Fresh Pico de Gallo * Food & Drink

Do you have your recipes ready for Cinco de Mayo? Whipping up some fresh Pico de Gallo. It's so easy and oh so delicioso!

Fresh Pico de Gallo

Chop:

• 3-4 large ripe organic tomatoes
• one medium to large onion
• a large bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1-2 fresh jalapenos (without seeds)

Then:

• squeeze the juice of one lime over the top
• sprinkle with sea salt
• toss together on cutting board

Eat with tacos, nachos, burritos, enchiladas, chipotle steak etc. You can make more or less depending on the size of your party. This is a to taste recipe.

Tips:
-Caution use gloves to de-seed the jalapenos or your hands will be covered in the hot oils
-Roll the cilantro in a tight bunch then chop

Food & Drink * Heirloom Tomato Sandwich

One of my favorite summertime memories is picking fresh tomatoes from my Grandma's garden for tomato sandwiches. Those sandwiches were made from wheat bread, tomatoes, salt and mayo, nothing more. Sandwiches are a great meal during the hottest days of summer when you don't want to turn on the oven. Our heirloom tomato sandwich is a grown up version of the tomato sandwiches of my childhood.

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich Recipe

• 1 medium heirloom tomato {per sandwich}
• fresh mayonnaise {homemade is best}
• pink Himalayan salt
• fresh cracked black pepper
• roasted garlic ciabatta bread
• field greens

Slice tomatoes to desired thickness. Slice ciabatta bread to desired thickness. Add mayonnaise to both pieces of bread. Layer tomatoes and lettuce field greens topping with salt and pepper. Eat open faced or top with second piece of bread. Enjoy!

P.S. The tasty beautiful heirloom tomatoes for our photo is from my sister's amazing organic garden!

recipe & photo by April A. founder & editor-in-chief 

Food & Drink * Tomato Jam Recipe

We have a special foodie guest this week sharing tomato recipes for the abundant end of summer tomato harvest, Sam Henderson of Today's Nest. Have you been wondering what to do with your tomatoes? Sam has some amazing recipes to share with you. Enjoy!
xo
april-living the sweet life


The summer growing season is well upon us. Home gardeners around the country are filling their garden beds with tomatoes to complement their summer menus. Pretty little specimens pop up in salads and sandwiches, but what about those that are not quite as visually appealing? We have even bigger plans for them.
A good tomato crop can mean far more tomatoes than you can possibly eat. If you plan properly, though, you can enjoy the flavor long into the winter months. Use your bumper crop of tomatoes to make these simple recipes that can be canned or frozen for later use.

Sidenote: All of these recipes for the week specify roma tomatoes. While it is not necessary to use that variety, they often have a higher ‘meat’ to seed ratio. If you use another variety, you may wish to add a little to compensate for the difference.

Tomato Jam Recipe
By Sam Henderson

This will come as a bit of a surprise to many. While not very common, this tomato jam is at once savory and sweet. It is loaded with spicy goodness. Try this tomato jam on a cracker with a bit of goat cheese or spread it atop a meatloaf. You might even like it in lieu of ketchup on an artisan burger.

Before you start:
This tomato jam will be most appealing if you have removed all of the seeds beforehand.
Turn up the heat a bit by adding another jalapeño.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
• 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• ½ tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves

Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring
frequently.
2. Reduce heat to low and cook for 60-90 minutes, stirring often.
3. When mixture reaches thick jam like consistency remove it from heat and allow to cool
completely.