Instructions
A very classic Italian pasta dish from the region of Campania. This cuisine is colorful and full of character, and is based largely on its plentiful use of tomatoes, herbs, anchovies and garlic. This dish has a very piquant fresh tomato sauce.

6 large firm, ripe, Florida tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
3 canned flat anchovy fillets, minced
1 t. hot pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
½ cup red wine
2 T. tomato paste
½ T. capers, brine-packed, drained
16 Greek olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound capellini or linguini pasta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Toss the tomatoes, in 2 T. of the olive oil in a large baking dish. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly charred. Remove and place tomatoes through a food mill into a small-sized bowl. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan add remaining olive oil and heat until warm. Add the garlic and gently cook until soft. Add anchovies and mash with the back of a wooden spoon. Add hot pepper flakes, tomato paste, red wine, capers, and olives and cook very slowly on medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes. Add the roasted tomato sauce to the mixture and simmer for 1 hour over medium heat. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 t. salt and stir in pasta so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 9 to 10 minutes, or until firm to the bite.

Drain the pasta and toss with the tomato anchovy-caper sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Instructions
Bruschetta is a type of Italian garlic bread, the perfect foundation for all sorts of wonderful toppings. This version uses a blend of cheeses mixed with pecans, topped with fresh Florida tomatoes, and basil. Serve as an appetizer, with soup, stew, or pasta dishes. Use the best rustic country bread you can find.

2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped pecans
4 slices crusty, firm-textured bread, cut about 3/4-inch thick
2 cloves garlic peeled and halved
2 large Florida tomatoes, sliced about 1/8-inch thick
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh basil or dried basil for garnish

In a small bowl, mash the cheeses together with a fork, leaving the mixture somewhat chunky. Mix in the pecans.

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread on a small baking sheet and broil the slices for about a minute on each side, just until golden.
Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn.

Rub one side of each piece of bread with garlic.

Spread some of the cheese mixture over each slice and arrange 2 or 3 overlapping tomato slices on top. Pepper the tomatoes lightly, then garnish with basil and serve.

YIELD: 4 servings

Instructions
2 pounds fresh Florida tomatoes
3 medium onions cut in halves
6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (13 ounces) ready-to-serve chicken broth
4 large (5-inch) Kaiser rolls
1 cup cubed Muenster cheese

Use tomatoes held at room temperature until fully ripe; core and cut in halves. Preheat broiler. On a shallow pan, arrange tomato and onion halves cut side down. Place garlic cloves around the vegetables. In a cup mix oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Brush over vegetables, coating completely. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat source until lightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes, removing garlic cloves as they brown and soften and turning pan around for even cooking.

Turn vegetables over and broil until lightly charred and tender, about 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Remove pan from broiler and cool; peel skins from tomatoes. In a food processor or blender, puree tomatoes, onions and garlic with the pan juices until fairly smooth. Pour into medium saucepan; stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and keep warm. To make bread bowls; Preheat oven to 400F. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top of each roll. Pull out soft centers, leaving ½-inch thick shells; discard soft bread. Reserve tops. Place “bowls” and tops on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes, turning once.

To serve, place rolls in soup plates. Ladle hot soup into and around “bowls.” Top with cheese cubes. Garnish with basil or parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

YIELD: 4 portions, or 5 cups

Instructions
1 thin loaf (baguette) French bread
1/4 cup olive oil
5 slices bacon
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
2 large Florida tomatoes, cored
1 head romaine lettuce
1 medium onion chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the loaf of bread on the diagonal into 12 3/4-inch-thick slices. Lay them on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Brush each one lightly with olive oil and set aside.

While the bread toasts, fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, pouring off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat. Put the bacon aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Put the vinegar, sugar, and basil in a mixing bowl and set aside. Slice the tomatoes into thin wedges and put them aside in a separate salad bowl. Wash the inner leaves of lettuce and dry them well. Tear into pieces and add them to the bowl with the tomatoes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil in the pan with the bacon fat. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Scrape the onion into the bowl with the vinegar and stir the dressing well.

Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and lettuce and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, arrange 3 slices of toast on each plate, ends touching in the center. Pile the dressed salad in the center of the toasts, then crumble the bacon and sprinkle it over the top of each salad. Serve at once.

YIELD: 4 servings

Instructions
4 large (about 2 pounds) firm fresh Florida tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
8 ounces ground lamb or beef
1/3 cup uncooked rice (regular cooking)
1 cup loosely-packed fresh basil, chopped (about 1/3 cup) or 2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Use tomatoes held at room temperature until fully ripe. Cut a thin slice from top of each tomato; remove pulp leaving a ¼-inch thick shell; set aside. Chop pulp (makes about 1-1/2 cups). In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat oil; add onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Add lamb; cook and stir for 2 minutes, breaking up meat.

Stir in rice, basil, cumin, salt, pepper, 1 cup water and reserved chopped tomato pulp. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Spoon rice mixture into reserved tomato shells. Place stuffed tomatoes in the skillet along with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered, until tomatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Yield: 4 portions

Instructions
This Italian inspired recipe is so simple and easy to prepare. Serve as a side vegetable dish with grilled meats, poultry or fish.

4 medium firm, ripe, Florida tomatoes
½ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
½ cup basil, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 T. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the tops of the tomatoes, and scoop out seeds and pulp with a small spoon, cut off a slice from the bottom to prevent rolling and arrange tomatoes in a baking dish.

In a small bowl combine the parsley, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and spoon 2 tablespoons into each tomato. Drizzle with olive oil. Top each tomato with 1 T. cheese.

Bake 20 minutes, or until soft. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4

Instructions
2 large (1 pound) fresh Florida tomatoes
6 ounces sliced ham, cut in strips (about 1-1/2 cups)
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (1-1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons creamy mustard blend
1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
4 large hard round (Kaiser) rolls, cut in halves

Use tomatoes held at room temperature until fully ripe. Core tomatoes; cut in large chunks; set aside. Preheat oven to 400F. In a medium bowl combine ham, cheese, mustard blend and horseradish. Gently stir in tomatoes. Remove the inside from the bottom portion of each roll, leaving ½ to ¾-inch thick shells. Place on a baking sheet. Fill each shell with about 1 cup of the tomato mixture; top with upper portion of roll. Bake until heated through and cheese starts to melt, about 15 minutes.

YIELD: 4 portions

Calories 27.55 , Protein 1.02 G, Carbohydrates 6.14 g, Fiber 1.45 g, Calories From Fat 10, Total Fat 10g, Cholesterol 0, Sodium 7.93 mg

Instructions

2 pounds fresh Florida tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ cup diced onion
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon oregano, crushed
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil or chopped parsley
1 cup toasted pine nuts

Use tomatoes held at room temperature until fully ripe. Core tomatoes; chop (makes about 5 cups); set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add shrimp, onion, garlic and oregano; cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is just pink, about 3 minutes. Add reserved tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are heated through, 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat; stir in basil and pine nuts. Serve over hot pasta or white cannelloni beans, if desired.

YIELD: 4 servings