We decided to put in a vegetable garden this year (after a couple years hiatus).  We started some seeds and purchased some seedlings from several local greenhouses.  One of the things I knew I wanted to do was to plant a few varieties of heirloom tomatoes.  I figured I would have to order them from the Internet/mail order because, who would carry those quasi-obscure plants that I wanted?

Well, as it turns out, almost everybody!  We found heirloom tomatoes everywhere from Walmart(!) to the local nursery.  So, my few varieties turned into…36 plants.  Thirty six.  And that’s just the tomatoes we planted.

Yes.

We’ll be canning this year.

Needless to say, I have been looking at tomato recipes recently.  Here’s one from the General Electric Kitchen Institute’s 1934 booklet, The New Art:

6 firm tomatoes
1/4 pound cream cheese
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cream

Scald and peel tomatoes and chill thoroughly.  Make four incisions from the stem end to the bottom.  Pull back the cut sections to form petals.  Arrange tomatoes on crisp lettuce leaves.  Mix the cream cheese and mayonnaise to form a thick smooth mixture.  If too thick, thin with cream and pile in the center of the tomato.  If this is done with a pastry bag a very attractive effect is obtained.  Put three or four almonds on top of each salad.  Chill thoroughly and serve with French dressing.

Here’s a list of the tomatoes we have growing:

• Celebrity
• Ildi
• Eli/Ele
• Old Ivory
• Balcony
• Japanese Trifele
• Brandy Boy
• Tumbling Tom
• Northern Lights
• Green Zebra
• Jubilee Yellow
• Dutchman
• Mortgage Lifter
• Roma
• Bloody Butcher
• Brandywine
• Purple Cherokee
• Yellow Pear
• Sunsugar Cherry
• Mr. Stripey
• Old German
• Amish Paste
• Sugar Snack Cherry
• Champion

Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, heirloom, Parisienne, recipe, tomato, tomatoes, Tomatoes Parisienne

Sounds like a great Thanksgiving or Christmas salad. And I think it might be good on pancakes or waffles or in crepes. Yum!

Warm Cranberry Compote Salad

1 16-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
3 cups pineapple chunks, grained and cut in half
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Heat mixutre until cranberry sauce has melted and sauce is warm, stirring constantly. Spoon warm over entrees or desserts such as gingerbread or pound cake.

Makes 9 servings.

Technorati Tags: Compote, Cranberry, recipe

Probably from a supermarket meat department in the 1970s.

Garden Medley Salad

1 pound fresh or frozen peeled and deveined shrimp
1 can (17 oz.) young tender sweet peas, drained
1 can (8.5 oz.) diagonal-cut green beans, drained
1 jar (2.5 oz) whole mushrooms, drained
1 jar (2 oz.) sliced pimento, drained
1 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper

Dressing
1/4 cup salad oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Prepare shrimp according to package directions, drain and cool under cold running water.  Drain thoroughly.  Gently combine  peas, beans, mushrooms, pimento, celery, onion and green pepper in a medium-sized bowl.  Carefully stir in shrimp.  Combine all dressing ingredients and gently toss with vegetable/shrimp mixture to coat evenly.  Cover and chill 4 to 6 hours.  Drain and server in a lettuce-lined bowl. 
Makes 6 to 8 servers.

Technorati Tags: Recipe shrimp salad