Making the most of tomatoes

Backyard gardens have increased in popularity in recent years. One staple plant growing in those patches always brings up a question: What to do with all those tomatoes? There's the standby sliced tomato with a bit of salt sprinkled on top or a tomato-basil-mozzarella salad, but there are also dozens of other options. The Southeast Missourian's Recipe Swap columnist, Susan McClanahan, consulted her arsenal of cookbooks and a few seasoned farmers to provide new ideas for that succulent summer fruit. Rob Weeks gave her some recipes along with this tip for storing tomatoes: Freeze whole ripe tomatoes on a baking sheet, then store them in a resealable plastic bag. When you are ready to use them, rinse the frozen tomatoes briefly and the skins will slip right off, ideal for winter soups and sauces.

*** Tomato Ketchup

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons broken stick cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon whole allspice

1 teaspoon celery seed

8 pounds tomatoes, about 32 medium

1 cup onions, peeled and sliced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 teaspoons salt

Combine first 5 ingredients in saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Let vinegar stand to absorb spices. Wash and cut tomatoes into quarters. Combine with sliced onions and cayenne pepper. Simmer uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Press through a sieve. Combine sugar and hot tomato juice in a large kettle. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently until volume is halved, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Strain vinegar. Discard spices. Combine salt with spiced vinegar. Add to boiling tomato mixture. Continue boiling, uncovered, 30 minutes longer or until thick. Stir constantly. Process according to standard canning practices for tomato products. To help retain color, wrap jars individually in brown paper before storing.

Egg and Tomato Salad

1 tomato, sliced

1 hard cooked egg, sliced

Lettuce

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon mustard

Salt

Pepper

Hot sauce

Arrange tomato and egg on a bed of lettuce and mixed greens. Combine ingredients for dressing, add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Drizzle dressing over tomato and egg salad and serve.

Classic Tomato Soup with a Goat Cheese Swirl

1 leek, white part only, cleaned well and finely chopped

1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 center rib celery with leaves, finely chopped

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 sprigs parsley, 1 sprig thyme and 1 bay leaf tied together in a cheesecloth

2 1/2 cups canned vegetable stock diluted with 2 1/2 cups water

2 ounces mild goat cheese at room temperature

Small handful of fresh chervil leaves, coarsely chopped

In a wide pot, cook the leek, carrot, onion and celery with a little salt in the butter over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes, covering the pot halfway through the cooking time. Uncover, add the tomatoes and herb bundle, season with salt and pepper, and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat as needed to maintain a gentle boil, and cook, uncovered, until the tomatoes break down and thicken slightly, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups of the stock, bring to a boil, and cook for 20 minutes, reducing the heat if the soup becomes too thick. Puree the soup with an immersion or stand blender. For a refined puree, pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot to remove and strain seeds or lumps. If the soup is too thick, add the remaining 1 cup stock. If too thin, cook uncovered over medium heat to reduce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with a spoonful of goat cheese and chervil. Yields approximately 8 servings.

Green Tomato Pickles

4 quarts sliced green tomatoes

6 large onions, sliced

1/2 cup salt

6 cups vinegar

6 sliced green peppers

3 diced sweet red peppers

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1 stick cinnamon

1 tablespoon powdered ginger

1/2 tablespoon celery seed

2 1/4 cups honey

Combine sliced green tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with salt. Let mixture stand for 12 hours. Wash in clear water and drain. Heat vinegar to the boiling point, and add the green and red peppers and garlic. Then add the tomato-onion mixture. Tie the spices in a square of cheesecloth and drop into the mixture. Simmer for about 1 hour, or until tomatoes are transparent, stirring frequently. Add in the honey. Pour into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space, and process quarts 15 minutes and pints 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Green Tomato Pie

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup butter-flavored shortening (recommended: Crisco)

1/2 cup cold water

Filling:

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons tapioca flour

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup raisins

5 green tomatoes, or enough to fill pie crust, thinly sliced

Glaze:

1 slightly beaten egg white

Sugar, for sprinkling

For the crust: Sift together flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder into a bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles cornmeal. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cold water, then add remaining 1/4 cup and mix until combined. Cover dough and allow it to rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Place on lightly floured board and pat out. Using a rolling pin, roll out 1 piece of dough to the size of a 9-inch pie pan. Put crust in pan and trim off excess dough around the edge. Roll out second ball of dough for pie crust top.

