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Oven Roasted Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

By Christy on September 21, 2012 in Appetizers & Snacks, Gluten-free, Recipes, Side Dishes, Slider, Vegan

Oh, look at these beauties!! I have never been a huge tomato fan. I love tomato sauce but the mealy store bought tomatoes ruined me for the fresh version. I do like the sweet mini cherry tomatoes. And when I saw that Greenling carried mini heirloom tomatoes, I knew I had to oven roast them to save for snacking and special dishes to come. If you have a favorite herb like oregano, basil, or rosemary, feel free to add them. I actually forgot to add some whole garlic cloves to the mix which make an awesome addition to the oven roasted flavor. But I like to add the seasonings later on so my base oven roasted version are versatile and can be used in a variety of recipes. Remember to also use the olive oil used to store the tomatoes as it becomes infused with the delicious flavors. Bonus!

1 Pint Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

1/3 Cup Olive Oil (plus more for storage)

1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 250°. Cut tomatoes in half. Toss with olive oil and spread on baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn oven off and leave baking sheet in oven until in cools, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Place tomatoes and juices in container and add enough olive oil to almost cover. Store covered in refrigerator.

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Slow Cooker Coconut Collard Curry

By Kathryn on January 30, 2012 in Gluten-free, Main Dishes, Recipes, Vegan

The collard greens from Gundermann Acres in last week’s Local Box were ENORMOUS. I was a little intimidated by the giant leaves when I unpacked them from the box– they were too large to fit in my crisper drawer! I should have expected as much, since collards are one of the more zaftig cruciferous veggies that flourish in Texas in the winter. The leaves are very large and curvaceous!

Dealing with such a huge green can be challenging– especially when the leaves are too large to fit in you biggest soup pot! The best solution I have found is to chop up the collards very fine, and cook them in a spicy curry.

This curry recipe is an adaptation of Salt & Paprika’s Slow Cooker Chicken Curry, published on Tasty Kitchen. I replaced the chicken in her recipe with chickpeas and collards, and amped up the spice in the curry sauce considerably by adding chilies, cayenne, ginger and turmeric. I also like to use fresh tomatoes in my recipe, instead of a small can of tomato paste, as she suggests.

I didn’t change a thing about Salt & Paprika’s clever preparation method, however: dump all the sauce ingredients in the food processor, whir, and you’re done! Thanks to that shortcut, this meal is prepped in under half an hour every time.

If you’re trying to cut calories, this curry is perfectly delicious on its own. It has a stew-like texture thanks to the soft collards, with nice buttery bites of chickpea throughout. I prefer to serve it over Jasmine rice, with a generous pat of butter. Either way, be sure to garnish the finished curry with plenty of chopped, fresh cilantro.

Slow Cooker Collard Curry (serves 4)

2, 15 oz cans of chickpeas, drained
1-2 pounds collard greens, chopped into very fine ribbons
2 large tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1, 15 oz. can coconut milk
4 oz. can green chilies
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Cilantro to garnish

Place the chickpeas and collards into the slow cooker. In a food processor, blend together tomatoes, onion, coconut milk, chilies, garlic, and dried spices. Pour this mixture over the chickpeas and collards, and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6 hours.

One hour before serving, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Add to the slow cooker and mix well. Cover, and allow to cook undisturbed for the remaining time.

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Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

By Kathryn on December 15, 2011 in Recipes, Soups, Summer, Winter

Tomato soup may not come to mind when you think of winter holiday entertaining, but thanks to the wonder of hydroponics, we’re getting beautiful local tomatoes all season long.

Greenling has a limited number of inexpensive “seconds” tomatoes available each week, which can be a real money-saver if you’re planning to cook tomatoes in bulk. These tomatoes are perfectly fresh and safe to eat; they are discounted because they usually arrive very ripe and might have a few cosmetic blemishes.

Since “seconds” tomatoes arrive so ripe, you might need to cook them immediately so they retain their great flavor. For this soup recipe, you can roast the tomatoes and garlic in advance of actually making the soup, since the cooked tomatoes and garlic will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to make the soup, just pull out the cooked ingredients and proceed with the recipe as written.

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup (yields 8, 1 1/4-cup servings)

4 pounds tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
5 whole cloves of garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons garlic herb butter
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus extra for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Add unpeeled garlic cloves to baking sheet. Rub three tablespoons of olive oil on tomatoes and garlic, and then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Cook tomatoes and garlic for one hour. Allow to cool to the touch before peeling garlic and moving forward with recipe.

Heat herbed butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot. Saute the onion for about 5 minutes, until it has softened. Add honey, tomatoes, garlic, broth, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or puree it in small batches in a conventional blender. Pour soup through a food mill or strainer into a clean pot. Add heavy cream and stir to combine. Gently reheat, if necessary. Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of heavy cream and a sprinkling of black pepper before serving.

This dish is part of our Organic Entertaining on a Budget series. A complete menu of recipes is available here.

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Eggplant Parmesan with Zucchini

By Megan on September 11, 2011 in Main Dishes

Even though we dipped down below the 90s last week, it seems summer is still going to stick around for a while, and along with it our summer produce. I for one was excited to see eggplant in our Local Box, as I’ve felt like I haven’t gotten my fill of it yet. I decided to use it in a simplified version of eggplant parmesan.

This version doesn’t have multiple layers, making it slightly less like a casserole. I also decided to forego spinach in favor of shredded zucchini. Eggplant parmesan is often a heavy dish, but this was a light and easy preparation.

Eggplant Parmesan with Zucchini
adapted from Tyler Florence

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds (about 10 slices total)
Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 cups shredded zucchini
Salt and pepper
8 ounces fresh mozzarella

Set up two shallow bowls. In one bowl, beat together egg and milk. Pour breadcrumbs in the other bowl, and set both near stove.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then dredge in breadcrumbs, and place in skillet. Cook until golden on both sides, then remove to a 9×13 baking dish, arranging in a single layer. (Squish them in if you need to.)
Reduce skillet to medium, and add onions. Cook until translucent, then add tomatoes and zucchini. Cook until tomatoes have broken down a bit, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat broiler.
Pour tomato mixture over the eggplant. Tear mozzarella into pieces and scatter over the top. Cook under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.

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Crustless Quiche with Juliet Tomatoes

By Kathryn on August 1, 2011 in Breakfast, Gluten-free, Main Dishes, Summer

Juliet tomatoes, onions and cheddar cheese make this casserole look fancy in a pie crust. When it’s just family, I skip those calories and pour the Quiche filling straight into a buttered pie pan.

Sans crust, this Quiche is one of my favorites for lazy Saturday morning breakfasts since I can sneak back into bed and listen to NPR while it cooks in the oven. It also works well for a quick weeknight dinner paired with a side salad and a glass of wine.

If you don’t have cherry or juliet tomatoes on hand, chopped fresh tomatoes are a good substitute. None of those? A cup of chopped mushrooms, bell peppers, greens, or cooked potatoes would work well, too. If you end up using any of those ingredients, cook them with the onions in the skillet before stirring them into the eggs.

Crustless Quiché with Juliet Tomatoes (serves 8 )

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
5 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup skim milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
half-pint juliet tomatoes (8-12), cut in half

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a nine-inch pie pan. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook them until they are tender, then set them aside to cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and par-cooled onions. Stir to combine, then pour the mixture into the prepared pie pan. Arrange tomato halves, skin side up, in the egg mixture. Bake the Quiche until the custard is golden, puffed and the edges are set, about 30-35 minutes. Set on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes to cool before serving.