To bring the flavor of summer to our cold winter months, you can easily freeze cherry tomatoes. Simply wash them, put them on a cookie sheet/tray in a single layer, put the tray in the freezer, and when the cherry tomatoes are frozen, put them in a freezer bag in the freezer until you are ready to use them. Their texture will be softer, but the flavor will remain, making them excellent additions to many soups, hotdishes, and other meals. 

For the remainder of the summer and fall, you can move beyond just adding cherry tomatoes to salads or eating them with delicious mozzarella pearls (yum!). Here are two recipes that help you use all those cherry tomatoes. Both recipes are from Trader Joe’s, but ingredients can be purchased anywhere you shop. 

One recipe you may want to consider is a Trader Joe’s Baked Protein Pasta. It is an easy pasta dish that is also very healthy. There are just four ingredients and it takes very little time to make. The ingredients are chickpea pasta, garlic and herb spreadable cheese (e.g., Boursin or Alouette), spinach or Swiss Chard, and cherry tomatoes. 

Baked Protein Pasta (Trader Joe’s recipe)

Ingredients:

• The equivalent of 1 package of cherry or grape tomatoes

• 1 garlic & herb spreadable cheese (Boursin, Alouette)

• 2 cups chopped spinach or Swiss Chard 

• 8 oz. chickpea pasta (rotini, penne – whatever you can find/prefer) 

• Optional: add cooked chicken or other meat 

Making the dish:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in a baking dish with the Boursin/Alouette cheese. 

2. Bake for 20 minutes, until tomatoes burs and the cheese is soft and melty. 

3. While that’s baking, cook pasta according to package directions 

4. Stir together the roasted tomatoes, melted cheese, pasta, and spinach/Swiss Chard until creamy and combined. The heat will gently wilt the spinach/Swiss Chard. 

5. Serve and enjoy! 

The second recipe is lighter and will be nice on the hot summer days and evenings we’ve been experiencing. 

Lemon Fusilli Pasta with Chickpeas, Olive Tapenade, and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 package Lemon Fusilli Pasta (16 oz)

• 1 can chickpeas (15 oz), rinsed and drained

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/2 cup olive tapenade

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Optional: lemon zest for garnish

Instructions:

1. Cook the Pasta:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

• Add the Lemon Fusilli Pasta and cook according to the package instructions (typically around 8-10 minutes) until al dente.

• Drain the pasta and set aside.

2. Prepare the Ingredients:

• While the pasta is cooking, rinse and drain the chickpeas.

• Halve the cherry tomatoes.

• Mince the garlic.

3. Combine Ingredients:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, olive tapenade, and minced garlic.

• Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated with the tapenade.

4. Season and Garnish:

• Add the chopped basil to the bowl and gently mix it in.

• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Garnish with lemon zest if desired.

5. Serve:

• Divide the pasta among four plates and serve immediately.

Tips:

• For an extra burst of flavor, you can add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving.

• If you prefer a spicier dish, add a pinch of red pepper flakes when combining the ingredients.

Click this link for more tomato recipes previously appearing in the Garden Buzz and provide by Master Gardener Joy Johnson.