It’s tomato season in Arizona! And I love it. Over the years I’ve noticed that at the beginning of the season, our farmers are growing a few handfuls, then a few pounds, then a few hundred pounds of tomatoes each week. It’s actually quite amazing that our local farmers have each figured out their own process to grow tomatoes in 100+ degree days.
Thanks so much to the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market for your commitment to our local Arizona farmers and bringing beautiful food to our community. This week, thanks to Crooked Sky Farms for the heirloom tomatoes and corn on the cob. And, thanks to Blue Sky Organic Farms for the green onions, parsley. – Melanie Albert
I hope you are inspired by these three very different ways to prepare and enjoy tomatoes.
Raw. Cooked. Dehydrated.
- Tomato Salsa. Corn on the Cob. Peppers.
- Quick Tomato Sauté. Olives. Capers.
- Dehydrated Tomatoes.
Enjoy the video with all these tomato recipes…
Tomato Salsa. Corn on the Cob. Green Peppers.
For a simple, refreshing salsa, choose a few tomatoes and peppers, aromatics such as garlic and onions, along with citrus, a fresh herb and sea salt. If your local farmers are growing corn, add corn to the salsa. Use this recipe as a guide for your own intuitive tomato salsa.
Mix and match with what your local farmers are growing to create your salsa. For sweet salsa, use bell peppers in any color: green, yellow, orange, or red. For a mild pepper taste, try Anaheim, or a more spicy pepper go for the jalapeno. Use lime or lemon as citrus to sharpen the flavor of the salsa. Experiment with different fresh herbs such as dill, basil, cilantro, or even mint.
Enjoy the salsa as a side salad, taco topping or with a baked sweet potato. And, remember the flavors in the salsa marry together the second and third day.
Simple Ingredients
- 2-3 tomatoes
- 2 peppers
- 5-6 green onions
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3-4 sprigs fresh dill
- Pinch sea salt
- Optional: 1 corn on the cob
Farm-to-Table Tomato Salsa: Ingredients
Tomato. Corn Salsa: Mise en Place.
Simple Steps
- Chop all veggies.
- Place all ingredients into a medium-size bowl.
- Toss.
- Taste.
- Add more salt or lime juice to suit your taste preferences.
- Plate and enjoy.
Tomato Corn Dill Salsa
Tomato Sauté Recipe
In a few minutes, create this very simple, tasty, aromatic tomato sauce to enjoy with pasta. Choose a few local ripe tomatoes. Quickly sauté the tomatoes with onions and garlic to create a sweet aromatic sauce for your pasta. Add in Kalamata olives and capers for added depth of flavor. For a gluten-free pasta, experiment with chickpea pasta.
Simple Ingredients
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3-4 green onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp Kalamata olives
- 1 tbsp capers
- 5-6 sprigs parsley
- Pinch sea salt
Tomato Saute: Ingredients
Tomato Saute: Mise en Place
Simple Steps
- Pre-heat sauté pan on medium.
- Place green onions in pan, stir, cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes and sea salt.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover for about 2 minutes.
- Add Kalamata olives and capers. Cook 1 minute.
- Add parsley. Stir. Cook 1 minute.
- Toss with pasta.
- Plate and enjoy.
Tomato Saute. Pasta. Plating Mise en Place.
Tomato Saute. Chickpea Pasta.
Dehydrate Tomatoes
Dehydrating fruit and vegetables concentrates the flavor. With tomatoes, they become very sweet and beautiful. During tomato season, be sure to dehydrate local tomatoes to enjoy later in the year.
Simple Ingredients and Steps
- Choose a few beautiful heirloom tomatoes.
- Thinly slice the tomatoes.
- Place tomatoes on dehydrator mesh sheet.
- Dehydrate at 125 degrees F for about 6-8 hours.
- Enjoy as a snack or food art.
Dehydrate Tomatoes: Place sliced tomatoes on dehydrator sheet.
Tomato Food Art
Stay in touch with us on www.facebook.com/ExperienceNutritionAZ and Instagram @experiencenutritionaz and tag us #experiencenutrition on your plant-based culinary creations.
Sedona Retreats. If you are interested in a self-care get-away in Sedona in September 2020, let me know. At this point we are planning on holding our Fall Plant-Based Cooking and Self Care Retreat with private rooms for all guests. Click to take a look at our Fall 2019 retreat. Or, send me a note (Mel@MelanieAlbert.com) if you’re interested in attending the 2020 retreat or in creating a retreat for a group of your friends.
By Melanie Albert, Plant-Based Culinary Leader, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition in Phoenix, Arizona. Award-winning cookbook author, speaker, corporate wellness, team building, retreat leader, and caterer.