Tag: tomatoes

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Salad Bar Confessions

By Fran Hill

I think that I need to begin with an apology to those who know me in real life. I need to ask their forgiveness for what I am about to share. Many have heard my whines about area salad bars and their seas of white, mayo-based salads. It often seems that if it isn’t drenched in a mayo dressing, it won’t be allowed on a salad bar in South Dakota. I will concede that fresh produce can often be limited out here on the prairie, but even with the bounty of summer gardens, everything still seems to wear a coat of mayo.

So, please forgive me as I tell you to take beautiful, red (and yellow an even the new-to-me chocolate) cherry tomatoes and dress them with blend of mayo and Dijon. I have absolutely no remorse as I proclaim how wonderful this salad truly is. The dressing is tangy; the cherry tomatoes from my garden are just bursting with juicy sweetness; and adding red onion and parsley perfectly rounds out this amazing salad. The flavors are bright and clear and absolutely not my local salad bar’s mayo salad.

Tangy dressing and juicy garden produce makes Dressed Cherry Tomatoes anything but a run-of-the-mill salad.

Dressed Cherry Tomatoes

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 pint cherry tomatoes (This year, I have red, yellow and chocolate from my garden.)

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar and mustard together.

Halve tomatoes, or if very small, leave whole.

Add tomatoes, onions and parsley to dressing.

Toss well and season to taste. (Serves 4)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Flavors of Summer

By Fran Hill

Gardening is in full swing across South Dakota. The labor of planting and weeding and mulching and fertilizing is shifting to the labor of harvest as mature plants release their bounty. In my garden, cucumbers, zucchini, herbs, chard and green beans all abound. Radishes have come and gone (although, I did consider planting a second crop because even the super spicy ones are excellent when roasted). Tomatoes, peppers, carrots and cabbage need a little more growing season. My beets, spinach and lettuce just didn’t make it this year. That’s OK. The garden is overflowing as it is.

I only have a short row of beans, but I could easily pick every day. I am not sure if it is due to super productive plants, or if I just miss that many each time I dig through the foliage in search of ripe beans. Like zucchini, those buggers like to hide.

With so many fresh beans on hand, we have been mixing up the prep and stepping away from our usual steamed and served with a dab of butter and lots of freshly ground pepper. I have made creamed potatoes and green beans to serve along side pork chops or grilled ham steak, tossed with vinegar and mustard for a tart side dish, and sautÈed with onions and bacon. Another delicious option that makes use of my overabundance of basil is Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes. Green beans are cooked until tender and then tossed with tomatoes warmed with garlic and basil. It is absolutely the perfect accompaniment for a grilled steak and highlights the amazing flavors of summer.

Green beans with cherry tomatoes and a sprig of basil makes good use of a garden’s bounty.

Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans (I also threw in some yellow beans)

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 — 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook beans until tender.

Meanwhile, in a frying or sautÈ pan, heat the butter. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes and cook briefly, just until warmed and softened slightly, but not mushy.

Drain the beans and stir into garlic buttered tomatoes. Add the basil and toss to coat the beans. (Serves 4-6)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Goodbye, Garden

By Fran Hill

If the recent frost and hard freeze had you scampering to clear the last of the tomatoes from the garden, I have got you covered with a recipe for some excellent sauce to make with those babies. This Home-Canned Pasta Sauce has been a favorite with us for several years, and everyone loves it. Basil and garlic enhance the tomatoes for a most delectable gravy. And after all the chopping, simmering, jarring and processing is done, how about some meatballs?

Usually, when I reach into the freezer with meatballs on my mind, I grab a package of ground beef, but the other day, I felt like something a little different and chose ground turkey. The resulting meatballs were tender, flavorful and, best of all, super simple to prepare. Nestled in a bed of pasta and blanketed with some of that fresh sauce (or purchased sauce, I don’t judge), these are a perfect lighter option for a cozy comfort food meal for the now cooler evenings.

