Tomato Stack Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl toss the eggplant slices with 1/4 cup kosher salt. Using your fingertips, evenly distribute the salt on both sides of each slice. Place the eggplant in a colander set over a large bowl or sheet pan to catch juices. Set aside for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with heavy-duty foil.
• Rinse the eggplant under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on one baking sheet. Brush olive oil on 1 side. Brush with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
• Drizzle the other pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the minced garlic.
• Roast the tomatoe slices until they are very soft and just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes, without turning. Bake the eggplant slices until they are tender and well browned, 20 to 30 minutes, without turning. Let the tomato and eggplant slices cool until you can handle them with your fingers.
• Make a short stack starting with eggplant on the bottom, 1 slice mozzarella, and then tomato. Top with another piece of eggplant. Warm stacks in the oven until mozzarella lightly melts. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat air fryer to 375°. Mix mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; refrigerate until serving. Place flour in a shallow bowl; place egg whites in a separate shallow bowl. In a third bowl, mix cornmeal, salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper., Cut each tomato crosswise into 4 slices. Lightly coat each slice in flour; shake off excess. Dip in egg whites, then in cornmeal mixture., In batches, place tomatoes on greased tray in air-fryer basket; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown, 4-6 minutes. Turn; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown, 4-6 minutes longer., For each serving, stack 1 slice each green tomato, bacon and red tomato. Serve with sauce.

Steps:

• Cut the bottom of the tomatoes enough so that they will stand. Slice the tomatoes into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 2 or 3), leaving the stem on top.
• Season the slices with salt and pepper, to taste.
• For each tomato, top the bottom slice with some of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining slices, and build the tomato to its original form, finishing with the top. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

Steps:

• Pour buttermilk into a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl spread out the rice coating. Take onion rings and coat with buttermilk, and then cover with coating, shaking off excess. Place coated rings on a tray.
• In a large deep saucepan, heat peanut oil to 375 degrees F. With a slotted wire spoon, carefully lower the coated rings into pan to fry. Do the rings in small batches to allow oil to remain a consistent temperature. Place fried rings on a paper towel on a tray to dry.
• Tomato Stack:
• Cut a small slice from the bottom of the tomatoes - enough so that they will stand. Slice the tomatoes into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 2 or 3), leaving the stem on top.
• Season the slices with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with olive oil.
• Place the basil leaves in between the tomato slices, and re-stack tomato. Serve re-stacked tomatoes around a larger stack of onion rings in center of a large serving plate. Drizzle more olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Grate the frozen blue cheese over top.
• Grind the rice in a blender until very fine. Put it in a bowl and add the all-purpose flour, semolina, salt and pepper. Toss until well blended. Store in a sealed container in the freezer for maximum freshness.

Steps:

• Tomato Concasse:
• Blanch tomatoes briefly in boiling water to loosen the skins, then peel, seed and juice them. Dice the tomato flesh. Add chives, salt, and white pepper.
• Fried Green Tomatoes:
• Tomatoes that are showing a little pink coloration amid the green, as they just begin to turn red, are thought to have the best flavor. Slice them, skin on, so that you have 3 (1/4-inch) slices from each. Sprinkle the slices with a mixture of kosher salt, sugar, and black pepper.
• For the coating, mix together the best stone-ground white cornmeal you can find (Weisenberger Mills cornmeal is excellent), and flour. Dip the seasoned tomato slices in the cornmeal mixture.
• Film a heavy skillet (in Kentucky, a black cast iron skillet is favored) with a generous amount of bacon fat. (Have more bacon fat ready to add to the skillet if the tomatoes absorb too much. If you've dietary qualms about this, use half bacon fat and half canola oil. For the saute, any kind of fat or oil will do, but the bacon clearly gives the best and most authentic taste.) Heat the oil until fairly hot, but not quite smoking. Fry the coated tomatoes approximately 2 to 3 minutes on each side, being sure not to crowd the skillet. Drain the slices on paper towels, and keep warm in a very low oven.
• To assemble:
• Slice cheese into very thin slices.
• Make sure the fried green tomatoes are still very warm (you may want to slightly increase the oven temperature at the last minute to make sure). On each of 4 warmed plates, spoon out a thin layer of the tomato concasse in a circle that will extend beyond the tomato stack. Place a tomato slice on each plate, and cover (overlapping just a bit) with the thin cheese slices; place another tomato slice on each, and repeat the cheese placement; top each with the remaining slices. Do this as quickly as you can so that the cheese melts just slightly (you may place the plates briefly back in the oven to do this, but guard against the tomato crusts becoming soggy).
• When ready to serve, top each stack with micro-greens (we like baby arugula for this extra taste treat), and garnish the plates with nasturtium flowers, adding the piquant taste of watercress to the dish. (If you don't have nasturtium flowers, you might dot the plate with droplets of reduced balsamic vinegar.) Serve at once.

Steps:

• For the vinaigrette:
• Puree anchovy, garlic, mustard, and caper and red wine vinegar. Slowly emulsify with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the salad:
• Slice different tomato varieties 1/4-inch thick and place in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate with nicoise vinaigrette, then toss with green beans, red onions, and chives. Arrange tomatoes into a stack layered with green beans and onions and place in center of 4 serving plates. Garnish each stack with 4 slices of tuna. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle vinaigrette. Garnish with fresh chives.

Steps:

• Slice hard boiled eggs in half and put yokes in a small bowl.
• Set egg white halves aside.
• Mash yolks with a fork.
• Add to yolks, finely chopped green onion, finely chopped garlic, curry powder, celery salt and mustard.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Add only enough of the mayonnaise to bind the mix, we like ours fairly dry, if you want them less dry, add a small amount of mayonnaise at a time until you get the consistancy you want.
• Slice the plum tomatoes into 12 rounds, six rounds from each.
• Arrange tomato slices on a platter.
• Sprinkle the tomatoes with freshly ground pepper to taste.
• Fill the egg white halves with a heaping tablespoon of the yolk mix.
• Place one filled egg white half on top of each tomato slice.
• Sprinkle freshly ground sea salt on filled eggs and tomato slice stack.
• Sprinkle cayenne pepper on filled eggs and tomato slice stack to taste and finish with a sprinkle of paprika to add more colour.
• Garnish platter with sprigs of parsley.

Steps:

• Mix the first 4 ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; refrigerate until serving. Place flour in a shallow bowl; place egg whites in a separate shallow bowl. In a third bowl, mix cornmeal, salt and remaining pepper., Cut each tomato crosswise into 4 slices. Lightly coat each slice in flour; shake off excess. Dip in egg whites, then in cornmeal mixture., In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. In batches, cook tomatoes until golden brown, 4-5 minutes per side., In same pan, lightly brown Canadian bacon on both sides. For each serving, stack 1 slice each green tomato, bacon and red tomato. Serve with sauce.