Tomatoes. Tomatoes. Tomatoes.

Summertime has come to an end, but I am definitely still enjoying the produce from the season. The tomatoes from my local Farmer's Market are heavenly, and as we head into the fall season, they continue to be my main ingredients. Penne all Norma, Roasted Heirloom Tomato Salsa, and Slow Roasted Tomato Soup. All of these dishes were flavorful and delicious because of their freshness. Here are the recipes, with some of my notes. Hopefully they find you well! Happy Wednesday! xx

Penne alla Norma

Martha Stewart Living

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 pound penne rigate
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup torn fresh basil, plus more for garnish
3/4 cup ricotta cheese

Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add eggplant to skillet; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until eggplant begins to release juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (if bottom of pan browns too much, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape with spoon).
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water to skillet; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Toss sauce and basil with pasta; gently reheat if necessary. Top each serving with a spoonful of ricotta, and garnish with more basil.

{a la mode} ps: I made this for two and it worked great after I cut the recipe in half. Definitely be generous with the crushed red pepper if you like more of a kick!

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Salsa

The Parsley Thief

Makes 4 cups
2 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes
1 medium red onion, cut into quarters
1 bell pepper, seeded + cut in half
2 jalapeno peppers, or to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil + more for grill
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large cloves of garlic, pressed
1 lime
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
special equipment: a grill basket, or grid

Directions
Preheat a grill on high heat, and rub a grill basket generously with oil.
Cut half of the tomatoes into large pieces, and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. To the pan, also add the quartered red onion, bell pepper halves, and the jalapeno peppers. Toss together with the vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper, until evenly coated. Arrange all of the veggies on the grill basket, and roast, turning occasionally, until tender and beginning to char on the edges. Remove from the grill, place back on the baking sheet, and let cool slightly.
Once cool enough to handle, medium dice all of the roasted vegetables, and place in a large bowl. Note: for the jalapeno peppers, I removed the seeds and stems before dicing to cut back on the heat a bit. You can adjust this according to your preference. If you'd like your salsa very spicy, dice them as is, seeds and all.
Medium dice the remaining raw tomatoes, and add them to the bowl. Add the garlic, juice of one lime, and chopped cilantro. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, add in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, if desired, and serve.
Note: You can make this salsa well ahead of time. It tastes great for days, and only gets better as the flavors have a chance to blend.

{a la mode} ps: Like this recipe says, the broiler works just fine to roast your ingredients. I would obviously love to have unlimited access to a grill, but what are you gonna do. I definitely think my salsa could have used more of a kick. Next time I'm definitely adding in the jalapeno seeds!

{Image from Google}

Slow Roasted Tomato Soup
adapted from My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow
serves 4

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

12 tomatoes (plum, beefsteak or heirloom), quartered, stems removed
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
olive oil
Kosher salt

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a 18x13 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Place tomatoes skin side down and drizzle with olive oil until all tomatoes are covered. Drop unpeeled garlic cloves randomly around the sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle everything generously with salt. Roast for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tomatoes are shriveled, but still juicy. When done, allow the pan to cool and pop the roasted garlic out from the skin and reserve for the soup.

{a la mode} ps: I was a bit impatient and roasted about 12 slices of tomatoes (early girls and heirlooms) on 375 degrees for about 50 minutes. They probably didn't have the same texture as Gwyneth's Slow Roasted Tomatoes, but their flavor was still delicious!

Slow Roasted Tomato Soup

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or more as desired)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh, large basil leaves
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
12 slow roasted tomatoes, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring so that it doesn't burn. Add the basil leaves, tomatoes and juice, and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it uncovered for 40 minutes. As it simmers gently break apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. After cooking stir in the slow-roasted tomatoes with any juices and season with salt and pepper. Simmer everything together for 5 more minutes and serve hot. 

{a la mode} ps: I added half a chopped onion to the minced garlic, before adding the rest of the ingredients. I also pureed the entire soup when it was done simmering. I made sure to leave the cap off my food processor, to allow the heat to escape. I pureed the soup just enough so that it maintained a bit of texture and topped it off with a little grated parmesan. Good thing there's leftovers, because I'm dying to add a little grilled cheese to this meal!