tomato jam *from them. In the old days nothing was wasted. I can read from my picture file that I made Green Tomato jam in 2009. I remember making it with equal parts tomatoes/sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, just like you would make other jams. Works really well with things like this hare pâté;





  








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Also, a few suggestions for people who would like to participate in this thread but need a few ideas to get going. Who wants to make us;

- meatballs in a killer tomato sauce

- gazpacho

- pizza margharita

- tomatoes stuffed with minced meat

- insalata caprese

..... etc.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

@Chris: can you make chutney with those unripe tomatoes?


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## jenny ferry (Aug 6, 2013)

KaiqueKuisine said:


> Oh , god i love tomatoes , but im allergic to them XD ( i can eat them but the juices give my skin a rash when in contact. )
> 
> But since i love them heres my dish
> 
> ...


i tried it but don't know, it wasn't that tasty


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

ordo said:


> @Chris: can you make chutney with those unripe tomatoes?


Although I haven't made tomato chutney ever, I would say yes but I have no recipe either. We're probably entering *tomato ketchup territory*, so I would prefer to leave it to readers who make ketchup themselves, which is in fact nothing else than some kind of tomato chutney? I'm sure a few people here might respond to this and have their very own recipes.

Those green tomatoes in the picture were collected October 22th 2009, another "green" harvest but not so bad as this year. Any other suggestion anyone?

Here's today's "home alone" frittata. Left over potato, left over cheese, left over ham and thick slices of fresh tomatoes and a good sprinkle of dried oregano on top which makes the house smell like...pizza. All finished under the oven grill of course. All the sudden a pedestrian omelet tastes very different. Oh, and my secret addition which is not in the picture; eat with a dollop of garlic mayo...Yummm!





  








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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Beautiful dishes, everyone!

In this dish, the tomatoes are just a garnish, but I decided to post it anyway, since it came out very tasty. Duck breast smoked with green tea, cinnamon and star anise, with beans fresh from the garden, baby corn and cherry tomatoes:





  








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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Also, a few suggestions for people who would like to participate in this thread but need a few ideas to get going. Who wants to make us;
> 
> - meatballs in a killer tomato sauce
> 
> ...


I'm surprised that no one has done a pizza yet, and I'm the only one that did tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich so far. But we still have weeks to go.

mjb.


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## cacioepepe (Apr 3, 2011)

ordo said:


> @Chris: can you make chutney with those unripe tomatoes?


Hell yes! Chutney, relish, jam. I just recently pickled some green tomatoes that I ended up turning into a relish type situation. There are plenty of recipes out there regarding these kinds of condiments. They're easy and affordable and if youre a person who loves to can/preserve, even better.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

teamfat said:


> I'm surprised that no one has done a pizza yet, and I'm the only one that did tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich so far. But we still have weeks to go.
> 
> mjb.


I did a cherry pizza, post #24. BTW: how was the bo ssam?


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Oops, guess I didn't go back far enough before posting.

The bo ssam was REALLY good. It's just like good old slow smoked pork shoulder, but completely different /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif Having some leftovers the next day I got a *perfect* bite - the crunch of the sugar crust on the crispy fat, the saltiness, the tender texture of the pork all mixed with a taste of the spicy bean paste ssam sauce - a few seconds of culinary bliss!

I'll be doing another one soon.

mjb.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Although I haven't made tomato chutney ever, I would say yes but I have no recipe either. We're probably entering *tomato ketchup territory*, so I would prefer to leave it to readers who make ketchup themselves, which is in fact nothing else than some kind of tomato chutney? I'm sure a few people here might respond to this and have their very own recipes.
> 
> Those green tomatoes in the picture were collected October 22th 2009, another "green" harvest but not so bad as this year. Any other suggestion anyone?


Last year I had a load of green tomatoes. Fall came early and hard. That was on my 3 square meter balcony, though, now I have a proper garden. Anyway, for the chutney: Blanch and peel, just as you would do for a standard concassee. Seasoned it with brown sugar, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin and coriander. Simmered it for ahout an hour and canned it. Made a great relish for stuff like roast beef sandwiches I took to work for lunch.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I realised that even though I eat a lot of tomatoes, they hardly ever play a lead role !!!

I'll do a pizza soon, but am just waiting for my basil to grow a bit bigger. Pizza margarita without basil is just not right!

I could re-post a couple of the pork entries but that would be cheating (a pork curry with lots of tomatoes, a bacon, lettuce avo & tomato sandwich)

So I got 2 others for now that I made recently:

Scrambled eggs with taost (homemade bread /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif)





  








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And:

a mini quiche with leek and cherry tomatoes





  








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(sorry about the distracting background of the picture)


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

I can't believe I've missed so much in this thread. So many dishes look delicious.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

ChrisBelgium said:


> @Petals; prepping the aubergines a day before is really nothing more than practical organization, no culinary intention. It saves a lot of time the next day.
> 
> @Cacio; thanks, nice article!
> 
> ...


Chris...I am sorry if this has been discussed.

Why are you not allowing those gorgeous little cherries to ripen on the vine?

mimi

* Did you start from seed?


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## chefwilsonuk (Jul 2, 2013)

Deepfried dusted calamari, sweet pepper and spring onion couscous with a rich tomato, lemon and chilli coulis-

The sauce works sooooooo well!





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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@ChefWilson; fantastic dish!

@Mimi; The tomatoes were indeed grown from seeds. I had a good number of nicely red fullgrown ones but end October I still had those green ones left. No chance they would ripen more than that. Better than getting rid of them, I tried that tomato jam instead.

@PP; better late than never, welcome to la tomatina.

@Butzy & Gene; it's true, tomatoes hardly ever play first violin in a dish. What tomatoes really do is to make a dish look like summer! Lovely quiches, butzy!

@Gene; thanks for the green tomato relish recipe!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

A few tomato experiments of the past weekend;

*1. Red and green fresh tomatoes cake*

This is a failure! I used peeled and deseeded red tomatoes and a number of my still green and small San Marzano tomatoes, straight from the plant. There's also a little chorizo and Gouda cheese in there. I used a basic dough recipe for savory cakes. I could have guessed; too wet from the tomato juices. Tasted well but more kind of a disaster. I know, baking is not my thing. Ah well, next time better. Suggestions always welcome.

*2. Toasted bread with camembert and tomatoes*

This went into the oven together with the cake. I was so hungry and improvised this à la minute. Rather thick slice of bread, slices of Président camembert, a few tomato slices, ample s&p, best olive oil. Half an hour in the bottom part of the oven. Bread came out nicely crunchy. A sprinkle of balsamico on top. One word; mamma mia!! If you're a cheese lover, please try it. If you're not, try it anyway and see what happens.

*3. Capellini with cherry tomatoes and sea food*

Capellini with only cherry tomatoes, a little garlic and basil is a true classic but I found half a packet of seafood hiding in my freezer. So, they went in too. Not bad but frozen sea food isn't all that nice, especially since I found bits of surimi in it. Next time, same scenario but with fresh mussels.





  








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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Amazing food pix everyone!

Many great ideas to incorporate into my recent decision to hone my cooking skills (it is never too late, right?)

@ Chris... I am basing all this on your statement re "growing experience is going nowhere" so let me know if I am stepping on any toes.

You have a pretty short growing season so this is just my shot in the dark to try and assist.

If you are trying to go organic as well as Heirloom start those seeds (inside,warm spot with grow lights) at least 3-4 months before the actual planting target.

There are lots of good (as well as not so good) tips around the net (believe it or not Martha Stewart actually has some great advice lol)

My problem was with carrots and green peas (South Texas growing season....want those 2 items by spring) so started with the local AG office and then branched out to some Q&A sessions at our local Farmers Market.

The above was suggested to me and after tweaking for a couple of years my goal is achieved.

OBTW....I found this part out on my own....when your little seedlings are big enough to plant in the garden you may want to harden them.

Place outside in the sun for a short amt time each day increasing until planting target date (then keep a hawks eye on the weather as well as a bale of hay lol)

mimi


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Mimi, great tips for my next year's tomato growing experiments. I have a green house, so it shouldn't be a problem to grow tomato plants from seeds, starting in February/March and hardening them later on. Thanks for the useful tips!


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Great looking dishes Chris.

You can still salvage that cake, why not cut the loaf into 1/2 inch slices and toast it ? Or a grill ? in a toaster or oven ? As far as the next cake, maybe blanch and skin the tomatoes and remove all the juice just using the flesh of the tomatoes. I must say that I like the look of the green tomatoes in there. As for your number two dish ? There is alot to be said about letting those flavors shine together, a dish I enjoy as well.

I agree with you on the frozen seafood. One cannot miss with fresh mussels. Believe it or not, clam juice really enhances the taste of a seafood sauce.

I made *Tartare di Pomodoro* , I came across a dish that was made by El Bulli and decided to make it with my own spin. I don't have a high tech kitchen to make shards of ice, just placed little nuggets of ice on the top.





  








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Next is : *2 Tone Cherry Tomato Carpaccio : *I simply sliced up some cherry tomatoes, made a basil paste, garlic crisps , fresh thyme, olive oil, crushed pink and black peppercorns and salt. Both dishes were served with thin slices of baguette which were lightly seasoned and toasted in oven.





  








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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

*2 Tone Cherry Tomato Carpaccio*

Sounds and looks like a beautiful painting. Are those flowers edible?


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

@Chris: that slice of bread & camembert is something i have to try. Simple and spectacular.

I will add an old entry:

*Szechuan sweet, hot and sour shrimps*

The recipe calls for tomato paste.





  








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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Thank you Ordo, and yes they are pansies and are edible.

Those shrimps look great.


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## chefmannydlm (Jun 22, 2013)

Great challenge this month. Ironically enough, at work our food of the month is the tomato. So we have a nice little display at the front of the cafe.





  








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On today's menu I had a simple tomato and artichoke ragout. I used some canned diced tomatoes for bulk and liquid and I used cherry tomatoes to give it a nice fresh flavor.





  








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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Well , at the restaurant we got a huge supply of eggplants and tomatoe this past week , so i attempted to use a good portion of them.

Since Chris inspired me with his Ratatouille i decided to give it a whack...

*Ratatouille for 10 (easily feeds 10 people)*

Basicaly I used homemade sugo and added some seasoning ( bay leaves , basil , oregano , and thyme ) along with garlic and onions let simmer for 45 minutes to reduce , then pushed it all through a seive. Used the tomatoe coulis as a base. Used the sauce and let simmer bell peppers , pumpkin , eggplant , and zuchinni .

