You say tomato, I say tomato...

One of the things I loved about my house in Houston was my backyard vegetable garden. I would come home from work, kick off my heels and slip on my gardening clogs (while still dressed in my business suit), grab my wicker basket and head out into the garden where I would pick dinner. I grew tomatoes, bell peppers, Japanese eggplant, cucumbers, and all kinds of herbs. 

When I moved north to DC, I had a townhouse in Arlington, Virginia, with a small back garden. It was mostly a large patio with planting beds around the perimeter, and it was very well shaded by a large oak tree that grew just outside my back fence gate. I had one large bed (about a fourth the size of my garden plot in Houston) that got direct sun, so that first year, I turned it into a vegetable garden--much to the amusement of the squirrels. I swear, they knew just when I was about to step outside, they would find the only tomato in the garden that was even beginning to turn from green to red and take a giant bite out of it. They took to leaving half-eaten tomatoes on my back steps. 

I began to hate the squirrels. 

After that first summer, I gave up and planted a hydrangea bush. 

Now I live in an apartment style condo in the suburbs of Philly, and I have no dedicated outdoor space. I don't even have a patio where I can put pots of herbs. A couple of years ago, one of my neighbors and I petitioned the condo association and got permission to put in a small community garden along the back property line. I know proudly garden a square plot that's 3 foot by 3 foot. It's just big enough for two tomato plants, some basil, chives and thyme. It gets full sun all day, and the best part--no squirrels seem to be interested. I do find that the deer and bunnies occasionally take a nibble, but otherwise they seem to leave things alone. This year, I planted San Marzano and Cherokee Purple tomatoes. They are so tasty. 

We're in the peak time here locally for tomatoes. When I run out of tomatoes from my own garden, I've been picking up more at the farmer's market. I'm eating them almost every day, and I've been keeping notes on some of the recipes. Here are a few to enjoy, I'll probably have more to post in the next weeks.

Tomato Salad with Pickled Shallots and Chevre
Serves 4 as an appetizer

Think tomato salad, and most people think of the traditional insalate caprese--tomatoes, basil, mozzarella. This version uses chevre and chives (perhaps my favorite herb), and the unexpected addition of pickled shallots. Fair warning--the pickled shallots are addictive. Try them on your burgers and sandwiches and as a garnish to your cheese board.

For the pickled shallots:
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole star anise pods
4 large shallots, sliced thin on a mandolin

For the vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon shallot pickling liquid
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:
2 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes
4 ounces chevre, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

For the pickled shallots: place the vinegar, sugar and spices into a small saucepan and heat to a boil. Place the shallots in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling vinegar over the shallots. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to come to room temperature. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and star anise pods. You can enjoy the shallots immediately, or cover and refrigerate. The pickled shallots will be even tastier if allowed to sit in the pickling liquid for several days.

For the vinaigrette: place pickling liquid and mustard in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Whisk together. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad: slice the tomatoes and arrange them on a large plate or platter. Drizzle the tomatoes with the vinaigrette. Garnish with some of the pickled shallots, the chevre and chopped chives. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Gazpacho
Serves 6 to 8

As my friends in Texas can attest, it's been awfully hot this summer. The last thing most of us want to do is to turn on the stove or oven to make something to eat, it just makes the kitchen hot. A chilled soup may just be the ticket.  

1 medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped
4 large beefsteak tomatoes, cored and chopped
½ English cucumber, chopped
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¹/₃ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cups tomato juice
chopped chives and extra virgin olive oil to garnish

Place onion, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, herbs, garlic, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix. Allow the ingredients to marinate a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Using a blender or food processor, puree the ingredients in batches until smooth and transfer to a large bowl. Mix in the oil, Tabasco, and tomato juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional Kosher salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into chilled bowls, garnish with chopped chives and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve.

BLT Pasta
Serves 4

I'll admit, many of the tomatoes from my garden have gone into bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches. (By the way, add some of the pickled shallots to your next BLT--you'll thank me for it.) In this dish, I took the inspiration of my favorite sandwich and turned it into a pasta, using arugula, my favorite salad lettuce, for the "L". 

3 slices thick cut bacon, cut into ¼ inch pieces
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
5 to 6 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup white wine
3 cups arugula
1 pound orecchiette pasta, cooked per the package directions
5 ounces chevre, crumbled

Place the bacon in a large skillet and heat over medium low heat. Slowly render the bacon fat, and when the bacon pieces are browned and crispy, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel. Cooking the bacon over low heat and over a longer period of time will allow more fat to be rendered without burning the protein before it's fully crispy.

Increase the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook, stirring, until the shallots are softened and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir, cooking until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir to thoroughly mix with the shallots and garlic. Add the white wine and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened and the liquid has reduced by half, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the arugula and stir to wilt.

Add the drained pasta to the skillet and stir to mix through. Add the chevre and stir, cooking until the cheese has melted and mixed into the sauce. Add the crisped bacon pieces and mix through. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve.