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Summer Time
Tomatoes
Nothing brings to mind summer like
the fresh taste of homegrown tomatoes. One container of potting soil
and a tomato plant will allow you to enjoy fresh tomato dishes with
just a little effort and a few ingredients.
Growing Your Tomatoes
Tomatoes fall into categories such as determinate, which means they
grow to about 3 feet and stop; semi-determinates which grow to 5 foot
or so, and finally, indeterminates, which will continue to grow until
they are killed by frost. For a simple tomato to start off with, visit
your garden center and ask for a determinate tomato plant. You will
also need a 14 inch pot and potting soil. You can support your plant
with a stake, or a tomato cage as it grows. Plant your tomato by
stripping off all but the top 4-5 leaves and put them into the dirt
deeply where the leaves are about the soil line. Be sure to place your
pot in full sun, and keep the soil moist, but avoid wetting the
leaves. You also can fertilize every two weeks if you wish. I do not
use chemicals on my plants because I have children and prefer to avoid
them. If you have fish, the water from the fish tank is a good thing
to use in place of fertilizer.
If you have room for more than one tomato by all means grow as many as
you can! You can also visit a farmer's market or road side stand to
buy your tomatoes for these wonderful, nutritious recipes.
White Bean
and Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce can) white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup (1/2 pound) tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tsp. each basil, thyme, and oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine all ingredients; toss gently to mix. Chill until ready to
serve.
Serves 4.
Green Beans
and Tomato Italian
Ingredients:
3/4 pound green beans
1/2 cup red onion rings
1/4 cup Italian dressing
2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Place green beans, onion and dressing in microwaveable bowl; cover.
Microwave on high 8-10 minutes or until beans are tender-crisp ,
stirring after 2 minutes. Stir in
tomatoes and basil.
Serves 6.
Broiled Tomatoes
Ingredients:
4 medium ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano or basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tablespoon oil
Wash tomatoes, slice in half crosswise. Place on baking sheet, cut
side up. Mix crumbs, seasonings and oil. Sprinkle mixture on each
tomato. Broil 8-10 inches from heat about 4 minutes or until golden
brown. Garnish with parsley sprigs.
Serves 4.
Calories 76, Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 8 g, Protein 2 g
Tomato Cottage Cheese Salad
Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) carton cottage cheese
1/2 tsp. each of dried basil and oregano or 1 tsp. fresh
1/2 tsp. salt
3 medium to large tomatoes, sliced
Lettuce
Combine cottage cheese, herbs and salt. Arrange 3 tomato slices
on lettuce for each salad. Top with a mound of cottage cheese. Garnish
with a sprinkling of fresh chives on each salad.
Makes 6 servings.
Italian Chicken, Tomato and Bread Salad
Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
4 grilled chicken-breast halves, cut in strips
1 1/2 cups cubed Italian bread (1/2 inch cubes)
1 cup loosely packed basil, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup bottles Italian dressing
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Mix all ingredients in a large serving bowl. Let stand 30 minutes for
flavors to blend, or refrigerate up to 6 hours.
Serves 5.
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