P.S. The bell peppers , and zuchinni were sauteed quickly just to soften them a bit.

And the pumpkin i cooked in steam for about 10 minutes to soften as well.

Heres the finished result ( served with rice ) and served exactly 10 people XD who ordered it , without even knowing what it was.





  








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Again since im on an eggplant craze i decided to try another dish as well...

*Egg Plant Lasagna ( w/ fresh sugo )*

I used pre-cooked pasta sheets this time but oh well.

The eggplants were sliced and cooked for 5 minutes in steam to soften them abit , just incase they wouldnt cook through in the oven since the lasagna had alot of layers.

Layered it sugo , pasta , eggplant , sugo , cheese , pasta , eggplant , sugo , cheese .





  








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Topped it off with lots of cheese and into the oven at 180 degrees C for about 30 minutes





  








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The finished result





  








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And finally the last dish of my eggplant and tomatoe craze...

*Roasted eggplant and pomodori*

The eggplant and tomatoes were seasoned with S&P , Cilantro , and Parsley . Poured a good amount of the best olive oil at the time , and well since i cant keep my hands away from the cheese i added a bit of Mussarela just to top it off. Into the over it went and came back out in 20 minutes. Add more parsley for color.





  








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Hopefully now my eggplant and tomatoe craze ended , because i wanna try some new stuff now


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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@Petals; Oh, I must try toasting my desaster tomato cake, thanks, great tip! Your El Bulli inspired tartare must have been great. Only a few weeks ago, I watched the movie (El Bulli - The movie); http://www.elbullimovie.com/
I would recommend any foodie to watch it, just to see how crazy far El Bulli went in the search of extreme food experience.

Your carpaccio sure carries your signature! A true piece of art. Very nice!

@Ordo; love the shrimps, very nice idea. It doesn't say you used it, but I also frequently use Szechuan pepper on shrimp, it always lifts the dish. Some say you always need to toast Szechuan before use? I sometimes do, then crush it in a mortar. I had a batch some time ago that still carried the shiny black seeds in them. They are incredibly tough and you could easily break a tooth on those seeds. Very fragant stuff, same as his Japanese cousin, sancho pepper, both also called lemon pepper. Maybe that's why it goes so well with shrimp?

@Chef Manny; welcome to La Tomatina with your tomato and artichoke ragout. Very nice idea! In the june "Pasta Challenge", I posted a dish with artichokes braised in tomato juice. A bit similar but not quite, but maybe you would like to take a look; http://www.cheftalk.com/t/76049/challenge-june-2013-pasta/180#post_432178

@Kaique; You've been so very busy creating these lovely summer dishes my friend! Three excellent ideas for people who want to have a meat-free day. Eggplants -or aubergines as we call them- are perfect to make people forget there's no meat in a dish. I looooooove eggplant!


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

@ Chris..

A greenhouse!

What a lucky chef.

My greenhouse space is the laundry room off of my home kitchen.

My garden space is a small area of yard that is not shaded (a must for Texas June-Sept).

mimi


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

duplicate

m


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

ChrisBelgium said:


> @Ordo; love the shrimps, very nice idea. It doesn't say you used it, but I also frequently use Szechuan pepper on shrimp, it always lifts the dish. Some say you always need to toast Szechuan before use? I sometimes do, then crush it in a mortar. I had a batch some time ago that still carried the shiny black seeds in them. They are incredibly tough and you could easily break a tooth on those seeds. Very fragant stuff, same as his Japanese cousin, sancho pepper, both also called lemon pepper. Maybe that's why it goes so well with shrimp?


It's always adviceble to toast Szechuan pepper, unless you're doing a long stew. A mortar works, but a coffee grinder works better.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

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togarishi spiced ahi tuna

golden cherry tomato and lemongrass syrup

wasabi avocado mousse

diced cherry tomatoes

diced English cucumbers

marigolds

micro greens

sliced cherry tomatoes


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Cheflayne its beautiful <_< been years since i have had ahi tuna NOW I WANT SOME 

Also my boss today gave me these adorable little tart pans , lets just see what i can make of them XD


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

*Work in progress*

Tomato soup?





  








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Or tomatl-chocolatl (both American) sauce?





  








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May be i should add some whole cream?

Let's see tomorrow.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

cheflayne said:


> tomatoes.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for sharing your styish plating !


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Tomato salad with melon balls and mozzarella*

I finally found a few differently colored tomatoes. I was going to make a Greek style salad with tomato, cucumber, feta and onion. Then I changed my mind and improvised this salad with tomatoes, melon balls, mozzarella, black olives, basil, s&p and Greek olive oil. The melon ball spoon came in handy for the melon and the mozzarella.

Any cook can tell how difficult it is to get a dish nicely balanced. It's even exceptional to have the main tastes all present in a dish (sour, sweet, salt, bitter). Do you realize this simple salad has sour from the tomatoes, sweet from the melon, salt from the olives, bitter from the extra virgin olive oil and... umami from the tomatoes! And all in a heavenly harmony. The melon balls are stunning in this combination and go surprisingly well with the mozzarella!

A slice of excellent bread and a rosé wine with it and I was perfectly happy.





  








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@ChefLane; what a lovely dish!


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

yes cheflayne, your dish looks and sounds fantastic......nice spice and balance...diced cherry tomatoes? wow...someone's got some time on their hands, has a sharp knife and is very patient! 

joey


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

So my tomatoe based dish is a remake of a Morracan Classic , couscous...

It has anything a morracan couscous may have but remade and updated for a pasta

*Tagliatelle Morabela*

So here is the fresh tagliatelle made ....

I used carrots , zuchini , and eggplant cut in small cubes. And used cubed up filet mignon as well ( you can use ground beef , beef in cubes , or any other red meat ) , also had some red wine on hand.





  








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Well i first cooked the meat in a bit of oil , let it gain color all around and added in onions , let sweat and then added in the veggies.

Stir and add salt to taste. Once the meat has cooked through gaining color, add in tomatoe extract and pincage the meat and veg.

Once the pot begins to dry once more , deglace the pan with the red wine (dry) and let simmer slowly.

Once wine reduces and then the pot once again beings to start drying add in 1 ladel of fresh sugo. Taste and add a dash of cinnamon

Once again cook slowly to simmer and stir until sauce has reduced , you may add more wine ( ADD AS MUCH AS YOU WANT ) i used half a bottle that goes for the sugo as well XD.

No need to limit yourself to the recipe , considering this is more of a rough draft because i definelty added alot of seasoning , wine and sauce ( considering it served 15 people )





  








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Add in the cooked tagliatelle (al dente) and stir till the pasta is covered in sauce.





  








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Here it is plated ( i ran out of tagliatelle so used Taglioline instead )





  








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The cinnamon isnt meant to be a dominant flavor of the dish btw , its just a hint of cinnamon but i used a good bit because i liked the flavor it had )

The wine was dry as well.

The aroma of the dish was splendid and i liked the taste as well.

You can cook the carrots and other veg before hand to have them soften but i wanted an extra crunch so i didnt cook any veg beforehand.


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

You did not think I would let Chris B get all the glory did you guys? Just kidding. Being me it had to be a Greek entry so here you go. To one up Mr. Belgium I even posted a lengthy step by step photo how-to here: 
[h2]Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers - Not my usual preparation[/h2]
http://www.cheftalk.com/a/stuffed-tomatoes-and-peppers-not-my-usual-preparation

Stuffed tomatoes with roasted potatoes and zucchini.





  








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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Lovely dishes all!!!!

Mine is a very simple soup:

Tomatoes, leek, some mange tous that were getting old, simmered in some diluted coconut milk with spices.

I put a bit of fish sauce just before serving and topped with coriander leaf, basil and some deep fried onions





  








soup topped with basil-coriander and fried onions.




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## soesje (Dec 6, 2012)

so tomatoes huh.

this week I did a fresh tagliatelle with shrimp in a vodka tomato sauce.....

fry shrimp in pan with some oil, with chilies and garlic, add vodka, flambe..... 

when flames are gone (aka alcohol burned off) then add tomato frito sauce, freshly ground black pepper, coarse salt to taste....let simmer a bit then finish with some cream and a handfull of basil.

unfortunately took no pic....was hungry!

but daughter loved it and wanted another plate....


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Intermezzo*

So, we're halfway this "Tomatina". Time for a little intermezzo, presenting an old French chanson, "Mange des tomates..", or in English money, "Eat tomatoes..".

I included the lyrics so you can sing along if you're in the mood and... it's good for your culinary french.










Toc toc toc toc toc
- Entrez !
- Un conseil, Madame ; un conseil, Monsieur
Mangez sain, mangez frais, mangez ... des tomates !

(Refrain)
Mange des tomates, mon amour
Mange des tomates, nuit et jour
Ça donne bonne mine
C'est plein de vitamines
Vitamines A, B, C
C'est bon pour la santé

Les acrobates, les pêcheurs,
Les diplomates, les boxeurs
Délaissent les patates
Pour ce fruit écarlate
La tomate en salade
Ou tomate farcie

À l'opéra, en chantant la Tosca
Un grand ténor ayant manqué le "la"
En reçut ce soir-là
Des tas, des tas, des tas
Sa femme, en sortant de là, le consola

(au Refrain)

Le diable, un jour,
Parlant à la radio
Fit un discours
Commençant par ces mots
"Supprimons la bombe A
Supprimons-la la la
Et remplaçons-la par ce fruit délicat"

Mange des tomates, mon amour
Mange des tomates, nuit et jour
À l'atome qui éclate
Préférons les tomates
Les tomates, ça fait mal quand ça tombe sur le nez
Oui mais quand on les mange
C'est bon pour la santé

Mange des tomates, mon amour
Mange des tomates, mon amour

_Paroles et Musique: Frank Barcellini, Pierre Cour 1958 [emoji]169[/emoji] Vogue autres interprètes: Lou and the Hollywood Bananas, Sidonie, La Petite Coccinelle (1987)_


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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@Petals; I tried to put slices of my too wet tomato cake in the toaster, but the slices were to small. Then I used a dry nonstick pan and put the cake slices in at very low heat. Worked perfectly! Thanks for your suggestion. I'm so glad I didn't dump the cake,... tasted wonderful.

