Summertime Means Gazpacho!

Gazpacho, chilled and full of vegetables!
Delish! 

I am a lucky woman. I have a neighbor who gives me fresh vegetables from his garden. It seems like everything comes at once, especially tomatoes. I was the recipient of a huge bag full of tomatoes and green peppers just yesterday. I ate a big plate of sliced tomatoes with my dinner last night and today I made gazpacho. I've made gazpacho for years, it's super healthy and low calorie as well as very tasty.  I make mine like a salad -- lots of chopped veggies, a little vinegar and oil, and some salt and pepper. Try it topped with cold, cooked shrimp or sliced avocado. I like a few sliced green olives on mine, but you eat it the way you want to. Some folks like crispy croutons on top. For dinner tonite I made a little "gremolata" of diced olives, celery, green pepper and a few cherry tomatoes, and that's what's in the picture above.

As hot as it here in central VA it's great to make something that doesn't involve turning on the stove OR oven! Cold soup on a hot humid summer evening? Yes, please!

Gazpacho

Gazpacho Vegetable Mix

Makes about 6 cups

2 - 2 1/2 lb. vine ripe tomatoes, peeled
1 medium cucumber, peeled with seeds removed
1 small yellow onion, quartered
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into chunks**
2 cloves garlic, about 1 heaping tsp.
1 rib celery, sliced
1 small carrot or 3 baby carrots, scrubbed and sliced
1 1/2 cups V8 or tomato juice (I prefer V8)
1 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
a pinch of black pepper

Peel the tomatoes by cutting an X in the bottom and dropping them in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove to your cutting board and let cool a minute or 2. The skin will slide off easily. Core them to remove any tough parts.
Peel the cucumber and halve it lengthwise. Score the middle with a paring knife and push the seeds out with a spoon or your finger. Chop it roughly to fit into your food processor or blender.
Put all the veggies into your chopper bowl or half into your blender. Blend until the mixture starts to get smooth but still has some texture. Remove to a large bowl and add tomato juice or V8, salt, pepper, vinegar and oil. Whisk to combine. Chill at least 2 hours.

Serve cold, topped with anything you like or just plain. Keeps for about 4 days in the refrigerator.

**Cooks note: If you want your gazpacho to be spicy, add a small to medium jalapeno pepper to your vegetable mixture. If you remove the seeds and membranes, it will tone it down a little. Leave them in for more heat.

Broccoli and Tomato Bake

I love this dish! With tomatoes coming in season, and broccoli all over the farmer's markets, this dish is a winner. I got the recipe from a dear friend and it's a hit every time I make it. Don't be afraid to try making a white sauce, it's not nearly as hard as you think it is. Just go slowly, and don't turn the heat up too high while you are whisking away! I promise extreme yummy goodness! It can also be make ahead of time, up to one day, if you like to cook in advance or keep it low stress when entertaining.

Broccoli and Tomates, baked in a creamy parmesan sauce

 

Broccoli and Tomato Bake

2 large tomatoes, thickly sliced


1 big crown of broccoli, separated into servings that are about 1 in. in the stem w/ a large floret on top

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

1 c. milk (lower fat it fine)

½ c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese**

Salt and pepper

½ c. Panko or regular bread crumbs (unseasoned)

1 T. melted butter

¼ c. additional shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Steam the broccoli spears for 3 minutes. Remove them from the heat and drain them. They should remain intact and bright green. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan and stir in the flour, making sure it is completely incorporated (we’re making a basic white sauce.) Keeping the heat on medium, add the milk and begin whisking the mixture. As the mixture begins to bubble, the sauce will thicken. Keep stirring. When it gets thick, add in the cheese, a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Stir until the cheese melts, and then turn it off. The sauce should be of pourable consistency. If it looks too thick, add a little more milk. Taste it and correct the seasoning, if needed.

Spray a 13 X 9” baking dish with cooking spray or wipe with a little oil. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the sliced tomatoes in a single layer in the bottom. Layer the broccoli florets over them. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of this. (At this point you may refrigerate the dish for up to one day, if you like to prepare in advance.) Sprinkle the dish with the bread crumbs and pour on the melted butter. Add the last ¼ c. grated Parmesan if using. Bake for 30 minutes, until hot throughout and bubbly. Serves 6.

**You can use any kind of cheese your family prefers. Cheddar and Swiss will both work well. The original recipe called for Parmesan, so that’s what I wrote

Quick and Easy Tilapia

Just like everyone else, I am trying to eat a little healthier in the new year. While I never make formal New Year's Resolutions -- I think that sets you up to fail! -- I do want to be a little healthier, a little thinner, feel a little better, etc., for 2012. In the spirit of all things quick and healthy, here is, perhaps, one of the simplest dinners on earth, Baked Tilapia With Tomato Topping.

