tomatoes – The Vegan Love Project

Stewed Summer Tomatoes

Stewed Summer Tomatoes

10 tomatoes (roma or plum), split length wise in 1/2

2 teaspoons salt

1 small onion, medium dice

1 clove garlic, sliced

2T extra virgin olive oil

1 cherry bomb pepper, sliced *optional

3-4 large leaves of fresh basil

1-1/2c boiling water

Heat up a large cooking pot; add the olive oil and onions and sauté just until translucent. Add the garlic slices and tomato halves to the onions. Cover with hot water. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium to medium-low and continue to cook uncovered for 30 minutes or so. The tomatoes should remain intact. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes if not using right away to store. Remove from the pot to a jar or glass container and while still warm, add the fresh basil. If eating immediately, add the fresh basil in at the end before serving and drizzle with more salt and olive oil.

Serve fresh or you can freeze them. I eat them over crusty bread as a snack hot, warm or cold. I also use them to make a delicious dish; Baked Pasta with Stewed Tomatoes. AMAZE.

Cream of Heirloom Tomato Soup

Cream of Heirloom Tomato Soup

This soup is so simple and so delicious. Simple ingredients = amazingness. For a delicious, delicate, light soup, keep it to just the tomatoes- for a more substantial protein fortified option, the addition of white beans fills it out perfectly.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3c fresh chopped heirloom tomatoes

1/4c fresh basil

1/2 fresh jalapeño, diced

2T olive

1T coconut oil

6c boiling water

1 veggie bouillon

1t salt or to taste

1c cooked white beans; baby limas, cannelini, or great northern beans *optional

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Cashew heavy cream

1/4c cashews

1c water

Bring 6c of water to a boil.

For the cream:

In a blender, grind the cashews to a powder. Add the water and blend at first at low speed and finally walking it up to full power. Let run for about 30 seconds. This should create a thick nut milk, likened to heavy crème.

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In a large soup pot, add the oil and sauté the onions until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, salt, jalapeño and black pepper. Continue to sauté until the tomatoes soften and begin to break down and the pepper turns bright green. Add in the beans if using. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

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In batches, in a blender or vitamix*, puree the tomato soup. At this point, the soup is delicious as is or the crème can be added to create a wonderfully elegant soup. Add the crème into the soup and stir with a ladle to incorporate. Adjust the seasonings again after adding the crème.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous. Fill the blender only half way and proceed in batches if necessary.

Cauliflower, Tomato & Potato Fall Vegetable Soup

Everything was from my garden in Vermont or from the Greenfield Farmer’s Market….super delicious broth. You can make this more substantial by adding Gluten Free Pasta (or regular) and/or add a bean of your choosing, like chickpeas, pinto or kidney beans.

Cauliflower, Tomato & Potato Fall Vegetable Soup

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

1 thin skinned potato, washed and medium diced

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2c fresh corn niblets

1 medium tomato, diced

2c cauliflower florets

2c greens; spinach, kale or collards

1/4t black pepper

1 small fresh hot pepper or 1/2t cayenne pepper flakes

1 vegetable bouillon cube (or 1T veggie broth powder)

3T xvo

4c boiling water

1t salt or to taste

Bring 6c of water to a boil, in case you need more.

In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, salt, black and red pepper. Continue to sauté until the veggies turn bright, stirring often. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder). Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the fresh corn, cauliflower and greens. Adjust the seasonings before serving. Serve with crusty bread or add GF pasta or grains of your choosing.

Avocado Tomato Toast

Avocado Tomato Toast/ Open Faced Sandwich

1/2 ripe avocado

1/2 lemon, juiced

1T extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1 small, ripe tomato, thinly sliced

1 large slice whole grain or Gluten-free Bread

Toast the bread. In a small bowl, smash the avocado with the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the toast is ready, spread the avocado over the entire piece. Top the avocado with the tomato slices. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Eat immediately.

SO.YUM.

Fresh Tomato Tofu Vegetable Lasagna

Again, not a difficult dish to make at all, it’s all about the components- each one is full of flavor prior to joining forces in this early fall, late summer time fresh lasagna. I used brown rice lasagna noodles that are virtually un-dectectably different over wheat noodles so this lasagna is totally gluten free. I used only fresh tomatoes from the farmers’ market and a few of my own- some for the fresh sauce and others, sliced as a layer within the lasagna. What follows are the recipes for the components- how you layer it up is up to you! You can use different veggies; mushrooms, eggplant- limitless possibilities. Mine was filled with tons of fresh basil, tomatoes, hot peppers, squash and spinach. I stayed away from using vegan cheese, was just not feeling it, so the tofu filling is an absolute stand out, delicious in flavor. I added a quickly sautéed garlic spinach into the filling to offer a fuller flavor (as opposed to just using it blanched or steamed), you can also simply use it as a layer. All of the vegetables were from my garden or from the Greenfield market.

