TO coincide with the launch of the season, renowned chef, Stefano di Pieri, has devised four Italian-inspired recipes using sun-ripened, vine-grown Goulburn Valley Tomatoes from north east Victoria for summer and in particular, Australia Day menus.
“I’m obsessed with using sun ripened tomatoes in my recipes at the moment, the intense flavour, the gorgeous colour— it really adds freshness on a hot summer day,” Stefano said.
For further information and recipes visit: www.gvtomatoes.com.au
Tom ato petals with crab salad
This is designed as a healthy snack or part of a canapé buffet. Crab can be purchased at any good fishmonger. Ask for cooked meat preferably frozen in seawater. You could substitute good tinned tuna.
Makes 8 petals or 2 serves
2 very ripe GV tomatoes
200g cooked crabmeat
1 small celeriac julienned (or parsnip or fresh fennel)
2 chopped shallots
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp chopped parsley
2 tbs commercial egg mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Method
Cut the tomatoes into quarters and using a sharp knife remove the seeds so you are left with a petal.
Place the crab, mayonnaise, celeriac, parsley, shallot and lemon into a small bowl and mix. Adjust the seasoning with salt lemon and add more mayo if you wish.
Place the crab evenly onto the tomato petals and serve.
Cold tomato soup with prawns and rocket
This recipe is extremely healthy, easy to make and very tasty. It is essentially a blended salad. For something different, blend until very smooth and serve in shot glasses with the prawn on the side, add a little salt and tiny rocket leaves.
Serves 4 (chilled) makes about 1.5 litres
1 kg fresh GV tomatoes seeded and chopped
100 mls tomato sauce or 1 tbsp tomato paste
1 red onion chopped
1 large cucumber chopped
1 red capsicum seeded and chopped
1 clove of garlic
5 large basil leaves
A splash of Tabasco to taste
1 tbs sugar
100 mls extra virgin olive oil
16 large cooked and peeled prawns
1 bunch of wild rocket
½ lemon
Method
Place all the ingredients except for oil and prawns into a food processor or into a container if using an immersion blender.
Blend until very smooth.
Remove and place into a large bowl and using a hand whisk, whisk in the oil. Season and chill over ice or in the refrigerator.
Season the prawns with salt and lemon.
Serve the soup in a bowl with the prawns on top.
Garnish with wild rocket leaves
If serving in a shot glass, blend until very smooth and add the oil gradually into the liquid. Serve prawns on the side of a shot glass with a little salt and tiny rocket leaves.
Eggplant and fresh tomato parmagiana
Serves four as a snack or as part of a side dish for a barbecue or serves one as a main course, so multiply according to the number of people.
This is a classic Italian dish traditionally made with a Napoli sauce (cooked tomato sauce). When the tomatoes are great quality GV tomatoes, this recipe maximises their freshness. Share this dish on an occasion like Australia Day.
2 small-medium eggplant sliced into 2 cm disks
2-3 large GV tomato sliced 1 cm thick
2 large buffalo mozzarella sliced into 1 cm slices
4 leaves of basil
100 g grated Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Method
Preheat char grill to hot and preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Brush a small amount of oil onto each eggplant disk.
Place each disk onto the char grill and cook until soft
Remove from the grill and place tomato slices onto each disk, adding eggplant and tomato alternately, finishing with a tomato layer making four layers.
Place the mozzarella slices onto the tomato.
Bake in the oven until the cheese is golden and melted.
Remove and sprinkle with parmesan.
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