Recipes from

Tomato Soup Concentrate

When winter arrives, we crave the fresh flavors of summer.  This recipe allows you to have summer tomato flavor in the winter.  The Gardens at James Ranch have wonderful Roma tomatoes that work great for this recipe.

Makes 2 quarts

• 1 large onion
• 3 carrots
• ¼ lb. butter (1 stick)
• ¼ cup flour
• 9 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 6-8 leaves of basil (2 tablespoon dried)
• 2 stalks parsley

Instructions

1. Sauté onions and carrots in butter until tender.  Blend in flour.  Add additional ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes.  
2. Put through food mill or blender.  Cool, then pour into freezer jars or plastic bags and freeze.  Can be served hot or cold.

To each quart of thawed concentrate add:

• For hot soup:   1 cup cream plus 1 cup of milk with the options of adding 1 cup cooked rice or pasta with dash of Tabasco )
• For cold soup: 1 cup cream plus 1 cup yogurt or sour cream with the option of adding 1 cup of cucumber or avocado

(via Mount Holyoke College Cookbook)

Corn-Tomato Relish

This is a great relish to serve over quesadillas using our Young Belford cheese.  

• Kernels from 2 ears corn, about 1 ½ cups
• 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
• ¼ small red or white onion, finely diced
• 1 or 2 Serrano chiles to taste, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

 Instructions

     Blanch the corn for about 3o seconds – drain.  Toss the corn with the tomato, onion, and chile.  Add lime juice to taste, season with salt and stir in the cilantro.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to use (use the same day you make it). 

Tomatoes Glazed with Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 4 as a side dish   

• 1 ½ pounds ripe but firm tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 plump shallot, finely diced
• Salt and fresh pepper

Tomatoes Provencal

• 4 medium or 8 small, firm, ripe tomatoes
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves to taste
• 1 cup parsley leaves, preferably flat-leaf
• 3 tablespoons chopped basil
• ¾ cup bread crumbs made from day-old bread
• Salt and freshly milled pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

 Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly oil a gratin dish.  Cut the tomatoes in half around their equators and gently remove the seeds with your fingertips. 
2. Chop the garlic, parsley, and basil together, then mix them with the breadcrumbs and season well with salt and pepper. 
3. Lightly fill the tomatoes with this mixture, set them in the gratin dish and thread olive oil generously over their tops.  Bake for 30 minutes.  They’ll be soft, so remove them carefully from the dish.

Layered Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomato Casserole

- Serves 6

This casserole is a delicious way to take advantage of The Garden’s abundance of late summer vegetables.  

• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and brushing
• 3 medium zucchini (approx. 1 1/2 lbs.), sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
• 2 long eggplants (approx. 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/3 inch thick
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 lb. plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/3 cup Panko or coarse dry bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Oil 2 large rimmed baking sheets.  Put the zucchini slices on one sheet and the eggplant on the other.  Brush the slices all over with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange the slices on each sheet in a slightly overlapping layer.  Bake for 14 minutes, until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil.  Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook over high heat until slightly softened and bubbling, 1 minute.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Oil a large, shallow baking dish (about 10 X 15 inches).  Lay half of the eggplant in the dish and spread one-fourth of the tomatoes on top. Scatter with half of the feta and basil.  Layer half of the zucchini on top, followed by another one-fourth of the tomato and the remaining basil, eggplant and zucchini.  Top with the remaining tomato and feta.  
4. Mix the Panko with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle over the casserole.  Bake in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes, until bubbling and crisp.  Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve hot or warm.

(Via Foodand wine.com - recipe by Marcia Kiesel)