@ChefLane; I'm very intrigued with your "golden cherry tomato and lemongrass syrup". Any chance to reveal me the recipe? I won't tell anyone.

@Ordo; I love the sound of tomatl/chocolatl... can't wait to see what it is.

@Kaique; what an original dish and you sure did dive in a lot of work. Fantastic knife skills too! Sounds like a very tasty dish.

@Nicko The Greek; hahaha! Someone with a Mediterranean background like you cannot stay away from this thread. Welcome to La tomatina and thanks for posting such a wonderful dish Nicko! I visited the olivetomato.com blog you suggested... what can I say... superb dishes, lots of them using tomatoes, plus, outstanding photography, plus, véry good-looking host. That's straight into my favorite blog list.

@Butzy; we want more of your very original creations inspired on Asian cuisine.

@Soesje; welcome to La Tomatina! Fantastic recipe and if the little one asks for more, it's always a winner!


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

> Originally Posted by *ChrisBelgium*
> 
> @ChefLane; I'm very intrigued with your "golden cherry tomato and lemongrass syrup". Any chance to reveal me the recipe? I won't tell anyone.


I am guessing at amounts and times as I didn't write it down as I went, but the rough idea was

Golden Cherry Tomato and Lemongrass Syrup

Weight or Volume Ingredients

12 golden cherry tomatoes 

1½ teaspoon lemongrass, bruised, minced

2 tablespoons palm sugar simple syrup

1 teaspoon sudachi juice

Procedure:

Sprinkle tomatoes with salt, pepper, and palm sugar. Toss in olive oil. Put cut side down on pan. Cover and place in oven at 225 for about 20 minutes. Uncover and put in blender along with released juices, being sure to scrape pan to get any residual caramelization. Add simple syrup and juice. Process and strain through etamine.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

Someone mentioned tomato chutney a bit ago, so while this is not part of the challenge, i wanted to show/share our tomato-chipotle jam.....it is part of a sauce duet to our grilled flatiron steak...the other is a chimichurri. In case you can't see or guess it has lemon rind in it.

joey




  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

durangojo said:


> Someone mentioned tomato chutney a bit ago, so while this is not part of the challenge, i wanted to show/share our tomato-chipotle jam.....it is part of a sauce duet to our grilled flatiron steak...the other is a chimichurri. In case you can't see or guess it has lemon rind in it.
> 
> joey


I believe I mentioned it. Thanks for posting this Joey. Is it possible to elaborate a bit on how it's made, without giving away your trade secret of course. Looks very tempting!

@ChefLayne; thank you for the recipe. I want to give this a try, sounds delicious.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

My tomatoes finally started ripening.

So I made some bruschetta with the first few. A mix of Roma and Grape. Stem, de-seed/de-jelly and coarsely chop the tomatoes. You want just the meat. Add minced garlic, chiffonade of basil, high grade extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix. Taste and correct seasoning. Cover and let stand at room temperature for a couple of hours for the flavors to do their thing. Taste again and correct as needed. At this point, you might want a little sugar or a little red wine or balsamic vinegar to bring out the sweet/sour balance, but that depends more on the quality of the tomatoes. These were perfect without correction.





  








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Grill up some bread, then rub with a clove of garlic. Good olive oil is welcome here as well.





  








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Top with the tomato mixture and enjoy. A little sausage and grilled zucchini to keep it all company.





  








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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Great colors phatch. And sausages always welcome. Admiration for all of you cultivating your own tomatoes.

*Beef tenderloin in tomato mushroom pan sauce*





  








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It's the head of the tenderloin badly sliced. I copied a foodwishes recipe. Very simple and tasty. The tomato soup is waiting in the other camera.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

So today i wanted something simple , tasty , and homey , but something classic that i make often , obviously including tomatoes.

So we had butter , flour , eggs , aged parm , cherry tomatoes , and thyme , guess ill make quiche XD

*Parmesan and Cherry Tomato Quiche*

The dough is a basic flour , butter, salt and egg

The stuffing was quick and tasty.

Sweated some chopped onions , then added in chopped tomatoes. Seasoned with S&P , thyme , and garlic powder.

After the dough was made and i had let rest for 30 minutes while the stuffing cooled. I stuffed the crusts with one layer of parm , one layer of the tomatoe stuffing and finished with another layer of shaved parm, and topped it with a cream and egg mixture so it would form a nice crust on top.

Into the oven it went till the crust was golden brown and soft. Let cool for 5 minutes enough so that the crust isnt too soft.

heres some pics...





  








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Just adorable if i do say so myself XD


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I just make regular pie crust dough for my quiche, don't use egg.  Maybe I'll try that soon.

It is nice that there are so many great things to be made based on tomatoes that are simple and straightforward, and yet they can be the basis of such complicated creations.

mjb.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Very nice new ideas, guys! I'm glad to see you around too, Phatch. I know, many people are waiting to harvest their own tomatoes. Meanwhile, the market over here is flooded with tomatoes and the prices were never that low. But, I will agree that growing your own is unbeatable when comparing taste. Not to mention the satisfaction of growing your own crop.

*Tajine of shrimp in a tomato sauce with preserved lemon, served with herb couscous*

Yesterday I improvised this tajine. Don't be alarmed, it's all show; I made both components separately in my everyday cooking pots. I put it all in the tajine to get that Mediterranean feel, nothing wrong with that, ambiance often makes the entire culinary experience. One thing I already have to mention; original tajines are never served with couscous, it's always bread. So far for authenticity. I used these small in salt and lemon juice preserved lemons bought in an ethnic shop. Many times larger lemons are cut in 4 segments before preserving them, but these are so small and not cut, so you can use both the peel and the pulp. Many times the pulp from cut lemons is much too salty to use.

The sauce was made with onion, lots of garlic, chopped chili, smallest bit of ginger, lots of fresh tomatoes, spring onion, sweet paprika powder, harissa and of course the preserved lemons. To stay in the tajine theme, I simmered the raw shrimp in the sauce until barely done.

Couscous; please, do measure always, the ratio is 1 cup of water + 1 cup of couscous. I started with boiling the water with a pinch of curcuma and salt. Take from the fire, add couscous, shake the pan a bit to submerge all grains and cover asap for the next 15 minutes. Add a more than generous amount of good olive oil and fresh herbs. Mix gently with a fork or rub between your hands to loosen all the grains. Instead of olive oil, you could use "smen", Moroccan clarified butter. I never found any over here. In Morocco people make and save that stuff for over... 5 years. Seems the older the better it gets in smell and taste of course. Sadly enough I have no personal experience with it.





  








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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Wow. Some recipes here.

*Tomato and chocolate soup*





  








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Dense and strong as lava. It has chocolate, butter, milk, pepperoni jam, chicken stock, etc. A bomb. One bowl of this volcanic soup and you're done for 48 hours.


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## dcarch (Jun 28, 2010)

Why the trouble frying green tomatoes?

Slice them, sprinkle seasoning on them and waffle them.

Done and enjoy.

dcarch





  








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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Dcarch advocating quick and simple, done? Now I have seen it all... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Simple and not fancy at all this time: An aubergine and tomato gratin. Chopped onions, garlic, carrots, celery, tomatoes and fresh herbs:





  








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Fryd the vegetables and add some minced beef, when it is browned well, add a dash of wine, reduce, then add a dash of milk, reduce.





  








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Season with salt, pepper, and the herbs, then add the tomatoes and let it simmer for a while.





  








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Sliced aubergine and more sliced tomato, layered into a dish with the sauce and grated parmigiano:





  








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Bake for half an hour and serve:





  








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Nothing fancy, but a nice meal to get your energy back when you come home from work.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I am harvesting my giant Florida avacadoes  . They weigh about 1 pound each minimum.  I give them away to friends and neighbors.as there are to many.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Nicko said:


> http://www.cheftalk.com/a/stuffed-tomatoes-and-peppers-not-my-usual-preparation
> 
> Stuffed tomatoes with roasted potatoes and zucchini.
> 
> ...


I'm zeroing in on the lovely red olive oil on the bottom. We greeks love that bit of oil to dip our bread into. Perfection!

I was happy to visit the blog you recommended and now I'm all torn up because there is a huge picture of fried snails on the home page. I'm very nostalgic right now, we're not visiting Greece this year and I'm missing those snails!

Besides little things like the type of rice and the bit of grated potato (??) this is pretty much the way I make my Gemista as well. Very often I'll use Uncle Ben's rice only because it holds its shape well. Zucchini and mint are BFFs and it's surprising how much mint you can use without it overwhelming anything. The zucchini is the key to being able to cook this without parcooking the rice. If you make it again try this - cover the whole pan with aluminum foil and roast in a high heat oven for 45-60min. All the juices come out and the rice cooks beautifully without crunchy bits. Then uncover and let it roast until it's golden on top.

Furthermore, I don't just stuff tomatoes and peppers, I also stuff potatoes, zucchini, and eggplant. You can even stuff an onion, ever tried it? It's amazing!

You can add meat to this as well, sear and cook a pound of ground mix (beef/pork) and let it cool before adding it to the raw rice mixture.

PS - One of my favorite meals is to stuff different colored peppers with this rice/mint mix and serve it along grilled lamb chops. With a dollop of tzatziki which surprisingly goes beautifully with rice.


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## skipstrr (Jun 8, 2013)

GeneMachine said:


> Since we are starting early, here we go:
> 
> Some Oxheart tomatoes from my greengrocer:
> 
> ...


If the table/counter isn't a mess then you really didn't cook anything lol


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## skipstrr (Jun 8, 2013)

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Shrimp and cheddar grits with tasso ham, diced tomato, chopped onion & green bell pepper with leeks in cream sauce! Martha Nesbit got nothing on this one..used shrimp stock, heavy cream and milk in grits.and of course butter and cheese...so good & I just keep making it better! Look out "Husk" (voted best restaurant of the year 2012 in Charleston, SC)


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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@Ordo; you just won the price for originality in this thread for your tomatl y chocolatl. Wish I could taste that.

@dcarch; you just won the price for inventiveness in this thread for the waffle-ironed green tomatoes. Very clever!

@Gene; you just won the price for the most personal take on a great classic aubergine/tomato gratin. Yummm! I love aubergines,... even eggplants.

@skipsttrr; a while ago, I was watching a beautiful tall Texan woman on our TV but also on Louboutins, living in Belgium, making "shrimp and grits". She blew me away and not only because she was such a gorgeous "Venetian blonde" but for her delicious food. Didn't know what grits were but it reminded me of polenta. Lovely contribution, Skipstrr!


