Late Harvest Chutney

Although chutney is of Indian inspiration, western chutney recipes always seem to be cooked— combining sugar and vinegar with spices and fruit. Usually mango, but sometimes, apples, raisins, pears, and apricots or a mixture of fruit and vegetables are used.

1 cup dried plums (prunes)
1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon coriander seed, ground
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3 medium-sized (crisp) apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup currents
1 cup onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

Place dried plums in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain, cool, and chop.

Combine vinegar, sugar, coriander, cinnamon, salt and pepper in an enameled or stainless steel pan. Heat to boiling; add prepared plums, apples, currents, onions, and tomatoes.

Cover and continue to boil, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for about 20 to 30 minutes, until thick.

Carefully ladle into jars. Refrigerate jars and use within 3 months.

Makes about 4- 1/2 pint jars

Garlic Soup with Tomato

4 thin slices of peasant bread

3 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks

10 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 medium bell peppers (red, green, or yellow) cored, seeded, and cut into chunks

½ cup olive oil

2 tsp sea salt

Black pepper

Heat oven to 225 degrees. Lay the bread directly on the middle rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, just to dry it out.

In a food processor, pulse the tomatoes, half of the garlic, and the bell peppers until coarsely chopped.

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Scrape the vegetables into the pan. Cook stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic, the salt, and 2 cups of water. Bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with pepper.

Lay one slice of bread in the bottom of four soup bowls. Pour the soup over the bread. Let sit for 10 minutes. Serve. Makes 6 cups.

Grilled Fish with Cucumber-Tomato Salsa

Any seafood tastes great paired with this simple cucumber-tomato relish—just buy your favorite. If you choose a thin fillet such as flounder, place on aluminum foil to keep fish intact while grilling.

1 ½ tsp ground cumin, divided

½ tsp salt, divided

1 tsp grated lime rind

2 Tb fresh lime juice

1 Tb olive oil

1 cucumber, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 Tb fresh mint, chopped

1 pound firm mild fish fillets

Combine 1 teaspoon of cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt, lime rind, lime juice, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, green onion, jalapeno, and mint. Set aside.

Sprinkle remaining ½ teaspoon cumin and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt over fish. Grill over medium-high heat 7 minutes or until tender.

Top with salsa, and serve. Makes 2-3 servings.

Fattoush

The ingredient list is long, but it’s actually quite simple and uses many of the vegetables from this week’s share.

3 pita rounds, torn into pieces

oil for frying

2 cups torn romaine lettuce

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 small cucumbers, peeled and diced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 green onions, minced

15 fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon cilantro

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes

1 pinch celery salt

1 pinch garlic powder

1/4 cup olive oil

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place pita pieces into the skillet without crowding. Fry in batches until browned; then remove to paper towels.

Place romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, green onions, mint leaves, parsley, and cilantro into a large bowl.

Pour lemon juice and white wine vinegar into a small bowl. Season with salt, lemon pepper, onion flakes, celery salt, and garlic powder. Stir in olive oil.

Gently toss salad with fried pita pieces and dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve.

Tomato-Cucumber Salad with Mint

1/3 cup (high quality) red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2/3 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Mix in cucumbers, and marinate 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Gently toss tomatoes, onion, mint, and olive oil with the marinated cucumbers. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: allrecipies.com

Savory Corn Pudding with Tomato Salsa

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup minced shallots

2 Tb chopped cilantro or parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, to taste, seeded and minced or 1/8 tsp cayenne

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 Tb sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne

Pinch of dried oregano

2 Tb butter, cut into thin slices

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 eggs

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix the tomatoes with 1 1/2 Tb shallots, 1 Tb cilantro, half the garlic, the jalapenos, and a pinch of the salt. Set the fresh salsa aside at room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, remaining shallots and garlic, sugar, baking powder, remaining salt, mustard, cayenne, and oregano.

In a large glass measure or other microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter on high until mostly melted, about 1 minute. Add the milk and heat until the milk is hot and the butter completely melted, about 2 minutes. Gradually pour into the cornmeal mixture, whisking to remove lumps. Stir in the corn, eggs, and remaining 1 Tb of cilantro.

Pour the pudding base into a lightly buttered 8-inch square baking dish or oval gratin. Bake 30 min. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese evenly over the pudding. Increase the oven temperature to 375 and bake about 15 minutes longer, until the pudding is set and the cheese is lightly browned on top. Serve hot with the salsa.

