Ontario Greenhouse Vegetables | Tomatoes

on August 9, 2013 at 11:21 am

I recently went on a tour of an Ontario cucumber greenhouse, what a great experience. I learned many things about growing cucumbers in Ontario and enjoyed the company of many other Healthcare Food Service providers interested in Fresh and Local produce.

I wanted to share some of the interesting facts and a few great recipes with the Kitchen Heat readers, which I am going to break out over the next 3 weeks.

This week, we continue with GREENHOUSE TOMATOES!

Interesting Facts:

Tomatoes are the number one source of lycopene, a red pigment and strong antioxidant, which provides protection for your body!
Tomatoes come in a variety of colours such as red, orange, yellow, green, pink, brown, black, white and even striped!
STORAGE TIP: Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator is not recommended as it changes the texture and decreases its flavour. Cold temperatures make the flesh pulpy.

The Recipe:

Tomato Basil & Ricotta Risotto

Ingredients for the Tomato Basil Mixture & Ricotta Cheese Bake

4 Ontario greenhouse heirloom tomatoes, seeds and flesh removed – roughly chopped
2 tbsp. (30 ml) red wine vinegar
1 cup (250 ml) virgin olive oil
9 oz. (255 g) crumbly ricotta cheese
2 tbsp. (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 dried chili, crumbled
1 tsp. (5 g) dried oregano
7 tbsp. (105 g) salted butter
1 – 2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus a block for grating
1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Method for the Tomato Basil Mixture & Ricotta Cheese Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
Marinate the tomatoes in the red wine vinegar, olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper.
Place ricotta in a small baking pan, rub the cheese with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle the dried chili and oregano over the cheese, season it with salt and pepper and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Ingredients for Ontario Greenhouse Risotto

4 tbsp. (60 g) butter
2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive oil
1 medium sized onion, thinly sliced and cubed
12 oz. (225 g) risotto
4 cups (1 L) vegetable or chicken stock

Method for the Ontario Greenhouse Risotto

Brown the onion in the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan until golden brown.
On medium heat add the risotto and stir with a wooden spoon for a few minutes.
Pour in 3 cups of stock until the rice is completely covered. Cook on medium heat.
As the rice absorbs the stock add in ¾ of the tomato basil mixture and the remainder of the stock, bring to a gentle boil until the rice is cooked. Stirring all the time until rice mixture is creamy and oozy. The overall texture should be slightly loose.
Turn off heat, beat in the butter and Parmesan cheese, tear up the large basil leaves and place into mixture leaving the smaller leaves for garnishing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in baked ricotta and remainder of tomato basil mixture; put a lid on the pan to rest, 5 minutes. Prior to serving, garnish with remaining basil leaves, sprinkle Parmesan cheese and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 4

Nutrition Facts per serving (1180 g): Calories 1530 Fat 109 g (168 %), Saturated Fat 36 g + Trans Fat 2 g (190 %), Cholesterol 135 mg, Sodium 1520 mg (63 %), Carbohydrate 107 g (36 %), Fibre 4 g (16%), Sugars 17 g, Protein 37 g, Vit A (25 %), Vit C (50 %), Calcium (35 %), Iron (25 %).% = % Daily Value

Source: ontariogreenhouse.com