garden Archives | Page 2 of 15

Quick and Simple Tomato Sauce (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

This small batch tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes comes together in just 30 minutes with minimal prep work! It is incredibly flavorful and pairs well with your favorite pasta or pizza. You can add basil for a fresh, summery flavor or enjoy it as-is!

Tomato season has officially ended in my garden. While last year was an incredibly productive one, I think this one take’s the cake! At one point I felt like I couldn’t eat them as fast as I was harvesting them. The very last harvest (pictured here) was the perfect opportunity to whip up a small batch of my quick and simple tomato sauce. It comes together in just about 30 minutes, requires minimal chopping, and yields an incredibly flavorful sauce that you would swear spent all day bubbling away on the stove!

Notes on Ingredients

This small batch tomato sauce is a flavorful tomato-based sauce that comes together in about 30 minutes total. It has a rich tomato flavor that is perfect for pairing with pasta or spreading over pizza. It is not traditional by any means, but rather a flavorful sauce that can be achieved without spending all day in the kitchen. Here’s what goes into the sauce:

Cherry Tomatoes – the natural sweetness of cherry tomatoes yields a really nice sauce here. Since they’re already packed with flavor, it helps to achieve an incredibly delicious sauce with minimal ingredients in a fraction of the time of a traditional one. I used traditional cherries from my garden along with Juliet, a larger grape tomato.
Shallot – though not traditional, I love the sweetness and depth of flavor shallots add to the sauce. You could use a leek or half of a small yellow onion instead.
Garlic – a very traditional addition, garlic flavors the sauce and perks up the tomatoes.
Olive Oil – helps to sauté both the shallot and garlic while also carrying flavor through the sauce.
Sea Salt– seasons the sauce and balances all of the flavors.
Basil – while an optional ingredient, I love the contrast of the fresh basil with the sweet and tangy sauce. Since the flavor of basil can be muted if cooked for too long, it’s added to the sauce at the very end.
Vegan Butter – another optional ingredient but one I love to stir in at the end to add a little richness to the sauce.

The Key to Making this Tomato Sauce in Just 30 minutes

The key to making this sauce in a timely manner is probably something you’d never expect…your blender! Instead of going to the effort of chopping up the tomatoes, we’re using the blender! The blender breaks down the tomatoes fully, including the skins. That way, you don’t have to worry about trying to strain out the tough bits of skin in your finished sauce. Obviously this is not traditional in any way, but it’s an incredible time saver, especially when you’re making a small batch of sauce like this one!

How Much Sauce Does this Recipe Make?

This recipe yields a “small batch” of sauce. In other words, it’s not going to make a big batch for canning. Instead, you’ll get about 2 cups of flavorful tomato sauce which is enough for enjoying with half a pound of pasta or 2-3 pizzas. You can multiply this recipe if you’d like to make more, but it will take longer for it to cook down.

3 Ways to enjoy Your Tomato Sauce

Paired with your favorite cooked pasta. For the photos, I used a pipe rigate pasta because it’s what I had in my pantry. You can use any pasta shape you like! If you prefer, you can sprinkle some vegan or regular Parmesan cheese over the top.
Spread onto homemade pizza. If you like to make your own pizza at home, I highly recommend trying this sauce! Simply spread some onto your dough and add your favorite toppings. Since it’s summertime, I think it would be lovely with a mix of zucchini and eggplant.
Paired with sauteed veggies and served over polenta. I love to pair tomato sauce with sauteed zucchini and mushrooms but you could also use eggplant! Once you’re sauce is ready, simply stir in your sauteed veggies of choice and serve it over warm polenta.

More Recipes for Tomato Season

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil Pesto (vegan with gf option)
Summer Tomato Salad with Balsamic Pickled Onions (vegan/gf)
Herbed Polenta with Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes & Macadamia Ricotta (vegan/gf)

Small Batch Tomato Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 2 cups 1x
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

Units Scale

5 cups ripe cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Sea salt, to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil, optional
1 tablespoon vegan or regular butter, optional

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Heat a large sauté pan (a straight-sided skillet) over medium. While the pan is heating to temperature, add your tomatoes to a blender. Blend until the tomatoes are fully liquified and the skins and seeds have been pulverized and broken down.

