Nine Tomato Recipes
from Around the World

Moroccan Tomato Eggplant Salad
Tunisian Pasta Sauce with Capers
African Tomato-Avocado Soup
Indian Tomato Chutney
Yucatan Charred Tomato-Mint Salsa
Mexican Tomato Lime Soup
Spanish Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Orange
Greek Stuffed Tomatoes
Italian Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Moroccan Eggplant Tomato Salad

1 small globe eggplant
Salt
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 large tomatoes, cubed
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon sugar
freshly ground black pepper to taste
fresh lemon juice to taste
lettuce leaves for serving 
10 black olives for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Peel and coarsely cube the eggplant. Place the cubes on a kitchen towel and sprinkle them with salt. Let them stand for 15 minutes, then gently pat them dry. 

3. In a 2-quart ovenproof baking dish, place the eggplant, tomato paste, tomatoes, paprika, cumin, olive oil, and garlic. Sprinkle with sugar. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with aluminum foil, and cook until the eggplant in completely tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Stir once or twice while baking. If  the mixture becomes too dry, add a little water.

4.Place the mixture in a serving dish and season with salt and pepper. Stir in enough lemon juice to obtain a light, tangy taste. To serve, top with black olives.

Source: The Vegetarian Table: North Africa

Tunisian Pasta Sauce with Capers

3 large tomatoes
8 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 teaspoons caper juice
15 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon harissa
1 jalapeno chili, seeded, deribbed, and minced (optional)

1. Preheat the broiler.  Place the tomatoes on a lightly oiled baking sheet, and broil about 1 inch from the heat source, until the skins are evenly blackened.  Set aside to cool.  Broil the unpeeled garlic cloves until lightly browned on both sides.  Five to six minutes.  Set aside to cool.

2. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel, seal, and finely dice them.  Place them in a colander to drain for 30 minutes.  Squeeze the tender garlic cloves out of their skins and mash them coarsely with a fork.  Set a side.

3. Transfer the tomatoes to a serving bowl.  Stir in the garlic, capers, caper juice, half of the parsley, one tablespoon of the olive oil, salt, pepper, harrisa, and optional jalapeno.

Source: The Vegetarian Table: North Africa

African Tomato-Avocado Soup

3 lb tomatoes peeled and seeded
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 avocado, mashed to a puree
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
salt and pepper to taste
hot pepper sauce
garnish
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded and diced

1. Puree tomatoes in a food processor or food mill, then press through a sieve to remove seeds. In a large mixing bowl, beat the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, buttermilk, and oil. Toss pureed avocado with 1 tablespoon lemon juice to hold the color. Add the avocado, remaining lemon juice, and parsley to the tomato mixture; stir to mix well.

2. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and a generous number of drops of hot pepper sauce. Refrigerate several hours before serving.

3. At serving time, taste soup for seasonings. Ladle into individual bowl and have guest garnish their portions with cucumber and sour cream. Pass hot pepper sauce around to add more piquancy.

Indian Tomato Chutney

8 medium size ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup vinegar
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 dried green chili peppers
2-inch piece green ginger, peeled
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Peel, seed and slice tomatoes and place in saucepan.

2. Reserve 1/4th cup vinegar and add the rest to the tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft.

3. Grind together the garlic, Chile peppers and ginger. Mix with the reserved vinegar and add to the tomatoes along with the sugar and salt.

4. Cook until the mixture thickens, then cool and chill.

Source: The Tomato Book 

Mexican Tomato Lime Soup

3 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
46 ounces tomato juice
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce to taste
2 cups baked tortilla chips, coarsely crushed

1. In a soup pot on low heat, sauté the garlic and cumin in the oil for a minute. Be careful not to brown the garlic.
 
2. Stir in the tomato juice, fresh tomatoes, lime juice, and cilantro. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for several minutes. Add hot sauce to taste.

3. Place the tortilla chips in large, shallow soup bowls, and ladle the soup over them.

Yucatan Charred Tomato Mint Salsa

3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, pan-roasted until blistered, deeply browned, and soft
1 thick slice medium-sliced white onion, pan-roasted until brown and soft
1 medium-sized clove garlic, pan-roasted until brown and soft, then peeled
2 serrano chilies with seeds, roughly chopped
12 fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
3 large fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon toasted and ground cumin
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Chop together with a knife or food processor the tomatoes, onion, and garlic until you have a coarsely textured salsa. 

2. Add the chiles, cilantro, mint, cumin, water, and salt.  Process briefly to mix.  This salsa should be chunky.

Source: La Parilla:The Mexican Grill

Spanish Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Orange

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
2 cups cored and chopped tomatoes with liquid
pinch of cayenne or ½ teaspoons paprika
salt and black pepper to taste
1 orange, sliced

1. Put the oil in a 10-inch skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat. A minute later, add the garlic and cook, stirring and turning the cloves occasionally, until they are slightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato and stir, then remaining ingredients.

2. Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until thick and quite tasty. Remove the orange, and serve hot.

Source: The Best Recipes in the World

Greek Stuffed Tomatoes

12 firm, ripe tomatoes
salt and granulated sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 medium onion, or 3 scallions chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ pound lean lamb or veal, ground
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup water
5 to 6 tablespoons raw long grain white rice
Tomato juice, if necessary
Freshly ground pepper
2 sprigs fresh mint or basil
Pinch of grated nutmeg

1. Wash the tomatoes, then turn each stem side down, and with a sharp knife carefully slice a cap off the bottom, being careful not to detach the cap entirely.  With a small spoon, scooped the pulp into a bowl, being careful to leave the shell intact.  Place the tomato shells in a baking dish large enough to support them side by side. Sprinkle the inside of the shells with salt and sugar.

2. Meanwhile prepare the stuffing.  Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the onions.  Cook over moderate heat until soft and transparent.  Then add the garlic and parsley and blend.  Add the meat, mixing with a fork.  Then add the wine and water, cover, and simmer for a few minutes.  Add the rice and tomato pulp and stir.  Tomato juice may be added if necessary since the mixture should provide enough liquid for the rice to absorb. 

3. Cover the skillet and simmer about seven minutes, then add salt, pepper, mint or basil, and nutmeg.  Remove from the heat and fill the tomatoes up about two thirds of the way with the stuffing and liquid.  Cover with tomato caps, brush with oil.  Bake in a moderate  350° oven until the rice is tender, approximately 50 minutes to one hour, basting inside the tomatoes with liquid released by them. Serve warm.

Source: The Food of Greece