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

No trade secrets divulged, i promise! I have no 'real' recipe for the tomato jam as it depends on the batch size i need, but here's the basics;
Day one....blanch, peel and dice tomatoes
add enough apple cider vinegar to cover the tomatoes
Day two...drain the tomatoes and put in sauce pan. For every cup of 
tomatoes add 1/2 cup of sugar. Add diced lemon rind and bring 
to a boil. Simmer til thickened then add pureed chipotles in 
adobo(1 to 2 tsp, or to taste)

Down and dirty way  skip the vinegar soaking, but add the vinegar to the pot along with the sugar and lemon rind

joey

just WOW everyone, just WOW!!!!! what an incredible collection of creativeness you have all brought to the table.....bravo!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

durangojo said:


> add enough apple cider vinegar to cover the tomatoes
> Day two...drain the tomatoes and put in sauce pan.


Any thoughts on uses for the cider vinegar you drain off? Seems you could do something interesting with it and just wondering if you've come up with anything in particular.

You could probably reduce it to an interesting sort of "tar" like they do with inexpensive balsamics. Maybe a shot of tomato paste to intensify it a bit. Or further infuse with herbs at least.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Phatch, I like the idea of using that tomato-infused cider vinegar! It might come over a bit harsh if you just reduce it, though. How about caramelizing some demerara or turbinado sugar, then adding the vinegar and reducing it? Infuse it with some herbs, I am thinking tarragon here, salt, pepper and there we go?


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Why not use it to pickle tomatoes?

I tried making pickles some time ago cherry tomatoes and basil and it came out fine


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks for the lovely recipe Joey!

*Chicken fillet with champignons à la Grecque*

A preparation "à la Grecque" is classic kitchen terminology and stands for an addition of tomato, fresh herbs, lemon juice and olive oil to boiled vegetables that are served as a salad. Is it traditional Greek? Dunno. All I know is that it is very, very similar to the tomato sauce added in Spain to fried potatoes and is called "patatas bravas". In this recipe it's mushrooms à la Greque that can be served cold on a sandwich or hot like in this dish.

I started by making some sort of sauce with olive oil, onion, garlic, dried oregano, thyme, crushed koriander seeds, chili flakes, tomato, fresh herbs, lots of pepper and salt and a good dash of homemade lovage infused white vinegar instead of lemon. Let thicken as much as you like. Push through a sieve and add the raw thinly sliced mushrooms. Let simmer for approx. 8-10 minutes. Add chopped parsey and leave to cool or serve hot. Note; you can thicken it with tomato paste (especially when it's going to be served cold) but I prefer not to, it takes away the freshness of the dish imo, on the other hand, your preparation will have more tomato color if you add tomato paste.

Chicken stuffed with a mixture of store-bought dried tomatoes in olive oil, fresh cilantro and butter with a small amount of the oil from the tomatoes. Fillet wrapped in plastic foil, then in alu foil, poached for 12 minutes. Then pan seared.





  








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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

*Sweet Tomato Risotto with Spicy Seared Sea Scallops*

Start off with the ripest tomatoes I could find. 





  








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Seeds and skins went into the vegetable stock, tomato meat is reserved for the risotto.




  








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Stock made with onions, garlic, celery, carrot, parsley and tomato remnants.





  








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The risotto begins with softened onion and celery. To it I added tomato paste, vermouth, and the fresh tomato puree.





  








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I wasn't happy about the scallops, but I'll take my grievances to another thread. The tomato risotto was sweet and creamy, with lots of parmesan and a bit of butter to finish it off.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

The risotto looks great - you need a really hot pan to sear the scallop try cast iron next time.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

phatch said:


> Any thoughts on uses for the cider vinegar you drain off? Seems you could do something interesting with it and just wondering if you've come up with anything in particular.
> 
> You could probably reduce it to an interesting sort of "tar" like they do with inexpensive balsamics. Maybe a shot of tomato paste to intensify it a bit. Or further infuse with herbs at least.


Phatch, 
The short answer is no i haven't as yet, but if i did what easily comes to mind is 1) warm dressing for a baby spinach,baby arugula & bacon salad.
2) tomato & sun dried tomato vinaigrette 3) reduction sauce for pork tenderloin with shallots & apple cider 4) dessert syrup with brown sugar, butter & apple cider...to go over baked apple dumplings or french toast. 5) herb infused with rosemary or tarragon
i generally prefer wine vinegars(balsamic,red,champagne,sherry) over apple cider vinegar for both cooking and for dressings
Butzy, great idea for pickles.....who doesn't love a good pickle? I can't wait to make a batch this week with fresh garlic, fresh dill and red chilies

joey


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

GeneMachine said:


> Phatch, I like the idea of using that tomato-infused cider vinegar! It might come over a bit harsh if you just reduce it, though. How about caramelizing some demerara or turbinado sugar, then adding the vinegar and reducing it? Infuse it with some herbs, I am thinking tarragon here, salt, pepper and there we go?


I was thinking that with the dissolved glutamates and sugars, it could come out interesting enough on it's own. The acidity tends to boil off quite a bit all by itself in my experience Nothing wrong with your idea either.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Very nice job, Koukou! Glad you jumped into La Tomatina too!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Pizza Margherita

Romas are still a little scarce on my bushes, but they're coming. A few grape tomatos to flesh it out.

Assembling





  








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Baked





  








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Sliced





  








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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Gee, what a coincidence. I, like KK, had planned a risotto. I spent the afternoon on my feet running around as a volunteer at the Utah Beer Festival, and was pretty tired when I got home. Just didn't want to spend the time fussing over a risotto. Plan B was a lot simpler, shrimp sauteed with shallot in butter and olive oil, some fresh herbs and topped with some diced roma tomatoes. Not from our garden, but a gift from a friend who had a sudden abundance of them. Pile it on some angel hair, add a side salad and yum!





  








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This must be Karen's plate - no stinky cheese or red pepper flakes /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif

mjb.


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## coup-de-feu (Aug 4, 2010)

This is a great thread. I look at tomatoes differently now. What a bunch of awesomeness.

Here are peeled and hulled tomatoes, stuffed with acorn squash souflee.





  








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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Thanks for the lovely recipe Joey!
> 
> *Chicken fillet with champignons à la Grecque*
> 
> ...


Oh my goodness I LOVE the way you cook.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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Anyone planning to attend the famous Tomatina in Buñol (Valencia region); it's on 28 augustus 2013. All info here; http://www.tomatina.es/index.php/en/?gclid=CKKjva7-ibkCFQTMtAodfmwALw

@PP; thanks for the appreciation, but if you want to jump in this month's challenge, also called La Tomatina, it's not too late yet! Go for it!

@Coup-de-Feu; now that's totally original! If you would want to share the recipe, I would be very grateful; ...noblesse oblige, CDF. Thanks for posting such delightful dish.

@teamfat; not too late to make a risotto but lovely alternative route you took though!

@phatch; halleluia, halleluia and hal-le-lu-ia, the very first pizza Margherita! Thanks phatch but I do hope others will post their very own take on a Margharita too, the mother of all pizzas!

@AllReadersOnChefTalk; who wants to make a stunning Bloody Mary? Extra points for using fresh tomatoes!!


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

I just might. I have a bunch of romas in the fridge.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Pollopicu said:


> I just might. I have a bunch of romas in the fridge.


That's the spirit PP, can't wait for your contribution.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Tomatoes stuffed with minced pork/veal and feta*

Somewhat different than Nicko's stuffed tomatoes, but thousands of variations are possible. Simply let your inspiration lead you.

These medium large nicely ripened tomatoes are stuffed with mainly a 50/50 mixture pork/veal to which I added; 1 whole egg and a small hand of breadcrumbs for binding, quite a lot of fresh cilantro (stems and leaves), dried oregano, ras-el-hanut spice mix, chili flakes, s&p. Mix well and only then gently add crumbled feta. The feta I used comes from a bulk package in my favorite ethnic shop where you have to fish the 1 inch thick blocks yourself from the brine in a large container. Best tasting and crumbliest feta ever. I did not use any onion or garlic this time to keep the flavors a little cleaner and... for easier digestion purpose (it does work!). I can only say that the combination cilantro/feta is fa-bu-lous and the cilantro wasn't overpowering at all; highly recommended! I was originally going to substitute the breadcrumbs for a good tbsp. of bulgur soaked in cold water, but I was out of it, so in went the breadcrumbs instead.

I used the removed tomato pulp with seeds plus a few more chopped tomatoes and seasoning to keep everything in place in the oven dish, also, it provides a sauce and adds some moist while baking in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 45 minutes. This time served with focaccia instead of my more usual rice. I seem to have added the sauce after taking the pictures.





  








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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Excellent stuffed tomatoes Chris, and low-carb!


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## dcarch (Jun 28, 2010)

There are many varieties of tomatoes with large open cavities for stuffing. You can buy seeds to grow your own.

http://www.victoryseeds.com/tomato_gogoshary.html

dcarch


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## mise (Aug 19, 2013)

http://i.imgur.com/8akFc6Z.jpg\

Marinated swordfish, roasted cherry tomato, balsamic roasted pearl onion, cherry tomato puree, pickled mustard seed, and basil.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

I LOVE MUSTARD SEED


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## kingnothing (Mar 15, 2013)

Finally my first entry in to the challenge of the month, Tomatoes and meatballs. It was a many day process as I just didn't have as much time as I hoped after work.

I first blanched some fresh outdoor plum tomatoes from a local source.





  








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I then chopped up some of the usual culprits, onion, garlic, a few red pepper and one yellow, just because I had on hand, with some home grown parsley and basil.





  








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I added some spices, beef stock and then let it simmer for three hours for the flavors to come out and the tomatoes to break down. (picture is at the beginning)





  








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The next day I made some meatballs. I added parmesan, basil, parsley, paprika, cayenne, really finely diced onions, garlic, worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs and egg.





  








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Toasted bread for the bread crumbs





  








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And the meatballs suntanning in some oil.





  








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And the finished product. This is as they are cold today though as it was late last night and I guess I forgot to take a picture. I also added some zucchini in there too when the meatballs went in.





  








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The above picture is my meatball sandwich at work today. Unfortunately I forgot basil and parsley to add some color to the dish and the plating looks awful but it was at work and tasted awesome.