Turn the last of summer’s tomatoes into a light and delicious pasta sauce.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly with your hands. Using a small cookie scoop, portion and roll the mixture into about 20 walnut-sized meatballs. Arrange on prepared baking sheet. Bake about 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. (Serves 4)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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The Real Thing

By Fran Hill

A few nights ago, Hubs and I joined several friends for an evening out at a local establishment. As these kinds of nights should be, it was full of fun, companionship and lively conversation. Harvest progress was discussed. Local gossip was mulled over. And everyone rolled their eyes at the current political follies.

It was sometime between the guys’ trip to the salad bar and when their steaks and prime rib were served that the topic of food arose. We all like food — a lot. Our group has a nose for sniffing out the best the area has to offer, and we aren’t shy with sharing our enjoyment of excellent cuisine.

So, when a member of our food-loving party offered to show me something that tastes”just like tomato soup,” I was game. Never mind that this guy isn’t known for rolling up his sleeves in the kitchen. Never mind that we are sitting at a back table in the local watering hole and ingredients for tomato soup don’t seem to be available. Let’s just call me adventurous when I watched him squirt a huge blob of ketchup onto a saltine cracker and liberally douse it with pepper. We might need to call me insane when I took that cracker and ate it in one big gulp. It didn’t taste like tomato soup. Not. At. All.

If you want something that does taste just like tomato soup, I have a recipe for you. You probably won’t be able to replicate it for your friends at a table in a bar, but that’s OK. This soup is meant to be savored on cool fall nights and dunked with grilled cheese for lunch. It tastes just like tomato soup should.

Vibrant garden tomatoes make a smooth and creamy homemade soup.

Mmm, Mmm Good! Tomato Soup

10-12 pounds tomatoes, chopped (enough to fill my 7 1/4 quart Dutch oven … seeds, skins and all)

2 yellow onions, chopped

1 head garlic, minced

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

3 teaspoons celery salt

1 tablespoon kosher salt

fresh cracked black pepper

4 tablespoons sugar

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup flour

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped finely

Chop tomatoes and place in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and 1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tomatoes have cooked down and flesh has released from the skins. Remove from heat.

Process tomatoes through a food mill or cone colander with pestle, sieve or similar utensil to strain the seeds and skin. (Alternatively, use a wand blender to thoroughly blend tomatoes into a puree.) Return pulpy juice to heavy pot and bring to a simmer. Add sugar.

With mixer, mix together the melted butter and flour. With mixer running, slowly add a ladle of warm tomato juice to the flour mixture. Repeat with 4 or 5 more ladles of soup until the flour mixture is warm and thoroughly combined with a good portion of the juice.

Add the warm tomato/flour mixture to the pot of simmering juice, stirring constantly to combine. Add the 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil. Heat thoroughly.

Ladle into prepared jars (I use pints) and secure lids. Process in pressure canner for 15 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. (Yield: 6-8 pints.) If you are unsure of the canning process, there are many informative sites online. I am not a canning authority.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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The Patient Gardener

By Fran Hill

We have officially hit that time of year when summer seems to be screeching to its end. Some schools start in less than a month. Less. Than. A. Month. I want to reach into the clock, grab the hands of time and STOP THEM. I need more summer.

Conversely, I need my garden to hurry up. I have lots and lots of green tomatoes, but only a couple of Black Krim have ripened so far. My mouth is watering for the pure deliciousness of garden tomatoes. I want to pick cherry and yellow pear tomatoes from the vine and pop them into my mouth before I get back to the house. I want to slice a juicy, red specimen and layer with fresh basil, mozzarella and a few chunks of yellow tomatoes to make the most beautiful caprese salad you have ever seen. I want slabs of tomato sprinkled with salt, cut up with my cottage cheese, spiced up in salsa and in my sandwiches. For just a moment, I want to speed up the clock to ripen all those perfect tomatoes.