Source: One-Pot Vegetarian Dishes

Tomato Raita

Raitas straddle the space between side dish and condiment. A cooling accompaniment for curries, raita can be spooned right on the dish or eaten as a chaser.

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

½ tsp grated garlic

2 scallions, white parts plus one inch of greens, chopped

2 Tb minced fresh dill, mint, or parsley

1 cup plain yogurt

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a glass or ceramic mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, scallions, dill, mint, or parsley, and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for 1 hour and serve cold.

Source: The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook

Roasted Fresh Tomatoes

2 lbs tomatoes

1 Tb extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, grated

½ cup loosely packed shredded basil

Heat oven to 425.

Core the tomatoes with a paring knife. For medium or large tomatoes, cut them into quarters, and squeeze gently to eliminate the seeds.

Place the oil, garlic, and basil in a glass or earthenware bowl. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat with the oil and herbs. Placing them skin side up, transfer tomatoes to a glass or earthenware baking dish or a Pyrex pie plate.

Bake until the skin darkens, caramelizing to a deep, glossy brown, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve as a hot or cold side dish or as a topping for crostini, risotto, gnocchi, or pasta.

Source: The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook

Tomato, Corn and Basil Soup

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 Tb olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

3 ½ cups chopped tomatoes, or 28 ounces canned ground tomatoes

1 cup water

3 cups corn kernels

1 cup chopped basil

Sauté the onions in olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until they just begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute, stirring constantly. Pour in the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give up their juice. Cover and continue to cook about 5 minutes more.

Add the water and corn to the soup and cook until the corn is soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in basil, mix well, remove from heat. Serves 4.

Braised Chicken with Green Peppers and Tomatoes

4 Tb extra-virgin olive oil

2 ¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

2 Tb minced Italian parsley

2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares

6 whole tomatoes (can be canned), chopped

1 cup dry white wine

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes, adding more oil as needed. Transfer to a platter and reserve skillet.

Add onion, garlic, and parsley to skillet; sauté until onion is soft, scraping up browned bits, about 4 minutes. Add green peppers, tomatoes, and wine; return chicken to skillet. Cover; simmer over medium-low heat 30 minutes. Uncover, cook until chicken is tender and sauce is reduced, about 15 minutes. Serves 6.

Linguine with Tomato Sauce

4 pounds tomatoes, stemmed

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 pound linguine

1 handful fresh basil leaves

Coarsely chop the tomatoes, reserving the juices. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the salt, pepper, and tomatoes and their juices. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the tomatoes fall apart and reduce to sauce 45 to 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to the package directions. Return the drained linguine to pot, add the sauce and basil, and toss. Divide among plates. Serves 6.

Perfect Tomato Salad

1 ½ pounds tomatoes

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¾ tsp coarse salt

With the tip of the paring knife, remove the stems from the tomatoes and slice them ¼ inch thick. Divide the tomatoes among individual plates, drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with the salt.

Eggplant, Squash, and Tomato with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

Olive oil

1 ½ Tb balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

3 large eggplants, cut crosswise into ½ inch thick rounds

3 summer squash or zucchini, cut crosswise into ½ inch thick rounds

3 tomatoes, thinly sliced

16 basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place unpeeled garlic cloves in small baking dish, drizzle garlic with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast garlic until very tender, about 25 minutes. Cool, then peel and mince. Transfer to small bowl. Mix in balsamic vinegar. Gradually mix in 1/3 cup olive oil. Set dressing aside.

Preheat broiler. Arrange eggplant slices in single layer on broiler pan. Brush both sides with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes per side. Arrange squash slices in single layer on broiler pan. Brush tops of squash with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil until tops begin to brown, about 4 minutes.

Alternate eggplant and squash slices around edge of serving platter, overlapping slightly. Arrange tomato slices in center of platter. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over salad. Sprinkle salad with chopped fresh basil and serve. Serves 6.

Zucchini Italian Style

Another family recipe, this uses the fresh parsley and oregano, too.

1 lb. zucchini, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 cup fresh or canned tomatoes

2 tblsp parsley

1 tblsp oregano (or thyme)

Parmesan cheese

Sauté onion in butter until yellow, then add zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and herbs, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Put in a casserole dish, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and bake at 375 degrees until brown.

Serves 4.