Tonight is another dish with the same base. I grilled up some eggplant





  








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layered it





  








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and then poured some of the sauce over top. I then baked it for 30-40mins, added meatballs just at the end to warm up and then will serve.





  








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It is just finishing up in the oven and will post that picture after.

Edit:

and the finished product





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Mise, you posted a link to your dish but it is too nice to not reveal it in all it's glory. Such a superb inspiring dish! Didn't know you can pickle mustard seeds, I have to try that.

If you want to post pictures, follow what I just did; click on the "Insert Image" icon, fill in the url http://i.imgur.com/8akFc6Z.jpg\ in the box marked as "An image URL" and click on "Use URL". Then select the size of the picture. This is the "large" format that your picture deserves;





  








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@KingNothing; meatballs in tomato sauce, I was wondering why not a bunch of people would post this great classic, comfort food in so many homes. A culinary _must_ to appear on any foodies repertoire. Thanks and congratulations for the elaborated tutorial. Great results!

@DCarch; great tip!

@Koukou; thank you!


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## mise (Aug 19, 2013)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Mise, you posted a link to your dish but it is too nice to not reveal it in all it's glory. Such a superb inspiring dish! Didn't know you can pickle mustard seeds, I have to try that.
> 
> If you want to post pictures, follow what I just did; click on the "Insert Image" icon, fill in the url http://i.imgur.com/8akFc6Z.jpg\ in the box marked as "An image URL" and click on "Use URL". Then select the size of the picture. This is the "large" format that your picture deserves;
> 
> ...


Glad you liked it. Pickled mustard seed are great, also kind of a pain to make. You boil them 8 separate times in new water, then throw them in the pickling liquid. It's a nice technique that I use a lot. Boiling lemon zest (you'd use a Y-Peeler to get strips) 3 times makes it palatable, then throw in some simple syrup and balance it with some miso, so tasty.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Well time for a story....

So today i woke up , early <_< which is rare but since i left my job i decided to appreciate the free time and go down to the market and have my fun.

Tomatoes were under 80 cents a pound , so i had to buy them. While walking around the market with a sack of tomatoes i saw fresh green apples and they were looking great so i bought some too. Then i found balsamic vinegar as well , and again it was super cheap. I start walking looking at red meats until i see chicken and well it was love at first site and this dish popped into my head.

*Braised Chicken Filets with Green Apples and Tomato Compote *





  








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The chicken was braised in red wine and tomatoe extract sauce ( S&P , garlic ). It sits on top of a tomatoe and onion compote seasoned with fresh thyme. The green apples on the side were dresses with a balsamic syrup i made really quicky. All and all it was tasty even though lacking in presentation. The toasted bread in the center is to be eaten with the compote or with the left over sauce from the balsimic syrup. At the end the braising liquid and tomatoe compote left over in my pan was awesome for dipping more bread slices and eating XD.

Had to eat light today regardless after all the junk i have been eating these past days XD


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Experimenting with food is such fun, isn't it Kaique. I do believe people like Ferran Adria and many other great chefs did nothing else than experimenting. You don't get anywhere when always coloring between the lines. Originality is very difficult to reach but at least it shows ambition and guts to keep trying. Thanks Kaique.

I read you quit your job. Is there anything else in the pipeline?


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Experimenting with food is such fun, isn't it Kaique. I do believe people like Ferran Adria and many other great chefs did nothing else than experimenting. You don't get anywhere when always coloring between the lines. Originality is very difficult to reach but at least it shows ambition and guts to keep trying. Thanks Kaique.
> 
> I read you quit your job. Is there anything else in the pipeline?


I dont go back to working till start of september either as pastry chef or line cook at another restaurant taht im staging at.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Tomato soup with... balletjes.*

This is a classic from my country. All kids aged 3-99 like this soup and there's dozens of recipes to make a good tomato soup. We call it "tomatensoep met balletjes" or tomato soup with _small_ balls. Here's my version (which changes regularly).

The first picture doesn't say it all, there's 6 large tomatoes in it and maybe 10 cherry tomatoes and around 1/3 potatoes compared to the tomato weight total. A large onion and 3 cloves of garlic, a pinch of chili flakes, stalks of basil, just one small stalk of lovage with young leaves (celery taste) and sorrel.

Start by sweating the onion, garlic, dried thyme, dried oregano for maybe 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and potatoes and 1 tbsp of tomato paste, let gently simmer for another 10 minutes. Now add any stock you like, I used chicken stock. Let simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Add the fresh herbs tied together in a bouquet the last five minutes of the cooking time. Remove the herbs when done, mix well. I did not sieve but if you want ultra smooth soup, you can.

The balls are 50/50 pork/veal (nothing added) simply simmered in plain water! The moment they come to the surface they can be added to the soup. You could cut small balls from a mozzarella with a melon spoon or simply add bocconcini. There's no cream in this soup, so if you like it, please do and enjoy!





  








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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Very nice Chris. I could eat your photos.

I fried some breaded tomatoes. Condiment with S&P and thyme; flour, egg, bread crumbs, fry. Lousy picks but a great tasting result as a side dish. Crispy outside, juicy inside. There's some cheese on top of the left one. Better.





  








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.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

A ragu of sorts. Braised a chuck roast in wine, tomatoes, aromatics. Rosemary for the herb this time.

Season it up, brown it off on all sides. Remove to a plate.





  








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Add the aromatics, finely chopped to cook into the sauce. I went with some lovage instead of the celery so it too would cook into the sauce.





  








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Towards the end of cooking the aromatics, add the garlic, then some tomato paste. Stir through and add some red wine, reduce.





  








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Add canned crushed tomatoes, some beef stock, return the roast to the pot and simmer for a few hours until tender. Turn it over occasionally and stir the pot to make sure the tomatos don't scorch. Stir in a generous amount of parmesan when you correct the seasoning at the end.





  








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Shred the meat into the sauce.

Boil some rigatoni, garnish with extra parmesan cheese.





  








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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

ChrisBelgium said:


> *Tomato soup with... balletjes.*
> 
> This is a classic from my country. All kids aged 3-99 like this soup and there's dozens of recipes to make a good tomato soup. We call it "tomatensoep met balletjes" or tomato soup with _small_ balls. Here's my version (which changes regularly).
> 
> ...


I'm very interested in making this. But I have a question. Do the potatoes get cut up into small pieces? It's possible to add aromatics to the meatballs isn't it? Did you puree the soup, it looks very smooth. Do you add cheese? Can't wait to try it!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Koukouvagia said:


> I'm very interested in making this. But I have a question. Do the potatoes get cut up into small pieces? It's possible to add aromatics to the meatballs isn't it? Did you puree the soup, it looks very smooth. Do you add cheese? Can't wait to try it!


Koukou, the potatoes set the total cooking time as no other ingredient needs to cook longer. Potatoes normally need 20 minutes as you know, but in a soup like this, it's better to go for 30 minutes, they will disappear entirely when mixed. I roughly cut them in chunks, this speeds up the cooking time but are easier to mix.

The meatballs can be made exactly as you like them. Here they are pure, no addition at all as minced meat is many times already seasoned. In wintertime I often add a pinch of chili flakes, unless kids will eat the soup. Of course, any aromatic you like will do. Please do poach the meatballs in water, they will come out deliciously tender.

I mixed the soup with a stick mixer; do remove the fresh herbs before mixing. If you like very smooth, push it through a sieve when mixed. And no, there's no cheese in it, but again, you're the boss.

You will love this soup!


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Yeah, tomaten soep met balletjes ..Time I made that again.I normally simmer the meatballs straight in the soup, so any loss of juice nicely flavours the soup.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

@Ordo; fried breaded tomatoes; another very original idea I have to try out. Thanks!

@phatch; I notice you also use lovage instead of celery. I use it frequently but it always is a matter of dosage. The older leaves can be incredibly strong, isn't it?

Very nice dish. Also maybe the perfect alternative for ossobuco?

@butzy; you certainly have a point but I prefer to poach them in water. It eliminates impurities (if any) from the meat. This is another comfort food dish that has as many variations as there are cooks who make it.

Here's a tomato salad preparation that dates from my youth, too many years ago. Incredibly tasty and can be eaten with anything. So simple; tomatoes, onion, s&p, oil and tarragon vinegar. Here with shredded basil leaves that weren't used at all in my younger days, we had no idea then it existed. And a few lamb chops for a healthy, simple but delicious meal.





  








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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

Someone mentioned gazpacho but haven't seen any.





  








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Slice everything. Salt and pepper lightly between layers. Add

about a quart of water and a dash of olive oil and leave

refrigerated overnight. After blenderizing, add about a 1/4

teaspoon pimenton agridulce (there are three kinds of

pimention: sweet, agridulce or bitter sweet, and spicy hot), 1

teaspoon of cumin, and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar.

Readjust seasoning if needed and shake vigorously to serve.





  








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Some people add dried bread when soaking but I've found it's

unnecessary and adds a starchy flavor. Also, I've never had

it dressed with cucumber/ tomato brunoise when in Spain.

We've always had it plain or even drank it out of a mug ice

cold. Incredibly refreshing on a hot summer day. I also forgot

to add that some people put it through a sieve to elevate it

to "fine dining." I like it homestyle.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Nice, what could be better than a Greek salad in soup form?


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Nice work, everyone! Didn't have much time lately, but now I can present something new. When we talk tomatoes, we have to talk _provencale_. The tomatoes may not be the centerpiece, but they are essential:

Tomatoes, onions, garlic, olives, lemon, lemon thyme and basil:





  








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Also, a dorade, salted and peppered:





  








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Quickly seared over charcoal, then finished in a pan with the vegetables, herbs and a good amount of white wine and olive oil:





  








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And: Daurade provencale:





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

@Jake; finally!! A truly well-made gazpacho. That's the summer tomato dish _numero uno _if you ask me. Very nice pictures too, Jake! I notice you added quite some garlic; delicious in gazpacho. I didn't know pimentón came in 3 versions, I only know and use the sweet and hot one. Have to look out for the agridulce. I love a tiny pinch of pimentón in many dishes, like in my next recipe.

@Gene; Daurade provençale, what a stunning dish, Gene! This is also a very weird coincidence, as we were walking the same path I believe. Yesterday I made ...moules à la Provençale or in English; mussels in the style of the lovely French Provence. I should have used lemon thyme too, I even have a plant in my garden but I simply forgot!

