Homage To Summer Tomatoes

Holding on for dear life to the end of summer?

Sure, summer is officially over. Fall is settling in and It won’t be long till the bounty of summer tomatoes is gone until next year. Don’t miss their last hurrah. Accordingly, in a rare burst of energy, and with a surfeit of late summer produce from the farmers market, I made dinner last night. I fixed this dish as an homage to the fleeting season, I pass it along as my contribution to your weekend happiness and well being.

Summer Tomato Zucchini Halloumi Bake

I think the last time I made this concoction was when I originally posted it back in 2020, there had been much water over the dam since then. It’s got a lot of ingredients but none of them require much prep and the cooking is simple. I seldom have the energy to do much of anything let alone cook so if I can do it you can do it. Trust me on this, the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.

So if you find yourself lucky enough to have a lot of tomatoes and zucchini I highly recommend you throw this together.

Be sure to toast some good bread to soak up the succulent juices. The recipe makes a lot so you can freeze half of it to enjoy on a cold winter evening when you’re feeling lazy but most likely you’ll eat it all before it ever sees the freezer.

Recipe and notes:

Summer Tomato Zucchini Halloumi Bake

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground spicy sausage  – I’ve used Italian sausage in the past but only had Bob Evans breakfast sausage this time and used it with some red pepper flakes. I might like it even better.
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
• 4-5 medium heirloom tomatoes or regular, roughly chopped  (big chunks work well, skin and all)
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup red wine  (I only had white)
• 1-2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach  (or more, it shrinks a lot)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1 block halloumi cheese, sliced  – you can use fresh mozzarella and it will be fine but halloumi is especially good and elevates it to another level
• 1 cup heirloom or regular cherry tomatoes
• toasted ciabatta bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Heat a large, oven safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the sausage and onion and cook until the sausage is browned all over, about 8 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and any juices left on the cutting board. Add the paprika and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the wine. Add the spinach, cover and simmer 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and have released their juices. Stir in the basil. (I add the spinach and basil after the tomatoes cooked  down as it only takes a minute or so)

3. Arrange the halloumi in an even layer over the sauce. (I put mine in individual casseroles) Sprinkle the cherry tomatoes over top and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is golden and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve warm topped with fresh basil and toast for dipping.

You will have all next week to enjoy righteous retribution. For now, slow down and smell the tomatoes.