READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN

Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
Cooking alternatives to sky-high tomatoes
Published: 4/21/2011 12:04 PM
Last Modified: 4/21/2011 12:04 PM




Take a look next time you're in the produce section. Watch as a shopper picks up a tomato, sees the price and then puts it down.

Tomato prices are double, and in come cases triple, what they were last year, which you can read more about in a Tulsa World Business story in Friday's paper.

Because of the cost, many restaurants are offering tomatoes "by request only," and others have eliminated them from their menus all together. Wendy's is among those putting sliced tomatoes on hamburgers only at the customer's request.

So what about at home? When a recipe calls for chopped tomatoes or tomato slices, are you leaving them out or eating the cost?

No other food can replicate the taste of a tomato, but there are some that can fill in as pretty good alternatives.

If you’re craving a BLT, try a bacon, lettuce and avocado sandwich instead. Red bell pepper can fill in for chopped tomato on a taco. And, with roasted beets on a salad, you may never miss the tomato.

Here's a recipe for a sandwich you can make under the broiler or in a panini press. It’s great with tomatoes, but eggplant is just as delicious.

Mozzarella and Eggplant Melts
Makes 4 open-face sandwiches or 2 regular sandwiches
4 slices Italian bread, 1-inch thick
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 eggplant, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup pesto
Fresh basil leaves
1. Arrange cheese and eggplant on slices of bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with pesto. If making regular sandwiches, top with second slice of bread.
2. In oven, broil with sandwich about 4 inches from heat until cheese begins to melt. Or, cook sandwiches in a panini press until golden brown.



Reader Comments


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.

Taste

Food Writer Nicole Marshall Middleton joined the Tulsa World in May 1993 after graduating from Oklahoma State University. She has covered crime, city government and general assignment beats during that time - but mostly crime. But when she isn’t at work, Nicole is a devoted food hobbyist. She enjoys meal planning and cooking with her husband, Steve, every day of the week and on holidays it’s a family affair. When the opportunity to become the food writer at the Tulsa World presented itself in the summer of 2011, Nicole jumped at it. She is excited to explore a new side of Tulsa and make the transition from crime to cuisine. .

Follow Nicole Marshall Middleton on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog


Archive

 
Nicole Marshall Middleton's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  3/2008  
2/2008  1/2008  12/2007  11/2007  10/2007  9/2007  
8/2007  7/2007  6/2007  








Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise | Privacy
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.