Yellow Tomato Recipes, Part 2: Gazpacho and Stuffed Tomatoes

Part 2! Behold...

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho
Makes 5 cups soup
Adapted from Suzanne Goin’s Sunday Suppers at Lucques

2 1/2 pounds ripe yellow tomatoes
1 cucumber
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and cut in half
4 sprigs cilantro, plus 12 cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons diced red or orange sweet pepper
3 tablespoons diced red onion
18 small cherry tomatoes, cut in half (optional)
Super-good extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

NOTE: I ate this with the red pepper and red onion, but without the cherry tomatoes or extra olive oil drizzled on top. It was good. - Kris

1) Blanch the yellow tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds. Cool the tomatoes in a bowl of ice water a few minutes, and then use your fingers to slip off their skins. Remove the cores, and chop the tomatoes coarsely, saving all the juice. Reserve the ice water.

2) Seed and dice three tablespoons’ worth of unpeeled cucumber, as prettily as you can manage, for the garnish. Set aside. Peel and coarsely chop the remaining cucumbers.

3) You will need to make the soup in batches. Place half the yellow tomatoes, coarsely chopped cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro sprigs, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil in a blender with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and some pepper. Process at the lowest speed until broken down. Turn the speed up to high, and purée until the soup is completely smooth. If the soup is too thick, add a little of the reserved ice water. Strain the soup and taste for seasoning. Repeat with the rest of the soup ingredients. Chill the soup in the refrigerator; it should be served very cold.

4) Toss the diced pepper, diced onion, and diced cucumber together in a small bowl.

5) Pour the gazpacho into six chilled soup bowls, and scatter the pepper mixture over the soup. Season the cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper and place three cherry tomato halves and two cilantro leaves at the center of each bowl. Finish each soup with a drizzle of super-good olive oil. To serve family-style, place the soup in a chilled tureen or pretty pitcher and garnish with the tomato halves and cilantro; pass the diced vegetables on the side.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
134 calories, 11.4 g fat, 1.6 g fiber, $0.61

Calculations
2 1/2 pounds ripe yellow tomatoes: 127 calories, 2.5 g fat, 5.9 g fiber, $1.00
1 cucumber: 24 calories, 0.4 g fat, 1.4 g fiber, $0.66
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and cut in half: 16 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.06
4 sprigs cilantro, plus 12 cilantro leaves: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.10
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped: 9 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, $0.08
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar: negligible calories and fat, $0.16
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil: 477 calories, 54 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.48
3 tablespoons diced red or orange sweet pepper: 7 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.6 g fiber, $0.40
3 tablespoons diced red onion: 12 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.08
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
TOTAL: 672 calories, 57 g fat, 8 g fiber, $3.04
PER SERVING (TOTAL/5): 134 calories, 11.4 g fat, 1.6 g fiber, $0.61

~~~

Provencal Stuffed Tomatoes
Makes 8 stuffed tomatoes
Adapted from Food Network/Maria Sinskey
(I mentioned this on Wednesday, but this isn't my picture. Mine was terrible. It's Food Network's.)

8 (1 by 1-inch) bread cubes
8 medium-small ripe red or yellow tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup pitted, sliced kalamata or nicoise olives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

NOTE: I forgot the oregano when I made it. No biggie. Also, this was mad watery, but wonderful when stacked on top of pasta. - Kris

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Arrange the bread cubes on a baking sheet and lightly toast in the oven, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

3) Increase the oven to 400 degrees F.

4) Remove the cores from the top of the tomatoes and cut the top off the tomato 1/4 of the way down. Reserve the tops. Slice enough of the bottom off each tomato, so it stands up, but don't cut through to the seed. (If you cut too deep, patch the hole with the piece you have just sliced off, by placing it in the bottom after you've hollowed it out.)

5) Using a melon baller, carefully scoop the inside of the tomatoes out, taking care not to penetrate the sides and create holes. Collect the balls of pulp and chop coarsely. Press the juice and seeds through a strainer. Add the strained juice to the chopped pulp.

6) In a bowl, mix together the tomato pulp, Parmesan, olives, olive oil, parsley, basil, oregano, and garlic. Toss with the bread cubes and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture sit until the bread cubes have soaked up most of the moisture.

7) Season the interior of each tomato with salt and black pepper. Stuff each tomato with 1 bread cube and as much as herb olive mixture that you can pack in. Top with the reserved tomato tops and stick a toothpick through the center of the top to keep it from sliding off while it bakes. Place the stuffed tomatoes in a roasting pan that has been drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle the tops of tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until bubbling and tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
140 calories, 11 g fat, 1.7 g fiber, $0.64

Calculations
8 (1 by 1-inch) bread cubes: 84 calories, 2 g fat, 0.8 g fiber, $0.13
8 medium-small ripe red or yellow tomatoes: 191 calories, 3.8 g fat, 8.9 g fiber, $2.00
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces): 216 calories, 14.3 g fat, 0 g fiber, $1.36
1/2 cup pitted, sliced kalamata or nicoise olives: 136 calories, 13.6 g fat, 3 g fiber, $0.65
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed: 477 calories, 54 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.48
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves: 3 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.3 g fiber, $0.22
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves: 1 calories, 0 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, FREE (got them with the tomatoes)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.10
3 large garlic cloves, minced: 13 calories, 0 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, $0.12
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
TOTAL: 1121 calories, 87.8 g fat, 13.4 g fiber, $5.08
PER SERVING (TOTAL/8): 140 calories, 11 g fat, 1.7 g fiber, $0.64

Posted in: Mains,Sides,Soups and Stocks,Vegan,Vegetarian