Thankfully, none of us have any magic skills to accelerate or slow down time. We all have to just take it as it is. I will continue to savor the dwindling days of summer, and appreciate those garden tomatoes when their time comes.

Brown Rice Garden Salad is a splendid recipe that pairs garden produce with nutty brown rice. Tossing everything together with a simple dressing makes a hearty salad for my lunches or a savory side for just about anything we could throw on the grill. It’s the consummate earthy summer salad, no matter what speed the clock is ticking.

Brown Rice Garden Salad

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon sugar

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups COOKED brown rice

1 cucumber, sliced (I like English cucumbers that don’t need to be peeled, but peel and seed any other variety.)

2 cups baby spinach leaves

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (any small tomato works, and a few yellow pear add more color)

Whisk together oil, vinegar, dill, garlic and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add rice, cucumber, spinach and tomatoes. Toss to combine. (Serves 4)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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Beeting the Winter Blues

By Fran Hill

Winter in South Dakota has its challenges. I could complain about the wind, sub-zero temperatures, gray days, and endless, dead, brown of a snowless winter. All are valid criticisms. But do you know what my biggest grievance about winter is? Tomatoes. I miss red, ripe, juicy, garden tomatoes.

Summer spoils me with my backyard garden always overflowing with fruit laden tomato plants. I slice luscious platefuls, add mouth-watering layers to sandwiches, sautÈ wedges with other colorful garden veggies, toss divine dices with hot and cold pastas, and chunk into sumptuous salads.

Winter leaves me cold and blue in the produce aisle. Grocery store tomatoes are pasty. Mealy. Gross. Occasionally, I may stumble upon a semi-decent hot house tomato, but they never really compare to my summer loves.

How do I beat this gloomy winter challenge? With beets. Roasted ruby beets are the perfect vibrancy for my winter salad. Paired with hearty greens (I chose romaine, but you could easily step it up with kale, if you lean that way), the crisp acidity of red onion, and earthy pumpkin seeds, beets are a solid stand in for tomatoes. A dynamic, almost mustardy dressing is the ideal finish for this winter salad that eases my mourning for summer tomatoes.

Beet and Romaine Salad

(adapted from foodloveswriting.com)

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

1 large red beet, roasted, peeled, and thinly sliced

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:

2 shallots, finely diced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (to taste, we liked the added sweetness of more)

dash of cayenne pepper

1/8-1/4 cup olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Arrange the sliced beets on a cutting board and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cut each slice into quarters.

Layer the greens, red onion, beets, and pumpkin seeds in salad bowl.

For the dressing, add finely diced shallot to the mixing cup for a wand blender (or a small food processor). Blend until pulverized. Mix in the lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Drizzle dressing over salad and toss. (There may be more dressing than needed for your taste. I saved the extra and drizzled over roasted beets and potatoes.) Serves 2 for dinner salads, 4-6 for side salads.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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Fran’s Garden Burgers

By Fran Hill

The mere mention of”veggie burger” causes me to involuntarily wrinkle my nose. There is something about a processed patty pretending to be something it isn’t that doesn’t appeal to me at all. I won’t say that I will never eat them, but it isn’t very likely.

I like meat. Once upon a time, I thought I didn’t. I was wrong. Perhaps my taste buds hadn’t yet fully developed. Maybe my limited food experiences hindered my sense of adventure. Definitely I didn’t know a lot about proper preparation for the hunks of protein that I usually cooked to death back in those days. Whatever the reason for my past finickiness, currently I dream about perfect coals for grilling all-beef burgers, slather fruity salsas on salmon burgers and spicy ketchups on turkey burgers, and never, ever, EVER refuse a fried egg on top of any of them.

That isn’t to say that I turn my back on other options. I may not buy packages of questionable creations from the freezer case, but I have crafted flavorful black bean burgers filled with minced peppers, onions and garlic and topped with stinky cheeses that were beyond wonderful. Shredded summer squashes and carrots have been held together with a beaten egg and fried to crispy perfection. Eggplant can be either grilled or breaded and baked or fried for a thick veggie layer with lettuce, tomato and a grooved-up mayo on a toasted bun. I do like MY versions of”garden burgers.”

