it's the most tomatoey time of the year

Tomatoes are everywhere. Yellow, black, romas, dirty girls, heirlooms, cherry... and what are we going to do with all this sweet delicious summer treasures? we are gonna eat them!

Best place to get them is from your hood.... there has got to be a farm around you or even your own garden. Most people over plant & then the fruit rots, sad but true. Seek them out & only buy local tomatoes. They get weird after a long ride in the car.

Then of course there is the farmer's market. Enjoy these recipes!

How to Peel Tomatoes

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.

2. Drop one tomato at a time in the boiling water for about 5 seconds.

3. Evacuate to a bowl of ice water long enough for the tomato to cool.

4. Use a knife to make a cut around the "equator" of the tomato. The "northern hemisphere" and "southern hemisphere" of the tomato will now slide off intact.

Tomato Confit

4 ripe Dirty Girl tomatoes, peeled

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

3 cloves garlic

4 sprigs thyme

2 tbsp dried Italian blend spices

Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut each tomato crosswise into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. In a large bowl gently toss the tomatoes with remaining ingredients. Arrange tomatoes on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Slide the sheet into the oven & bake the tomatoes until they are very tender but still able to hold their shape. Cool.

When the tomatoes have cooled, transfer them into a glass jar. Pour whatever oil remains on the pan over the tomatoes. If you plan to keep the tomatoes longer than 1 or 2 days, pour in enough olive oil to cover then refrigerate until ready to use.

Roasted Tomato Crostini with Sheep Feta

1 medium Baguette, sliced thin on the bias

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp dried Italian Herbs

1 garlic clove, chopped

Kosher salt & black pepper

6 oz sheep’s milk feta

8 oz tomato confit

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss together the bread, oil, herbs, salt, pepper & garlic. Spread slices out on a cookie sheet & toast until golden & crisp. Cool.

Spread confit on crostini & top with sliced feta. You can also garnish with a thyme leaf.

Classic Tomato Bisque

4tbsp butter

1tbsp bacon, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

5tbsp all-purpose flour

4c chicken stock

4 fresh tomatoes, peeled & seeded, roughly chopped

3 parsley sprigs

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1c heavy whipping cream

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

4T crème fraiche

Heat butter in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the bacon & cook until the fat has rendered. Transfer bacon to a paper towel & set aside. When bacon has cooled, eat it. Lower the heat to medium, add the celery, onion, carrot, garlic & cook until translucent.

Stir in flour until vegetable mixture is evenly coated. Pour in the stock & tomatoes then bring to a boil. Tie the fresh herbs together with twine & add to the pot. Lower the heat to a simmer & cook (about 35 minutes). Remove from the heat.

With a hand blender puree the bisque until smooth. Wisk in the whipping cream & season with salt & pepper. Divide among warm soup bowls to serve. Garnish with crème fraiche.

Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Tomato Confit & Fresh Herbs

2 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned

2 oz fresh Texas goat cheese (such as Pure Luck)

2 oz Tomato Confit

3 basil leaves, shredded

Salt & fresh ground pepper

Canola oil

Wine Sauce:

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup dry white wine

2/3 c chicken stock

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pat chicken dry. Using a sharp boning knife slice a pocket into chicken, set aside. Combine cheese, confit & basil in small bowl, season with salt & pepper.

Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture into the chicken breast.

In a large skillet, heat canola oil until just smoking. Place the chicken breasts (presentation side down) into hot pan & roast until golden. Repeat on other side. Then place the entire pan into the oven & roast until goat cheese has melted. Remove chicken from hot pan, reserving all juices for the wine sauce & slice into medallions.

Using the pan from the chicken, melt butter into reserved juice over medium heat. Add stock while scraping all chicken bits remaining in the pan. Bring sauce to boil & cook until reduced by half, season with salt & freshly ground pepper. Spoon over chicken & serve!

Marinated Tomatoes and Summer Greens

3 ripe tomatoes, quartered

1/3 c olive oil

1/4 c sherry wine vinegar

1/4 c onion, chopped finely

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp drained capers

2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

6 oz baby summer greens

Arrange tomatoes in shallow dish. Combine olive oil, vinegar, onion, garlic, capers & parsley in a medium bowl, whisk until blended, season with salt & pepper. Spoon dressing over tomatoes. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours. Place baby greens on the center of a plate & top with marinated tomatoes.

Heirloom Tomato Tartlets

3 heirloom plum tomatoes

1 cup yellow teardrop tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh thyme

1⁄2 tsp salt

1⁄4 tsp pepper

2 small tart shells

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Cut each tomato crosswise into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. In bowl, toss together red & yellow tomatoes, oil, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper. Rub bottom of tart shells with mustard. Arrange red tomatoes in overlapping rows. Scatter yellow tomatoes over top; sprinkle with cheese. Bake in oven until golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, serve warm or at room temp