Tag Archives: tomato

Everything in the pot vegetable soup

I’m Karen, and I’m just back from the Farmer’s Market and am making a big pot of soup for the week. So nutritious plus a real weight loss aid for me. I’ll make a large amount and vacuum seal in Ball jars to keep it fresh longer.

Here’s the final product. We’ll add rice or noodles or Farro to our bowl if we want when we serve to individualize.

Follow along as I add ingredients to my pressure cooker pot.

Bottom layer has 1 ear of corn cut off cob, 3 stalks celery chopped, 2 carrots thick chopped, 1 cup wax beans cut, and 1 sliced zucchini.

Next is a bunch of Swiss Chard, picked today! Wash and remove the thick center stem, then chop and add to soup.

Add 1-2 leaks! First chopped, soaked to clean to remove dirt.

Add herbs (thyme, Herbs de Provence, salt, pepper). And minced garlic. I didn’t measure these, just throw in what seems right.

Next I added a can rinsed Canelli beans, and a can fire roasted tomatoes.

In goes my quart of home made stock that’s been waiting for this soup vacuum-sealed in my fridge.

But look, not enough liquid.

Adding water and 3 tbs tomato paste to increase volume of liquid. Also added two bay leaves (remember to remove those later).

Now the wait begins, 10 minutes at high pressure in my Fagor LUX LCD Multipot. I can set it and walk away and when it beeps done let it come down from high pressure on its own, or very carefully open and release pressure using a long tong so steam escapes but no where near my hand.

Yum! Time to eat.

5-minute Summer Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil, Balsamic Salad

Thank you Dorri for sharing a delicious farm-fresh summer salad that’s super quick and easy with 5-minute prep for busy nights. I’m hungry just looking at it. The key is just picked flavor at Gazy Brothers Farm.

  • Ingredients:
    • Farm fresh tomatoes
      Mozzarella cheese
      Farm fresh basil
      Balsamic vinegar
      Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Directions:
    • Slice tomato. Arrange on plate.
      Place basil leaves on top of tomato.
      Slice cheese. Arrange on top of basil.
      Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top of cheese.
      Add salt and pepper to taste.

    Chopped Summer Salad (Tomato, Cucumber, Radish, Basil, Pink Beans)

    Nothing says fresh flavor better than a quick summer chopped salad using farm-fresh ingredients picked that morning.

    We were heading to an afternoon BBQ and wanted to bring something easy but delicious … and so this salad was born.

    Variations of this could include adding some feta cheese, or using cilantro/lime combo instead of basil/lemon combo for more of a salsa feel. Anyway you chop it you will be so happy you did. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, refrigerate and enjoy over several days with the flavors intensifying in a very pleasing way.

    Ingredients (party-sized to fit half a watermelon shell, adjust as needed – this is a very forgiving recipe):

    4-5 large Ripe Tomato
    5-6 Pickling Cucumbers
    10 Small Radishes
    Basil bunch
    Can of Pink Beans (or kidney beans, chickpeas)
    Olive oil (quarter-cup or more to taste)
    White balsamic vinegar (quarter-cup or more to taste)
    Juice of half a lemon
    Salt and Pepper to taste (we used 1/4 teaspoon of both as a starting point)
    Watermelon shell (for easy serving at a party)

    Step 1:
    Wash veggies well including the basil (which you can blot or spin dry).

    Step 2:
    Chop, chop, chop … tomatoes, cucumbers into chunky bite sized pieces. Trim and slice thin pieces of radish.  Combine in a big bowl using care to not lose the tomato liquid from chopping (so much flavor there).

    Step 3:
    Remove basil leaves from stems then using a scissors to cut the basil into strips and add to veggies in the bowl.

    Step 4:
    Rinse canned beans to reduce starch, drain and add to chopped veggies. Mix well to distribute.

    Step 5:
    Make the dressing by mixing oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  We started with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and adjusted after 10 minutes to taste adding more as needed.  If you need more vinegar or oil add it but as this salad sits more juice is released from the tomatoes.

    Step 6:
    Transfer veggie salad to hollowed watermelon half (and if you are adventurous you can even add some of the watermelon to the salad)

    Panzanella with Sun-dried Tomato Dressing

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    When I think of summer I think of tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh Gazy Brothers Farm veggies.   Panzanella is a great way to use leftover veggies and bread.  It’s also a wonderful salad to bring to picnics and outdoor events.

    For this particular recipe I started with a basic panzanella recipe from Ina Garten.  Instead of a simple oil and vinegar dressing  I made a sun-dried tomato  vinaigrette .  I really love the flavor and intensity that sun-dried tomato brings to any basic vinaigrette recipe.   Sun-dried tomato vinaigrettes can be used thru the summer as a way to add a depth of flavor into any summer salad; like this panzanella.

    Panzanella Ingredients:                                                                                                 010755235d3c80e24995c66dc19c79f908ac68f84e

    1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
    1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
    1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
    1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
    1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
    20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

     

    Ingredients for the vinaigrette:

    01a613086b73990d0e39ad4521e15e7c92670ba2293-4 heaping tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
    1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes
    2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    6 tablespoons good olive oil
    1 garlic clove, diced
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    Drizzle bread cubes with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place on sheet pan and toast in 325 degree oven until golden brown. It usually takes 10-20 minutes.  Make sure to keep your eye on it doesn’t burn.01b7077b9f2532dcbe13d0a4a578dee59b6876a931

    Make the vinaigrette by adding sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, and garlic in food processor blender.  Pulse to combine.  Add cherry tomatoes and olive oil – blend till smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

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    In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, and basil.

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    Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette.  Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

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    Veggie Chicken Foil Packets with Savory Broth

    Foil packets are delicious, easy, plan ahead, throw on BBQ or in oven!

    Flavor combinations are limitless – you pick what’s fresh and how you want your broth flavored. This variation is OKRAlicious! This recipe serves 4 but is easy to size up or down.

    Chicken packet
    Ingredients
    4 boneless chicken breasts
    1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
    1 cup okra, sliced into rounds
    1 cup yellow and red peppers, chopped
    1 cup green beans, chopped
    2 carrots, cut length-wise in strips
    1 cup onion, diced
    1 cup mushrooms, chopped
    4 tbsp Italian dressing
    4 tbsp white wine
    Minced chives
    Fresh or dried herb – fresh is better if you have it
    Salt and pepper to taste
    Aluminum foil, 4 sheets – extra heavy is preferred

    Step 1: Preheat oven to 375.
    Chop vegetables and prepare foil by spraying or brushing with oil.
    Step 1: Ingredients
    Step 2: Make the vegetable bed by adding 1/4 cup each of green beans, onions, and carrots to sprayed foil sheet. Sprinkle with chives.
    Step 2
    Step 3: Salt and pepper chicken and layer on top of vegetable bed. Top chicken with 1/4 cup mushrooms, peppers and okra. Sprinkle any additional fresh herbs or seasoning you enjoy now, and some more salt and pepper to top layer of veggies.
    Step 3
    Step 4: Drizzle each packet with 1 tablespoon Italian dressing (or whatever flavor combination you prefer, such as lemon or lime juice).
    Step 4
    Step 5: Crimp edges together to make the foil packets.Step 5
    Step 6: Place packets on cooking sheet and put on center rack of preheated 375F oven.  Alternatively throw the packets on the BBQ.
    Step 6
    Step 7: Unwrap hot packets carefully and serve in a bowl being careful to pour all the delicious broth from the packets into your bowl – yum. Eat and enjoy!
    Step 7