The greenhouses have heated up and the blossoms have become juicy red tomatoes. Bless the Dagele Brothers! Our friends in Orange County and one of the early Field Goods partners, we have been giving you their delicious veggies for years. They’re famous for their black dirt in Orange County, which enriches the vegetables and makes growing especially fun. Their greenhouses have given us some red tomatoes, truly a delight so early in the growing season.
Now remember, don’t refrigerate these babies. It’s okay if they get a little cold while they’re waiting for you to pick them up, but store them in a bowl on your countertop, not in the fridge. You have to trust us on this one, okay?
Grab the standard or family size bag for about 2 lbs. of tomatoes and make THIS gazpacho recipe (perfect for this warm weather we’re having):
Ingredients:
- About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks.
- 1 Italian frying pepper (Cubanelle) or another long, light green pepper (such as Anaheim), cored, seeded, and roughly cut into chunks
- 1 cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
- 1 small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste
- Salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling
Instructions:
- Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. If necessary, work in batches. Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
- With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
- Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
This Week’s Field Goods Favorite
Belgium Combo Multicolored Lettuce
The fancy Belgium Combo Lettuce is a combination of Red Lolo, Lugano Lolo and Red Oak Leaf Rouxai. The Lolo lettuce has broad leaves in green or red tones with very curly edges. The Rouxai lettuce is an incredible deep cherry-red.
Great Summer Salads
50 Salad Dressing Recipes
5 Ways to Use Lettuce Besides Salads and Sandwiches