Instructions
This very sophisticated but light pasta dish is delightful to see with crusty bread and a light green salad for a very special summertime meal.

1 cup olive oil
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 t. hot pepper flakes
1 T. fresh oregano, finely chopped or 1 t. dried
½ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 medium firm, ripe, Florida tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 T. tomato paste
½ cup white wine
1 pound penne pasta
½ pound feta cheese, crumbled

Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and cook, stirring, until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add peppers, hot pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until peppers are soft.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add shrimp and cook until they are no longer pink. Add the tomatoes and cook until they release their juices. Add white wine and tomato paste and cook for about 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm in oven.

Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add pasta and 1 t. salt. Stir and cook until firm to the bite about 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Sprinkle feta cheese over top. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 – 6

Instructions
1-1/2 pounds fresh Florida tomatoes
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 medium zucchini squash, cut in ¾-inch chunks (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 green onions (scallions), coarsely chopped (about ½ cup)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 cups (8 ounces bowtie pasta, uncooked)
3 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450F. Use tomatoes held at room temperature until fully ripe. Cut tomatoes into 1/s inch thick slices; remove seeds with the tip of the knife. Arrange slices on an oiled rack in a roasting pan. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Place on a rack in the top portion of the oven. Roast for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine zucchini, yellow squash, green onions, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; toss to coat. Place vegetables in another large pan. Place in oven along with the tomatoes; cook until tomatoes are wrinkled and slightly dry and squash are tender, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta as label directs adding broccoli florets to pasta during last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain pasta and broccoli; transfer to large serving bowl. Add roasted tomatoes and squash mixture.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar with pepper, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Serve hot or at room temperature with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

YIELD: 4 portions (about 9 cups)

Instructions
Pan bagnat is a large, overstuffed sandwich filled with tomatoes and other fresh vegetables, cheese, olives, and a vinaigrette dressing. In addition to or in place of the following, you may include watercress, finely chopped scallions, pieces of tuna, and chopped hard-cooked eggs.

Dressing
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 small red onion, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Filling
1 long large loaf French or Italian bread
1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small jar (6-1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and thinly sliced
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1 cup grated mozzarella or provolone cheese
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped pitted Green or Italian olives
2 large Florida tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Slice off the top third of the bread lengthwise and set the top aside. Pull out the soft enter part of the bottom section, leaving a thickish crust shell. Spoon the dressing over the inside of the shell.

Layer the filling ingredients in the shell, ending with the tomatoes. Replace the top of the bread, then slice the sandwich into large pieces.

YIELD: 4 to 6 servings

NOTE: This may also be made with individual hard rolls or a large loaf of round bread.

Instructions
Mussels over pasta or rice make an inexpensive appetizer or main course. Here they are served as an appetizer, each one covered with a spoonful of heavenly tomato wine sauce. If you do plan to serve this with pasta, double the sauce so you have extra for the pasta.

2 pounds mussels
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large Florida tomatoes, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Scrub the mussels under cold running water, pulling off the “beards” with your hands. Put the water in a large pot, add the mussels, cover, and place on a burner with the heat turned off.

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the onion and sauté, stirring over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, sauté for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Turn the burner under the mussels on to high.

Cook the tomatoes for 2 minutes, then add the wine and salt and pepper to taste. Quickly bring the tomatoes to a boil and boil for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the sauce is as thick as you like. Stir in the parsley and keep the sauce over very low heat.

Meanwhile, steam the mussels for about 6 to 8 minutes, until they’ve opened. Discard any that don’t open. Arrange the mussels on serving plates. Spread the shells slightly, or break off the empty half, and spoon some of the sauce over each mussel. Serve at once.

YIELD: 4 servings

Instructions
A sweet and sour relish which is simple and quick to prepare and has many uses. It is excellent as a stuffing for baked tomatoes, tossed with your favorite pasta, or served with grilled lamb chops or roasted chicken. It keeps extremely well in a covered jar in the refrigerator.

1 cup olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cubed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 cup celery, cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
1 cup mixed yellow, orange, and green peppers, diced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 cup Greek olives, pitted, sliced
1 cup capers
2 medium firm, ripe, Florida tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 T. sherry vinegar
1-1/2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound prepared tube polenta, sliced into ½ inches thick rounds and grilled
2 T. basil, minced

In a large skillet warm 4 T. of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Remove and place in small bowl. Set aside.

In the same skillet add another 2 T. olive oil and, when warm, add onion, celery and peppers. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Return the cooked eggplant to the skillet, add raisins, olives, and capers. Stir until everything is well mixed. Gently stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Combine the remaining 6 T. olive oil, sherry, balsamic vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Pour over the vegetable mixture. Toss lightly. Generously mound the mixture, (about 1 T.) on top of each slice of grilled polenta. Sprinkle with basil.

