The last 5 years I have had a barter system in place with my brother-in-law Ron. Ron will grow me tomato plants, all heirloom, and give me directions on how each will grow, taste and colour. I in return will bake him my sourdough, whole grain, seedy bread that you can use as a weapon (that’s how heavy it is). We are both grinning when we make the exchange.
Every year when I plant the tomatoes I say to myself, “remember—stake them and prune them.” With good intentions I do so at the start of the summer, then as the rest of the gardening season is upon me the tomato plants are left to fend for themselves. The last 2 weeks I have been checking and noticed I have some huge pink ones and an over abundance of cherry tomatoes that are bursting with flavour. Now I need to cook with them!!!!
Tomato Salad with Feta, Olives and Mint
This salad is so easy and tasty and you get to use the cherry and large tomatoes. Do use the Kalamata olives—not the ones in the can that are thinly sliced, I can’t remember what kind they are but to me they ruin pizzas and Greek salads. You can substitute the feta with goat or fresh mozzarella cheese.
6 ounces feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Sea salt
1/2 pound cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into small dice
1/2 pound bite-size tomatoes (cherry, pear, grape) in assorted colors, halved
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (about 15), pitted and halved
1/4 olive oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Crumble the feta into a small bowl, add the chopped mint and toss; set aside
2. Season the tomato slices with salt and then arrange them, overlapping slightly, on a serving platter. Sprinkle the cucumber over the tomato slices. Season the cherry tomatoes with salt and scatter them over the cucumber. Sprinkle the olives on top.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad.
4. To serve, scatter the feta over the salad, garnish with mint sprigs, and serve immediately.
Potato, Tomato, and Sausage Panfry
This is a very simple dish. Choose a good sausage with lots of flavour. Don’t have sausage use boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Use a deep skillet or it will overflow onto your stove top.
2 large potatoes, sliced
1 tbsp sunflower seed oil
4 large sausages
1 red onion, cut into 8
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2/3 cup red wine
2/3 cup plum tomatoes
2 large tomatoes, cut into 8
1 cup broccoli flowerets
4 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Thinly sliced fresh basil for garnish
1. Cook the sliced potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 7 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet and add the sausages and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the sausages so they are brown on all sides.
3. Add the onion pieces to the pan and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, red wine, and the plum tomatoes and mix together. Add the tomato wedges, broccoli flowerets, and chopped basil to the panfry and mix carefully.
5. Add the parboiled potato slices to the pan. Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes making sure the sausages are completely cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Garnish the panfry with fresh basil and serve hot.
