Greek Tomatoes Recipes

GREEK TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, oregano, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Add red onion and green pepper; toss to coat. Stir in tomatoes, olives and cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with a slotted spoon.

GREEK MARINATED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Arrange tomato and onion slices in shallow bowl (I use a pie plate).
• Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper.
• Pour over tomatoe and onion slices.
• Chill thoroughly at least 2 hours, gently stirring once or twice.

GREEK TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Gently mix tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, 1/4 teaspoon chopped basil, and oregano together in a large bowl; top with feta cheese. Pour Greek dressing over salad and season with black pepper. Garnish salad with a sprig of fresh basil.

YEMISTA (GREEK STUFFED TOMATOES AND PEPPERS)

Steps:

• Cut off tops of tomatoes (retain tops) and carefully scoop out flesh (retain this as well).
• Cut off tops of peppers (retain tops) and remove seeds and membrane.
• Place tomatoes and peppers in a pan large enough to hold them comfortably and give each veg a tiny dash of sugar with the tips of your fingertips (I really think this is important!).
• Take tomato flesh and process it until pureed.
• Add olive oil, rice, onion, garlic, mint, parsley, nuts, cheese, sultanas, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper (or season to taste).
• Stuff the vegetables evenly with this mixture.
• Replace tops of tomatoes and peppers.
• Combine 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup olive oil with a scant tablespoonful of tomato paste and a little salt and pepper and pour this around the veg.
• Bake in a preheated 375F oven (180C) for approx 1 3/4 hours (vegetables should pierce easily and be slightly blackened in parts).
• Turn off oven and leave in for another hour to'mellow' before serving.
• This is best served slightly warm or at room temperature.
• It is wonderful eaten along with little bites of feta cheese and a cool glass of white or rose.
• It will also have yummy juices begging to be mopped up with bits of crusty bread.
• In my version, I also take 3-4 medium-sized potatoes, cut them into big wedges, toss in a little olive oil with salt and pepper to taste, and'plant' in the spaces amidst the vegetables.
• That way you can have a couple of wedges of potato too.

GREEK TOMATO SOUP WITH ORZO

Steps:

• In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; saute onion until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add orzo; cook and stir until lightly toasted., Stir in tomatoes, broth and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until orzo is tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, top with feta and basil. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

GREEK TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Wash, core and slice tomatoes 1/2-inch thick. Arrange slices on a platter or in a shallow wide bowl.
• Scatter onion and pepper slices over tomatoes and season everything with sea salt. Let sit 10 minutes to draw out juices.
• Break feta into rough chunks and scatter over salad. Sprinkle mint and oregano over top, drizzle generously with olive oil and serve.

GREEK STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Prepare the tomatoes. With a sharp paring knife, cut out the tops of the tomatoes as you would a jack-o'-lantern, leaving them intact so that you can replace them when you bake the tomatoes. Cut away the woody core, and reserve the tops. Using a small spoon, preferably a grapefruit spoon, scoop out the insides of the tomatoes. Place a strainer over a bowl, and rub the seed pods against the strainer. Discard the seeds. Finely chop the pulp. Add to the bowl with the juice. Salt the tomato shells, place them upside down on a rack set on a baking sheet, and let drain while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Toss the shredded zucchini with a generous amount of salt, and let drain in a colander for 10 minutes. Take up handfuls of zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer to the bowl with the tomato pulp. Add the garlic, mint, parsley or dill, and rice or bulgur. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough to accommodate all of the tomatoes. Fill the tomatoes almost to the top with the stuffing, and replace the caps. Place in the oiled baking dish. Drizzle on the remaining oil. Place in the oven, and bake 45 minutes to an hour until the tomatoes are almost collapsing. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool to room temperature or serve hot.

GREEK STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Slice tomatoes in half, scoop out seeds, and place in a baking dish sliced-side up. Sprinkle with and salt and pepper . Bake for 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes from oven, drizzle with olive oil, and bake an additional 10 minutes.
• While baking tomatoes, mix together cucumber, yogurt, olives, basil, and sugar. Stir in feta cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Remove tomatoes from oven, fill with cucumber mixture, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.