Mexican Plum Tomato Cups Recipes

MEXICAN PLUM-TOMATO CUPS

Steps:

• Cut each tomato in half crosswise. Using teaspoon, scoop out seeds and pulp from each tomato half, leaving enough tomato for a firm shell. If necessary, cut small slice from bottom so tomato half stands upright.
• In medium bowl, mix remaining tomato cup ingredients. In small bowl, mix topping ingredients. Spoon about 1 tablespoon avocado mixture into each tomato shell. Top each with about 1 teaspoon topping.

SOPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Put the masa harina in a large bowl, pour in the water and get in there with your hands, kneading until you have a uniform dough. It should take only a minute or two. You want a nice, moist dough, so work in a little more warm water if it's dry. If it's sticky, work in a little more masa harina.
• Break the dough into four equal pieces and roll each one into a ball. Put the balls on a plate or cutting board and cover them with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out. One at a time, roll them out with a rolling pin or clean wine bottle until they're a thin circle about 1/4-inch thick. Brush a little of the vegetable oil on a skillet or comal and heat it over medium-high heat until it's good and hot. Carefully add the first sope and cook it until little brown blisters appear on the bottom, about 45 seconds. Flip it over with a spatula and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Flip it over again, count to 10 and transfer to the towel-lined baking sheet. Keep it warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining 3 sopes (adding a little more oil if you need to), and keep them in the oven until you're ready to serve them.
• Pour a couple of tablespoons of the oil into a skillet and add the chile, garlic and onions. Set the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the huitlacoche (or mushrooms) along with a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the huitlacoche is heated through, about 5 minutes (or until the mushrooms are a little browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes). Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
• Arrange your sopes on a platter. Cover with a thin layer of Roasted Tomato-Chile de Arbol Salsa, the huitlacoche or mushrooms, a drizzle of the crema fresca and a sprinkle of queso fresco. Serve the remaining salsa on the side.
• Preheat the boiler.
• Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet and broil until the tomatoes are nice and charred, 10 to 12 minutes. Take the tomatoes out, let them cool just until you can handle them, slip off the skins and cut out the tough cores. Transfer the tomatoes to a big bowl (don't you dare forget the tomato juice that has leaked out and reduced to awesomeness on the baking sheet), and then roughly chop them.
• While the tomatoes are broiling, heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles (in batches, if necessary), flipping them over occasionally, until they just begin to smoke, about 5 minutes. Set them aside in a bowl.
• Put the olive oil, garlic and onions in a saucepan, set it over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the toasted chiles, tomatoes and 2 cups water, bring to a simmer and cook for another 12 minutes, so the flavors come together. Let it cool a bit.
• Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the cilantro, salt and pepper and puree until the mixture is very smooth. Pour the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Store the salsa in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to a week, or in the freezer for a month.

SLOW-ROASTED PLUM TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Mix together onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and basil in an 8-inch square baking pan; spread evenly in the bottom of the pan. Place tomatoes, cut-sides down, on top of the onion mixture. Drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle with sugar and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tomatoes have started to collapse and are browning around the edges, about 2 1/2 hours.

FRESH TOMATO MEXICAN SALSA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve with chips.

FRESH PLUM TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and sugar; cook for 15 minutes.
• Place a large bowl on a work surface. Insert a colander inside the bowl. Place cooked tomatoes in the colander to drain, saving excess liquid. Transfer tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until blended to the desired consistency. Return tomatoes to the saucepan. Add basil and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more, adding some of the reserved tomato liquid if the sauce is too thick.

OVEN ROASTED PLUM TOMATOES

Steps:

• Set oven to 375 degrees.
• Prepare an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish.
• Core the inside of the tomatoes.
• Cut in half lenghwise.
• Place in a bowl.
• Add in basil, olive oil, salt and pepper; toss to coast well.
• Arrange the tomatoes in the baking dish (cut-side up) and bake for about 1 hour, or until softened to desired texture.
• If desired, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
• Delicious!