Chunky Spring Relish

Ingredients:

4 medium banana peppers finely chopped
4 small cucumbers chunked, small pieces
3 Roma tomatoes chunked, small pieces
1 small red onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt or to taste
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped or pressed
juice of three medium limes

Mix all ingredients together, stir well.  Great as a side
or with fresh peas or beans.

Quick, Wonderfully Tasty Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sour cream or 1/8 cup light cream (evaporated milk ok)
1/4 cup chopped celery or pinch of celery salt or flakes
1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. each worcestershire sauce & A-1 sauce
2 tablespoons salsa (hot or medium)
1½ lb. lean ground beef (ground pork or turkey works well also)
One-half small can tomato soup (any kind)

Mix all ingredients well, form in loaf pan (mixture will be moist)

Cover top of loaf completely with ketchup and bake at 325 degrees for approximately one hour

End of Summer Tomatoes IV

These delicious small tomatoes are plentiful right now, and so wonderful when enhanced with other flavors:

Grape or Cherry Tomato Lunch Delight

Halve two cups of fresh grape or cherry tomatoes, place in large glass bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt.

Add ½ teaspoon spicy mustard, 1/4 teaspoon horseradish, 1 small clove pressed garlic, freshly ground pepper to taste, 1/4 cup of pitted calamata olives, 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise and lightly toss.

Add 1 large can of white albacore chunk tuna packed in water (drained of liquid), toss with large salad fork just until mixed, sprinkle with parmesan or romano cheese, and use as topping for greens, (fresh mustard greens are great) pasta, or serve with carrot sticks, crisp flavored crackers or garlic bread.

This recipe works well with chicken or fish, fresh or canned.

End of Summer Tomatoes III

And here's the MOST perfect thing to do with all these beautiful tomatoes! This recipe works in the winter, too, with 2 or 3 hothouse tomatoes and a couple of cans of diced tomatoes, but it's not nearly as perfect as with the end of the summer tomatoes...

Michie's Drinkable Salsa

ingredients:
8-10 big, never refridgerated, fresh tomatoes
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 large vidalia onion
6-8 jalepeno or 8-10 serranno peppers
4-6 limes
sea salt

steps:
peel and chop tomatoes over a large glass bowl (so you don't lose any juice...use glass because you have to let the salsa sit in the bowl all day or overnight)
add a small handful of sea salt and stir
chop two big handfuls cilantro and add to bowl
chop the onion very fine (I use a chopper) and add to bowl
chop the peppers by hand in thin slices (seed them first, or seed a few of them, depending on desired heat) and add to bowl
squeeze the limes into the bowl and stir well
add sea salt to taste...add more lime to taste
let sit for several hours or overnight, then put into mason jars and refridgerate

The mason jars are beautiful - great for gifts or to bring to a party!

End of Summer Tomatoes II

This sauce recipe has been in the family for more than 70 years . . . it's come to be known as "Cozette's Lasagna" and is always a huge hit.

6-8 fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced, any kind
(or) 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 small can tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small bay leaf
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz. container ricotta cheese (not low-fat)
8 oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box lasagna pasta

Boil pasta (about 8 strips) till done, adding 2 tablespoons olive oil to cooking water. Drain and set aside.

In large saucepan over medium heat, let ground beef simmer until all pink is gone, breaking into small bits with spatula while cooking; add onions and garlic and saute until clear; add all other ingredients (except cheese and pasta), lower heat until just simmering and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until tomato pieces are absorbed into sauce.

Use glass dish 8 x 11.5 by 2 in. deep or larger. Begin with layer of sauce in bottom of dish; make a layer of pasta, (whole and lengthwise from end of dish to end); a layer of ricotta cheese, a layer of mozzarella cheese, and another layer of sauce, spreading evenly. You will have two layers of each if you are using a 2 in. deep dish, more if a deeper dish is used. The top layer will be sauce; sprinkle parmesan cheese liberally over the top.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, remove and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Serve with warm garlic bread.

This serves 6-8, and may be doubled if desired.

End of Summer Tomatoes I

It's the end of the summer, and there are literally CASES of tomatoes waiting to become even more delicious than they already are...

Here's the first in the series...

Very Not-Campbell's Tomato Soup

ingredients:
a bunch of big, fresh tomatoes (I used 6)
olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper
1 small onion
2 or 3 cloves garlic (I used two huge ones)
1/2 loaf freshly baked bread (I bought mine at the grocery store bakery)
a handful of fresh parsley
a ton of parmesan cheese
fresh basil
1 small carton chicken broth

steps:
cut bread into large cubes and put in a 200 degree oven until it's not brown, just crunchy...20 minutes or so
peel the tomatoes and chop...chop and add the parsley...add a bunch of sea salt and pepper, stir, and let sit...taste occasionally just because it's so good
in a big pan, cook thinly sliced onion and garlic in 1/4 cup or so of olive oil until clear
add tomato mixture...cook for about 10 minutes
add chicken broth and more salt and pepper...cook some more
get the bowls ready...put 4 or 5 of the toasted bread chunks in each bowl
pour soup over bread chunks
add a bunch of parmesan cheese to each bowl til the chunks and soup are white on top
drizzle each bowl with olive oil and throw some chopped fresh basil on top

Die of joy.