Recipes highlight tomato harvest

The tomato harvest is about to begin, inspiring great expectation among tomato lovers as the ripening process is nearly complete.

This week's compilation of recipes sounds the herald of summer's abundance, from Greek salad, to Italian bruschetta to Middle-Eastern stuffed tomatoes. (The stuffed tomatoes recipe is available online at appealdemocrat.com.)

Horiatiki salada, which means country or village salad, is one of the most popular salads in the Mediterranean. Greek salad is essentially a tomato salad with cucumbers, red onions, bell peppers, feta cheese and kalamata olives seasoned with Greek oregano and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

At Café Collage, we emphasize using all the fresh local vegetables available during the summer months.

GREEK SALAD WITH LEMON-OREGANO PRAWNS

Serves four

8 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half and sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 large red onion, sliced very thinly

1 large green bell pepper, sliced very thinly

1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced very thinly

1⁄2 cup best quality extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice

2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 pound feta cheese, cut into thin slices

1 cup kalamata olives

For prawns:

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1 pound prawns, 21-25 size, dried with cloth or paper towel

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1⁄4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Prepare the prawns: In a frying pan, heat the oil. Sauté the prawns and cook for two minutes. Add the garlic and lemon juice and cook for anther three minutes. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt and pepper, and cook until the prawns are perfectly pink, firm and moist. Remove the prawns from the pan and let them cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomato, cucumber, onion and bell peppers with the olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture with among four salad bowls and top each with 2 slices of feta cheese, some olives and prawns and serve.

ITALIAN BRUSCHETTA

Serves four

1 French baguette, cut into 1-inch slices

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided use

2 pounds ripe cherry tomatoes, diced in small pieces

1 large red onion, diced

1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped

2 tablespoons capers, chopped

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1⁄2 cup homemade basil pesto

Juice of 1 Meyer lemon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the bread slices until light golden brown.

In a bowl, combine the garlic and 1⁄4 cup oil. Lightly spread the garlic mixture on the toasted bread.

In another bowl, combine the tomato, onion, olives and capers. Add the pesto. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix together well. Add 1⁄4 cup oil and the lemon juice and toss the mixture well.

Top each bruschetta with the tomato mixture. Serve immediately.

MIDDLE-EASTERN STUFFED TOMATOES

Serves four

4 medium tomatoes

1-1⁄2 teaspoons sugar, divided use

4 tablespoons olive oil

1⁄2 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 small zucchini, diced

2 cups water (add more, if necessary)

Kosher salt, to taste

7 ounces long-grain basmati rice

1⁄4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried mint

Preparation

Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp and seeds. (Reserve the tops and the pulp for later.) The tomatoes need to be totally empty though still with a firm body. Sprinkle sugar inside each tomato shell and turn upside down while preparing the stuffing. Dice the pulp and set aside.

In a shallow pan, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, zucchini and tomato pulp. Cook for five minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the salt and rice; stir. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the parsley and mint. Turn off the heat when the rice is halfway cooked. Cover pan and let the rice rest for 10 minutes.

Fill the tomatoes with the rice stuffing. Place the reserved tops on the filled tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Salim Ben Mami is head chef and owner of Café Collage restaurant in Oregon House, Calif. Contact him at 530-692-2555 or ccollage@succeed.net. His website is cafecollage.net.