Heirloom Tomatoes With Tarragon Recipes

SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATOES AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, halve tomatoes lengthwise. Squeeze gently to remove most of seeds; discard seeds. Chop tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces, and transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Add shallots; cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in tomatoes until coated with oil; season generously with salt and pepper.
• Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; return to pot. Pour tomato mixture over pasta; add tarragon and Parmesan. Toss to combine. Divide among four bowls; top with additional Parmesan, if desired.

ROASTED HEIRLOOM TOMATOES WITH FETA AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Slice tomatoes and arrange in a mostly single layer in a 9x13-inch pan, slightly overlapping here and there. Halve the cherry tomatoes and scatter them about in between the slices (I like to keep them seed-side up). Slice feta into about three 1/2-inch slices and tuck them between the tomato slices, then scatter some crumbled feta over-top. Drizzle the the olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and if you like, a pinch of sugar (to bring out the sweetness in the tomatoes).
• Roast the tomatoes in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or just until the tomatoes have released their liquid, but are still holding their shape and colour. Remove from the oven and let stand a few minutes. Spoon off and discard the liquid in the pan (if you want to serve from the pan) or using a slotted, flat spatula, carefully transfer the tomatoes and feta to a serving platter. *At this point, you can serve the tomatoes while they are still warm, but I think they are nicest at about room temperature, if you want to let them stand to cool further.
• When ready to serve, drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

TOMATO-BEET SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Seal beets in a foil packet. Roast on a rimmed baking sheet until tender, 75 minutes. When cool, rub beets with a paper towel to remove skins; slice. Slice large tomatoes, and halve cherry tomatoes, then arrange with beets on a platter. Top with feta, cilantro, and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

PANZANELLA STUFFED HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cut the top 1/4-inch off each tomato and reserve. With a serrated knife, cut the interior membrane away from the outside skin without cutting through completely; scoop the membrane and seeds out with a spoon and transfer to a strainer set over a bowl to drain. Season the hollowed tomatoes and the membrane in the strainer with salt and pepper.
• Put the onions in a small bowl and cover them with 2 tablespoons vinegar and a pinch of salt. Let stand 10 minutes; this will remove some of the raw sharp flavor of the onion. In a bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon vinegar, the garlic oil and 1/4 cup of the drained tomato water. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Coarsely chop the drained tomato membrane and put in a mixing bowl. Drain the onions and add them along with the grissini pieces. Drizzle the dressing over the bowl and toss very well; season again and add more oil, tomato water and vinegar, as needed, to evenly moisten the stuffing. Stuff each tomato with 1/4 of the stuffing and garnish with the tomato tops. Chill until ready to serve.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD WITH FETA DRESSING

Steps:

• Slice the larger tomatoes into thick slices and halve or quarter the smaller ones. Place them on a serving plate, alternating color and sizes, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
• To make the dressing, in a large bowl, whisk together half of the feta with the olive oil, vinegar, garlic and oregano until just combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Peel and slice the avocado, reserving some for garnish, and place it on top of the tomato. Pour the dressing over the salad and top with the reserved avocado and onion. Sprinkle the remaining feta on top and serve.