For the filling: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix sugar, tapioca, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins in a large bowl. Lay tomato slices in pie crust. Sprinkle mixture over tomatoes. (Overlapping will occur but tomatoes will shrink in size when baked.) Gently lay top pie crust over filling, tucking in the extra crust around the edges. Pinch dough with fingers or butter knife to seal edges. Using a knife, make 4 to 6 slits in top of crust to allow steam to escape. Brush top with egg white and sprinkle with a little sugar to give your crust a shine.

Place pie in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 20 more minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Cook's Note: If your pie looks ready to "spew out," open oven door for about 2 minutes.

Tomato Salsa

Salsa recipes are about as plentiful as the tomato crop itself. The nice thing about salsa is that you can play with it making it as hot or mild as you wish, adding or leaving out what you like or don't like. Play around until you get the right blend for you.

2-3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (from 1 pound to 1 1/2 pounds), stems removed, finely diced

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced

1 serrano chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced

Juice of one lime

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: oregano and or cumin to taste

Start with chopping up 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes. Prepare the chilies. Be very careful while handling these hot peppers. If you can, avoid touching them with your hands. Use a fork to cut up the chilies over a small plate, or use a paper towel to protect your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the peppers. If the salsa isn't hot enough, you can add a few for heat. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add some ground cumin. Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.

Makes approximately 3-4 cups. Serve with chips, tortillas, tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, pinto or black beans.

Ham-and-Tomato Pie

It is best not to use deli ham because of the moisture content. Use a traditional 9-inch pie shell, not a deep-dish. There's no need to thaw the crust before assembling.

1 (8-ounce) package diced cooked ham

1/2 cup sliced green onions (about 4 onions)

1 (9-inch) frozen unbaked pie shell

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 large egg

1/3 cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Garnishes: fresh basil sprigs, tomato slices

Saute ham and green onions in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until ham is brown and any liquid evaporates. Brush bottom of pie shell evenly with mustard; sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon ham mixture evenly over cheese, and top with single layer of sliced tomatoes. Beat egg and half-and-half with a fork until blended; pour over tomatoes. Sprinkle evenly with basil, pepper, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake on lowest oven rack at 425 degrees for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve; garnish, if desired.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. These little roasted tomatoes are delicious served with pasta and many other dishes.

2 pounds cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tomatoes on a sheet pan and drizzle over the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes collapse, about 10 minutes. Delicious served as a side dish and great with burgers, macaroni and cheese or grilled steak.

Fried Green Tomatoes

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour, divided

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon pepper, divided

3 green tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices

2 cups vegetable oil

Whisk together 1 tablespoon flour, buttermilk, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Stir together remaining flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip tomato slices in buttermilk mixture. Dredge in flour mixture. Heat oil in heavy 10-inch skillet to 350 degrees. Fry tomato slices 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain tomato slices on paper towel. Best if served immediately.

Want to kick fried green tomatoes up a notch? Serve with tomato chutney, like it is served at the famous Blue Willow Inn.

Blue Willow Inn's Tomato Chutney

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 small green bell peppers, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon pepper

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until thickened. Serve on top of hot fried green tomatoes. Yields 5 cups.

Chili Sauce

1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons whole cloves

1 teaspoon broken stick cinnamon

1 teaspoon celery seed

5 1/2 pounds tomatoes, about 22 medium

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon salt

Combine first 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside. Wash, peel, and quarter tomatoes. Combine 1/2 of them, 1/2 cup sugar, onion, and cayenne pepper in deep kettle. Boil vigorously, stirring frequently for 30 minutes. Stir in remaining tomatoes and sugar. Boil vigorously, stirring frequently, 30 minutes longer. Strain vinegar mixture and discard spices. Add spiced vinegar and salt to boiling tomato mixture. Stirring constantly, continue boiling for 15 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Process according to standard practices for tomato products.