*Moules à la Provençale*

Gene made my work easier by already mentioning the essentials in a "provençale" preparation; lots of tomatoes, thyme and garlic...

Of course you can add some other flavors, preferably from that region. For this 2 kg of mussels I used; crushed fennel seeds, a little dried thyme and oregano, a pinch of pimentón, a pinch of chili flakes, fresh verveine (lemon verbena), scallion, 3 cloves of garlic, shallots, small dash of pastis, small dash of white wine and of course tomatoes that I peeled and deseeded. They were 3 medium large tomatoes and some very sweet small ones.

I kept the remains of deseeding the tomatoes and pushed that through a sieve and mixed in a tsp of tomato paste. This liquid came at the bottom of the pot together with the rest of the ingredients. You absolutely need no more liquid in that pot to cook mussels. Cover with the mussels and put it on very high fire for maybe 8 minutes, lid on. During that time, shake (toss) the covered pan in a vertical movement a few times, to get the still unopened mussels to the bottom.

Note; if you cut the ingredients small enough, you don't need to sweat them first and you will get much fresher flavor out of this preparation.





  








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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Ahh, beautiful! Of course, the pastis is the final touch. I fondly remember sitting in a small bar in Aix, just two tables out on the street, sipping pastis and watching the ladies walk by... The essence of Provence... Good times


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Also, Chris.... Now that I have seen those moules, given that your are from Belgium... I can't get Jacques Brel out of my head...

"Des moules et puis des frites

Des frites et puis des moules
Et du vin de Moselle"


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

> ...sipping pastis and watching the ladies walk by...


Gene, you sound like a soul brother to me! And you're right, in "la douce France" it's not necessarily the pastis alone, although it's a must in this context.

And yes, moules frites, that's us.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

mrmexico25 said:


> Did u just eat the green tomatoes raw? Never had it before but it seems really tough and bitter. No?


italians eat green tomatoes all the time. It's almost impossible to convince the guy at the vegetable stall that i want tomatoes for salad - therefore raw - and i also want them red and ripe. No matter how much i insist he always wants to give me the green ones, or those half green and half red, and i'm talking about regular kinds of tomatoes that they also sell red.

they're not bitter nor tough, but they're more tart, and i like my tomatoes sweet.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

My computer died and i haven'\t been able to go on cheftalk for almost a month. I read through the challenge quickly and didn't see either of these.

the first is a typical roman dish

POMODORI RIPIENI rice stuffed tomatoes

the interesting thihng about these is that the rice is put into the tomato raw, and cooked with only the juice of the tomato

take as many large beefsteak type tomatoes as you want. They should be completely ripe and very juicy.

Put a couple or three heaping tablespoons of small arborio type rice in a bowl for each tomato.

Cut the top off the tomatoes, about half an inch down, and save the tops.

Squeeze the juice from the tomato bottoms into the rice, seeds and all, being careful not to break the skin.

Salt the tomatoes that have been squeezed

squash a half a clove of garlic per tomato and add to the rice.

Add a handful of chopped parsley to the rice

Add salt and pepper and olive oil to taste (more oil than you might tend to put)

Stuff the tomatoes with the raw rice, not too packed (the rice expands) and put the tops back on.

Put them snugly into a baking pan with high sides (2 inches) that has some oil on the bottom.

Put some wedges of potato between the tomatoes

Cover with foil and bake about half an hour and uncover. Test the rice. If it's done, then put back for just a few minutes uncovered, or return covered for longer, depending on how they're doing.

It's surprising to see that the rice cooks in the tomato's own juice, and of course gains flavor that way.

i have no picture because i haven't made them in a while, but this is what they look like

http://www.google.it/imgres?imgurl=...waUp_5BeHo4QTGyIDQCw&ved=0CGIQ9QEwDQ&dur=9671


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

PUMMAROLA

fresh tomato sauce

this is my favorite summer pasta sauce.  I'm sure i've posted it before.  It relies on the quality of the ingredients, but it's really tomato sauce for dummies - you can;t go wrong. 

cut the following up roughly (one inch chunks are fine) and put in a pot (thick bottomed is better):

several ripe juicy tomatoes

a stick of celery

a carrot

an onion

some garlic cloves

squish the tomatoes so the juice comes out.  You can put a little bit of water, no more than 1/4 cup , if the tomatoes are too dry.  

Cover and cook slowly until the vegetables are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork. 

Use an immersion blender to blend it all. 

Cook the pasta.  Drain.  Add grated parmigiano and just let it sit one minute so the parmigiano softens, but don;t stir or it will all end up stuck to the spoon and the pan and not the pasta. 

Then add the sauce and a knob of butter, and stir well. 

that's it. 

You can add some basil if you like.  I like it plain. 

too easy, too good, and too simple.  no pictures, nothinhg really to see.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

A fruit or a vegetable?


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Shucks.  Was planning to do a BLT sandwich with the B, the T, the bread and the mayo all done in house ( didn't plant lettuce).  Just looked at the calendar, no way the pork belly I got today will be bacon before the month ends.  Oh well.  I still have another dish or two in mind.

mjb.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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ayayayayayaaaay... these are a few ripe tomatoes I gathered from my homegrown San Marzano experiment. There's also a lot of green ones still on the plants but it's getting much colder from now on. That is not the biggest problem. Look at my humble harvest. They all have that brown bottom that starts to rot. Well, so far for my little experiment, I took good care of my San Marzano, of course I don't have an Etna volcano in my backyard, maybe that's it? Anyway, San Marzano, you're fired!!

@teamfat; how are your homegrown tomatoes doing, mjb?

@ordo; love it! Good laugh...

@siduri; I thought you were on a tour around the world! Thanks for your contributions.

*Very, very, very soon I'm gonna pick this month's winner...*


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*So who will win eternal glory and this trophy called the golden apple, mostly known as the POMODORO? *





  








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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I don't know Chris, you tell us. August is quite a long month so we do have some time don't we??


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

My favorite tomato recipe

Move to a place in sight of a good volcano

pick a couple of really good, plant-ripened tomatoes, still warm from the sun.

Take a little packet of salt and pepper (which you should always have in your pocket)

bite right into them.  Mmmmm. 

everything else is gilding the apple ... (to pick up on your pomo d'oro, chris)


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

ChrisBelgium said:


> @teamfat; how are your homegrown tomatoes doing, mjb?


Not as well as I'd like. I hope to have some to submit another entry wednesday. I'm not that impressed with the green zebras - I think they aren't exactly what they were supposed to be - do those look like they are green on the inside? Tasty, though.





  








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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

*Tomatoes ripe for improvement*

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/health/tomatoes-ripe-for-improvement.html?ref=dining&_r=0


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Homemade pizza with cold smoked chicken salad

Here is the pizza





  








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And here the salad:





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

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@Koukou; I'm gonna announce the winner tomorrow on the very same day of La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain, just to stay in the theme. So,... chop chop!

@Siduri; See, I knew it, I knew it, it's that volcano, isn't it? Maybe it's also because I'm not all that religious that my San Marzanos turned into San Disastros. But, I very much agree, a fresh tomato, stolen straight from a sunny garden near Napoli is the very best and the most exciting experience knowing who's territory we're on (you don't hear me mentioning the mafia).

@teamfat; you're more religious than I am, don't you?

@ordo; interesting read my friend! Will it get me into planting tomatoes next year? We'll see how soon I forget this year's San Disastros.

@butzy; your pizza and salad looks so yummy! How did the cold smoked chicken do on the pizza? Does it keep its smokey flavor?


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

The chicken was only in the salad, not on the pizza.

It has quite a strong lovely taste, so I would assume it would still be clearly noticable on a pizza.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

ChrisBelgium said:


> @Siduri; See, I knew it, I knew it, it's that volcano, isn't it? Maybe it's also because I'm not all that religious that my San Marzanos turned into San Disastros. But, I very much agree, a fresh tomato, stolen straight from a sunny garden near Napoli is the very best and the most exciting experience knowing who's territory we're on (you don't hear me mentioning the mafia).


Once we went to see someone in Campania and passed through san marzano. It was one of the most depressing towns i've ever seen. Apart from the picturesque caravans of open trucks with tomatoes piled in them

http://www.google.it/imgres?client=...&tbnw=243&start=16&ndsp=21&tx=128&ty=56middle

the town showed the hand of organized crime and the devastation it creates. Looked like a clip from one of the neo realist movies of the 50s and yet it was 2000. Mainly i remember the signs still there of the mud slides of the Sarno two years before, where nothing had been really repaired or reconstructed, and the hot asphalt with thousands of tomato can lids embedded in it, near the gates of the factories (it was sunday and everything was closed.) Poverty, corruption, camorra (the Campania version of the mafia).

The tomatoes, of course, are great.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

I had a friend bring me a sack of tomatoes from her garden, so I decided to get as tomatoey with one one dish as I could...

I am not sure what to call it exactly... but I give you...Bloody Mary Focaccia French Toast BLT Egg Benedict?





  








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I used some of the tomatoes to make a slightly chunky bloody mary. From there, I used some to make a French toast batter for my focaccia, and some to reduce down to paste consistency to add to my quasi bernaise sauce to make choron.

I say quasi bernaise because for the base instead of tarragon and chervil, I used celery seed and celery leaves. In another slight twist, I finished the sauce with browned butter and a touch of rendered bacon, plus freshly ground toasted celery seed and celery leaves.

So we have Bloody Mary foccacia French toast, topped with garden fresh tomatoes and arugula, a couple of slices of bacon, a gently poached egg, and garnished with beurre noisette Choron Sauce.

Maybe I should just call it the Quasi.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Ok, I definitely nominate Cheflayne...

Well, since we are closing in on the finish line, I have to present at least one pasta dish. My favourite tomato-based sauce is still the puttanesca. Garlic, olives, anchovies, hot peppers (traditionally, red, but the green cheyennes fresh from the garden will do), tomatoes and basil to finish it:





  








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Sautée in good olive oil:





  








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Add the tomatoes - I prefer them cooked rather briefly for this, salt, pepper, and finish the spaghetti in the sauce. Plate with the basil:





  








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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

0_0 ugh just one more day , gotta think of something quick.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Sigh. Oh well, out of time again. I mentioned before about the *amazing* BLT I had planned. The belly is out curing in the garage 'fridge, I'm sure you'll be seeing it in the future. Another plan was the inverse of what we saw before - those tomatoes stuffed with acorn squash puree. I was planning to do the squash stuffed with home made smoked sausage in a tomato sauce. The best laid laid plans...

