Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes, Fresh Garlic and Basil from Carol Harvey

1 spaghetti squash*

2 pounds tangerine-size tomatoes, washed and sliced in half

2 – 4 tablespoons olive oil or butter or a mix, divided

4 - 8 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced

4 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed, roughly chopped

Parmesan cheese to grate over dish at the end

Red pepper flakes and/or cream, optional

1. Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place sliced-side down on lightly olive oiled baking sheet.

2. Roast in a 400°F. oven until fork enters skin easily, 30-50 minutes depending on size.

3. Remove from oven and keep warm on the baking pan.

To prepare the sauce ingredients:

1. Toss tomatoes in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Spread on a baking sheet and add to oven with the squash. Roast about 15-20 minutes or until soft.

2. Remove from oven and when just cool enough to touch, squeeze tomatoes out of their skins. You can purée the skins and add them to sauce later, if desired.

3. Cut tomato pieces as you wish or leave in halves. Keep tomatoes warm.            

To assemble:

1. Shred squash meat with a fork to create "spaghetti."

2. Transfer spaghetti to a bowl and toss with any baking pan juices and oil. Add a bit more oil and/or butter as you wish. Keep warm.

3. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and/or butter. Add garlic for 1 minute. Add basil and tomatoes and the optional puréed tomato skins, red pepper flakes and/or cream as desired. Sauté until the sauce comes together, 5 minutes at most.

4. To serve family-style:  Transfer spaghetti to shallow platter, pour the sauce over spaghetti, gently turn and pull to arrange. Shred parmesan over the dish.

*The Patch normally sells spaghetti squash.

I make this at least four times during tomato season until my plants stop producing.

4-6 servings

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Basil, Tomato, Mozzarella Salad from Geraldine Whitman

½ cup tomatoes, sliced, any size regular or cherry tomatoes are fine

½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped or shredded

½ cup fresh mozzarella, sliced, any size balls are fine

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Don’t worry about exact measurements for the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Larger tomatoes or mozzarella balls can be cut into chunks or sliced.

You have three serving options:

* The salad can be arranged in layers, alternating tomatoes and mozzarella with basil sprinkled on top. Drizzle the combined vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper over all.

*For a larger salad, line a platter with lettuce and arrange the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella on top. Drizzle the combined vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper over all.

*For an appetizer, thread chunks of tomato or cherry tomatoes onto thin skewers alternating with pieces of basil and mozzarella. Combine a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil on a plate, roll the skewers in the oil and vinegar, and then let them drain a bit before serving.  

4 servings

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Tomato Sauce from Karyn Smith

I'm afraid that I haven't cooked much with my tomatoes yet this summer. They are just now getting ripe so we prefer to eat them raw in salads or with buffala mozzarella and basil.  Here's a recipe I make often once I become more blasé about them. 

2½ pounds Roma tomatoes (although I use whatever I have growing in the garden), halved lengthwise

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 thyme or marjoram sprigs

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Put tomatoes in a single layer in a baking pan with the onion and thyme, drizzle the oil over all, and season with salt and pepper.  Bake until they're soft, shriveled, and falling apart, 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

3. Remove the thyme branches and purée (I generally use a blender) or pass through a food mill.  Taste for salt and season with pepper. If the sauce is still a little soupy, place it in a saucepan and cook it down to the consistency you like.

Use the sauce over pasta and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and parmesan.

Makes 3 - 4 cups of sauce.

Adapted from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

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Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches from Katharine Kunst

For each sandwich, you will need:

2 slices of bread, toasted

Mayonnaise

2 slices of nicely cooked bacon, cut in half

2-3 ½-inch slices of luscious tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Lettuce, if desired

1. Spread both pieces of toasted bread with mayonnaise.

2. On one of the pieces of bread, layer the cooked bacon and the tomatoes.

3. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper.

4. Top the tomatoes with lettuce if desired and the second piece of bread. Cut in half straight or on the diagonal, according to your preference.

1 sandwich

Adapted from the New Era Cottage Cookbook, to be published before too long