Baking with tomatoes

Tomatoes - so good, so versatile

They're not just delicious, they're good for you too.

Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins A, C and E, the natural plant pigments known as carotenoids (both beta-carotene and lycopene) and flavonoids which are also found in red wine and tea.

They are considered to have helpful anti-carcinogenic properties also. Good news all round.

Here, we have a couple yummy ideas using tomatoes in one form or another which you wouldn't normally think of baking but are worth a try because they're delicious.


Tomato treats

Tomato & Ham bread'n'butter Bake

Yes, really !

You'll need:

• 25 g of butter, softened
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 4 slices of stale bread, cut thickly
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 50 g of ham, roughly chopped or torn
• 500 ml of milk
• 3 eggs
• 50 g of mature Cheddar, grated
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5. Mix the butter and garlic together, then use a little to grease a shallow baking dish or tin. Use the rest to butter the bread slices, then cut them in half diagonally.

Overlap the bread slices in the baking dish, then tuck the tomatoes and ham in and around them. Whisk the milk and eggs together, season and pour over the bread. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

Dot the top with the mustard, scatter the cheese all over, then bake for 35-40 minutes until it's turned golden and just set.

It's really very nice served with a simple watercress and radish salad drizzled with olive oil.

Tomato & Feta Loaf

You'll need:

• 3 eggs
• 160 g of plain white flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 150 ml of milk
• 50 ml of olive oil
• 100 g of mature Cheddar
• 200 g of crumbly feta cheese
• 100 g of sundried tomatoes
• 6 or 7 basil leaves, torn
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Bloody Mary Tomato Ketchup 

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5. Chop the sundried tomatoes and marinate them in the Bloody Mary Ketchup for 15 minutes.

Mix the eggs and flour together in a large bowl then add the baking powder, milk, oil, cheese and marinated tomatoes, beating the ingredients together.

Season and add the basil leaves then beat on to form a dough. Pour the dough into a buttered loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes.

The Bloody Mary'd tomatoes punch their flavours through the light cheesy loaf.

 Tomato Ketchup Cake

Here's how:

• 65 g of softened butter, unsalted
• 210 g of granulated sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 225 g of Stokes Tomato Ketchup
• 2 fl oz of water
• 190 g of plain flour
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• A pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp of cinnamon

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5. Mix the tomato ketchup with the water, add the baking soda and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together, and beat the egg in well. Add the ketchup mixture and blend it in well. In a separate bowl, combine the spices, baking powder and flour.

Whisk this well, add the tomato mixture and blend well. Pour this into a greased, lined 23 cm cake tin and bake for 35 minutes.

The cake looks and tastes great iced as desired.

More foodie thoughts for the week:







National BBQ Week and competition news here.










Caption competition and other social news here.











Summer salads - dressed with love here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150