By David Harbilas

This is essentially a spruced-up hummus, made with an addition of tomatoes and feta.

But it also resembles a Greek spread called htipiti, which is traditionally made with roasted red peppers and feta.

So it’s sort of a mixture of two different approaches, and its use can be applied to sandwiches, raw vegetables as a dip, spread on pizza dough as a base for pizza, or any other number of dishes.

Makes about 4 cups

1 can chickpeas
2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Juice of ½ lemon Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

This is an excellent winter vegetable sandwich.

Roasting out of season tomatoes concentrates the sweetness of those less than ripe fruit, making good use of what might otherwise be bland, even tart tomatoes.

Portobellos are a great substitute for meat–and this sandwich can in fact be made with grilled steak or even hamburger.

While this sandwich is a little labor intensive in the preparation it is well worth the effort, and the ingredients can be made in bulk amounts for future use, maybe in variations with beef, chicken, or pork.

Serves 2

2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 portobello mushrooms
1 small handful of arugula Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

I doubt this is a traditional Turkish recipe, but it does make use of a Turkish staple in sumac onions.

Sumac is a lemony spice used widely in Middle Eastern cuisine. (The fruit does not come from any of the poison varieities, which contain the allergen urushiol that causes the characteristic rash.)

This sandwich balances the heat of fresh sliced onion with the sweetness from the tomato as well as the cooling effects of the yogurt and cucumber.

Since the flavors in this sandwich are quite bold it isn’t necessary to use the best tomatoes available, though it obviously won’t hurt.

Serves 2

1 large or 2 small red slicing tomatoes
½ cucumber, sliced
1 yellow onion, julienned Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

As with the Caprese Sandwich, this is almost a salad on a roll.

What brings it together is the boursin cheese, which is easily made at home.

In fact, boursin is so versatile it’s a good idea to keep some on hand, as it goes well with a toasted bagel with sliced tomatoes or can be melted into a cream sauce to be served with chicken.

That said, this is an excellent sandwich in the summer, when the vegetables are in season.

If no decent ripe tomatoes are available to you now, roasted tomatoes are an excellent substitute.

Serves 2

1 large or 2 small slicing red tomatoes
4 radishes, sliced thinly
4 slices red onion Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

About four years ago I was working as a sous chef in a restaurant located in a hotel.

We employed a fairly large staff and were required to cook a staff meal every day, for both kitchen employees and those not working in the kitchen.

At the time that I made this sandwich we were closed for renovations, so I didn’t have to make a large spread.

All we had were some tomatoes, mixed greens, bread, and a few condiments like mayo, olive oil, and vinegar.

While this may seem like a ridiculously simple sandwich–and most good ones are simple–it is a reminder in how important fresh, seasonally available produce is to achieve great results.

It is also friendly to vegetarians; the mozzarella cheese can be omitted for vegans.

Serves 2

1 large or two small ripe red tomatoes, preferably an heirloom slicing variety like brandywine, big boy, or delicious.
1 ovaline size fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
10 fresh basil leaves Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Tomatoes are one of my favorite vegetables and in doing so I am biting at the shovel handle come January.

I just cannot wait for the gardening season.

I have tried growing them inside but the taste never matches the sweet juiciness of a summer-time tomato.

Since I cannot grow my little red balls of joy year round, I always like to get them in the ground as soon as possible. Actually, I like to get them in before my local frost-free date, which for an inexperienced gardener can be difficult. But……..

A technique I have used for years has allowed me to get my warm season crops in sooner, and when I say sooner I mean up to four weeks sooner. One may wonder what this technique is and the answer is simple, that is a cloche.

A cloche is an old European type of bell-shaped jar Read the rest of this entry »