Tag: Tomato

Bohémienne

Natalie Hanson

Although this dish is similar to the Ratatouille, it has eggs in it but no zucchini or peppers. It can be served as an hors d’oeuvre, a vegetable dish, or a filling for a quiche.  Serves 4 to 6 people.

2 medium size onions
2 lb of plum tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic
1 medium size eggplant (2 lbs)
1/3 cup of olive oil
Thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper, 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper.
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup of grated swiss cheese
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

  • Slice the onions as thinly as possible.
  • Peel and quarter the tomatoes and mince 4 cloves of garlic.
  • Peel the eggplant and cut into 4 slices lengthwise.
  • Place in colander and sprinkle with salt,, allow to stand for 30 minutes.
  • Wash salt away, dry with paper towels and cut the slices in 1/4″ cubes.
  • Heat the olive oil in a medium size pan and gently cook the onions without browning them.
  • Add the tomatoes, eggplant cubes, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper and minced garlic.
  • Simmer over low heat, uncovered, stirring once in a while, for 45 minutes.
  • Taste and correct seasonings.
  • Beat 2 egg yolks in a bowl and whisk them into the vegetables.
  • Stir in a mixture of 1/4 cup of swiss cheese and 1/4 cup of the parmesan into the vegetable and egg mixture.
  • Serve hot with a meat dish or room temperature for hors d’oeuvre.

Quiche Bohémienne

Fill a partially baked pâte brisée with the bohémienne mixture. Sprinkle on the grated cheeses. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350°F. Allow to cool before serving.

Mirepoix and tomato soup

Natalie Hanson

Mirepoix is the name given to the combination of diced carrots, celery and onions.

1 quart 14 oz can of chicken stock (or  homemade stock)
3 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 large onions
A handful of spinach leaves
1 leek
3 tomatoes (in winter use Italian canned tomatoes)
2 Tbsp of sun dried tomato paste
Thyme, bay leaf, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper
Olive oil
Provolone cheese (grated)

  • Dice the carrots and celery. Slice and coarsely chop the onion and the leek. Slice the spinach leaves. Peel the tomatoes and discard the seeds. Chop in small pieces.
  • In a soup kettle, brown the onion in 2 Tbsp of olive oil, add the carrots, celery,  leek and sweat the vegetables together for 5 minutes.
  • Add the chicken stock and throw in the spinach leaves. Mix the tomato paste with a little bit of the stock to dilute it and add to the pot as well.
  • Add the herbs and the garlic and cook gently for 1 to 2 hours.
  • Serve with French bread and provolone cheese.

Note:   You can thicken this soup by adding some couscous to it.

Italian sausage soup

Natalie Hanson

1 pound hot Italian sausage
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sliced carrots
1 tsp basil
2 small zucchini
1 can (28 oz) whole Italian tomatoes, chopped, undrained
2 cans (14.5 oz each) organic beef broth
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 can (15.5 oz) of Great Northern beans
salt & pepper

  • Slice sausage into half inch pieces and remove skin
  • Brown in oil
  • Add next four ingredients (onion, garlic, carrots, basil)
  • Cook 5 minutes
  • Add next five ingredients (zucchini, tomatoes, broth, cabbage)
  • Heat and simmer covered for 1 hour
  • Add beans and liquid
  • Cook another 20 minutes
  • Serve and top with shredded parmesan, if desired

Tarte de tomates à la moutarde

Natalie Hanson

A 10-1/2 inch pan with removable bottom can be used. This pie is almost as flat as a pizza, with low borders, since there is only one layer of tomatoes for the filling.

1 prebaked pâte brisée
3 or 4 tomatoes, sliced (or enough to cover the bottom of the pie crust
A strong country mustard
1 Tbsp of herbes de Provence
Mozzarella cheese

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Brush the bottom part of the piecrust with the country mustard.
  • Layer the sliced tomatoes on top of the mustard.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Herbes de Provence all over the tomatoes.
  • Cover with the mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake in 400°F oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese starts to change color.
  • Serve immediately.

Tomato & black olive tapenade

Natalie Hanson

This is not the traditional tapenade, which is made with black olives, anchovies, capers and fresh basil. But it is an interesting variation.

1/4 lb of sun dried tomatoes (dry weight)
3 sprigs of fresh basil
1 clove of garlic
2 oven roasted tomatoes cooked for 1h. with olive oil, garlic and parsley
Olive oil
1 cup of black olives pitted
1 tsp of wine vinegar

  • Cook the sun dried tomatoes in some chicken stock. If you are patient peel them! Set aside.
  • Put the leaves of fresh basil and garlic clove in the food processor. Process.
  • Add the cooked tomatoes to the mixture and purée.
  • Add the wine vinegar.
  • With motor running gradually add oil to emulsify. Remove and set aside.
  • Coarsely chop the sun dried tomatoes and olives. Add to the puréed mixture.
  • Correct seasoning.

Salade Niçoise

Natalie Hanson

There are many variations of this salad, but the classic one has only the ingredients listed below. Principally a spring or summer salad, it uses the freshest raw vegetables when they are ripe and abundant.

6 ripe but firm tomatoes
1 cucumber, partly peeled and sliced
1 head of Boston lettuce or Bibb or red leaf
1/2 lb of fresh lima beans (don’t use if not fresh)
6 small purple artichokes (or marinated artichokes)
1 fennel bulb, sliced in ¼ inch strips
2 green peppers (Italian preferably) seeded and sliced
1 spanish onion, sliced
a handful of radishes
4 hard boiled eggs, cut in half lengthwise
10 anchovy fillets
handful of small black olives
Chapons (stale bread brushed with garlic)
fresh basil, garlic
vinaigrette dressing

  • Wash and quarter the tomatoes, salt lightly and drain for 10 minutes.
  • Peel and slice the cucumber, drain on paper towel for 10 minutes.
  • Prepare the other vegetables and the eggs, anchovy fillets and olives.
  • Prepare the chapons.
  • To make the vinaigrette, mix 1 part vinegar and 3 parts olive oil.  Add the garlic and the basil.
  • Arrange the vegetables on a shallow dish, surround with lettuce leaves and chapons.  
  • Pour the vinaigrette over it.
  • Toss gently just before serving.

Poor man’s caviar

Natalie Hanson

This cold appetizer can be used as a dip on a slice of French bread or served on a bed of lettuce.

1 big eggplant or 2 small ones
2 or 3 big tomatoes (canned or cooked)
2 Tbsp of olive oil
2 onions sliced
1 green pepper sliced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp of dry white wine
2 Tbsp of olive oil

  • If fresh tomatoes are used: remove the seeds and the skin, chopped coarsely and cook gently with salt, pepper, garlic and bay leaf for about 15 minutes.
  • Bake the eggplant with the skin on at 400°F for one hour or until soft.
  • Scrape the pulp of the eggplant in a saucepan and discard the skin.
  • Add 2 or 3 big tomatoes (canned or cooked) to the eggplant.
  • Put the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions and pepper until tender.
  • Add to the eggplant mixture, mix in the garlic and cook slowly until all liquid is evaporated.
  • Add salt and pepper and the wine. 
  • Let cool.
  • Before serving add 2 Tbsp of olive oil and some chopped parsley.