Tagged with: tomatoes
The heirloom tomato deserves a healthier and crunchier experience than ordinary sea salt. It takes just a pinch of Sal del Mar to enhance the flavor of an heirloom. And if you've never seen it, Sal del Mar is packaged in a hand embroidered bag that is crafted by women in Sabinito, Sonora, Mexico, who help support their families with the the sale of Sal del Mar.
Here is a basket full of one of my favorite things....tomatoes. It’s harvest time and the Farmer’s Markets have tables laden with them. They look so beautiful as a still life that I grab my camera and do a mini photo shoot.
I always buy too many, tomatoes.
Just a pinch of Sal del Mar will do.
Heirloom tomatoes, Sal del Mar, avocado, bacon and toasted focaccia.
The Fall Harvest is here and the heirloom tomatoes are so colorful and sculptural that I do a mini photo shoot to try and capture their beauty. Even sliced, they are so picturesque, especially with a pinch of Sal del Mar. Stacked in a sandwich with bacon, avocado, they are scrumptious.
I know what I'm bringing to the Labor Day Party! A huge platter of farmer's market heirloom tomatoes and a hand-embroidered bag of Sal del Mar.
Now, which one to choose? mmmm..... wonder what will she like the most?
The hunt is on. It is the peak season for tomatoes and I'm off to every farmers market searching up and down the stalls laden with the last of summer's bounty. Yes there are beautiful eggplant, beets, squash, arugula and green beans... but my eyes are only on the tomatoes.
I spot my favorite heirlooms and rush over to fill my bag with their vibrant red, yellow and even green succulent varieties. I buy three in one stall and five in another unable to resist leaving any behind. My bag is so heavy that I'm almost dragging it.
I could go on till more bags are filled but stop myself with the realization that I have enough for a family of twelve and "it's just the two of us " to cook for the next week.
At home unpacking my treasures, I can't believe that I ever worried that I might have too many.
There are tomato pies to be made; caprese salads; bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches; tomato; squash; basil pastas; and gazpacho soup.
It will be time for another hunt soon.
This is the recipe I tried first. It is from "Food to Live By" by Myra Goodman. It is easy and features the garden fresh taste of the Farmer's Market tomatoes:
SPAGHETTI WITH FRESH TOMATOES, ZUCCHINI, AND BASIL
Serves 8 as a first course or 4 as a main course
2 medium-size ripe tomatoes (about 2 cups cut into 1/2 inch dice) or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon truffle oil, or l additional tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Pinch of dried red pepper flakes Sal del Mar 1 pound dried spaghetti (I used linguini) 2 medium-size zucchini (about 8 ounces) cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups) l large clove garlic, minced Freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the truffle oil, basil, parsley, and pepper flakes in a medium-size bowl and stir to combine. Season with Sal del Mar to taste. Let the tomato mixture sit a room temperature until the flavor develops. About 1 hour.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water (of course, with Sal del Mar) to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium size skillet over medium low heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season the zucchini with black pepper to taste.
4. Drain the spaghetti into a colander and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the tomato and zucchini mixtures to the spaghetti and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding more Sal del Mar and/or pepper, if needed. Serve the spaghetti warm or at room temperature.
Buen Provecho!
Caprese Salad
It seems like I have become the "official salad maker" for all my family at our nightly dinner parties in Chatham where we are living this summer. I am up for Master Chef award with a caprese salad that I make with burrata cheese. Its name "burrata" in Italian means "buttered" and that is how to best describe it. Burrata has a solid mozzarella outside shell and then inside is a mozzarella and cream. It is a great salad to take when you are asked to bring a dish to a dinner party if you want to be a hit! And it's easy.
Caprese Salad
A variety of tomatoes such as: heirloom, cherry, grape, plum
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or enough to lightly drizzle over each tomatoes
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Sal del Mar to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Cut the regular tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices, and the plum tomatoes into wedges. Cut the cherry, grape and teardrop tomatoes into half. Arrange the tomatoes and cheese on a platter. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with basil Sal del Mar and pepper to taste and serve.