To write about food is to write about memories – and this is certainly true in my case, when it comes to writing about tomatoes. To me, they remind me of the many gorgeous summers I spent in the countryside while I was growing up. My aunt and uncle owned a small house about 20 miles away from the city, and they loved having me and my niece Anne Marie over when school was out for the summer.
Those were the days I never got tired because the world and its wonders kept me in awe, and my uncle’s garden was something to behold. We used to play hide-and-seek in that garden, tirelessly running around the cherry trees, digging deep and hoping to discover allegedly long-lost treasures at the root of the old fir tree, or happily hunting down Colorado beetles in the mild sunset light. We would always play and eat in that garden – who could have resisted freshly picked raspberries, apricots, apples and, of course, tomatoes? Indeed, no day would pass without me eating a tomato from my uncle’s garden. Firm, slightly sweet and deliciously thirst-quenching, my uncle’s heirloom tomatoes would give me that much-needed energy boost to go on with my playing.
This is how tomatoes became a part of who I am today – and this is why I love tomatoes and using them (either fresh or canned) in my recipes. I cooked again with tomatoes recently, for a special occasion: Red Gold Tomatoes contacted me and asked me to review their products and grilling recipes, and they also offered a giveaway to my readers.
This summer Red Gold Tomatoes is encouraging home chefs to grill with its tomatoes, and their summer grilling recipes can be found here. They are also running a promotion on Facebook in collaboration with Laura’s Lean Beef, where you can win one large Big Green Egg each week, as well as hundreds of insulated tote bags. Red Gold sent me the package below and a bottle of their new sriracha ketchup (due to hit the stores soon) to facilitate my recipe review. I was not financially compensated for this post. All opinions expressed here are my own.
I tested three of Red Gold’s recipes, and the grilled steak with chimichurri sauce was my family’s favorite by far. I used balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. However, I only used 2 tbsp because I did not want the sauce to be too sweet. It was also great to be able to put to good use the fresh oregano from my garden. The end result was a very tasty sauce, with its diverse components working together to deliver layer upon layer of flavor.
The chimichurri elevated the steak and made it light and packed full of flavor. Every ingredient in the sauce, from tomatoes to garlic, from cumin to red pepper flakes, had a flavorful, justified reason to be there, and spoke in harmony with the others. What a tasty and joyful summer dish!
We liked the chimichurri sauce so much that we ended up using it on top of the spicy tomato burger, the second recipe I made. My husband thought the original burger was not spicy enough, so I took out the dill pickles and kalamata olives I’d served the burger with initially, and replaced them with the chimichurri sauce. The result impressed both my husband and I: the burger was spicy – and so good! For super spiciness, you can also serve the burger with sriracha ketchup.
To go with the burger, I made grilled corn with whipped tomato butter. I left the petite diced tomatoes slightly chunky to give the butter a bit of texture. The butter melted beautifully on the hot grilled corn, and the tomatoes and the lemon juice made it light and refreshing. You can make this butter in advance and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Overall, my family and I enjoyed the Red Gold products and grilling recipes. They provided a flavorful alternative to the usual meals in our household, and a change which was greatly appreciated – after all, variety is the spice of life 🙂 Last but not least, they gave me the chance to experiment with one of my favorite ingredients, and to go back in time and rejoice in my happiest memories.
Red Gold is offering Chicago Loves Panini readers the chance to win a pack of Red Gold & Laura’s Lean Beef goodies similar to the one I received.
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post and answer the following question: What is your favorite food to cook on the grill, and why?
Giveaway open to US residents only. One entry per person. Deadline for entries is 6PM central time on July 22nd, 2015. One winner will be chosen on or around July 23rd, 2015 by using a random number generator and will have 72 hours to respond to the winner notification email. I reserve the right to pick an alternative winner if the original winner does not contact me 72 hours after receipt of winner notification email.
Good luck!
Kelly D
July 9, 2015I like to cook zucchini on the grill because the grill brings out the flavor.
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Julie Matek
July 9, 2015I love burgers & brats on the grill because they get that nice charbroiled taste:)
David
July 9, 2015I like to cook barbecued rope sausage. We used to eat them all the time when I was a kid. We would wrap them in a tortilla and call them a Texas corn-dog.
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Marissa S.
July 9, 2015I love cooking burgers on the grill, and love adding grilled veggies to them!
monica
July 9, 2015corn because its a crowd pleaser
perrieb2013
July 10, 2015Love to cook burgers, corn on the cob and baked potatoes on the grill!
Ashley Kolpak
July 10, 2015I love to cook any veggies on the grill, like zucchini, peppers, and broccoli, just drizzle them with olive oil and some oregano and yum! I like to make that because everyone enjoys it!
Regina
July 10, 2015Burgers!! We don’t eat them a lot, so I think that is why grilling season excites me…not to mention I am not the one cooking!!
Gregg Cesario
July 10, 2015Ribs … Just can’t get enough
Sharill R.
July 10, 2015Sadly, I don’t own a grill. But I have tasted the best salmon in my life and it was made in a grill! The flavors that my mouth tasted were out of this world lol!
Wehaf
July 10, 2015My favorite thing to cook on the grill is actually pineapple, because it gets this amazing caramelized taste.