But I will say that these monthly challenges [ Thanks Eastshores for getting it going! ] are making me look at my cooking in a bit of a different light, at the least having me paying more attention to plating and pictures. And oddly enough, that extra focus on presentation is carrying over to extra focus on the basic quality of my cooking.

This old dog is learning a few new tricks, thanks to all of you great folks!

mjb.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Well something simple as my last submission.

*Tomato and Sweet Apple Salad with Escarole*

Basically saute some fresh green and red apples slices in half circles in a bit of EVO add in a bit of honey and lime.

Deglaze with white wine and add in roughly chopped escarole. Let get soft and sautee a bit more.

S&P.

Top the mixture on some tomato slices and add shaved parm on top.

Finish with some apple vinegar XD ( I think some balsamic may go great too )

I love this salad and its simple and i liked the plating too 

P.S : I cut the apples a bit thicker so they wouldnt get too soft after in contact with heat.





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*And the winner of the tomato challenge, august 2013 is...*

*cheflayne,* with his _tarte tatin of tomatoes caramelized in honey and olive oil with cinnamon flavor, served with xerez vinegar icecream and cardamom flavored honey_. But also his _ahi tuna dish served with a syrup made with golden cherry tomato and lemon grass, a wasabi avocado mousse, and a variation of fresh cherry tomatoes etc_..

I chose chef Layne's dishes because they show not only very professional skills for both these deceptively easy dishes, but above all for their originality, personality and excellent creative approach. Also, both dishes can be reproduced by the large brigade of homecooks around here. So, congratulations Layne, I prepared this little trophy for you that I named the Pomo d'Oro;





  








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The winner, Chef Layne, is closely followed by; *FrenchFries, teamfat, butzy, FoodnFoto, Ordo, KaiqueKuisine, GeneMachine, dCarch, Durangojo, Slayertplsko, ChefWilsonUK, PetalsandCoco, CacioEPepe, ChefMannyDLM, Nicko, Soesje, phatch, Skipstrr, Koukouvagia, Coup-de-Feu, mise, KingNothing, jake t buds, Siduri.*
Thank you all, chefs and homecooks, for your participation, I hope you enjoyed it! And don't throw tomatoes at me if I forgot anyone.

I do have to mention someone special who posted proof beyond any dought of what his cooking does. Teamfat published this sweet picture. Isn't that why we love cooking so much; a happy face and an empty plate! I really enjoyed this charming picture, mjb, thanks for sharing it;





  








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This also means that Chef Layne accepted to start a new challenge. Can't wait to see what's on the shelf. Best of luck with the new challenge, Layne!


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Well done Chef Layne, A very original recipe.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Yes congrats  i was cheering for your pie XD


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

Congratulations Cheflayne.......as usual, nothing less than all around total wonderfulness. 

joey


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

> Originally Posted by *ChrisBelgium*
> 
> 
> 
> This also means that Chef Layne accepted to start a new challenge. Can't wait to see what's on the shelf. Best of luck with the new challenge, Layne!


Thanks so much for the gracious words everyone! I don't know about anyone else, but I have been having a blast with our monthly challenge. What a great idea!

I am percolating on an idea for next month but input and suggestions are always welcome. If you have some rumblings in your cranium occurring share them here or pm me but don't delay because the clock is ticking. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Congratulations everyone. Looking forward to the next one.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

cheflayne said:


> Thanks so much for the gracious words everyone! I don't know about anyone else, but I have been having a blast with our monthly challenge. What a great idea!
> 
> I am percolating on an idea for next month but input and suggestions are always welcome. If you have some rumblings in your cranium occurring share them here or pm me but don't delay because the clock is ticking. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif


Congratulations cheflayne, yes, wonderful recipes! well-earned golden apple.

Since you ask --- instead of a challenge about an ingredient, i wonder if there could be a challenge that's described differently - like : an excellent meal that can be prepared in record time (x minutes) using only from-scratch ingredients that's nutritionally balanced; or a dish that can be brought to a picnic, or to a friend's house (can be transported, doesn't need reheating, doesn't go bad in transit); or low cost cooking, or one dish meals, or something like that.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Congratulations Cheflayne, as always your knowledge on food , plating and technique just shines ! We can't wait to see your idea for September.

@ Chris: You have been a wonderful host, we tip out hats to you for being so gracious and kind to all of us.

Nous nous sommes inspirées.

ps. GM, that should be in the pasta thread /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

petalsandcoco said:


> @ Chris: You have been a wonderful host, we tip out hats to you for being so gracious and kind to all of us.
> Nous nous sommes inspirées.


Thanks Petals, I must admit that I learned the most from you when coaching your past challenge, that's a fact!

@Siduri; I totally agree to widen the topic and try to cover an area instead of one single item.

@ChefLayne; Bloody Mary Focaccia French Toast BLT Egg Benedict; what a stunning finale!!


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Yes, thanks Chris.  Great hosting and nice pictures of the tomato war


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Great host indeed, but i have proofs that ChrisBelgium is an Emissary of Evil. Sad, but true.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Some time ago I was just thinking out loud, so to speak, about the challenges.  One option was location - a city, perhaps, like Paris or Beijing, or a region like southern United States, or the German Black Forest, or  broader yet, such as Argentina, Greece, Tibet.

I'm looking forward to the next one, regardless of the chosen topic.

mjb.

ps:  Karen is not that fond of the picture of her smile and the empty bowl - she thinks it makes her look pregnant.  In reality she is quite slender, in spite of my cooking!


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Ditto , gotta give a head ups to eastshore the idea was definitely a good one. 

Cant wait for the suspense to end , and we get to start creating. 

If i ever win i already got my idea


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Congratulations cheflayne! All your dishes were fantastic but once I saw the Bloody Mary French toast I threw my hands up and figured you were the shoe in! I'm sure whatever topic you choose will be the right one.

And thank you Chris for the inspiring challenge!


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

Congratulations cheflayne! wonderful dishes! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

ordo said:


> Great host indeed, but i have proofs that ChrisBelgium is an Emissary of Evil. Sad, but true.


Allright, I admit I'm actually a werewolf but I forgot to pick up my costume at the drycleaners. It's been there for over a year now. Grrrrraaaaooooowww, thanks for reminding me, Ordo! Does anyone know when it's fool full moon again? Thanks all for the kind words!


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Allright, I admit I'm actually a werewolf but I forgot to pick up my costume at the drycleaners. It's been there for over a year now. Grrrrraaaaooooowww, thanks for reminding me, Ordo! Does anyone know when it's fool full moon again? Thanks all for the kind words!


Aha! And you think it was a joke? No way. People deserve to know. Click the image and find the truth!






  








evil-tomato.jpg




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ordo


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(Great job Chris, and spectacular timing with La Tomatina)


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Ordo, this whole thread was planned meticulously to promote my very own brand of ketchup;





  








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And, I found this in the link you posted;

_"The hallucinogenic properties of the plant, comprised of visions and the sense of flying. This most led to the association of the nightshade family with witchcraft.
German folklore claims that witches used plants like mandrake and nightshade to summon *werewolves*, a practice known as lycanthropy. The common German name for tomatoes translates to "wolf peach", and because of this it was universally avoided. In the 18th century the tomato species was named *Lycopersicon esculentum*, which literally means, "edible wolf peach"."_

http://www.tomatoesareevil.com/tomato%20history.html


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Congratulations, Cheflayne! From the moment I saw that tarte, I knew that was the winner! Brilliant!


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## dcarch (Jun 28, 2010)

*Beauty And The Beast*

from my garden.

dcarch





  








Beauty.jpg




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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Lane is gonna kill me with all this suspense LOL

i dreamt that the challenge would be something crazy like RABBIT OR OSTRICH XD


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

@ dcarch...that is just way too funny, while being so lovely and beautiful.....what is the blue in her eyes? Photoshop or love? 
@CB....thank you.....you are a wonderful host
@ all challengers......bravo....so very well done

joey


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I wouldn't be surprised if it were rabbit.  Driving around I went past Main Street Meats - their daily special was rabbit, 6.99 / lb.  Later I stopped by the liquor store for more dry vermouth, felt like having some wine, too - French Rabbit Pinot Noir.  Later that evening, glass of wine in hand, first facebook post I see is of a cat and a rabbit.  Something bunny is going on in my life.

mjb.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Hmmn, rabbit...very interesting...

View media item 84917
"Gee, ain't I a stinker?" - *Bugs Bunny*

...hmmn...could be


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

Im scared now XD


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## mise (Aug 19, 2013)

Challenge Confit? Could get some nice creations over a month period.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

No comment.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Confit...hmm... need to let that idea simmer for few hours then store it in the cool dark recesses of my mind before a decision is reached...hmm... confit


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

quick someone talk him out of it , we will drive u nuts 

HA MAYBE NUTS XD


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

hmm... maybe nuts would be a good challenge...hmm...so many good ideas, so little time... maybe Brazil nuts

View media item 84921


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## slayertplsko (Aug 19, 2010)

We've already had pork, so having another kind of meat (rabbit) would be, to my mind, an overkill. Confit sounds nice, nuts (in general) are also a nice idea, if perhaps a bit tough. What about mushrooms? Or fish? Or cabbage (and I mean all of it - white, red, Savoy, Brussels sprouts, sauerkraut etc.)?


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

dcarch said:


> *Beauty And The Beast*
> 
> from my garden.
> 
> ...


Aha! Now we know you own a magic garden. No wonder you make those incredible dishes and presentations.


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## dcarch (Jun 28, 2010)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Aha! Now we know you own a magic garden. No wonder you make those incredible dishes and presentations.


Thanks!

Re: Cooking challenge theme:

Rosh Hashanah is coming up, Jewish food?

dcarch


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Cheflayne,

No matter what you decide, I know it will be great.

I thought about : Show Us What You Got ! ( folks preparing their signature dishes )  

a thought


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Challenge should be tyranny. We basically chose a tyrant, a dictator (a gentle one if possible). So whatever the winner chose, we must comply with. Let's say the new challenge is _whales_. No question we must go there, sail the Oceans, bribe Greenpeace, break international laws, avoid global conflicts that could cause a 3rd WW, harpoon some whales and just cook. Simple as that.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

KaiqueKuisine said:


> Lane is gonna kill me with all this suspense LOL
> 
> i dreamt that the challenge would be something crazy like RABBIT OR OSTRICH XD


Hey, what's crazy about that??? My girlfriends sister farms ostriches, and we are going to take up breeding some rabbits next year. Well, after the quail project is running stable...


