Tomato Gluttony

Remember the scene from the movie Charlotte's Web where the rat Templeton goes to the fair and spends the whole night eating his way through every kind of fair food possible? I can even remember some lines of the song he sings," Glut, Glut, Glut". Well it is kind of like that here but with tomatoes..... and plums are approaching quickly.
( I stopped at your house today Bette with a big box of tomatoes and plums but you were not home)

It is one of my life goals to eat as many homegrown fresh tomatoes as possible each summer. It has never been a challenge... until this year. Most years a few BLT's and we are good. This year I have had to search outside my normal realm to handle the load.
(No, I am not into "putting up tomatoes for the winter".)

We really liked both of these recipes so I though I would share.

Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad

4 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 t dried or 1 T fresh chopped parsley
1 t dried or 1 T fresh chopped basil
1 t dried or 1 T fresh chopped oregano
1/2 t salt ( I used less)
1 1/2 t sugar ( I used less)

In small bowl mix together oil, apple cider vinegar, herbs, salt and sugar. Pour dressing over sliced cherry tomatoes and gently stir to coat. Chill for at least 2 hours. Stir gently before serving.

I am thinking of trying the recipe again but adding thinly sliced red onion. Hum. What do you think?


Italian Bread and Tomato Salad
Serves about 4

1/2 pound firm Italian bread, cut into 1" cubes
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, put though press
4 large, ripe tomatoes, I used Brandywine (heaven), cut into 1-inch chunks
2 T. thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup pitted sliced black olives
1/2-1 cup sliced fresh basil
2 T. olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into bite size pieces
salt and pepper ( lots of pepper) to taste

salad greens

Place bread cubes into large bowl, toss with 2 T. olive oil and pressed garlic. Place on baking sheet and toast in 350 oven for 10 minutes. Turn and toast another 10 minutes. Remove when crisp and set aside.

In bowl, mix cut up tomatoes, black olives, onion, chopped basil leaves, 2 T olive oil, 2 T. balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. ( The original recipe had you placing the bread cubes in this mixture also, the cubes soaking up the oil and vinegar dressing, it was good but we felt we liked them crispy, like croutons - do what you like.)

To serve- Arrange salad greens in shallow bowl, throw on a HUGE spoonful or spoonfuls of the tomato mixture, throw on a few pieces of cheese and a handful of the bread. Yum.

Tomatoes!

A sale on tomatoes at my favorite farm stand in Walworth, so I bought a flat. (Who could not LOVE a farm stand when the farmer's last name is Pepper. Actually Mr. & Mrs. Pepper were neighbors of the Rambow's back in the 50's and 60's, but then I guess that is another story.)

Trying to think of what to do with them all. I have eaten BLT's now for 2 days. I was kind of thinking that the breakfast casserole in the previous post might be good with a few chopped tomatoes in. Spaghetti Sauce doesn't excite me and I only like fruit salsas, like peach and mango. Any other suggestions?