Just so you don’t get sick of it too fast, all I am going to say in this introduction is tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes (dressed in five different ways).
Monday: Tomato jam
2-3 tomatoes (sliced)
2 ½ tbsp of tomato paste
2 tsp of brown sugar
2-3 fresh basil leaves or 1 bay leaf (thinly sliced)
2 shallots (sliced)
Olive oil
Ground black pepper
Salt
In a saucepan heated with oil, combine shallots, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Cook the mixture until the tomato paste caramelizes (turns darker) and the shallots soften. Then add in the tomatoes and cook at low heat until the tomatoes have softened. Placing a lid over the saucepan will help speed this process. Once softened, add the basil/bay leaf, a pinch of salt, and ground black pepper. Let it cook until the mixture has lost most of its moisture. This can be used as a more flavourful tomato paste on toast or as a sauce mixture with pasta.
Tuesday: Tomato chickpea kale salad
2 tbsp leftover tomato jam or tomato paste
½ cup of chickpeas
1 bunch of kale (massaged with olive oil and salt)
Olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper
If you are struggling with what to do with the leftover tomato jam, this is the perfect recipe. Add in the chickpeas, tomato jam (tomato paste if you have no leftovers), olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Proceed to massage the kale with olive oil and salt until the kale has softened. Combine the mixed chickpeas and kale and you’ll have a salad.
Wednesday: Tomato soup
5-6 tomatoes (sliced)
1 cup of tomato sauce
½ cup of water or broth of your choice
5-6 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
3 shallots (sliced) or 1 onion (roughly chopped)
3-4 fresh basil leaves (thinly sliced)
Olive oil
1 tsp of brown sugar
Salt
Ground black pepper
Optional:
Bay leaves
¼ – ⅓ cup of heavy cream (depending on how creamy you want the soup)
In a soup pot heated with oil, combine garlic and shallots/onion, and cook until the garlic is golden. Then mix in the tomatoes, brown sugar, and the optional bay leaves. Cook until the tomatoes are softened and then add water/broth and basil leaves. Let it simmer for 30 minutes and if using heavy cream, add in the cream and let it simmer for another 15 minutes. Then it’s ready.
Thursday: Tomato and eggs
4-5 tomatoes
3-4 eggs
3-4 green onions (finely sliced)
Olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper
In a pan heated with oil, scramble the eggs halfway — the scrambled eggs should still be relatively runny. Set the eggs aside, and if needed, add more oil and combine the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Cook the tomatoes until softened and add back the eggs. Sprinkle in the green onions and serve!
Friday: Tomato pasta
3-4 tomatoes
½ – 1 cup of tomato sauce
1 tsp of tomato paste (or use the tomato jam if you have leftovers)
2-3 fresh basil leaves (thinly sliced)
2 shallots (sliced)
4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
Olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper
Pasta noodles of choice
Optional: protein such as chicken, ground beef, anchovies, etc.
In a pan heated with oil, combine garlic, shallots, and tomato paste. Proceed with the same instructions with the tomato jam on how to cook the tomato paste. Then add in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes and add in the basil leaves. Then serve with pasta noodles and optionally, your cooked protein.
