Gastronomous

This salad is a cinch to make! The lovely fresh taste of peppers combined with tomatoes and onions for a pleasant and refreshing surprise. It makes good use of those “less than perfect” tomatoes and peppers

The flavors and texture of this salad makes it the great partner to grilled and roasted meats.

Ingredients: (4 servings)

8 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 yellow or green bell, chopped
1 small shallot or a sweet onion, chopped
3 springs of parsley, chopped
1 spring of fresh basil, chopped
salt to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

In a large salad bowl, toss the tomatoes with the pepper and the onion, keep as much of he tomato juice as possible. Let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes. Mix in the chopped parsley and basil. Then salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a salad or a side dish to grilled and roasted meat and fish. Enjoy!

JULY 31st update:

The FDA urges PUBLIC to avoid eating SERRANO PEPPERS FROM MEXICO

since they tested positive for the Saintpaul Strain of Salmonella.

 GOOD NEWS! : Warning on all US grown tomatoes has been lifted.

July 10 UPDATE!!!!

Jalapeno peppers have been added to the list of potentially dangerous produce!

The warning for certain tomatoes types still stands

With this terrible tomato Salmonella scare, we are safe with certain tomato types.

If you have not tried cherry or grape tomatoes, this is a great time since they are considered safe. My favorite are Santa sweets

 Stay away from Roma and other fleshy tomatoes, unless they are canned.

If you absolutely cannot stand using canned tomatoes in your recipes, try Pomi ( they come in tetra brik, the same that is used for juices). They have both strained and chopped, and are very close to the taste and texture of fresh ones.

But what’s to know? A tomato is a tomato right?
Yes, but not all tomatoes were created equal. Some are ‘fleshier’, some are sweeter. There are tiny tomatoes and 2 pound ones!
Here’s a pocketbook guide and suggested best usage:

Beefsteak tomato:
This is the big boy of the tomatoes, what we consider the All-American tomato. Slice them for salads or to place in a sandwich. They appear right in time for the 4th of July picnic, (late bloomers for tomatoes). The best varieties areBragger, Brandywine, Burpee’s Supersteak, HVN Hybrid, Hybrid Beefmaster, and the most commonly known Large

Tomatillo:
This is a tomato cousin, it comes wrapped in a papery husk. They are small, round an green, sometimes with a hint of purple. Tomatillos are tart with a hint of citrus flavor. This makes them ideal for salsas and other recipes that call for zing!

Roma & MilanoTomatoes:
These types are also called paste. When slicing them you will notice few seed cavities and thick walls, which allows them cook down to flavorful and densely textured sauces. Other varieties of cooking tomatoes: Costoluto Genovese, Paste Tomato, Principe Borghese, Royal Chico and San Marzano.

Stuffing Tomatoes:
You will recognize stuffing tomatoes by their thick walls and bulky shape resembling a pepper. They have a very mild flavor. They are best in cold soups, fresh salsas and, of course, stuffed. Varieties: Dad’s Mug, Ruffled Tomato, Yellow Stuffer.

 
Oh NO!  I added too much hot pepper in my home made salsa!  What to do?  Here’s a quick and easy fix: add corn! The corn helps neutralize some of  the heat. Best of all, it’s in season and a a very good price! Why not use it in a fun and different way? Salsas are usually make with tomatoes, peppers and onions; corn gives a nice sweetness an good contrast to the smoky taste of the chipotle peppers.

After tasting this “mistake” it became a favorite with roasted meats and tortilla chips

Ingredients:
2 ears of corn, husked
4 ripe plum tomatoes
1 large red onion, chopped
1 canned chipotle chile, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme
2 Tbls lime juice
2 Tbls olive oil
salt to taste

Directions:
Brush the corn with the olive oil. In a shallow roasting pan place the tomatoes and the corn and broil in a 450 degree oven till the tomato skin is blistered and charred. Remove from heat and let cool. Dice the tomatoes and scrape the kernels from the cob.

In a serving bowl combine the tomatoes and corn with the rest of the ingredients. Taste for salt. Let stand for 30 min and serve with roasted or grilled meats.