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

ordo said:


> Challenge should be tyranny. We basically chose a tyrant, a dictator (a gentle one if possible). So whatever the winner chose, we must comply with. Let's say the new challenge is _whales_. No question we must go there, sail the Oceans, bribe Greenpeace, break international laws, avoid global conflicts that could cause a 3rd WW, harpoon some whales and just cook. Simple as that.


Note to self. a) do not vote for Ordo. b) check the kajak for seaworthiness and get a harpoon.


Slayertplsko said:


> We've already had pork, so having another kind of meat (rabbit) would be, to my mind, an overkill. Confit sounds nice, nuts (in general) are also a nice idea, if perhaps a bit tough. What about mushrooms? Or fish? Or cabbage (and I mean all of it - white, red, Savoy, Brussels sprouts, sauerkraut etc.)?


Mushrooms would fit the season. Too early for cabbage, that's a winter challenge.


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## kaiquekuisine (Apr 11, 2013)

OMG FREE WILLY BE ORDO GETS TO HIM


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## slayertplsko (Aug 19, 2010)

GeneMachine said:


> Note to self. a) do not vote for Ordo. b) check the kajak for seaworthiness and get a harpoon.
> 
> Mushrooms would fit the season. Too early for cabbage, that's a winter challenge.


Yes, you're right. Cabbage would be best in November. But I would even postpone mushrooms till October. The two quintessential autumn species (wood blewitt and field blewitt) don't grow in September. And all around, October is the best month for mushrooms. Fish is rather season-neutral, so are nuts. September is the peak season for blackberries. That might be an interesting challenge as they lend themselves equally well to sweet and savoury. Also, quite unusual, so quite a challenge?


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

We do haved porcini and chanterelles here already, though - haven't foraged myself yet, but my friends brought in good hauls...


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Gene: don't give more ideas! If Cheflayne choses_ white truffles_ i'll have to sell the harpooon and the kajak!


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Hehe, ordo. White truffles I could source at last. Just don't let it go to fugu..


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Slayertplsko said:


> Yes, you're right. Cabbage would be best in November. But I would even postpone mushrooms till October. The two quintessential autumn species (wood blewitt and field blewitt) don't grow in September. And all around, October is the best month for mushrooms. Fish is rather season-neutral, so are nuts. September is the peak season for blackberries. That might be an interesting challenge as they lend themselves equally well to sweet and savoury. Also, quite unusual, so quite a challenge?


Also.. I have some cultivated blackberries in the garden. Pretty much ate all of them off the bush two weks ago. Are the wild ones so far behind?


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## slayertplsko (Aug 19, 2010)

GeneMachine said:


> Also.. I have some cultivated blackberries in the garden. Pretty much ate all of them off the bush two weks ago. Are the wild ones so far behind?


Haven't gone to gather them yet. But last year, those at around 450 MAMSL were already reasonably ripe in the first half of August, those at around 550 MAMSL by the end of august (at that time, I was on a bike tour and tested a few at 650 MAMSL, but they still needed a couple of weeks). So I think it's high time I went to gather some. Oh and rose hips will be good enough for tea already, which I love and which is the best source of vitamin C ever (barring some exotic fruits that only Aboriginals in Australia can enjoy, and perhaps some soy sprouts and such things) - three small rose hips have the same amount of vitamin C as a large orange or so. Collected and dried on your own, it makes tea vastly superior to anything you can buy; plus, later in the season they make nice jam that goes well with game. And they grow all over! For free! Thinking about it, I'm also planning to gather a couple of pounds of rowan berries (perhaps mix them with apples for jam, or just make pure rowan jelly); there's a tree nearby in the forest.

The mushroom season has been downright awful this month given the fact that there hasn't been one decent rain in August. So right now nothing, which is pity because the temperatures are ideal for growth. But we did have summer ceps (Steinpilze) and those Boletus luridiformis (I think that's Hexenröhrling in German), russulas, parasols, hazel and birch boletes, blushers and all that usual summer fare. Btw. over here, golden chanterelles grow from May to November, but tend to prefer conifers. I you remember, I posted a dish of gnocchi with mushrooms in the June challenge and one of the species I used were chanterelles. I'm sure they grow that early in Germany, too.

http://www.pilzepilze.de/galerie/v/Lateinisch/C/cantharellus/cibarius/


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I'm making a submission here just for fun, I'm just getting into the tomatoes now and thought I'd share. This dish is hardly a dish at all, just an arrangement of ingredients.

It all begins with paximadi, a traditional Lateran preparation for bread made of Durham wheat that has been dried completely for preservation.




  








image.jpg




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I run it under water to reconstitute, yes it is eaten wet. The dish also calls for a ripe tomato, some virgin olive oil, a pinch of dried oregano and of course a bit of salt.




  








photo (1).JPG




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It sounds awful, wet mushy bread, crushed tomatoes and dried oregano? But it's a Neal for a king in my mind. 




  








photo (2).JPG




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This dish is known as Dakos. There are variations that include feta cheese in the topping. Another less common name for the dish is... Koukouvagia


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

And here are some tomato dishes just for fun.





  








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koukouvagia


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373.JPG




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koukouvagia


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This is called Giouvetsi, it's basically a tomato based stew using chuck. After the meat is completely braised, it is removed and I cook orzo directly in the sauce, adding water as needed. It's a very hearty meal.





  








DSCF4498.JPG




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koukouvagia


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Aug 31, 2013








Some tomatoes from my Mother's garden in Greece.





  








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koukouvagia


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Stuffed tomatoes I made a while back, along with stuffed peppers, stuffed grape leaves, and potatoes.





  








Food 006.jpg




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koukouvagia


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Grilled tomatoes, pork tenderloin and polenta.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Slayertplsko said:


> Haven't gone to gather them yet. But last year, those at around 450 MAMSL were already reasonably ripe in the first half of August, those at around 550 MAMSL by the end of august (at that time, I was on a bike tour and tested a few at 650 MAMSL, but they still needed a couple of weeks). So I think it's high time I went to gather some. Oh and rose hips will be good enough for tea already, which I love and which is the best source of vitamin C ever (barring some exotic fruits that only Aboriginals in Australia can enjoy, and perhaps some soy sprouts and such things) - three small rose hips have the same amount of vitamin C as a large orange or so. Collected and dried on your own, it makes tea vastly superior to anything you can buy; plus, later in the season they make nice jam that goes well with game. And they grow all over! For free! Thinking about it, I'm also planning to gather a couple of pounds of rowan berries (perhaps mix them with apples for jam, or just make pure rowan jelly); there's a tree nearby in the forest.
> 
> The mushroom season has been downright awful this month given the fact that there hasn't been one decent rain in August. So right now nothing, which is pity because the temperatures are ideal for growth. But we did have summer ceps (Steinpilze) and those Boletus luridiformis (I think that's Hexenröhrling in German), russulas, parasols, hazel and birch boletes, blushers and all that usual summer fare. Btw. over here, golden chanterelles grow from May to November, but tend to prefer conifers. I you remember, I posted a dish of gnocchi with mushrooms in the June challenge and one of the species I used were chanterelles. I'm sure they grow that early in Germany, too.
> 
> http://www.pilzepilze.de/galerie/v/Lateinisch/C/cantharellus/cibarius/


I haven't really explored the forests here yet - just moved to this town in december. But we have lots of pine forests here which look very promising....

Also, rosehips. Love the jam - and they grow all along the railroad tracks behind my house. Definitely worth a foraging expedition when they are ripe


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Beautiful dishes KK. Better late than never. I love the names in Greek.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Some very nice additions, Koukou!

An urgent question; can the giouvetsi be made with lamb shoulder? Just bought some shoulder in thick slices and I'm looking for something interesting to make this weekend. All further instructions more than welcome!


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Some very nice additions, Koukou!
> An urgent question; can the giouvetsi be made with lamb shoulder? Just bought some shoulder in thick slices and I'm looking for something interesting to make this weekend. All further instructions more than welcome!


Oh yes, and it is most often made with lamb. The technique is similar to any other stew so I won't bore you with those instructions. Brown the meat and in the drippings soften onions, garlic, a little tomato paste thyme and bay leaf. No carrots or celery in mine. Deglaze with tomato purée and wine or vermouth. Slowly braise in the oven until tender. The magic happens with the orzo, I remove the meat and drop the pasta directly into the sauce, add water as needed and stir regularly. Serve immediately with grated kefalograviera or Parmesan.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks Koukou! I don't have orzo right now and it's sunday, so shops are closed, but I'm going to try some sort of Greco/French combo, using your recipe with lamb shoulder but combined with beans instead of pasta. Last week I was also very intrigued by the following post about using separately cooked lamb in a tomato sauce and combine that in a cassoulet bean-dish. It's post #5 in this thread in the recipe section; http://www.cheftalk.com/t/76876/foie-gras-in-cassoulet#post_440761

Kind of an "eureka" moment to combine your dish and the cassoulet-style dish. The beans are already soaking...


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

My newspaper seems to be very aware of the fact that tomatoes are in season. Yesterday they made a 2 page spread on them! Most interesting item;

On 7 and 8 September there's a "*Festival de la Tomate & des saveurs*" in Château de la Bouraisière in Mont-Louis-sur-Loire. A two day tasting opportunity of dishes made with tomatoes; gazpacho, flans, bruschettas, terrines, crumbles, sorbets, juices, cocktails etc.

The French prince Louis Albert de Broglie was so charmed by tomatoes that he held a collection of all 650 known species in the world and had them grow in his greenhouse "Conservatoire de la tomate", the tomato garden and there's also the large collection of tomato seeds.

Stunning little place if you ask me! Check this out, you can stay the night on this modest (hmmm) "hôtel de charme"; http://www.labourdaisiere.com/fr/le-bar-a-tomates-10.html


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Well I'm sure it will be great with beans but beans don't absorb the sauce quite the same way as pasta. I would opt for another kind of small pasta before my mind would even go to beans but that might be because I'm Greek and we usually never mix legumes with meat.


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## tony balthazar (Sep 12, 2013)

Great caliber of dishes I'll be loving this forum


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