One of my favorite discoveries for garden burgers isn’t sandwiched between layers of bread at all. Simple and delicious tomato and mozzarella burgers must be eaten with a knife and fork, and it would be a sin not to swirl a forkful of cheese around to gather all the beautiful juices on the plate.

Fresh garden tomatoes are sliced in half, drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and topped with slivers of garlic before being popped into the oven to roast. In the time it takes me to walk to the garden, cut some lettuces and pull an onion for a simple salad on the side, the garlic sweetens and perfumes the ripe fruits as they warm and soften in the intense heat. A slice of fresh mozzarella is wedged between the thick chunks of tomato and melts into gooey lusciousness. That’s it. Perfection in just a few ingredients. A veggie burger that doesn’t make me wrinkle my nose at all.

Tomato and Mozzarella Burgers

Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

6 large tomatoes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Slice a thin piece from the rounded bottom of each tomato, so they sit upright. Cut each tomato in half horizontally. Arrange the tomato halves cut side up on a shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Scatter the garlic over the tomatoes. Roast until they’re softened and warmed through, approximately 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into 6- 1/2 inch rounds. Using a spatula, sandwich each cheese slice between 2 hot tomato halves. The heat of tomatoes will melt the cheese slightly. Drizzle with the juices collected in the roasting pan and garnish with basil. Serves 6.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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Trial and Error at the Community Garden

By Rebecca Johnson


Community gardening has a long history in the U.S. It began in the 1890s in Detroit then the government promoted community gardens during World War I to supplement food supply. Gardens helped the unemployed during the depression and the federal victory garden campaign during World War II was used to show patriotism and build morale. Interest dropped off a little after the war, but there was a resurgence in the 1970s and community gardens have been growing ever since (pun intended).

Our Yankton Community Garden started in 2009. It’s sponsored by the Healthy Yankton Committee with grants from the South Dakota Department of Health and the Avera Health Community Service Fund. It’s great for people who don’t own a yard or don’t have the space. Our yard is too shady to grow vegetables, so this is the 4th year my husband and I have gardened in the plots on the west side of town.

We lease two 12′ x 18′ plots for $20 each. Volunteers till the plots at the beginning of the season and water is free–just bring your own hose. Each plot is marked with a 2 x 4 painted with a folksy quote or saying, like”God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done,” or”You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.” My husband’s favorite is”I was determined to know beans.”

We began our first garden without any real horticultural skills. And we’re no master gardeners today, but here are a few things we’ve learned while digging in the dirt.

  • Though“Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbors Porch” day implies otherwise, zucchini is not foolproof. My first zucchini plant got vine borers. I performed plant surgery, slicing the base of the plant to dig the offending grubs out, but the poor thing never fully recovered. Now I watch for moths that lay their eggs on the stems and apply organic pesticide accordingly.
  • “Water evenly” or your zucchini and beets grow in funny shapes and your tomatoes get”bottom rot.” I’m still not really sure what”water evenly” means, though. Does that mean water every other day? Apply the water evenly to the ground? Don’t stand on one foot while you water? Please tell me below.
  • Gardening makes you really interested in the weather. I start a lot of casual conversations with”Did it rain last night?” or”Have you heard if it’s supposed to storm?” I attribute this to my quest to”water evenly.”
  • Weeding is very satisfying, but if you squat to weed for a long time you will get a serious head rush when you stand up. Sit or bend over.
  • When planting, leave more space between plants than you think you’ll need. And even if it seems wasteful, thin plants early and generously. I’m still learning this one. Our melons are slowly taking over and they’re nowhere near finished growing. Sigh.
  • Always bring a bag or bucket to your plot once mid-summer hits. Even if you think nothing will be ready to pick, your garden will surprise you with a small harvest.
  • Last but not least, if your dog poops in your compost pile forget about using it to fertilize anything meant for human consumption. This one’s not quite community garden related, but helpful nonetheless.