Serves 12

Instructions
Marinating goat cheese in olive oil, basil, and crushed fennel seeds softens the flavor of the cheese and makes it taste especially wonderful with the tomatoes. The marinade is mixed with lemon juice and honey, then used as a vinaigrette dressing with the salad. A few toasted nuts scattered on top of each salad are a nice touch.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seed (see note)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or several fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
Coarsely ground fresh pepper
1 1/4-pound (4 oz.) log goat cheese
1 head of Boston lettuce, separated into leaves
2 large Florida tomatoes, cut into wedges
3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoon honey
Salt to taste
1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Blend the oil, fennel seed, basil, and pepper in a pottery bowl or pie plate. Slice the goat cheese into 8 rounds and lay them in the oil. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.

When you are ready to serve the salad, arrange the salad greens on individual serving plates. Place several tomato wedges and 2 rounds of goat cheese on each plate, reserving the marinade.

Heat the lemon juice and honey in a small skillet just long enough to liquefy the honey. Whisk the lemon and honey and a pinch or two of salt into the reserved marinade and serve some of this dressing over each salad.

YIELD: 4 servings

NOTE: To crush whole fennel seed, use a rolling pin.

Instructions
Serve with “Spicy Roasted Tomato Soup.” You can also serve these delectable savories with fresh grapes for breakfast or brunch.

6 slices French or Italian Country style bread, about 3/4-inch thick
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 large firm, ripe, red tomato, cut in half
3 T. olive oil
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

Rub each slice of bread with a clove of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Place under broiler and brown lightly on both sides. Remove slices and rub each with a tomato half, soaking the toasts with the tomato pulp.

While warm, spread each slice with cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Instructions
If you can take the heat, try these big grilled shrimp sauced with a blazing tomato salsa. You’ll find the canned chipotle peppers (the source of the heat) in most well-stocked supermarkets or in specialty food stores.

4 large Florida tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons canned chipotle peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup tomato juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced red onion
1 pound large (16 to 20) shrimp, peeled and deveined

Core, halve and seed 2 tomatoes. Chop them coarsely and transfer to a bowl.

Core the remaining 2 tomatoes, then cut each horizontally into 3 thick slices. Rub one surface of each slice with a little of the oil. Grill over hot coals for 8 to 10 minutes, oiled side down, until quite soft.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the grilled tomatoes, chipotle peppers, jalapeno peppers, tomato juice, lime juice, brown sugar, and salt. Process to a slightly rough puree, then stir the puree into the chopped fresh tomatoes. Stir in the parsley and onion. Set aside while you grill the shrimp.

Toss the shrimp with the remaining oil in a bowl. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, salt and pepper them lightly, then grill over hot coals for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until opaque throughout. Serve hot with plenty of the sauce on the side.

YIELD: 4 to 6 servings

Instructions
3 whole boneless chicken breasts, skinned and cut in half
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon red peppercorns
1 teaspoon green peppercorns
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
Zest and juice of 1 orange
½ cup white wine
½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
3 firm, ripe, red tomatoes cut into ½-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

Rinse chicken and pat dry.

Grind spices together in a blender until lightly crushed. Add garlic, orange zest and juice, white wine and the ½ cup olive oil. Blend until well mixed. Pour marinade over chicken breasts and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade, and sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Grill until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes on each side, basting with reserved marinade. Transfer to a warm platter, place a dollop of Tomato-Mango Yogurt Sauce on each piece of chicken and sprinkle with parsley. Set aside.

Place sliced tomatoes on grill, brush with remaining olive oil and grill for about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to the chicken platter, garnish with fresh mint and serve immediately.

Serves 6

TOMATO-MANGO YOGURT SAUCE:
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, washed & finely diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced
2 medium firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, peeled and diced
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

Mix all ingredients together until well blended.

Serve over Grilled Indian Spiced Chicken.

Yields 2 cups

Instructions
1 pound firm, ripe red tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Rinse tomatoes in cold water and drop them into a pot of boiling water. When water returns to a boil, cook for about 1 minute, then drain and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel, remove seeds, and cut into large pieces.

In a sauté pan with a lid which can later accommodate all of the green beans, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden. Add tomatoes, turn up heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add green beans, reduce heat to medium, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and cover with lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the green beans are tender but firm. If too watery, remove lid and raise to a high heat and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from pan and toss with basil. Sprinkle with goat cheese and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8