Cool Recipes Using Tomatoes

Here are some tomato-y recipes that emphasize quick-cooking or no cooking at all.

BLT Pizza

Ingredients:

1 (10-oz.) thin pre-baked pizza shell
4 ounces (1/2 pkg.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (or mixed bagged lettuces)
1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded Co-Jack cheese
3/4 cup chopped fresh tomato
7 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, chopped
olives, sliced (optional)

Preparation:

Heat oven or lidded gas grill to 400 degrees. Place pizza shell on a baking sheet for oven heating. Heat for five minutes or until slightly crisp. Remove and let the pizza shell cool slightly.

For toppings: Combine cream cheese, Italian herbs and pepper. Spread on the pizza shell to within 1/2-inch of edge. Scatter evenly with lettuce, Co-Jack cheese, tomato and bacon. Top with sliced olives. Cut pizza into 12 wedges and serve.

Yield: 12 servings

---Adapted from a recipe from the American Dairy Association

Tomato Bruschetta Appetizers

Ingredients:

8 to 10 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
3 or 5 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 cup chopped leafy green lettuce
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. milled pepper

Toasted Bread Rounds:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 package (16-oz.) twin French bread loaves, cut in 1/4-inch slices

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, stir together the crisp bacon crumbles, chopped plum tomatoes, lettuce, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Brush olive oil on both sides of the bread slices. Place on a baking sheet or grill and toast at 400 degrees, turning once, for about seven minutes per side, depending on distance from the heat. Make the bread crisp and golden. Cool.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of tomato-bacon topping on each toast round, or serve topping in a small bowl surrounded by the toast rounds. For best flavor and texture, stir together topping ingredients just before serving.

Yield: 24 appetizers

---From the National Pork Producers Council