Tomatoes and Gin
 

Might sound like unlikely bedfellows but then this took my fancy...

[url]http://www.abc.net.au/tv/cookandchef/txt/s1614601.htm[/url]

Sounds good with a nice dry gin.
Might have to try that this summer.

Worth

That looks nice and summery! I love tomatoes, I love gin, why the heck not try it? Gotta wait for the tomatoes, though.;)

~Thalia

Maybe it would work with tequila too?

I would say a very light tequila, grub. Or a very strong tomato!!!

~Thalia

Grub,
I looked at some of the other links at the bottom of that page. I do have an octopus in the freezer (don't ask) and may try the octopus with aioli sauce.

But what's up with the quarantine mentioned in "Des's Tips for growing Burpee tomatoes"?? All tomato seed or just Burpee's?

from the article:
Don’t plant near other tomato plants so as to reduce chance of cross pollination with other varieties as these tomatoes are not available in Australia and quarantine will not allow any more in.
Tomato plants and prunings must not be allowed to be left laying around to spread disease – throw them in rubbish bin – not on compost or on the ground
To save seed, scrape seed from largest tomatoes on best producing bushes and pot seed onto flywire throw skin and pulp aside. Hose seed through flywire until clean. Leave I sun to dry 2-3 weeks. Place in sealed container ready for next year.
If you want more information or to get the seeds of Burpee Delicious tomatoes, email Alison Miller at [EMAIL="jamiller@airnet.com.au"]jamiller@airnet.com.au[/EMAIL] .

Thanks Felpec,

Those tomato tips read like a load of bull. I missed that part.

But the reason I stumbled on the recipe to start with was because I was looking for octopus recipes... I love them... and from what I know the very best way to get tender ocky is to freeze it. So your ocky is in the right place.

Have you cooked it yet. Do tell me what you did with it. I can share a few of my recipes.

best. Grub.

Tomatoes, Gin and Octopus - Yum!
 

Yeah, I love octopus, too. We usually smoke it - if the ice/snow melts, we may do it this weekend. It comes out "melt in your mouth" tender. We find it very rarely in our local market (I think only when the seafood manager gets a bit crazed and orders weird things - we're probably the only people in this little town who know what to do with a whole octopus or conch or squid. Love 'em all!)

So please share - how do you cook them?

This land-locked midwesterner would have to have a lot of the bloody mary soup with plenty of extra gin in order to go for the octopus. Maybe if it was prepared properly with fresh product it would be different; what we get tastes like rotten fish soaked rubber. But then you guys probably wouldn't care for rocky mountain oysters.

This one came out pretty well... though I think it's a bit of a masking agent...
[url]http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/5533/bbq+octopus[/url]

Then there is the Japanese pickled ocky. I like it cooked THEN marinated for a day... I need to cook more of the big ones.

Smoked sounds great, actually. Never heard of that.

And it would go so well with Gin :)

[quote=felpec] But what's up with the quarantine mentioned in "Des's Tips for growing Burpee tomatoes"?? All tomato seed or just Burpee's?

from the article:
Don’t plant near other tomato plants so as to reduce chance of cross pollination with other varieties as these tomatoes are not available in Australia and quarantine will not allow any more in.[/quote]

Don't know where that piece of misinformation came from. Tomato seeds are on the 'allowed seed' list, as long as they're clean, packaged correctly so on and so forth. In any case, seeds for the variety mentioned are available commercially in Australia!


Not wild about octopus but I do like pickled baby octopus.

Cream of Tomato and Pumpkin Soup
 

[B]Cream of Tomato and Pumpkin Soup[/B]

[B]2 tsps olive oil[/B]
[B]1 onion, finely chopped[/B]
[B]4 cups vegetable or chicken stock[/B]
[B]One 28-ounce can tomatoes (no spices added)[/B]
[B]2 Tbls maple syrup[/B]
[B]4 cups pumpkin or butternut squash puree[/B]
[B]1/8 teaspoon white pepper[/B]
[B]Salt to taste[/B]

[B]In a large pot, heat oil and add onion; saute until limp, not browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of stock, and let simmer, partially covered, about 15 minutes. Puree tomatoes and maple syrup in a food processor and add to pot. Add pumpkin and remaining cup of stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat. Garnish with finely chopped chives.[/B]

Black Bean Chipotle Soup
 

[B]Black Bean Chipotle Soup[/B]

