Sun-dried or Fresh?

Tomatoes taste wonderful either way!

Tapas was on my mind when I thought of making something with fresh plump, juicy tomatoes for the Jihva for Tomatoes event hosted by RP at My Workshop.

But then, I couldn't turn my back on the versatile, aromatic, rich Sun Dried Tomatoes.

So I decided to make one dish with each: Tomate Rellenos with fresh bright tomatoes, and Thakkali Thokku with sun dried tomatoes.

Tomate Rellenos

Ingredients
2 eggs
¼ cup steamed corn kernels
¼ cup queso panela, crumbled (or queso fresco, or grated cheddar)
¼ medium onion diced finely
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
cilantro for garnish

4-6 small to medium plump and firm tomatoes

1 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp Tabasco™ sauce (optional)

Preparation

cut the top off the tomatoes, scoop out the insides carefully, salt it a little, and leave it upside down on a colander or paper towel to drain for about 10 minutes while getting the stuffing ready

beat the eggs with the rest of the ingredients and keep handy

get the oven heated to 400°F, and keep a baking dish handy to arrange the tomatoes in

allow the liquid in the tomatoes to drain away as much as possible and pat dry tomatoes, and arrange them in the baking dish so they will stand up straight - slicing a very thin part of the bottom helps, taking care not to cut off too much:-)

pour the egg mixture into each tomato and bake in the 400°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, turning the baking dish around mid-way, if needed, till the eggs set well and are cooked through; off heat, allow to cool a little

add a splash of lemon juice mixed with Tabasco™ sauce and serve warm

Small to medium-small tomatoes that can be eaten in one generous bite are perfect for this.

Stuffing can be adjusted to taste - leave out the eggs, add some potatoes or wild rice as in stuffed acorn squash recipe.

Next up is my favorite spread made with sun dried tomatoes.

Thakkali Thokku: Sun dried Tomato Spread

Ingredients:
8-10 Sun dried tomatoes (preferably, not packed in oil)
3 Dried pasilla chilies
1 diced fresh tomato, a few dry thai dragon chilies for extra bite (optional), salt to taste
a few tablespoons oil

Preparation

soak the sun dried tomatoes and pasilla chilies in hot water for about 10 minutes to reconstitute them; drain and coarsely chop them

combine the reconstituted tomatoes and pasilla with the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth paste

heat the oil in a pan, add the blended paste and sauté till well blended; adjust salt to taste

Allow to cool completely and refrigerate in an air tight container. This keeps well for up to a month in the fridge.

What to do with this Thakkali Thokku ?

• Mix equal portions of this Thakkali Thokku with cream cheese to make a yummy spread for sandwiches and pita pockets

• Beat equal portions of Thakkali Thokku and Yogurt to make a delicious dip for chips

• Stir some of this Thakkali Thokku into some hot basmati rice with some ghee, and enjoy!