Components:

2 medium zucchinis- sliced and tossed in olive oil, salt & pepper
6 cups spinach- quickly sautéed in garlic and olive, salt and pepper
fresh tomato sauce- recipe below
1 box of lasagna noodles, cooked
Tofu “ricotta” filling- recipe below
1-2 larger tomatos, thinly sliced, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper

Putting it together:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
ladle in about 1 cup of fresh sauce in the bottom of the baking dish
place down one layer of noodles
layer in the tofu filling
layer in noodles
layer in fresh zucchini
layer in noodles
layer in fresh tomato slices, olive oil and salt
layer in last layer of noodles
cover the top layer with fresh sauce
Cover with tin foil and bake for 60 minutes.

Fresh Tomato & Basil Sauce

2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

4c tomatoes, diced

1/4c fresh basil, lightly packed, chopped

1/4t black pepper

1/4c water

1/2-1 fresh cherry bomb, chili or other hot pepper, minced

1/3c extra virgin olive oil

1t salt or to taste

In a skillet, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, black and red pepper. Allow the tomatoes to break down and to come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fresh basil.

At this point, the sauce is delicious as is or can be pureed to create a smoother sauce.

Tofu “Ricotta” Filling

Tofu Ricotta /Crème

1Pound tofu- blanched- divided in 1/2

1 clove garlic

1 heaping T mellow white miso

3T extra virgin olive oil

1t brown rice vinegar

1t ume vinegar

1 heaping T sesame tahini

2T water if needed while blending

*opt 6c fresh spinach or 5oz- steamed and pressed (all water out) or sautéed with garlic and 1t olive oil

*opt 3oz Vegan mozzarella or favorite cheese

1/2t black pepper

In a blender or vitamix, place the warm cooked tofu (1/2), the miso, tahini, olive oil, vinegars, garlic, and blend until smooth and creamy.

In a bowl, crumble or mash the remaining tofu with a fork or fingers. Add the tofu crème, and the vegan cheese and the chopped steamed / pressed spinach.

Fresh Tomato, Cauliflower & Basil Penne (GF)

Fresh Tomato & Cauliflower with Basil Pasta Sauce

1 small head cauliflower, cut and trimmed into bite size pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large tomato, diced

1/4c extra virgin olive oil

1/4c fresh basil, lightly packed, chopped

1/4t black pepper

1 small cherry bomb pepper, sliced

1t salt or to taste

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1 Pound cooked pasta (can be gluten free)

Steam the cauliflower for 5 minutes in salted water. Remove and set aside. (you can add this water to the pasta cooking water)

In a skillet, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic and sauté until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, salt, black and red pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes (perfect pasta cooking time). In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add in the steamed cauliflower and sauté until heated through. Add the fresh basil just before serving. Serve over ziti, (gluten free) penne pasta or rotini and drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh basil and nutritional yeast.

#frickenyum

Heirloom Tomatos, Garlic, Basil, & Olive Oil with Grilled Artisan Bread

I had purchased this beautiful heirloom tomato at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and it took me until today to actually think of something to make using it- I didn’t want to cook it; although a fresh Tomato Basil Soup or Gazpacho would have been amazing. A fresh pasta sauce crossed my mind but this thing was 5″ across and GORGEOUS. I have been reading Michael Pollan’s latest book “Cooked” and last night was on the chapter about bread and it lit me up about the local artisan loaf I purchased the same day at the market…10% Rye Sourdough with Sesame. I had eaten a lot of it on Saturday so I sliced it and put it in the freezer. So I knew today was the day. Today was the tomato day. Variations on a theme, there is nothing like the basil, garlic, tomato trilogy; everything local and in season. I ate it as a series of open faced sandwiches, I say a series, because I grilled 4 slices and ate all 4 slices…..

For the tomatoes

Local, fresh, summer tomatoes, preferably heirloom, sliced

plenty of fresh basil

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

fresh hot chili pepper

extra virgin olive oil

pink salt

black pepper

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for the bread

artisan loaf of bread

Extra virgin olive oil

garlic, smashed and minced

Heat up the grill or grill pan.

Prepare the bread:

Slice the bread into ¼-1/2” slices, how ever many slices you and friends will eat (2-3 per person or 4 if I am coming over)

In a small plate, add the garlic, olive oil. Lightly brush the bread slices with the oil and set aside.

Over high heat, place the bread on the grill or pan and close the grill or cover the pan. Let grill for about 3-4 minutes. The bread should easily flip and have gorgeous markings. Once flipped, continue to grill for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve immediately with the fresh tomato slices on top drizzled with more garlic olive oil, salt pepper and basil.