Easy Baked Tilapia with Tomato Topping and Roasted Vegetables

I must confess that most of the fish I purchase comes frozen from a big, box store near my house. While I know that this may not be the BEST fish I do know that it is an inexpensive way to get more fish into my diet. I buy bags of frozen tilapia and try hard to make dinner taste good and different, so no one gets tired of it. Last night, I took some extra help from the aforementioned big, box store and used a jar of "Bruschetta Topping" on my fish. I drained the topping of excess juice before I put it on the uncooked fish, and then I grated some fresh black pepper on that and gave it a spritz of lime (we were out of lemon, so why not?). It was delish! Baked for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, it met all the weeknight criteria: quick, tasty, healthy, inexpensive and ready in under 30 minutes! Served with some roasted veggies, it was light and I finished my evening feeling very virtuous indeed. Try this next time you are rooting around and eveyone is yelling "What's for dinner, Mom?!?!"

Fresh, Simple Salsa

There is simply nothing better than fresh salsa, and it is so very easy to make. Why not try it this week, while tomatoes are delicious and inexpensive at the markets and peppers are abundant?

We have been trying our hand at growing tomatoes and peppers in our backyard in containers. The peppers were extremely successful, the tomatoes, not so much, but we did get a few. Luckily, we have a friend who had lots of tomatoes on his vines and he was very generous! In a addition to that, the local favorite Hanover tomatoes have been on sale at several Richmond area grocery stores, including Kroger and Ukrops.

Here is a very basic, simple and tasty salsa recipe. Enjoy!

Simple Salsa

4 - 5 large Hanover or farm stand tomatoes

1 or 2 Hanbanero pepper (1 makes it spicy, 2 makes it medium hot)

1 handful fresh cilantro, washed, dried and stems removed

1/2 medium onion, peeled and cut in quarters

1 tsp. sea salt

a few grindings fresh ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 T. white vinegar

1 tsp. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. olive oil

Bring a medium sized pot of water about 2/3 full to a full boil. While you are waiting for the water to boil, get out your food processor and dust it off. Wash your pepper and VERY CAREFULLY cut it open and remove most of the seeds and the stem. Wash your hands with soap and dry them with a paper towel. DON'T TOUCH your face while handling the pepper!

When the water comes to a boil, using a slotted spoon, immerse your tomatoes, one or two at a time in the boiling water for about 15 seconds. Remove them to a heat proof bowl and let them cool. When they have cooled, take off the skins and cut out the core at the stem end. Put the onion, garlic and pepper into the processor and pulse it a few times to begin the chopping process. Add in all but one of the tomatoes, the cilantro, and everything else. Pulse the salsa til it is almost smooth then add in the last tomato. Pulse a few more times until you reach the desired consistency.

Don't leave out the olive oil or the vinegar. The oil gives the salsa a little richness and the vinegar kicks up the fresh flavor. The lime juice makes is zesty! Don't be afraid of adding the habenero, using only one or 2 and seeding the pepper keeps the extreme hotness in check while spicing up the salsa for an authentic flavor! This salsa is really good just like it is, but don't be afraid to keep going! Makes about 5 cups.

Make this your own! Add in, as you like:

1 cup. fresh, roasted corn

1 c. drained and rinsed black beans

another hot pepper or 2

3 or 4 minced oil-packed sun dried tomatoes

Bruschetta, A Super Simple Summer Treat

The tomatoes are in, and when they come in, they really come in! We are deluged with gifts of tomatoes, so there are lots of tomato sandwiches at our house, and plenty of salade caprese, that classic pairing of tomatoes, mozarella and basil. It was that salad that inspired this appetizer that I made for my husband for his August birthday.

We love bruschetta, and when you are drowning in tomatoes, what could be better? The basil in my garden is lush and green, and the pairing of tomatoes and basil is simply classic, simply delicious.

Simple Bruschetta

5 medium almost over ripe tomatoes

1 clove garlic, finely minced

12 large basil leaves

pinch of sugar

salt and pepper to taste

3 T. good extra virgin olive oil

1 loaf french baguette

about 3 -4 oz. fresh mozarella (that's about 1/2 of a medium size ball of it)

Preheat your oven to 275. Thinly slice the baguette and put it on a cookie sheet. Place it in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it sit for 30 more minutes.

Finely chop your tomatoes and drain off a little of the clear juice. If the skins are tough, you may want to skin them first. (Very easy to do, just dunk them into boiling water, pull them out out immediately and let them cool to the touch. The skins just slip right off!)

Roll your basil leaves together like a cigar and cut them thinly -- this is called a chiffonade in chef-speak. Mix the tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, salt, sugar, pepper and olive oil in a non-metal bowl. Place it in the frig for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors come together.

Put one spoonful of the tomato mixture on top of each toast. Count how many you have (probably somewhere around 24) and cut your mozarella into that many small squares. Place one on top of each toast and run it under the broiler for 3 minutes or less, until the mozaralla is just melted.

Delicious served as an appetizer, a side dish or even a light lunch. Refrigerate any leftover tomato mixture and use it on grilled chicken or fish, or even heated up slightly and put over pasta.