There may be no greater symbol of a Southern summer than juicy red tomatoes fresh off the vine. Whether they’re ripening up on your windowsill or in a fruit carton from a local stand, plump summer tomatoes are both refreshing and easy to incorporate in everyday meals. Check out the next few pages to learn how to use them in creative ways!
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TOP TOMATO ON JULY 26
If you’re a tomato aficionado, you won’t want to miss this summer event at the Chattanooga Market. Come to the Tennessee Pavilion from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for cooking demonstrations, samplings, and farmers’ favorite recipes.
Serves 4
Juicy heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil give a summery kick to this salad stack.
Ingredients:
4 large red and yellow tomatoes
12 to 15 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 deli-chilled rotisserie chicken
(plain or flavored)
2 tablespoons white balsamic
vinegar
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive
(or avocado) oil
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup crumbled feta, goat, or blue cheese
Directions: Slice basil and chop parsley and shallot. Then cut tomatoes into ¼ inch-thick slices. Remove meat of chicken from the bones and chop coarsely. Prepare dressing by whisking vinegar, oil, Italian seasoning, pepper, parsley, and shallots until they are well blended. Arrange salad on serving plates, alternating tomato slices, chicken, basil strips, and crumbled cheese. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
Calories—400 | Total Fat—32g
Sodium—380mg| Carbohydrate—11g
Dietary Fiber—2g
Sugar—6g | Protein—23g
From Publix publix.com
Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
Serves 4
This vegetarian main course packs all the filling flavors you could ask for into one easy-to-make dish.
Ingredients:
4 large ripe but firm tomatoes
(preferably heirloom)
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
½ cup quinoa, rinsed
½ small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
6 oz. tempeh, diced
⅔ cup raisins
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped
fresh parsley
2 tablespoons water
Directions: Bring broth and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and grains are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the top off each tomato to expose the inside. Use a spoon to hollow out pulp and seeds and place in a bowl. Chop the tomato tops and add to the bowl. Set bowl and tomato shells aside. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, combine onion and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic, tempeh, raisins, thyme, pepper, and reserved tomato trimmings and cook, stirring frequently, until most liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in quinoa and parsley. Stuff tomato shells with quinoa mixture, mounding it on top, and place tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until tomatoes are soft and filling is just browned on top, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
Calories—290 | Total Fat—6g | Saturated Fat—1g | Sodium—55mg | Carbohydrate—49g | Dietary Fiber—6g | Sugar—7g | Protein—14g
Tomato, Avocado, and Mango Salsa
Serves 6
Rich avocado, juicy tomatoes, and sweet mangos come together to make a salsa worthy of seconds.
Ingredients:
4 tomatoes, diced
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup red onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions: Dice the mango, avocado, and tomatoes. Then mince the jalapeño and garlic. Chop the cilantro and red onion and mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add the lime juice, olive oil, and salt. Mix well and chill before serving.
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
Calories—157 | Total Fat—12g
Saturated Fat—2g | Sodium—396mg
Carbohydrate—14g | Dietary Fiber—4g
Sugar—8g | Protein—2g
From Nutrition World nutritionw.com
Tomato Chickpea Salad
Serves 6
A confetti of flavors and high protein ingredients, this dish isn’t your typical summer salad.
Ingredients:
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cucumber
6 green onions, sliced
1 cup Swiss cheese, cubed
⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon black pepper
cayenne pepper to taste
Directions: Combine the chickpeas, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, and Swiss cheese in a large salad bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, dried tarragon, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper. Pour this dressing over the salad and toss gently to evenly coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate, and serve chilled.
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
Calories—309 | Total Fat—18g | Saturated Fat—5g | Sodium—510mg | Carbohydrate—27g Dietary Fiber—6g | Sugar—4g | Protein —11g
From Nutrition World nutritionw.com
