Tomato Party

This cookbook is the most beautiful cookbook I own. Just the cover of it makes me happy. The recipes inside are gorgeous works of art featuring only vegetables, and everything I have tried has been delicious.

You want this in your collection

I've been waiting and waiting for a time when all varieties of my tomatoes were plenty enough to make the "Tomato Party". This salad requires regular tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes, yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, and a green tomato (he of course says you can be flexible, but I wanted to try the full party experience before becoming flexible with the tomatoes here). And guess what? I have all of those at the ready right now! Yippee! This salad is simple in flavor and preparation (if you don't mind a few basic steps) and it is just the perfect vehicle to deliver loads of tomato flavor to your belly. I highly recommend you try it soon.

Tomato Party

-adapted from Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi (changed grains, changed herbs based on what I had outside)

• 2 cups Israeli couscous (this was my adaptation--he says use 3/4 cup regular couscous and 1 cup fregola. But, I can't find fregola and regular couscous is such a hot mess that I just used all Israeli couscous. I think any mix of grains would be lovely)
• salt
• good olive oil
• 3 medium tomatoes, quartered
• 3/4 t. brown sugar
• black pepper
• 1 t. balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 T. chopped fresh oregano
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 small green tomato cut into thin wedges
• 3/4 cup red cherry tomatoes, halved

Prepare the couscous according to package directions, rinse under cool running water and set aside to dry. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On half of a large sheet pan, toss the quartered medium tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, some salt, and the brown sugar. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, increase temperature to 400 degrees, and then place the yellow cherry/grape tomatoes on the other half of the pan. Sprinkle with salt/pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Put the pan back in the oven and roast for another 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let tomatoes cool. In a large bowl, mix together the couscous, herbs, garlic, cooked tomatoes and their juices, red cherry tomatoes, and green tomatoes gently with your hands (yes, really. Of course you should wash them first, silly). Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and more olive oil to your liking. This. Is. Divine.