Recipes from ‘Jon’s Bear Club’ Dinner night:

Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette

2 shallots, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove    garlic, minced
2 oz. sherry vinegar
2 oz. olive Oil
1 tsp. organic cane or palm sugar
16 oz. Balakian Farms Organic Blended Tomatoes (Recommended: Yellow Roman)
Sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, check for seasoning.  Toss with salad greens of your choice.  Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

 

 

Avocado Relish

2 Hass avocados, peeled and diced
¼  Sweet red onion, minced
1 tbls.  red bell pepper, minced
¼  jalapeno, minced
2 Tbls. cilantro, minced
½ lime zest and juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Sea salt & cracked fresh black pepper
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together, check for seasoning.
Note: Serve atop crab cakes nestled in Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette Salad for a healthy, divinely tasty meal.

 

Heirloom Tomato Bread Soup

1 onion, diced medium
2 tbl olive oil
2  cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried rosemary
1 32oz.    jar Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes (Recommended: Pink Oxheart)
2 cups cubed, Italian bread, oven dried
Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
In a stainless steel pot, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until transparent, add the thyme and rosemary, cook for one minute more.  Add Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes and cook on medium low heat for thirty minutes.  Add the bread and stir cook for and additional five minutes, then check for seasoning.  Serve immediately in warm bowls.
Serves six

 

 

 

Heirloom Tomato Blood Mary Mix

32 oz. Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes (Recommended: Cherokee Purple or Green Zebra)
2 tbsp. horseradish
2 tbsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce
3 tbsp.     Dijon mustard
3 tbsp.     Worcestershire sauce
2 lemons juiced + zest
2 limes juiced + zest
1 tsp.  celery seed
2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
2 tsp. sea salt
Combine all the ingredients together in a glass pitcher, cover and refrigerate overnight.
To make your bloody mary, simply add your favorite vodka or try using tequila!
*Note: for a thicker version, either cook and reduce the sauce by one third, before adding the ingredients or add a small can of tomato paste to the original recipe.

 

 

Cabbage Dolma with Beef & Lamb,  Heirloom Tomato Sauce

¾ Lbs. ea. ground beef and lamb
½ cup long grain rice (uncooked)
½  green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 yellow onion, chopped fine
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
2 tsp.  granulated garlic
1 tsp. ea. whole, dried sweet basil and whole, dried oregano
2 tsp. ea. sea salt and cracked fresh pepper
1  large head of green cabbage
16 oz. Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes (Recommended: Green Zebra or Cherokee Purple)
2 lemons, juiced

Mix all the ingredients up to the cabbage, in a large enough bowl, preferably by hand.  You don’t want to over mix the meat or it will become tough.  Set aside.
Core the cabbage and boil in water until tender.  Cut the course ribs out of the large leaves, separate them.  Take a three to four ounce ball in your hands and roll it into the shape of a cigar.  Place in the bottom half of the cabbage leaf, roll to the center, folding the ends in and complete the roll.  Stack the completed roll, seam side down on a few leaves in the bottom of a casserole dish.  Pour the heirloom tomato sauce over and drizzle with the lemon juice.  Cover and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately forty five minutes to an hour.
While the dolma’s are baking, heat and reduce my half a 16oz. jar of the Green Zebra tomato sauce.

To serve, place a dolma in the center of a plate, pour the reduced sauce around the dolma and top with a dollop of mahdzoon.  (plain yogurt)
Serves six as an appetizer

 

Rainbow Heirloom Tomato “Jam”

16oz.        Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes (Recommended: Marvel Stripe)
2/3 cup organic cane or palm sugar
1 stk. cinnamon
2tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
sprinkling of red chili flakes
Combine all the ingredients In a stainless steel sauce pan, bring to a boil, then simmer for forty minutes.  Take the cinnamon stick out after about after about fifteen minutes, unless you want a stronger cinnamon flavor.  Cool over night for flavors to develop.
Note: pairs perfectly with filet mignon or crispy fried/baked calamari

 

Heirloom Tomato Ice Cream and Candied Basil

8 whole eggs
4 cups organic cane or palm sugar
6 tsp. pure vanilla
2 tsp. sea salt
32 oz. Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes – reduced by half, cooled (Recommended: Orange Strawberry)
½ gal. heavy cream
½ gal. milk
Beat the eggs until foamy, add the sugar and continue beating until a creamy yellow, add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.  Process in ice cream freezer as to manufacturer instructions.  Please not this is an uncooked egg recipe.

Candied Basil
1 bunch fresh basil
2 egg whites, beaten
1 cup organic cane or palm sugar

Stem the basil leaves, dip into the egg whites, toss the basil leaves in the sugar.  Lay the leaves on a cookie sheet. Dry the leaves in a 150 degree oven for forty – five minutes or one hour. To serve: chiffonade the leaves on top of the ice cream.

 

Seasonal Seafood Stew

Choose the freshest local fish you can find in season for the best flavor.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
16 oz Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes
8 ounces peeled medium size shrimp
1 pound clams in shell 1 pounds mussels in shell
4 ounces white fish (i.e. sea bass, halibut, tilapia, ono) Chili flakes to taste (optional)
1 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add onion and cook over medium heat. Stir until onions turn translucent. Stir in chicken broth and Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer, about 15-20 minutes. Uncover, add shrimp, clams, mussels, white fish and chili flakes. Cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Spoon stew into bowl and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with crusty bread of your choice.

Rustic Heirloom Tomato Pasta Sauce

Personalize this classic with your choice of meat.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion 1 small bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ pound sausage, ground meat or meat substitute (optional)
Chili flakes to taste (optional)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
16 oz Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in medium skillet or Dutch oven. Add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and sauté over medium heat. Add meat to mixture. When meat is cooked, add chili flakes, sea salt, pepper, oregano and bay leaf. Stir in Balakian Farms Organic Blended Heirloom Tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour over cooked pasta of your choice.

We will be adding more recipes and looking for your ideas and inspirations on how to be creative with our sauces!