Cherry Tomatoes
 

[b]For those of you who actually have a few cherries make it into the house, that is.

Mine is to cut in half, drizzle with EVOO, Kosher salt, and cracked pepper. Then I bake at 350 til carmelized. Toss with angelhair, spicy globe basil, and fresh grated parmesan. Served with Rosemary Grilled Chicken. MMMMMMMM.......... I'm hungry now, shoot...

laurel-tx[/b]

[b]posted by Shelleybean

I also use a lot of cherry tomatoes with pasta and mine is very similar to Laurel's. I drain the pasta and while that's in the colander, I quickly saute the tomatoes in olive oil in the same pan I used for the pasta. Then the pasta goes back in with Spicy Globe basil (no chopping!) but I use feta cheese (lots of it). Sometimes I add leftover chicken or other veggies like mushrooms or zucchini. Quick and tasty!

When the bigger tomatoes are ready and I start to lose interest in the cherries, I start drying them in the oven, put them into bags and freeze them, and then use them for pasta and pizza over the winter.

_________________
Michele [/b]

[b] posted by Shelleybean

Oh, I forgot one I do at least twice a week! Toss cherry tomatoes with sliced cucumbers, crumbled feta cheese, basil and balsamic vinaigrette. I love this salad!

_________________
Michele[/b]

Cheese Balls With A Tomato Inside

INGREDIENTS
Favorite cheese
Cherry tomatoes
Bread crumbs
Mayonnaise to taste
Garlic to taste

DIRECTIONS
• Finely grate the cheese, add crushed garlic and mayonnaise, mix well.
• Measure out a teaspoon portion of the mixture, form into a patty, put a cherry tomato in the center, pinch edges together and roll into a ball around the tomato (better to do it with slightly dampened hands).
• Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Roll balls in bread crumbs.
Can be served immediately or refrigerated for 1-2 hours.

Ok...this recipes says to use grape tomatoes...but I've used grapes, cherry and even saladette sizes.

~ Zana

[B]Pickled Pear Tomatoes[/B]

For a simple but superb appetizer, serve with sliced baguette.

[B]INGREDIENTS[/B]
5 cups yellow and / or red pear shape or round cherry tomatoes
1 cup thinly slivered sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 1/4 cups white balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp pickling salt
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorn
1/2 tsp whole pink peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole white peppercorns
1 bay leaf

[B]DIRECTIONS[/B]
• Wash tomatoes.
• In a large bowl combine tomatoes, onion, crushed red pepper and garlic then toss gently to combine. Set aside.

• In a large non reactive saucepan combine vinegar, the water, sugar, salt, rosemary, bay leaf and peppercorns.
• Bring to boiling, stirring until sugar dissolves, reduce heat.
• Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.

• Pack tomato mixture into prepared half pint jars leaving a 1/2" headspace. Pour hot vinegar mixture over tomato mixture.
• Remove air bubbles.
• Add more vinegar mixture if needed to maintain the 1/2" headspace. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
• Adjust time according to your altitude.

Makes: 7 half pints

Zana, thanks, I'm thinking of trying your recipe this weekend. It sounds really good. Just to be sure, you don't have to peel the tomatoes for this?

Thanks!

Nope, you don't have to peel them. Hope you enjoy the recipe. How about posting a pic? - if they last that long...lol

Well, looks like I'm going to try your recipe next weekend.

I went shopping today for what I thought was going to be fairly simply canning supplies, Ball 1/2 pint glass jars and pickling salt. After trying Target, Walmart, Albertsons & Vons with no success, I decided I would just go online.

Apparently, Ball and Kerr and made by the same company, same glass, but to me, Kerr just seems cheaper. (go figure) I want my jars to say "Ball", LOL.

Hey Zana!

I made your recipe yesterday, wow, they taste great! It was my first time canning anything, so if you don't mind, I have a few questions.

I packed the tomatoes first in the jar, leaving 1/2 inch at the top, then topped it off with the vinegar mixture. (still leaving 1/2" at the top) After canning, I ended up with a few inches of just vinegar mixture, no tomatoes. Should I have packed the tomatoes in tighter? That would have smashed a few of them, does that matter? I used a water bath, but I'm thinking of trying it again with my pressure cooker. Would it be the same 15 minute time under pressure?

I brought one of my jars to my book club tonight, served it on sliced seeded French bread, it was delish! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Did you create it?

[QUOTE=Dak;234274]Hey Zana!

I made your recipe yesterday, wow, they taste great! It was my first time canning anything, so if you don't mind, I have a few questions.

I packed the tomatoes first in the jar, leaving 1/2 inch at the top, then topped it off with the vinegar mixture. (still leaving 1/2" at the top) After canning, I ended up with a few inches of just vinegar mixture, no tomatoes. Should I have packed the tomatoes in tighter? That would have smashed a few of them, does that matter? I used a water bath, but I'm thinking of trying it again with my pressure cooker. Would it be the same 15 minute time under pressure?

I brought one of my jars to my book club tonight, served it on sliced seeded French bread, it was delish! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Did you create it?[/QUOTE]

Dak,

Glad the recipe turned out so well for you. I find the flavour improves even more if left for a 2-6 weeks before sampling. I didn't create the recipe, but for the life of me, I'm not sure where I got it. I've had it for years - probably 20 years. Must have copied it from somewhere, since it is now on a 3 x 5 recipe card in my most used recipes boxes. I have literally hundreds of cookbooks, but the recipes I use the most are on cards....as well as backed up on the computer. I'm working towards converting all of them to the computer....but since many are still in my mother's, grandmother's or other family/friends' hand, I won't get rid of them. Since they're such an emotional tie to them - especially the ones that have passed.

You can try packing tighter, but if you squish them too much they might burst or bruise and the taste may change....certainly the appearance will. Sometimes the extra liquid is just a fact of life. I get in almost all my jars to some extent.

I have no experience with a pressure canner, so can't speak to that. I use water baths. Thinking of getting a pressure canner, but I'm no expert on them, so you'll have to ask somebody else what the effect might be.

Zana

Well, double-ly thank you for sharing one of your recipes on the board here! They really are excellent! My book group thought that the vinegar liquid would also make a nice salad dressing, I'd like to make more to dress salads come winter/spring. They also all thought that I could sell them. Ha Ha. It was my first time canning, but getting those 4 little 1/2 pints took me about 3 hours. They'd have to be $20 a 1/2 pint.

I feel better knowing that the extra liquid is just a part of it. :) Thank you!

The cherries that I have the most of are Black Cherry. I wish there was a way to get the stems off so the cherries stay whole better. I think it's just the nature of the variety though.

Thank you again for posting, I'd encourage anyone interested to give them a try.

Dak,

Try twisting the stems off, rather than just trying to pull. I twist the cherry tomatoes off the vine so rarely end up with stems attached. And if I can't then I clip them and then twist them off. I'm in canning mode here...so I'll be doing some of these too. Yummmmmmmm.

The hardest part is waiting until the flavours have time to meld....lol....its just so tempting with all those colours!!!!!!

I'm trying some new recipes this year, so will post any that I find are easy and tasty. Or think will be tasty. ;)

Zana