I will be the first to admit, I love tomatoes! Whole, roasted, chopped, fresh, sauced and even cherry tomatoes. If there’s a recipe that uses tomatoes, you can bet I will try it.
Tomatoes are so versatile, and at the height of the season, you can buy them for as little as 99c/kg! Which makes tomatoes extremely affordable, and you can eat them for every meal (well, maybe not every meal haha!)!
But there’s only so many tomatoes you can eat in a salad, and if you have an abundance of fresh tomatoes, how else can you use them?
So this post in my “4 ways with” series is all about using fresh tomatoes in different way. Because there’s only so many summer green salads you can eat!
This salad is an amazing summer meal, and it can easily be adapted for larger numbers of people. I can comfortably feed the 6 of us with just a little extra quinoa and an extra chicken breast.
The other great thing about it is quinoa is a ‘superfood’, and full of protein, so finding ways to use it in meal plans is a win.
Because I usually have a stock of quinoa and macadamias, and if I have planned it well enough with my garden, I should only need to buy the chicken breasts for it.
Click here for the recipe!
This is new to me this year, but it’s a great way to save time and space over the months when tomatoes are no longer available. You don’t even need a dehydrator, you can just use your oven to achieve the same result!
Did you know you can use dehydrated tomatoes for tomato paste? Just put them through a blender after they’ve finished drying and are cooled, and when you want to use it as paste, simply add 1 tsp of powder to 4 tsp of water.
Dehydrated tomatoes can also be used as snacks. Simply sprinkle with a bit of salt or any herbs you want (basil + oregano both taste great) before you dehydrate and you’ll have amazing, flavourful tomato snacks in no time!
It wasn’t that long ago that breakfast didn’t include cereals, but it hasn’t taken us long to forget how to prepare a delicious breakfast full of wholefoods.
Mixing together a quick bruschetta mix, which can last a few days in teir fridge, is so easy and delicious served on crusty bread or on its own with eggs, bacon and avocado.
This is the perfect accompaniment to BBQ steak! I initially made it from a Donna Hay recipe and I loved it. So fresh and a little bit of bite.
Chimmichurri Sauce is a salsa of sorts, best used with grilled meat, like steak or chicken. It’s usually green, but this version is red and I really prefer it to the green.
I find it’s best to use a tomato that’s got a high water content rather than one that’s more fleshy, so if you’re choosing a homegrown variety, Black Krim or Moneymaker are good choices for this recipe.
And the best part is, this recipe usually makes enough for leftovers, and eating this with lunch the next day is delicious!
If you don’t know by now, tomatoes are one of my favourite vegetables. They are so versatile and they taste amazing. And even though they become extremely affordable in the height of the season, there’s nothing quite like the taste of a homegrown tomato so I will always grow them myself!
Making delicious food that I can share with my family and friends is something I love to do, especially when it doesn’t cost the earth.
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