Stephanie Phelps
July 10, 2015I love to cook pineapple and chicken on the grill the pineapple has so much flavor and adds such a great taste to your chicken kinda like going to Hawaii
Lindsey L
July 10, 2015We love grilling mesquite chicken, it’s the first meal my husband ever made me when we were just starting to date!
tara darity
July 10, 2015I love to cook burgers on the grill!
Natalie
July 10, 2015I love to cook veggies on the grill because the char marks make them extra tasty!
EDJ
July 10, 2015plain old burgers…keeping it simple 🙂
Angelica
July 10, 2015My favorite food to eat from the grill is a nice rare steak but my favorite food to cook on it is peaches, I love watching them sizzle and the awesome aroma! 🙂
Darlene Carbajal
July 10, 2015I love cooking burgers on the grill. They are my favorite!
chris z
July 10, 2015i like to cook burgers on the grill everyone likes them
Cynthia
July 10, 2015I love to cook burgers and corn on the cob! Yummy! My summertime favorite
Donna L
July 10, 2015I love to cook ribs on the grill because they’re delicious.
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David Fultner
July 11, 2015I love doing my red bell peppers on the grill for a smoky taste.
Sylvana B
July 11, 2015My favorite food on the grill are turkey burgers.
Ashley Nolan
July 11, 2015I like cooking hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, they both taste good and I usually have one of each!
jessica edwards
July 11, 2015Burgers! They are a classic and always taste better on the grill!
Sheila K.
July 11, 2015I like having my turkey burgers grilled—it gives them a great taste
Sarah
July 11, 2015My favorite food to cook on the grill is peaches, they taste so sweet and delicious with vanilla bean ice cream and maple syrup on top.
Connie Lee
July 12, 2015I like to cook burgers on the grill. We love the taste of a good old fashioned hamburger and they are not expensive to cook.
amylou61
July 12, 2015I like cooking chicken on the grill because I can add a rub or sauce which caramilizes and makes it so yummy! Also, I don’t have to heat up the kitchen.
Jeanna Massman
July 13, 2015To me, nothing is better than a juicy hamburger straight from the grill topped with tomatoes, lettuce and onions!
amweeks
July 15, 2015Your corn looks delicious! We love to cook chicken & veggie skewers (chicken, zucchini, summer squash, onions, peppers). We baste them in an Italian dressing. I love them because it’s something the whole family enjoys & they’re healthy!
Ashley
July 16, 2015Oh gosh, steak. Definitely steak!
Jan Hammersmith
July 17, 2015I love to cook sweet corn because it has a better taste
Elizabeth B
July 18, 2015My favorite food to cook on the grill is BBQ ribs! LOL, well, BBQ anything, really! My parents got me hooked on BBQ as a kid, and its been a summertime favorite of mine since childhood.
jessica c
July 18, 2015My favorite food to cook on the grill has to be shrimp and skewers. with melted butter and garlic… okay your making me hungry off to the store..lol
eguiver yol
July 18, 2015Love to grill fish with fruit salsa , because i like to fish so have lots of extra
Liz Lew
July 20, 2015Corn, it is the easiest-lol
bn100
July 20, 2015corn because it tastes better grilled
Rhonda R
July 20, 2015My favorite foods to cook are hotdogs and brauts because they are so easy! I love to entertain with these and plenty of good fixings!
Nancy
July 21, 2015I like to grill steak because it is easy and delicious!
Cori Westphal
July 21, 2015Fish! I hate stinking up the house cooking fish. It’s so nice to have the mess and stink outside!
Rita A
July 21, 2015lately I have been using my Big Green Egg for slow grilling vegetables. It makes them so tasty and keeps the heat out of the kitchen.
nycdropout
July 21, 2015Pepper poppers! I’ve been cooking them alot on the grill this summer. 🙂
Melissa Mazzur
July 21, 2015My favorite foods to cook on the grill are fresh veggies!
lindsay hess
July 21, 2015I love to cook sliced potatoes, onions and green peppers with sausage in foil. It tastes so good and will go really far for your family!! My family loves it and Im glad because Im saving money:)
Jessica Rose
July 21, 2015I love to grill asparagus and veggies!
ELizabeth H.
July 21, 2015I LOVE lobster tail, shrimp on a skewer, butter and a slice of fresh pineapple with a drizzle of brown sugar butter all over it… Totally fattening, but well worth the indulgence every once in a while
K.M. (@McKenna_1444)
July 21, 2015I actually love grilling cauliflower. I brush with garlic-infused olive oil and man is it good!
dschultz1101
July 21, 2015I’m going to have to say that a good chicken breast on the grill can’t be beat!
Leah Shumack
July 22, 2015There is nothing like a grilled steak! After marinating for a day or two it’s perfect with a nice corn on the cob!
Liz Lew
July 22, 2015Corn because it is super easy
Breanne
July 22, 2015I love steak. It’s one of my favorite foods!
Laurie Nykaza
July 22, 2015I love to cook steak on the grill it always comes out great!
Nicole Carter
July 22, 2015I love to cook hamburgers on the grill because nothing beats a nice big juicy hamburger on the grill when its done right!
laurie murley
July 22, 2015we love cooking hamburger and hotdogs on the grill, we do have chicken and pork too
Cheryll Shubert
July 22, 2015I love absolutely everything on the grill!! Food just tastes better!! I especially like grilled zucchini. I slice it and sprinkle herbs and grated cheese on it! So amazing!! I LOVE shish-ka-bob too!! It’s my favorite!!