Add the olive oil to your pan once it comes to temperature, then add the shallot. Sauté until just softened, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Carefully pour your pureed tomatoes into your pan, then season with a big pinch of salt. Cook the sauce over medium, stirring it every minute or two to keep it from burning. The sauce is ready when it has reduced in volume by about half and has thickened to a lovely sauce consistency. This will take about 25 minutes depending on the size of your pan.

Once you remove the sauce from the heat, taste it and add more salt as needed. Then, stir in the chopped fresh basil and vegan butter if you like. Makes about 2 cups of sauce which is enough for about half a pound of pasta.

Notes

Cherry tomatoes will yield the best flavored sauce in this recipe. Use a mix of whatever cherry tomato or smaller tomato varieties such as grape or pear that you have available to you.
The basil and vegan butter are completely optional but are my favorite add-ins to the finished sauce. The basil lends great flavor while the vegan butter adds a little richness.
To enjoy the sauce with pasta, simply toss the warm sauce with cooked pasta. Garnish with extra basil and vegan or regular parmesan if you like.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: sauce

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil Pesto (vegetarian recipe with easy vegan and gf subs) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

This fresh tomato tart with basil pesto and mozzarella is rustic and perfect for enjoying when tomatoes are in season! A round of simple pie dough is baked until golden then topped with a basil and cashew pesto, thick slices of tomato, and mozzarella cheese. This vegetarian recipe is perfect for enjoying juicy summer tomatoes and can easily be made vegan and gluten free with some simple substitutions.

Is there anything more quintessentially summer than the pairing of tomatoes and basil?! I always make sure to have both of these growing in my spring/summer garden because I love eating them as the temperatures rise. I especially love enjoying them together with little or no cooking involved so that their flavors aren’t muted or mellowed. And let’s be honest, the less I need to turn on my oven or stove during the summer, the better!

When a couple of my larger slicing tomatoes were ready for harvest last week, I knew I wanted to use them in a tart. These tomatoes are an heirloom variety named “Paul Robeson” and they have reddish brown flesh with streaks on green on their shoulders. Since these tomatoes are so striking, I wanted to keep them raw in the tart while also keeping the entire dish as easy as possible. The resulting recipe is a round of pie dough that is baked until golden, then topped with a cashew and basil pesto, slices of mozzarella, and finished with flaky sea salt and extra basil leaves. It’s simple, packed with flavor, and the perfect way to celebrate juicy summer tomatoes.

Tomato Season and Storage Tips

Here in Houston, we’re already coming to the end of tomato season! Since we’re in growing zone 9a, the first tomato harvest is usually around late April/early May. The season goes until it gets too hot for the plants to continue flowering/fruiting, usually in late June/early July. Tomatoes prefer warm temperatures that aren’t too hot, or too cold. Once high temperatures are regularly above about 85 degrees, flower/fruit productions slows and eventually halts. Since it’s 100+ degrees here, tomatoes won’t be around for too much longer!

Whether you’re growing and harvesting your own tomatoes or getting them from your local farmers market or store, make sure to store your tomatoes at room temperature! Cold storage triggers an enzyme in tomatoes that causes their cell membranes to break down which leads to a mushy texture. It also dulls their sweetness making them taste not so great! So, make sure to store them on your counter at room temperature. For larger tomatoes, I keep them in a single layer with their shoulders/stem end down because it helps prevent bruising as they ripen.