I’m sure my list is unimpressive to the expert gardener, but if you’d seen our first attempt you’d know we’ve come a long way. What are some of your gardening tips? Do you garden at home or rent a plot?

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The Advantages of the Prairie Pantry

By Fran Hill

A friend is building a new home and when discussion turned to the kitchen, she mentioned that the architect was influencing her to include pull-out shelving instead of a pantry. Apparently, pantries are a thing of the past in new construction. What?? I couldn’t live without my pantry. Where do you store large, ugly but totally functional and necessary containers of flour and sugar? Where do you put all of the jars of salsa that you canned from the garden tomatoes? Where do you stash the crockpot, griddle, food processor or ice cream maker that you only use once in a while, but really don’t want to be without? Where would you hide the guilty pleasure of Double-Stuff Oreos? Please don’t tell me that a couple of panels of pull-out shelving can handle all of this. It couldn’t. Not in my kitchen.

Admittedly, I can be a bit of a food hoarder. I stock up when things I know we will use are on sale. I impulsively buy things that I have no idea what to do with…or if I will even like…because they seem cool or interesting. I once had over a dozen cans of chickpeas because every time I visited the grocery store, I didn’t remember that I had already made the purchase. My pantry has been influenced by living in a town without a grocery store and fear of running out. Both my husband and I recall winters of our childhoods with blizzards that left us stranded, but thanks to the preparedness of our mothers, we were never without food. We inherited that gene. The prairie pantry bulges.

Garlic Spaghetti with Beans and Arugula starts out as a pantry meal. Dry pasta and protein-packed canned beans are always basics that I keep on hand. Garlic and red pepper flakes spice things up, and soon a quick trip to the garden could yield the arugula and tomatoes to freshen the final dish. Round the meal out with a loaf of crusty bread, extra cheese to grate on each serving, and maybe those Oreos from the pantry for dessert.

Garlic Spaghetti with Beans and Arugula

Adapted from Cooking Light

8 ounces dry spaghetti
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups arugula
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water. Drain, but reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. Set pasta aside and keep warm.

While the pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until garlic is tender and fragrant. Add beans and tomatoes. Season with salt. Cook until heated through. Add the pasta; cook stirring frequently. Add reserved pasta water and arugula, tossing to combine. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and cheese. Serves 6.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.



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Holding on to Summer

By Fran Hill

The heat of summer seemed unrelenting this year. Thermometers soared. Gardens wilted. People melted. Scorching might be the only polite description for those torrid days. And so it is with trepidation that I make my next statement.

Give me a sunny 100-degree day over a breezy one in the 70s.

It is amusing that the sweat I work up on the treadmill disgusts me, but I will willingly swelter with a book in a lawn chair under the blazing sun for hours. I believe the hotter the better for yard work and gardening. I love summer and all the heat that goes with it.

With the official end of summer nearing, I find myself desperate to hold on to that blissful heat. I want the warmth. I need the fever of the sun.

Salsa is one way I keep a grasp on the sunny season. I love the melding of sun-ripened tomatoes and spicy jalapenos on my tongue. I like the smokiness that almost comes across as heat in the back of my throat when I add a little cumin to the mix. It is so satisfying to chop and stir and simmer and process vegetables into beautiful jars of salsa to carry some of the wonderful summer heat into fall and winter.

Basic Salsa for Canning

8-10 jalapeno peppers, chopped finely (I don’t remove seeds or pull out the spines. We like that kick.)
12 cups chopped tomatoes (I don’t peel, but you could, if you prefer.)
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped green peppers
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 5-ounce can tomato paste
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt


Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Ladle into sterilized pint jars; seal. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. (If you are unsure of the canning process, there are many informative sites online. I am not a canning authority.) Makes 5-6 pints.


Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and two dogs reside near Colome.