Here are a few of our favorite summer recipes utilizing tomatoes!

Tomato Pie

Ingredients
Heirloom/cherry tomatoes - all colors/sizes, cut in bite-sized chunks
Fresh Basil
Fresh Oregano
1 C. Mayonnaise (Dukes)
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 C. Gruyere Cheese, shredded
1/2 C. goat or Mozzarella cheese
1 medium onion, rough chopped
1- 2 tsp flake salt/pepper to taste
1/2 tsp arrow root
1 pre-made crust (or make your own). Pillsbury does a great job.

Method

The Filling:
Toss cut tomatoes and salt in a bowl. Transfer to a colander and place over a shallow bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Reserve tomato juice for a salad dressing. Toss chunky-cut onions, coarsely chopped basil and oregano, and minced garlic together, then add to tomatoes. Coarsely chop chunks of mozzarella, and toss into mixture. Toss in the arrow root powder or cornstarch. Set aside.

The Crust:
You may make your own OR buy a pre-made pie crust. Roll it out to a little larger than your pie pan. Line the pie pan and poke small holes in the bottom of the dough with a fork. Line pan with aluminum foil and put a layer of uncooked beans in the bottom to weigh it down. Cook in the oven until lightly browned (about 10-12) minutes at 425º. Remove pan from oven and remove the foil and beans. (Beans can be put away to use another time). Brush an egg wash over the whole pie crust and put back in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese evenly across the bottom of the crust. The cheese will melt in the bottom, creating a little protection from the tomato juices.

Tying It All Together:
Put the tomato, mozzarella, onion and herb mixture in the crust, pile to a nice even mound rising above the sides. Mix together the Gruyere and mayonnaise, and spread evenly across the top. Put in oven at 350º for 45-60 minutes. Remove and let cool to set. ENJOY!

Panzanella

Ingredients

1 Baguette or Ciabatta loaf, preferably stale, cut or torn into chunks/cubes
8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Salt
2lbs Ripe Cherry Tomatoes
6 Ounces Mozzarella
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Black Pepper to taste
Basil Leaves, torn

Method

Toast bread in oven at 400F until dried out and edges are starting to crisp up. Cut tomatoes into one bite pieces and add olive oil and salt, toss to combine. Let tomatoes sit for 30min or up to an hour to let the salt extract the juices. Strain tomatoes, reserving the juices. Combine juices with chopped garlic and apple cider vinegar, seasoning the ‘dressing’ with black pepper to taste. Combine bread, tomatoes and mozzarella in large bowl, add in dressing and thoroughly toss. Top with fresh torn basil.