[B]3 Tbls olive oil[/B]
[B]4 cups chopped onions[/B]
[B]6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced or pressed[/B]
[B]4 cups carrots, peeled and diced[/B]
[B]1 Tbl ground cumin[/B]
[B]2 cups chopped celery[/B]
[B]2 cups chopped green bell peppers[/B]
[B]6 cups cooked black beans (4 - 15 oz cans undrained)[/B]
[B]1 dried chipotle pepper or 2 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce**[/B]
[B]4 - 14 oz undrained canned chopped tomatoes[/B]
[B]1 cup orange juice[/B]
[B]5 cups vegetable broth[/B]
[B]sour cream (optional)[/B]
[B]chopped fresh cilantro (optional)[/B]

[B]** If using dried chipotle, remove it before serving.[/B]

[B]Warm oil in a nonreactive soup pot. Sauté onions and garlic in oil for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Add carrots and cumin and cook on medium heat, stirring often, for a few minutes. Add celery and bell peppers, lower heat, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add beans, chipotle, tomatoes, orange juice, and broth and [/B][B]simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.[/B]

[B]Makes 16 cups[/B]

Bean and Smoked Sausage Chowder
 

[B]Bean and Smoked Sausage Chowder[/B]
[B]Recipe By : Canadian Living Magazine - December, 1997[/B]
[B]Yield: 8 servings[/B]

[B]2 cups dried pinto or Romano beans (1 lb)[/B]
[B]8 slices bacon, chopped[/B]
[B]1 pound smoked sausage (such as kielbasa), chopped[/B]
[B]3 carrots and parsnips, diced[/B]
[B]2 onions, chopped[/B]
[B]2 stalks celery, diced[/B]
[B]2 leeks, sliced[/B]
[B]2 potatoes, diced[/B]
[B]1 can tomatoes (28 oz), chopped[/B]
[B]8 cups water[/B]
[B]2 tsps dried sage[/B]
[B]1 1/2 tsps ground ginger[/B]
[B]1 tsp packed brown sugar[/B]
[B]1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes[/B]
[B]1/4 tsp ground cloves[/B]
[B]1 tsp salt[/B]
[B]1/2 tsp pepper[/B]
[B]1 cup chopped fresh parsley[/B]
[B]1/2 cup light sour cream[/B]

[B]Sort beans, discarding any blemished ones. In heavy stockpot, cover beans with 6 cups cold water; bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain. Cover with 6 cups fresh water and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and cook for about 1 hour or until beans are tender but not mushy. Drain well.[/B]

[B]Meanwhile, in large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; drain on paper towels. Drain off pan drippings, reserving 1 Tbl. Add sausage to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Drain on separate paper towels.[/B]

[B]Pour reserved drippings into pan. Add carrots, parsnips, onions, celery and leeks; cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add potatoes, tomatoes, water, sage, ginger, sugar, hot pepper flakes and cloves; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add beans; cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until vegetables and beans are very soft.[/B]

[B]In blender or food processor (or use a stick blender), puree 4 cups of soup until smooth; return to pan along with sausage, salt and pepper. (Chowder can lie prepared to this point, cooled in refrigerator and stored in airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat, skim off any fat; reheat gently, stirring often.) Stir in half the parsley. Ladle into heated bowls. Garnish each with 1 Tbl sour cream; sprinkle with bacon and remaining parsley.[/B]

Grilled Tomato and Red Pepper Soup
 

[FONT=Book Antiqua][B][SIZE=4]Grilled Tomato and Red Pepper Soup[/SIZE] [/B][SIZE=3](compliments of Ilene Ross, Hot Foods! Catering)[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]3 pounds large firm, ripe tomatoes, halved[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]1 red onion, peeled, quartered[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]¼ cup olive oil[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]Salt[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]Freshly ground black pepper[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]1 large red bell pepper[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]6 thin slices cooked and crumbled bacon, optional[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]2 teaspoons minced garlic[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]1 tablespoon sugar[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]½ cup heavy cream (optional)[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]Preheat the grill to medium-high[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes and onions with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to lightly coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, and the onions and bell pepper on the grill and cook, turning, until charred and soft, about 4 minutes for the tomatoes and 6 to 10 for the onions and pepper. Remove and place the pepper in a plastic or paper bag, and cool for 10 minutes. Let the tomatoes and onions sit until cool enough to handle; peel the tomatoes and hop, chop the onions.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]In a large pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add the chopped onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the stock, vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree, leaving some chunks, with a hand-held blender (Alternatively, transfer in batches, to a food processor and puree, and return to the pot.) Add the cream, if desired, and the oregano, return to a simmer, and cook, until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][FONT=Book Antiqua]Ladle the soup into 6 shallow soup bowls and top each with crumbled bacon if desired. Serve immediately.[/FONT][/SIZE]