How to Make this Fresh Tomato Tart

The base of the tart is a baked round of pie dough. You’ll mix together all-purpose flour (or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour) with a bit of sugar and salt. Then, you’ll use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix in chunks of cold vegan butter. Once the butter has broken down into pieces smaller than a pea and the mixture looks crumbly, you’ll start to add your ice water. The water will add just enough to moisture to bring the dough together. Pat the dough into a round disc, then cover it and allow it to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This helps to hydrate the flour and chill the butter back down.

While the dough chills, you can get all of your other components together and pre-heat the oven. The pesto is made up of toasted cashews, salt, nutritional yeast, granulated garlic, basil, lemon juice, a touch of maple syrup, and olive oil. You can make it in either a food processor or a blender. The tomatoes will get cut into nice, thick slices then you’ll do the same with the mozzarella.

After 30 minutes, you’ll remove the dough from the fridge, lightly flour your work surface, and roll it into a round that is roughly 8 inches in diameter. Place the round on a lined baking sheet and bake it in your preheated oven until golden. Allow the baked crust to cool completely.

To finish the recipe, spread a generous amount of the basil pesto on the baked and cooled crust, then layer the tomato slices and mozzarella on top. Garnish with flaky sea salt and basil leaves then serve!

Notes on Substitutions

You can easily make this tart vegan by using a vegan mozzarella such as the one by Miyoko’s. Or, you can use your favorite vegan cheese.
This tart can easily be made gluten free by using a gluten free 1:1 baking flour mix. This one from Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to!
I used lemon basil here because I have an abundance of it in my garden, but you can use a standard sweet basil, too. Or, if you have both, try using half and half!
Don’t have cashews? Try using toasted sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or almonds in their place.
You can use pretty much any tomato variety you like here! Larger slicing varieties will stay put easier when you cut into the tart.

More Recipes to Enjoy this Tomato Season

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil Pesto and Mozzarella

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

Units Scale

120g all-purpose flour, or alternately gluten free 1:1 baking flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
80g diced cold butter, or alternately vegan butter
40–50g ice water, about 3–4 tablespoons
1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews
1 tablespoon vegetarian parmesan, or alternately nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt, to taste
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed, plus extra for garnish
1 small lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium/large tomatoes
5–6 ounces mozzarella
flaky sea salt for garnishing

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Start by making the dough for the base. Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix in the cold butter. Once the butter has broken down into pieces smaller than a pea and the mixture looks crumbly, you’ll start to add your ice water. Start with 40g (about 3 tablespoons). If it still looks a bit dry, add a splash or two more so that you can bring the dough together in a ball. Pat the dough into a round disc that is about an inch thick, then cover it and allow it to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

While the dough chills, pre-heat your oven to 425F degrees. Make the pesto next. Add the toasted cashews, a pinch of salt, the parmesan (or nutritional yeast), and the garlic powder to a blender or food processor. Pulse several times to chop the cashews into smaller pieces. Add the basil, the juice from the lemon, maple syrup, and olive oil then pulse several times until you achieve a thick pesto. Set the pesto aside then cut your tomatoes and mozzarella into roughly 1/4-inch thick slices.

After the dough has chilled for 30 minutes, remove the dough from the fridge. Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly dust it with flour. Place the dough in the center of the floured parchment, then lightly dust it with flour. Roll the dough into a round that is roughly 8-9 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the parchment with the rolled out dough onto a baking sheet. Bake the dough for 15-18 minutes in your pre-heated oven until it is golden around the edges and completely baked through. Cool the baked crust completely before proceeding with the remaining steps.

Before serving, spread a generous amount of the basil pesto on the baked and cooled crust. I didn’t use all of mine so use your judgement! Layer the tomato slices and mozzarella on top of the pesto. Garnish with flaky sea salt and basil leaves then serve!

This tart is best enjoyed the day it’s made. Makes 4-6 side servings.

Notes

You can easily make this tart vegan by using a vegan mozzarella such as the one by Miyoko’s. Or, you can use your favorite vegan cheese.
This tart can easily be made gluten free by using a gluten free 1:1 baking flour mix. The one from Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
Category: side